HSE Manager Salary in Saudi Arabia: Complete Compensation Guide 2026

HSE Manager Compensation in Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia represents the single largest employment market for HSE Managers in the Gulf Cooperation Council, anchored by Saudi Aramco—the world’s most valuable energy company—and an expanding ecosystem of petrochemical giants, mining operators, and mega-infrastructure projects under Vision 2030. The Kingdom’s oil and gas sector produces approximately 9–10 million barrels of crude oil daily and operates the world’s largest hydrocarbon processing network, creating an operational environment where safety management is not merely a compliance requirement but a strategic imperative worth billions of riyals in risk mitigation annually.

For HSE professionals, Saudi Arabia offers a unique combination of unparalleled scale, career-defining projects, and compensation packages that rank among the most generous globally. The ongoing expansion of downstream petrochemicals (SABIC, Ma’aden, Petro Rabigh), the development of new mega-cities (NEOM, The Red Sea Project, Qiddiya), and Aramco’s relentless focus on operational excellence through its Loss Prevention and Safety Management systems mean that demand for qualified HSE Managers continues to outstrip supply, particularly for those with NEBOSH International Diploma credentials and process safety expertise.

Salary Overview by Experience Level

HSE Manager salaries in Saudi Arabia vary based on experience, certification level, employer type, and assignment location. The following ranges represent monthly base salaries in Saudi Riyals (SAR) for 2026 market conditions.

Entry-Level HSE Officers (0–4 years): SAR 14,000–20,000 per month. At this stage, professionals typically hold the NEBOSH International General Certificate (IGC) as a minimum, with some possessing the OSHA 30-Hour certificate for construction or general industry. Entry-level HSE Officers at Aramco’s contractor companies start at SAR 14,000–17,000, while those hired directly by Aramco’s contractor management division or by major EPC firms like Bechtel, Fluor, or Samsung Engineering can earn SAR 17,000–20,000. The role involves conducting daily safety inspections, maintaining permit-to-work registers, monitoring confined space entry procedures, and supporting hot work permit management across construction and operational sites.

Mid-Level HSE Managers (5–10 years): SAR 20,000–32,000 per month. Mid-level professionals have typically earned the NEBOSH International Diploma and hold ISO 45001 Lead Auditor certification. At Aramco, HSE professionals at this level operate within the company’s structured grading system, with compensation reflecting both technical expertise and the specific assignment. Mid-level HSE Managers at SABIC earn SAR 22,000–30,000, while those at Ma’aden (the Saudi mining giant that also operates significant chemical processing facilities) earn SAR 20,000–28,000. EPC contractor roles with Bechtel, Fluor, or McDermott pay SAR 20,000–26,000 for project-based HSE management.

Process Safety Management specialists within this band command significant premiums. Professionals who can facilitate HAZOP studies, conduct Safety Integrity Level (SIL) assessments, and implement Management of Change (MOC) procedures earn SAR 28,000–35,000, reflecting the critical nature of PSM in Saudi Arabia’s massive refining and petrochemical complexes. The Ras Tanura refinery, Yanbu industrial city, and Jubail petrochemical complex all require dedicated PSM teams.

Senior HSE Managers (11–18 years): SAR 32,000–48,000 per month. Senior professionals hold titles such as HSE Director, Corporate HSE Manager, or Head of Safety, and are responsible for enterprise-wide HSE strategy, regulatory compliance with Saudi Arabia’s General Authority for Meteorology and Environmental Protection (now the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture), and leadership of safety culture transformation programs. At Aramco, senior HSE positions are among the most prestigious in the global safety profession, overseeing operations that span from the Ghawar field to the Shaybah facility in the Empty Quarter.

SABIC’s corporate HSE function, headquartered in Riyadh, employs senior professionals who manage safety performance across dozens of manufacturing affiliates. Ma’aden’s expansion into phosphate mining and aluminum smelting at Ras Al Khair has created demand for HSE Directors who can manage diverse risk profiles across mining, chemical processing, and heavy industry. The Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu employs HSE leadership to oversee safety and environmental standards across these two major industrial cities.

Executive HSE Leadership (18+ years): SAR 48,000–70,000 per month. Vice Presidents of HSE, Chief Safety Officers, and Group HSE Directors at Aramco, SABIC, and other major Saudi employers operate at the executive level. Aramco’s Loss Prevention Department, which has been a model for the global oil industry since the 1960s, is led by senior executives whose total compensation packages exceed SAR 1.2 million annually when bonuses, housing, and other benefits are included. ACWA Power, the Saudi utility giant with major operations in power generation and desalination, has created executive HSE roles that oversee safety across a portfolio of projects spanning the Kingdom and beyond.

Saudi Aramco: The Gold Standard Employer

Working at Saudi Aramco as an HSE professional is considered the pinnacle of the safety profession in the Middle East and is globally recognized. Aramco’s Loss Prevention Department (LPD) is one of the most sophisticated HSE organizations in any company worldwide, with dedicated divisions for industrial safety, fire protection engineering, occupational health, environmental protection, and process safety.

