The first Saudisation updates of 2026: Key changes across marketing, sales, engineering and more

The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (MHRSD) has kicked off 2026 with a series of new Saudisation guidelines covering multiple professions and sectors, alongside a (slightly) updated Nitaqat framework.

These announcements follow a busy end to 2025, which introduced several localisation requirements that are scheduled to become enforceable during 2026.

2025 recap

Housing supervisors: As of 1 February 2026, the role of housing supervisor has become fully restricted to Saudi nationals. This applies to all establishments that operate or manage collective housing for 20 residents or more, including residential complexes, mobile cabins and shared housing buildings.

Wellness centres and spas: Starting 11 May 2026, all administrative roles in wellness centres and spas will be 100% Saudised. This requirement covers 30 job titles, including branch managers, customer support specialists, receptionists, etc.

Sports centres and gyms: On 18 November 2026, sports centres and gyms will be required to comply with a 15% Saudisation quota, applicable to 12 different sporting trainer professions. These roles include various types of fitness and sports trainers operating within licensed facilities.

Tourism sector: Among the most significant localisation reforms taking effect in 2026 is the Saudisation in the tourism sector, which will be rolled out in three phases. These phases introduce progressively higher Saudisation ratios across various tourism‑related roles, beginning with a 40% quota effective 22 June 2026. You can read our detailed coverage of the updates to the tourism sector in Navigating Saudisation in Saudi Arabia’s tourism sector: A practical guide for employers.

2026 updates

Just a few weeks into 2026, new Saudisation rules have been rolled out across dentistry, marketing, sales, and engineering occupations.

Dental professions: The second phase of the Saudisation of dental professions came into effect on 27 January 2026, raising the localisation quota to 55% (up from the previous 45%) across nine recognised dental specialties. The requirement applies to all private‑sector healthcare establishments employing three or more dentists.

Marketing roles: The Saudisation of marketing professions will come into effect on 19 April 2026, applying to all private‑sector establishments that employ three or more workers in these roles. The decision introduces a 60% localisation quota across a defined list of 10 marketing occupations, including marketing managers, advertising specialists, PR specialists, graphic designers, photographers, and other related professions.

Sales roles: Also coming into effect on 19 April 2026, a Saudisation requirement of 60% for sales professions. Private‑sector companies with three or more employees in sales positions will be required to meet the 60% localisation ratio across nine defined sales roles; including sales managers, retail and wholesale sales managers, sales representatives, IT and telecom sales specialists, commercial specialists, and commodity brokers.

Engineering professions: The latest Saudisation rules for engineering professions (not to be confused with the Saudisation of technical engineering professions) will take effect on 30 June 2026. The regulation requires private‑sector establishments employing five or more engineers to meet a 30% localisation quota across a wide list of engineering disciplines; including civil, mechanical, electrical, chemical, architectural, environmental, industrial, mining, and various technical engineering roles. To be counted toward the required quota, only engineers who hold a recognised engineering or technical bachelor’s degree and maintain valid professional registration with the Saudi Council of Engineers are eligible to be counted.

Nitaqat updates

The updated Nitaqat guideline introduces a structural expansion of the programme, with the total number of classified sectors increasing from 37 to 41, following the addition of four new sectors and minor renaming adjustments to some existing ones. The newly added sectors include retail in fashion, accessories and miscellaneous goods, perfumes and watches retail, and higher education in health specialisations.

Conclusion

As 2026 brings a new wave of Saudisation measures across multiple sectors, businesses should take proactive steps to prepare for upcoming enforcement dates in order to ensure full compliance and maintain a positive Nitaqat ranking. Organisations operating in directly affected sectors – as well as those impacted by cross‑sector requirements such as sales and marketing – should begin reviewing their current workforce composition, assessing localisation gaps, and aligning staffing plans with the newly introduced Saudisation thresholds. Please get in touch if you need assistance in navigating these obligations.

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