Nitaqat and Saudization in 2026: what they mean for job seekers

Nitaqat is the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development programme that rates private companies by their share of Saudi employees, and Saudization decisions reserve some professions, fully or in part, for Saudis. For a job seeker, this means some jobs are open to Saudis only, and companies have a reason to hire Saudis to keep their rating.

Before you apply, check the Saudization decisions for your profession on the Ministry's site or on Qiwa, because the lists change.

What is Nitaqat?

Nitaqat is how the Ministry measures Saudization in each private company. The current bands and the rules for each one are published by the Ministry, so check them there rather than in copied lists.

Saudized professions in 2026

The Ministry issues Saudization decisions for specific professions and activities. Some reserve a profession fully for Saudis, others set a required Saudi share. The list changes with each new decision, so we do not copy it here and risk showing you an old version. The right source is the Saudization decisions page on the Ministry's site, and Qiwa for companies.

For Saudis

• Companies need Saudi employees to keep their band, so your application has value to them.
• Some professions are reserved for Saudis, so there is less competition from non-Saudis.

For residents

• If your profession is fully Saudized, a company cannot hire you for it.
• Focus on professions not covered by the decisions, and check the job title in the posting.
• Read the posting: many companies clearly write "Saudis only".

How to use this when you apply

1. Find out from the official source whether your profession is covered by a Saudization decision.
2. Apply to companies that fit your profile, and do not spend time on postings reserved for others.
3. Use more than one route: the company's own hiring system and email to HR.

On Badali you choose each job your application goes to, and you choose the companies your email reaches by industry. You start with 3 applications and 5 emails free, no card.