Saudi govt increases Saudization rate in marketing and sales professions

Riyadh: Saudi Arabia has increased the Saudization rate in marketing and sales professions, the Saudi Gazette reported on Tuesday.

The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development announced new decisions to raise Saudization rates in these sectors.

Under the first decision, the Saudization rate for marketing professions in the private sector has been increased to 60 percent for establishments with three or more employees.

The decision covers roles such as marketing manager, advertising manager, advertising agent, marketing specialist, graphic designer, advertising designer, public relations professionals, and photographers.

The regulation will take effect three months after the announcement, with a minimum monthly salary of SR5,500 set for these positions.

The second decision raises the Saudization rate for private-sector sales professions to 60 percent for establishments with three or more employees.

This includes positions such as sales managers, retail and wholesale sales representatives, IT and communications equipment sales specialists, sales specialists, and commercial specialists. This decision will also be implemented three months after the announcement.

The ministry stated that these measures aim to make the labor market more attractive, create high-quality job opportunities, and enhance job stability for qualified Saudi nationals.

Saudi Arabia’s localization policy seeks to increase the participation of Saudi nationals in the economy, particularly in the private sector.

This policy, known as Saudization, requires companies operating in the Kingdom to employ a specified percentage of Saudi nationals rather than relying primarily on expatriate workers.