Saudi Arabia will raise the pay requirement for full credit toward private-sector Saudi hiring quotas in two stages, changing how employers meet Nitaqat localization rules.
King Salman directed the change on a proposal from Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported. Under the first phase, a Saudi employee will need monthly pay of at least SR5,000 to count fully in an employer’s Nitaqat calculation. The threshold will rise to SR6,000 in the second phase, 12 months after the first increase takes effect.
SPA said the policy is intended to lift wages and support continued employment of Saudi nationals by private-sector businesses.
