Only Qiwa-documented contracts now count towards Saudisation
From 15 April 2026, Saudi employees are counted in Nitaqat calculations only where their employment contract is electronically documented on the Qiwa platform.
Photo: wikimedia (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development has tied Saudisation credit directly to digital contract records. Effective 15 April 2026, only Saudi employees whose contracts are documented electronically through the Qiwa platform are counted in Nitaqat percentages.
The ministry describes the change as a way to unify the source of contract data, improve the reliability of labour market statistics and simplify how establishments manage contractual relationships. It rests on Cabinet Decision No. 195, which gave the ministry responsibility for regulating contractual relations in the labour market.
Qiwa is the unified digital gateway for labour services in the Kingdom; the ministry reports that more than 12 million employment contracts have been created or renewed through it. The practical warning is blunt: undocumented contracts can quietly pull an establishment's classification down.
What it means for employers
- Reconcile your Saudi headcount against documented Qiwa contracts, name by name.
- Make Qiwa documentation a step in onboarding, not an annual clean-up task.
- A classification drop restricts visas — check before you plan expatriate hiring.
Related pages
Summarised by the Horizon GCC team. Original reporting: Zawya / Saudi Gazette
This briefing is general information, not legal advice. Confirm current requirements with the relevant authority before acting.
Get the latest HR, jobs and labour-market news
Labour law changes, visa rules, hiring trends and salary data from the UAE and the wider Gulf — sent with a link to read the full briefing on our site.
Talk to a Horizon GCC recruitment specialist.
Speak to one of the team and find out why UAE and GCC employers trust Horizon GCC to hire HR, technical and professional talent.