A revised wage threshold under the Nitaqat program will apply to five categories of Saudi workers in the private sector, with the figure rising in two phases over the coming years. The threshold determines when a Saudi employee is counted fully toward a company's Saudization targets.
The five worker categories covered are full-time employees, part-time employees, flexible-work employees, part-time students, and persons with disabilities who are able to work. Each of these groups will be assessed against the updated threshold when counting toward a firm's quota.
The increase will take place in two stages. In the first phase, the threshold rises to SAR 5,000 In the second phase, it rises again to SAR 6,000
It is important to note that this threshold is used only for counting Saudi workers toward Saudization quotas. It is not a general minimum wage, and employers should view it strictly as a benchmark within the Nitaqat framework.
Why it matters
For private-sector employers, the change signals how Saudi staff will be credited toward localization requirements in the years ahead. For Saudi job seekers and current employees across the five categories, it clarifies the salary levels tied to full Nitaqat recognition. Detailed regulatory rules for each category had not yet been announced at the time of writing, and no new fee, application step, or specific platform procedure was stated for this change.
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