Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development announces Saudisation plans for dentistry, pharmacy, accounting, and engineering roles
Saudi Arabia has announced major plans to localise jobs in the Kingdom.
The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (HRSD), in collaboration with the ministries of health, commerce, and municipalities and housing, announced a series of decisions to enhance localisation rates across 269 professions in diverse sectors, including dentistry, pharmacy, accounting, and technical engineering, to expand employment opportunities for Saudi citizens across all regions of the Kingdom.
Effective July 23, 2025, the decision to increase the localisation rates in pharmacy professions will be implemented in partnership with the Ministry of Health.
Saudi jobs localisation
The decision requires establishments with five or more employees in pharmacy professions to adhere to the following localisation rates:
- 35 per cent in community pharmacies and medical complexes
- 65 per cent in hospital pharmacy operations
- 55 per cent in other pharmacy-related activities
Localisation rates for dental professions in establishments with three or more employees will increase in two stages:
- 45 per cent from July 23, 2025
- Up to 55 per cent after 12 months
Additionally, the minimum wage for dental professions has been raised to SR9,000 ($2,400) to be considered in the localisation rate calculation.
In collaboration with the Ministry of Commerce, HRSD has implemented a phased approach to increase the Saudisation percentage in accounting professions.
Commencing on October 22, 2025, this initiative will be implemented over five years, with the first stage targeting establishments employing five or more accountants.
The initial Saudisation rate will be set at 40 per cent, gradually increasing to 70 per cent over a five-year period.
In collaboration with the Ministry of Municipalities and Housing, HRSD has issued a decision to increase the Saudisation percentage in technical engineering professions.
Effective July 23, 2025, all private sector establishments with five or more employees in these professions are required to achieve a Saudization rate of 30 per cent of the total workforce.
HRSD issued detailed procedural guidelines on its website, outlining the Saudisation calculation methods and specifying penalties for violations.
These decisions are part of HRSD’s efforts to support the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 by creating more job opportunities across various sectors for the national workforce.
