Saudi Arabia Announces Higher Saudization Rates for 269 Professions

Saudi Arabia raises Saudization rates for 269 professions, including pharmacy, dentistry, and accounting, starting July 2025.

The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (MHRSD) has announced new decisions to raise Saudization rates for 269 professions across the medical, accounting, and engineering fields. The initiative aims to boost employment opportunities for Saudi citizens.

The decisions were made in partnership with the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Commerce, and Ministry of Municipal, Rural Affairs, and Housing.

Pharmacy Professions

Starting July 27, 2025, Saudization rates for pharmacy professions will be as follows:

35% for community pharmacies and medical centers.
65% for hospital pharmacies.
55% for other pharmacy-related activities.

This decision applies to establishments employing five or more workers in pharmacy-related roles.

Dentistry Professions

Saudization rates for dentistry professions will increase in two phases:

Phase 1: 45%, starting July 27, 2025.
Phase 2: 55%, starting 12 months after the first phase.

This applies to establishments employing three or more workers in dentistry roles. The minimum monthly salary for dentists to count towards Saudization has been raised to 9,000 SAR.

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Accounting Professions

Saudization in accounting professions will increase gradually over five phases starting October 22, 2025. In the first phase, a 40% Saudization rate will be applied to establishments employing five or more accountants, eventually reaching 70% over five years.

Engineering Professions

The Saudization rate for technical engineering professions will increase to 30% of the total workforce in targeted roles. This will take effect on July 27, 2025, and applies to private sector establishments employing five or more workers in these roles.

Implementation and Monitoring

The ministry has published procedural guides on its website to help employers understand the new regulations and calculate Saudization rates. These guides also detail penalties for non-compliance.

These decisions align with the goals of Vision 2030 to boost employment opportunities for Saudi nationals and support their participation in the labor market.