Saudi Arabia ordered private sector and non-profit organisations to increase the proportion of Saudi nationals in engineering roles to 30%, whilst setting a minimum wage of SAR8,000 ($2,133) for these positions.

Saudi Arabia’s decades-long push to replace foreign workers with its own citizens has notched visible gains but still faces structural limits. Saudiisation policies, centred on the Nitaqat quota system, have helped lift Saudi employment in the private sector to around 2.5mn nationals and driven unemployment down to record lows, even beating Vision 2030 targets ahead of schedule. 

The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development issued the decree on January 4 in partnership with the Ministry of Municipalities and Housing, aiming to boost participation of national talent in the labour market and create attractive employment opportunities for citizens across the kingdom, local paper Al-Eqtisadiah reported.

The decision applies to establishments employing five or more workers in engineering professions and covers 46 engineering roles including architects, power generation engineers, industrial engineers, electronics engineers, vehicle engineers, marine engineers and sanitary engineers.

Implementation begins six months from the issuance date to ensure targeted establishments achieve compliance and prepare for the requirements.

The ministry also issued a separate decree raising Saudisation to 70% for purchasing professions in the private sector, affecting establishments with three or more workers in covered roles.

The measure includes 12 professions such as purchasing director, purchasing representative, contracts manager, warehouse keeper, logistics services manager, warehouse manager, tender specialist, purchasing specialist, e-commerce specialist, market research specialist, warehouse specialist and private label supply specialist.

The ministry said both decisions stem from intensive studies of labour market needs, aligning with the number of job seekers in related specialisations and future requirements for the purchasing and engineering sectors.

Behind the headline numbers, Saudis still account for only a minority of private‑sector jobs, with nationalisation strongest in retail, tourism and basic services.

At the same time, higher‑skilled technical and specialist roles remain dominated by expatriates, highlighting the programme’s lingering challenges on skills, productivity and compliance - especially among smaller firms.