Saudi careers in 269 professions
Next phase: 340,000 more jobs localized by 2028
Thriving Economy pillar3 sourcesLast verified 2026-05-16
Hero metric
Additional Saudi jobs to be localized in the new Nitaqat phase
340,000
2026–2028April 2026: Nitaqat enters new 3-year cycle. 269 professions now have specific localization quotas (vs aggregate company headcount). 69 administrative roles localized at 100% from April 5, 2026.
Publishers include: Ministry of Human Resources & Social Development · Arab News · Middle East Briefing
Trend over time · 4 data points
2011 → 2028
Hover any point for the period, value, and primary publisher.
The Story
Before
Nitaqat (Saudization) was originally a headcount game — companies hit aggregate quotas by hiring Saudis into any role. The result: many Saudi nationals nominally counted toward quotas while sitting in low-paid positions with limited career growth.
Initiative
MHRSD redesigned the program around profession-level quotas across 269 specific roles, with minimum wage floors (SAR 4,000 general / SAR 5,500 marketing / SAR 8,000 engineering / SAR 9,000 dentistry). The new 2026–2028 cycle (Nitaqat Mutawar) raised quotas across healthcare, engineering, accounting, procurement, marketing and sales. 69 administrative support roles (secretarial, translation, data entry) became fully Saudized from April 5, 2026. The Yellow compliance tier was eliminated.
Outcome
Over the 2026–2028 cycle, the program aims to localize 340,000 additional private-sector jobs for Saudi nationals, while pushing companies away from quota-gaming toward genuine career roles.
For citizens
The era of being hired to fill a quota is ending. A Saudi accountant, engineer, marketer, dentist or pharmacist now enters a private sector that needs them, pays them properly, and offers progression. Quality replaces token compliance.
Supporting metrics
Professions with specific quotas
269
2026
Roles localized 100% (admin)
69 new professions
From April 5, 2026
Min. wage floor for Nitaqat counting
SAR 4,000/month
2026 update
Nitaqat tiers
Platinum / Green (3 bands) / Red (Yellow eliminated)
2026
Professions newly Saudized
269 professions
cumulative since 2017 (the activity localization waves)
Timeline of Milestones
2011
Original Nitaqat launched
2021
Nitaqat Mutawar (2021–2025) launched — first phase
2026
Second phase (Nitaqat 2.0) launches; Yellow tier eliminated; 69 admin roles 100% Saudized
2028
Target: 340,000 additional jobs localized
Evidence library · 3 primary sources
Sorted by tier, newest first
Nitaqat Program launches new phase to localize 340,000 jobs
Ministry of Human Resources & Social Development
Saudi Arabia expands Saudization to 69 administrative roles
Arab News
Saudization (Nitaqat) 2026 Update: Sector Quotas and Compliance
Middle East Briefing
Saudi unemployment rate
Halved since Vision 2030 began — from 12.3% to 7.2%
7.2%
Direct cash support to 10 million Saudis
SAR 229 billion delivered to families since 2017
10M+
70% of Aramco's supply chain — Made in Saudi
$280 billion to the economy, 200,000 jobs, 47 strategic products manufactured locally for the first time
70%
Saudi women added to the formal workforce
From ~600,000 in 2017 to ~4 million today — a sixfold absolute rise
~3.4M
Initiative attribution: Nitaqat (Saudization), Nitaqat Mutawar 2026–2028 phase, profession-specific quotas. Citizen benefit category: Quality private-sector jobs for Saudis.