Aramco’s HSE compensation philosophy centers on total value. Base salaries are competitive but not always the highest in the market; the true value comes from the extraordinary benefits package. Company housing in residential compounds at Dhahran, Ras Tanura, ’Udhailiyah, Abqaiq, and Shaybah includes fully furnished villas or apartments, recreational facilities (swimming pools, tennis courts, gyms, cinemas), schools, commissary shopping, and medical clinics. For HSE Managers with families, the value of compound living can exceed SAR 8,000–15,000 per month in equivalent market terms.

Aramco’s remote location assignments carry significant premiums. HSE Managers posted to Shaybah (in the Rub’ al Khali desert, accessible only by air) or offshore platforms in the Arabian Gulf receive hardship and remote location allowances of SAR 4,000–10,000 per month. The company’s rotation schedules for remote assignments are generous, typically offering 28 days on and 28 days off, with charter flights provided between the field site and Dhahran.

Aramco’s professional development support for HSE staff is unmatched. The company sponsors NEBOSH Diploma studies, sends professionals to international conferences (such as the National Safety Council Congress and SPE Health, Safety, Security, Environment, and Social Responsibility Conference), and maintains a comprehensive internal training program through its Professional Development organization. This investment in human capital creates HSE professionals who are sought after globally.

NEBOSH and Certification Requirements in the Saudi Market

The Saudi oil and gas sector has standardized around specific certifications for HSE roles, and understanding these requirements is essential for salary negotiation and career planning.

The NEBOSH International General Certificate (IGC) is the absolute minimum for any HSE role in Saudi oil and gas. Aramco’s contractor HSE requirements explicitly reference NEBOSH or equivalent qualifications, and most major contractors include the IGC as a mandatory credential in their job descriptions. However, the IGC alone increasingly limits career progression to supervisory roles with a salary ceiling around SAR 22,000–25,000.

The NEBOSH International Diploma is the key differentiator for management-level roles. Aramco’s internal HSE positions at professional grades require the Diploma, as do senior HSE roles at SABIC, Ma’aden, and the Royal Commission. Diploma holders earn a consistent 25–40% premium over IGC holders at equivalent experience levels. In the Saudi market, the Diploma is increasingly supplemented by IOSH Chartered Membership (CMIOSH), which signals a commitment to the profession that resonates with both Western and Saudi employer expectations.

ISO 45001 Lead Auditor certification has become a standard requirement for HSE Manager roles that involve management system governance. All major Saudi operators maintain ISO 45001 certification, and the ability to lead internal and external audits is a valued competency. ISO 14001 Lead Auditor certification adds value for roles with environmental management responsibilities, particularly relevant as Saudi Arabia tightens environmental regulations under its National Environmental Strategy.

The OSHA 30-Hour Construction and General Industry certifications remain relevant for contractor HSE roles, particularly on EPC projects where American safety standards are common. Aramco’s own Safety Management System draws heavily from OSHA 29 CFR standards, making OSHA certification a practical complement to NEBOSH qualifications.

Vision 2030 and Its Impact on HSE Demand

Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 transformation program is creating unprecedented demand for HSE Managers across sectors that extend well beyond traditional oil and gas. The mega-projects associated with Vision 2030—NEOM, The Red Sea Project, Qiddiya, Diriyah Gate, and the Jeddah Tower—require thousands of HSE professionals to manage the construction and operational phases of these multi-billion-dollar developments.

For HSE Managers with oil and gas backgrounds, Vision 2030 projects offer two pathways. Some professionals transition entirely into construction or infrastructure HSE, leveraging their risk management and management system expertise. Others find that the industrial components of Vision 2030 projects—NEOM’s hydrogen production facility, The Red Sea Project’s desalination plants, and various industrial zones—require process safety and industrial HSE expertise that is directly transferable from oil and gas.

The expansion of Saudi Arabia’s petrochemical sector under Vision 2030, including SABIC’s new specialty chemicals plants and Aramco’s crude-to-chemicals initiatives, is creating HSE roles that combine traditional oil and gas safety with advanced chemical process safety. The planned expansion of Jubail Industrial City and the development of new industrial zones in Ras Al Khair and Jazan require HSE leadership at every stage from design and construction through to commissioning and operations.

Benefits Package at Saudi Employers

Saudi oil and gas employers offer benefits packages that add 50–70% to the effective value of base salary, particularly when company housing and family benefits are included.

Housing: The most significant benefit. Aramco provides company housing in residential compounds, valued at SAR 6,000–15,000 per month depending on family size and grade level. SABIC and Ma’aden provide housing allowances of 25–40% of base salary for employees who prefer private accommodation. EPC contractors on project sites typically provide camp accommodation for single-status employees and housing allowances for those on family status.

Transport: Company vehicles or transport allowances of SAR 1,500–3,500 per month are standard. Aramco provides bus services between residential compounds and work locations, plus charter flights for remote assignments. SABIC and Ma’aden provide car allowances or company vehicles for senior roles.

