Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (HRSD), in partnership with the Ministry of Municipalities and Housing (MOMAH), has announced a 70% Saudization requirement for certain project management professions in the private sector, effective 14 February 2027, up from the 40% rate currently applicable to these roles. The requirement will apply to private sector establishments employing three or more employees in the targeted professions, calculated at the entity level.
The move forms part of Saudi Arabia’s broader workforce localization strategy under Saudi Vision 2030, with a continued focus on increasing Saudi participation in specialized and professional roles. Importantly, these restrictions relate to both the issuance of new work visas for individuals residing outside Saudi Arabia as well as foreign nationals who are already in the Kingdom through sponsorship transfers.
The new Saudization requirement will apply to the following project management professions, as defined under the Saudi Standard Occupational Classification:
These professions are not newly subject to Saudization. They have been covered under the consulting services localization framework, where the required rate was phased up from 35% to 40% with effect from March 2024. The new decision raises the rate for these three professions to 70%, a 30 percentage point increase. Employers should review their current workforce and future hiring plans for the affected project management professions ahead of the implementation date. Employers with three or more employees in these targeted professions will be subject to the 70% Saudization rate from 14 February 2027.
The increased Saudization rate may have implications for employers seeking to:
Employers should also consider the occupational classification and job title of project management personnel when assessing the potential impact, as Immigration and Saudization requirements are closely linked to the employee’s registered profession.
Non-compliance with Saudization requirements can carry practical consequences for an establishments including suspension of its ability to issue new work permits and restricted access to related employment services. Early workforce planning will help employers identify potentially impacted expatriate positions and assess available options.
We can support employers in assessing the potential impact of the new requirement through:
We continue to monitor regulatory updates and will share further guidance as new information becomes available. For tailored advice, please contact our team.
For a deeper discussion on the above, please reach out to your Vialto Partners point of contact, or alternatively:
Anir Chatterji
EMEA Immigration Partner
Ali Ibrahim
Director, KSA and Bahrain Lead
Adel Moumen
Senior Manager Middle East Immigration
Simply follow our Vialto Alerts page on LinkedIn and posts will be displayed on your feed. To ensure you don’t miss one, once you’re on our LinkedIn page, click on the bell icon under the banner image to manage your notifications.
Further information on Vialto can be found here: www.vialtopartners.com
Vialto Partners (“Vialto”) refers to wholly owned subsidiaries of CD&R Galaxy UK OpCo Limited as well as the other members of the Vialto Partners global network. The information contained in this document is for general guidance on matters of interest only. Vialto is not responsible for any errors or omissions, or for the results obtained from the use of this information. All information is provided “as is”, with no guarantee of completeness, accuracy, timeliness or of the results obtained from the use of this information, and without warranty of any kind, express or implied, including, but not limited to warranties of performance, merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose. In no event will Vialto, its related entities, or the agents or employees thereof be liable to you or anyone else for any decision made or action taken in reliance on the information in this document or for any consequential, special or similar damages, even if advised of the possibility of such damages.
© 2026 Vialto Partners. All rights reserved.