Saudi Arabia: Qiwa Restricts Certain Professions for Expatriates and Raises Saudization Targets

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (MHRSD), through the Qiwa platform, has introduced new restrictions affecting expatriate job classifications and increased Saudization requirements in selected private-sector roles.

Restriction of “General Manager” Role

The “General Manager” profession has been removed from Qiwa for expatriate workers and is now reserved exclusively for Saudi nationals. Employers with expatriates currently registered under this title are required to reclassify the role to an alternative designation—such as CEO or Chairman of the Board—provided the individual is registered under the same title in the company’s commercial registration and no duplicate roles exist within the establishment.

In parallel, Qiwa has begun suspending profession-change services for certain roles held by expatriates. Affected positions include:

• General Manager

• Sales Representative

• Marketing Specialist

• Purchase Manager

  
  

When restrictions apply, establishments will receive a system notification indicating that the profession cannot be changed.

Increased Saudization Requirements: Marketing & Sales

MHRSD has also announced higher localization targets to strengthen national participation in specialized roles.

Marketing Professions

• Saudization target: 60%

• Effective date: 19 January 2026

• Applicability: Establishments with 3 or more marketing employees

• Minimum salary: SAR 5,500

Roles covered include marketing managers, advertising specialists, graphic designers, public relations professionals, and related positions. Employers are granted a three-month preparation period before enforcement.

Sales Professions

• Saudization target: 60%

• Effective date: 19 January 2026

• Applicability: Establishments with 3 or more sales employees

Targeted roles include sales managers, retail and wholesale sales representatives, sales specialists, IT and communications equipment sales roles, and freight brokers. A similar three-month grace period applies.

What This Means for Employers

• Review expatriate job titles registered on Qiwa for compliance

• Align commercial registrations with updated executive role classifications

• Assess workforce composition in marketing and sales functions

• Plan recruitment, role redesign, or localization strategies ahead of 2026 enforcement

This update is based on publicly available guidance issued by Saudi authorities and is provided for informational purposes only. Employers should seek local professional advice to assess applicability and compliance obligations.