Medical Coverage: Mandatory under Saudi labor law, with oil and gas companies providing premium plans that cover the employee and all dependents. Aramco operates its own hospitals and medical centers (the Dhahran Health Center is among the best-equipped in the region), providing essentially free comprehensive healthcare. SABIC and other major employers contract with VIP-tier hospital networks.

Education: Aramco covers international school tuition for employees’ children, with access to Aramco-operated schools (following American and British curricula) in Dhahran and other compounds. For employees outside compound schools, education allowances of SAR 20,000–60,000 per child per year are common. SABIC provides similar education support at its Riyadh and Jubail locations.

End-of-Service Benefits: Saudi labor law mandates half a month’s salary per year for the first five years and one full month’s salary per year thereafter. Some employers, including Aramco, offer enhanced gratuity programs that exceed the legal minimum, particularly for long-service employees. A senior HSE Manager earning SAR 40,000 base who stays for ten years accrues a gratuity exceeding SAR 300,000.

Saudization and Its Effect on Expatriate HSE Professionals

Saudi Arabia’s Saudization (Nitaqat) program requires companies to maintain minimum percentages of Saudi nationals in their workforce. In the oil and gas sector, Saudization targets are among the highest, reflecting the government’s strategic priority to develop Saudi human capital in this critical industry. For expatriate HSE Managers, Saudization has several practical implications.

At the entry and mid levels, Saudization is progressively reducing expatriate opportunities. Aramco and SABIC actively develop Saudi HSE professionals through structured graduate programs and sponsor NEBOSH certification for Saudi employees. However, at the senior and executive levels, experienced expatriate HSE professionals remain in high demand due to the specialized expertise required—particularly in process safety management, incident investigation, and international regulatory frameworks. Expatriate HSE Managers with NEBOSH Diploma, CCPS credentials, and fifteen or more years of oil and gas experience are among the last positions to be Saudized due to the time required to develop equivalent Saudi expertise.

For expatriate professionals, the most resilient career strategy in the Saudi market is to develop deep specialization in process safety, environmental management, or digital HSE—areas where the domestic talent pipeline remains underdeveloped. Professionals who can demonstrate a track record of developing and mentoring Saudi HSE staff also enhance their long-term employability, as they contribute directly to their employers’ Saudization objectives.

Top Employers for HSE Managers in Saudi Arabia

• Saudi Aramco: The world’s largest oil company with the most comprehensive HSE function in any energy company globally. The Loss Prevention Department offers unmatched career depth and professional development.
• SABIC: The Middle East’s largest petrochemical company, with manufacturing affiliates across Jubail, Yanbu, and Riyadh. HSE roles span chemical process safety, transportation safety, and corporate sustainability.
• Ma’aden: Saudi Arabia’s national mining company, operating gold, phosphate, aluminum, and copper mining operations. HSE roles combine mining safety with chemical processing risks.
• ACWA Power: A leading developer of power generation and desalinated water projects. HSE roles cover construction safety during project development and operational safety for power plants and desalination facilities.
• Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu: The government body overseeing the two major industrial cities, employing HSE professionals to manage environmental standards and industrial safety across hundreds of resident companies.
• Bechtel: The American EPC giant with massive Saudi operations, including work on NEOM and Aramco projects. Offers project-based HSE management roles with competitive expatriate packages.
• Fluor: Another major American EPC contractor with a strong Saudi presence, offering HSE roles on downstream and petrochemical projects.

Market Outlook 2026–2028

The Saudi HSE market is experiencing a structural expansion driven by three converging trends. First, Aramco’s ongoing operational expansion—including the Jafurah unconventional gas development, which is the largest unconventional gas project in the Middle East—is creating hundreds of new HSE positions. Second, Vision 2030 mega-projects are generating cross-sector demand for HSE professionals with transferable skills. Third, the Kingdom’s tightening environmental regulations and commitments under the Saudi Green Initiative (targeting net-zero emissions by 2060) are expanding the scope of HSE roles to encompass environmental management and sustainability.

Salary growth for HSE Managers in Saudi Arabia is running at 4–7% annually, with process safety specialists and ESG-focused HSE Directors seeing the strongest increases. The introduction of a personal income tax remains unlikely in the near term, preserving the tax-free advantage that makes Saudi compensation packages globally competitive. The overall market sentiment is strongly positive for HSE professionals with advanced certifications and oil and gas specialization.

Aramco Loss Prevention Department Salary Grades

Access detailed Aramco HSE salary bands by job code and grade level, covering Loss Prevention Engineers, Fire Protection Engineers, Industrial Hygienists, and Environmental Specialists. Includes compound housing tier assignments, remote location premium schedules for Shaybah and offshore, and performance review multipliers. Data sourced from verified employee records updated quarterly.

SABIC and Ma’aden HSE Compensation Benchmark

Compare complete HSE compensation across SABIC affiliates in Jubail and Yanbu and Ma’aden operations in Ras Al Khair and remote mining sites. Includes base salary, housing allowance, transport, education, and end-of-service projections for each experience level.