On 11 April 2024, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development amended the Nitaqat regulations on the Qiwa platform, making it easier for employers to hire qualifying foreign nationals. Nitaqat is a nationalization program implemented by the Saudi government. Nitaqat requires Saudi companies to hire a certain number of Saudi nationals. The number of foreign nationals that a company can hire depends on its Nitaqat level (i.e., Platinum, High Green, Mid Green, Low Green and Red), which is based on the company's nationalization percentage (i.e., percentage of Saudi employees) and its total number of employees.
A Tax Alert prepared by EY's People Advisory Services group, and attached below, provides additional details.
