Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (HRSD), in cooperation with the Ministry of Health, has recently announced a 35% Saudization plan for the dental professions.
Saudization is officially referred to as the Saudi Nationalisation Scheme or Nitaqat, a policy implemented by the Ministry of Labour, whereby Saudi companies are required to hire Saudi Nationals on a quota basis. The localisation plan starts from 10 March 2024 and will be applied to private sector establishments with three or more workers.
According to the authorities, this comes in line with the two Ministries initiatives to boost more fruitful job opportunities for Saudi citizens. A Ministry of Health representative said that the ministry will oversee and ensure the implementation of this decision in accordance with labour market requirements.
The ministry added that private sector establishments will receive support and incentives from HRSD to promote Saudi employment. These include support for attracting and hiring suitable employees, support for recruitment and job continuity, and help with the necessary training and qualification processes, in addition to the priority of benefiting from all Saudization support programs available in the system, and support and employment programs through the Human Resources Development Fund (HADAF).
The Saudi Press Agency reported in December 2023 that the participation rate of Saudis in the private sector increased from 1.7 million in 2019 to 2.3 million in 2023, including more than 360,000 who had entered the labour market for the first time. This increase led to a decrease in the total unemployment rate to 8.3% in the second quarter of 2023, according to the Labor Market Bulletin statistics released in December 2023.
HRSD has issued a procedural guide outlining the Saudization requirements and percentages on its website, stressing that establishments must comply with the decision to avoid penalties.
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