Your guide to the new Saudization rules

What Nitaqat tiers mean for your job search in 2026, and how employers weigh Saudi and expat candidates.

Saudization, known locally as Nitaqat, sets the share of Saudi nationals a company must employ in each sector and size band. For job seekers, it decides which roles are open to expats and which are reserved.

How the tiers work

Companies are graded from platinum down to red. A platinum or green company can sponsor and transfer iqamas easily, so its job offers are far more likely to complete. A yellow or red company may be blocked from issuing new work visas altogether.

What to check before you apply

Ask the recruiter which Nitaqat band the company sits in, whether the role is reserved for Saudi nationals, and whether they can transfer an existing iqama. These three questions save weeks.

Reserved professions

Several activities, including parts of retail sales, HR, and customer service, are fully reserved for Saudi nationals. If you are an expat applying to those functions, expect the offer to stall at the labour office stage.

If you are a Saudi national

Saudization works in your favour. Mention your national ID status early in the application, because it directly improves the employer Nitaqat score.