What changed
MHRSD published details of an upgraded Nitaqat programme. Similar economic activities have been merged into unified groups, and the programme sets a phased three-year plan to raise Saudization at profession level.
The ministry has started implementing measures to increase Saudization in certain professions — engineering among them — with implementation noted as beginning on 30 June 2026. The publication included recalculation methodology and operational guidance for employers to assess their classification.
Why it matters
Merging similar activities into unified groups changes the set an establishment is compared against. A Nitaqat band that was stable under the previous grouping is not automatically stable under the new one, which is why the ministry published recalculation methodology alongside the announcement.
Moving the requirement to profession level is the second shift. Localization attaches to particular roles rather than to the establishment’s activity alone, so two establishments in the same group can face different obligations depending on the professions they employ.
What employers should do
- Re-run your classification using the recalculation methodology MHRSD published
- Confirm which unified activity group the establishment now sits in
- Identify which of your professions are covered by the profession-level measures
- Build workforce plans against the three-year phasing rather than a single current position
- Work from the ministry’s operational guidance rather than the previous programme’s assumptions