HRDF Employment Support: New Rules for Saudis

Saudi Arabia has updated its private-sector employment support policy to bring more nationals into full-time jobs. Under the HRDF Employment Support programme, Saudi nationals aged 18 to 60 may qualify for financial support when they take up eligible roles with private-sector employers.

To be eligible, the employee must be registered with HRDF and the General Organization for Social Insurance (GOSI) under the same employer. The job must be full-time — remote and part-time positions are excluded — and the monthly wage, including basic salary and housing allowance, must fall between SAR 4,000 and SAR 15,000.

The employee must remain registered with the employer for at least 90 days before an application is made. The employer can then submit the request electronically through the HRDF platform from day 91 up to day 180 after the GOSI registration date. No government-service fee is stated for the request.

Support can last up to 24 months. The amount is calculated as a proportion of the GOSI-registered wage. Employees who were supported before may receive only their remaining entitlement, with a maximum of three support cycles. Applicants must not be students, trainees, retirees, employed elsewhere at the same time, or already supported for a full 24 months.

Why it matters

The policy is designed to make it more attractive for Saudis to join and stay in private-sector jobs, supporting wider national employment goals. Separately, HRDF offers a job-seeker allowance for eligible unemployed Saudis. It begins at SAR 2,000 a month and runs for 15 months: SAR 2,000 for four months, then SAR 1,500 for four months, SAR 1,000 for four months, and SAR 750 for the final three months. This allowance is also applied for electronically through HRDF.

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