Saudi Arabia is increasing Saudization quotas across several sectors, creating more job opportunities for local professionals as part of its Vision 2030 plan.

The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (HRSD) has partnered with health, commerce, and housing authorities to localize 269 professions.

This initiative follows earlier measures, including increased Saudization rates in fields like radiology and physiotherapy.

Effective July 27, community pharmacies and medical complexes will be required to achieve 35 percent Saudization, hospitals 65 percent, and other pharmacy-related businesses 55 percent.

The goal is to localize more jobs, with specific quotas for industries like dentistry, accounting, and technical engineering.

The phased Saudization target in dentistry will reach 45 percent by mid-2025, climbing to 55 percent by 2026. For accounting, the target will start at 40 percent in 2024, gradually rising to 70 percent by 2029. Technical engineering will require 30 percent Saudization for businesses employing five or more engineers starting this July.

Saudization, which began in 2011, aims to reduce unemployment and encourage Saudi nationals to work in the private sector.

The initiative has already contributed to a drop in Saudi unemployment from 12.8 percent in 2018 to 7.1 percent in mid-2024, surpassing the Vision 2030 target of 8 percent.

The government has now set a new unemployment goal of 5 percent by 2030. Detailed implementation guidelines have been published on the HRSD website, outlining procedures and penalties for non-compliance.