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The Ministry of Tourism focused its inspections on licensed hotels and other hospitality venues to confirm that operators correctly logged information for every worker whether employed directly or supplied through contract companies. Required records cover personal details along with qualifications professional experience and additional employment data which must be refreshed every three months according to the ministry. The ministry stated that such accurate and current information supports operational transparency enables effective regulatory monitoring and helps raise overall service quality in the tourism sector. This effort aligns with the ministry’s November 2025 policy on Saudisation and worker registration that applies to all licensed tourism establishments and requires updates through platforms including Qiwa for direct hires and Ajeer for outsourced staff.
Saudi Gazette reported on March 16 2026 that the campaign produced 84 enforcement actions for violations involving the failure to register or update worker data. The ministry’s figures listed 33 establishments that were shut down for ongoing non-compliance while 41 others corrected their records and completed the necessary registrations and updates to avoid closure. The actions formed part of a wider push to strengthen compliance with tourism legislation across the kingdom. A report from legal firm Clyde & Co noted that the 2025 policy introduced specific Saudisation targets alongside these employee registration obligations for the sector.
General Authority for Statistics data placed the number of licensed tourism hospitality facilities at 6,122 in the first quarter of 2026 reflecting a 22.7 percent increase from the prior year. The same figures show that tourism employment in the kingdom surpassed 1 million workers by late 2025 as the sector expanded to meet Vision 2030 objectives. Such growth has placed added importance on regulatory enforcement to maintain standards across a rapidly enlarging pool of operators. The ministry’s campaign underscores the requirement that all facilities adhere to data rules regardless of size or location.
Inspections examined both standalone hotels and serviced apartments to ensure uniform application of the registration rules. The ministry emphasised that contract workers must be included in submissions to prevent gaps in sector-wide oversight. Facilities found in violation received decisions that ranged from immediate closure to opportunities for rapid correction depending on the severity of the lapse. This approach allows compliant operators to resume or continue operations promptly after addressing deficiencies.
The policy requiring quarterly updates builds on earlier labour regulations that mandate registration with both the Ministry of Tourism and the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development before any worker begins employment. Non-compliance can trigger not only closures but also potential impacts on an establishment’s licensing status over time. Industry reports indicate that the hospitality segment has seen occupancy rates climb alongside the rise in facilities with hotels reaching around 63 percent room occupancy in early 2025 according to official statistics. Enforcement actions such as those announced in March 2026 aim to align the expanding workforce with regulatory requirements.
Further details from the ministry highlighted that the drive covered various regions with particular attention to high-density tourism areas. Operators that rectified their submissions demonstrated the feasibility of meeting the three-month update cycle once deficiencies were identified. The ministry continues to conduct such campaigns as the sector scales with projections from the General Authority for Statistics indicating sustained increases in both facilities and employment through the remainder of 2026.
