Does this Saudi count?
- Monthly salary
- SAR 7,500
- Counts in Nitaqat as
- 1 Saudi
- Profession minimum
- SAR 8,000
Not met
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Saudi Minimum Salary for Nitaqat
Does this Saudi employee's salary count fully for Nitaqat?
Checked against HRSD / Qiwa rules · reviewed 1 Oct 2026 · next review 1 Jan 2027
Enter a Saudi employee's monthly salary and profession. You'll see whether they count as 1 or 0.5 in Nitaqat and whether they meet the minimum salary of a Saudized profession.
How the salary check works
Nitaqat counts a full-time Saudi as 1 when paid at least SAR 4,000 a month and as 0.5 below that. Separately, some profession Saudization decisions set a minimum salary for a Saudi to count toward that profession's percentage — engineering SAR 8,000, accounting SAR 6,000 (bachelor's), dentistry SAR 9,000 and pharmacy SAR 7,000. The check compares the salary you enter with both lines.
Salary check examples
| Role | Salary | Nitaqat weight | Profession minimum |
|---|---|---|---|
| Admin assistant | SAR 3,500 | 0.5 Saudi | — |
| Sales executive | SAR 4,000 | 1 Saudi | — |
| Site engineer | SAR 7,500 | 1 Saudi | SAR 8,000 · Not met |
| Accountant (bachelor's) | SAR 6,500 | 1 Saudi | SAR 6,000 · Met |
| Hospital pharmacist | SAR 9,000 | 1 Saudi | SAR 7,000 · Met |
Check before you set the salary
- Use the wage on the Qiwa contract and GOSI record — that's what the systems read.
- Accounting, dental and pharmacy minimums come from secondary sources.
- Only Qiwa-documented contracts count from 15 April 2026.
Data Sources
- HRSD — 70% Saudization in procurement professions from 31 May 2026 (2026-10-01)
- SPA / HRSD — Localization decisions for 269 professions (dental, pharmacy, accounting, engineering) (2026-10-01)
- HRSD — Procedural manual, Saudization of technical engineering professions (2026-10-01)
- SPA / HRSD — New Saudization measures for engineering and procurement (SAR 8,000 counted wage) (2026-10-01)
- HRSD — Optics sector Saudization resolution enters into force (2026-10-01)
- SPA / HRSD — 70% Saudization of project management professions (2026-10-01)
- Nitaqat counting weights (Mercans; Saudi Gazette on Qiwa-documented contracts) (secondary) (2026-10-01)
- HRSD — 100% Saudization of 69 administrative support professions (Fragomen) (secondary) (2026-10-01)
- HRSD — 100% Saudization of remote customer service (Argaam, Feb 2021) (secondary) (2026-10-01)
- HRSD — 60% Saudization in marketing and sales professions (Erickson Immigration Group) (secondary) (2026-10-01)
See the effect on your band
Run your whole workforce through the Nitaqat calculator and check which roles are reserved on the Saudized jobs list.
Frequently asked questions
What is the minimum salary for a Saudi to count in Nitaqat?
A full-time Saudi paid SAR 4,000 or more a month counts as one Saudi in Nitaqat. Below SAR 4,000 they still count, but only as half. The contract must also be documented on Qiwa — since 15 April 2026 undocumented Saudis don't count at all.
What is the minimum salary for Saudi engineers?
Under HRSD's engineering Saudization decision, a Saudi engineer counts toward the 30% engineering requirement only with a GOSI-registered wage of at least SAR 8,000 and Saudi Council of Engineers accreditation.
Do accountants, dentists and pharmacists have salary minimums?
Reported thresholds are SAR 6,000 for accountants with a bachelor's degree (SAR 4,500 with a diploma), SAR 9,000 for dentists and SAR 7,000 for pharmacists. These come from secondary summaries, so confirm them in HRSD's procedural guide for the profession.
Is there a general minimum wage for Saudis?
This check covers the Nitaqat counting line and profession minimums only. It doesn't state a general private-sector minimum wage. For band effects of the whole workforce, use the Nitaqat calculator.
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