Ryan FowlerSaudi Arabia has announced a policy restricting human resources positions to Saudi nationals, in a push to boost local employment.
The decision by the Saudi Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development was in response to a query about a non-Saudi conducting a job interview for an HR role, underscoring the government’s commitment to prioritising Saudi citizens in the workforce.
Additionally, the ministry has launched the second phase of a decree aimed at localising 40% of jobs in the consultancy services sector, building on an earlier phase that set a 35% Saudisation target.
This initiative is part of Saudi Arabia’s broader “Saudisation” strategy, aiming to replace foreign workers with Saudis across various sectors, including education, telecommunications, real estate, engineering, sales, and healthcare. Recent measures have also seen the localisation of engineering roles and sales positions, with plans to extend this to the dental sector and postal services.
