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The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development has directed private sector employers to ensure that 70 percent of roles for project management directors, project management engineers and project management specialists are held by Saudi nationals starting February 14, 2027. Establishments with workers in these categories will be required to meet the threshold, which applies uniformly regardless of company size in the affected occupations. The ministry published the updated requirements through official channels, giving businesses roughly six months to align their workforce planning with the new standard.
According to the ministry, the decision aims to expand participation by Saudi citizens in the labor market, generate more employment opportunities for nationals, attract specialized local talent and raise overall workforce efficiency. The measure forms part of sustained efforts to localize key technical and managerial functions that have historically relied heavily on expatriate expertise. Officials indicated that compliance will be tracked through existing digital platforms used for labor reporting.
This latest adjustment follows the ministry’s April 2026 decision to apply 100 percent Saudization to 69 administrative support professions, an expansion that a KPMG flash alert described as covering secretarial work, translation, data entry and related positions across private sector entities with even one employee in those roles. The administrative update took effect on April 5, 2026 and required immediate adjustments for many companies. Such sequential rollouts illustrate the phased approach authorities have adopted throughout the year.
In February 2026 the ministry raised Saudization rates to 60 percent for 10 marketing professions and nine sales professions among companies employing three or more workers in those fields, a Fragomen legal briefing reported. The updated thresholds, which became effective in April, include minimum salary conditions for Saudi employees to count toward compliance calculations. These changes in sales, marketing and now project management demonstrate how regulators continue to refine occupation-specific targets.
Saudization policies operate as a central pillar of Saudi Vision 2030, which seeks to empower the national workforce and reduce reliance on foreign labor across multiple economic sectors. Ministry planning documents outline targets that include adding approximately 3,000 Saudi dental practitioners in the private sector and 4,000 pharmaceutical professionals over the next two years. Parallel initiatives address information technology and tourism accommodation, where thousands of additional Saudi hires are projected.
Private sector entities monitor their Saudization percentages through the Qiwa digital platform, which also handles work permits and related compliance filings. Non-compliance can result in limitations on new visa approvals and other regulatory restrictions enforced by labor authorities. The project management directive provides businesses with a defined timeline, allowing structured transition planning ahead of the February 2027 enforcement date.
