What is Saudization?
Saudization is the Saudi national policy requiring private-sector employers to hire a minimum proportion of Saudi nationals, enforced through the Nitaqat banding system.
Saudization explained
Sector-specific Saudization targets apply on top of the general Nitaqat framework, and several professions have been progressively restricted to Saudi nationals only.
Compliance is assessed on genuine employment: nationals must be registered with GOSI, paid at or above the applicable threshold, and performing real work.
Related terms
NitaqatNitaqat is Saudi Arabia's Saudization programme, which grades private-sector establishments into coloured bands according to the proportion of Saudi nationals they employ.GOSIGOSI is Saudi Arabia's social insurance authority, collecting mandatory contributions from employers and employees to fund pensions and occupational hazard cover.QiwaQiwa is the Saudi Ministry of Human Resources digital platform used to authenticate employment contracts, manage work permits and track establishment compliance.
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