31,700 Saudi Engineers Work in Contracting Sector

Some 31,700 Saudi male and female engineers were working in the contracting sector at the end of 2025, The figure forms part of around 582,000 Saudi citizens employed across contracting roles.

The Saudi workforce in the sector was spread across several categories: more than 328,000 in supportive, administrative and logistical jobs; 149,000 in technical roles; 38,700 workers; 31,700 engineers; and more than 34,000 in other professions.

These figures sit within a much larger construction and contracting sector that employed about 4.41 million workers across roughly 365,120 establishments in 2025, underlining the scale in which Saudi engineers operate.

Why it matters

The numbers reflect ongoing efforts to expand Saudi participation in engineering roles. A 25% nationalization quota for engineering professions in the private sector took effect on 21 July 2024, applying to establishments with five or more engineers, and remains in force in 2026.

Across the wider profession, engineers, technicians and specialists registered with the national engineering authority total 448,528, with Saudis making up 34.17%. Among Saudi engineers and technicians, women represent 3.19% and men 96.81%.

As of the latest available data, no updated 2026 figure has publicly replaced the 31,700 count, which continues to be referenced as the current benchmark for Saudi engineers in the contracting sector.

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