Saudi Arabia | Grace period for full Saudization of administrative support professions ends Oct. 4

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development announced in April an updated Saudization requirement for administrative support professions. The grace period ends Oct. 4, 2026.

Key takeaways:

As of April 5, 2026, the ministry requires a 100% Saudization rate for 69 administrative support professions under the Saudi Standard Classification of Occupations. A select group of occupations received a six-month grace period to implement the new requirement, which ends Oct. 4, 2026.

The Saudization requirement applies to private establishments with one or more workers in covered professions. Employers can review the ministry’s procedural guide for details on the professions covered, implementation and compliance requirements.

This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice Group.

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