What is Nitaqat?
Published
Nitaqat is the job Saudisation programme administered by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development. It classifies private-sector businesses by their share of Saudi employees into colour-coded bands, each defining the incentives available and the restrictions applied.
The bands
Businesses are graded on a spectrum from highest to lowest:
| Band | Practical meaning |
|---|---|
| Platinum | The highest tier, expanded incentives |
| Green (with levels) | Compliant - service access open |
| Yellow | Below the required level - partial restrictions |
| Red | Non-compliant - broad restrictions |
Exact names, levels, and their thresholds are updated - the definitive reference is the Qiwa platform and the Ministry of HR&SD.
The target Saudisation ratio
The ratio is not uniform across businesses - it varies by:
- Activity sector (retail, contracting, telecoms, ...)
- Business size by headcount
- Sector-specific Saudisation decisions for defined activities (certain professions may be fully or partially Saudised)
Applied to Al-Waha: its band depends on retail and office-supplies sector rates, its headcount size, and any Saudisation decisions in force for its activities. The ratio and band are read from its Qiwa file.
What each band means in practice
Platinum/Green:
- Access to visas, sponsorship transfers, and recruitment
- Employment support through programmes like Hadaf
- Participation in government tenders under their conditions
- Faster service processing
Yellow/Red:
- Restrictions on visas, residency renewals, and sponsorship transfers
- Exclusion from certain incentives
- Escalating pressure to move up
Frequently asked questions
How do I improve my band?
Hire real Saudis into real jobs at wages visible on WPS. "Ghost Saudisation" is pursued formally and worsens the position, not improves it.
Does a Saudi part-timer count?
Counted per the system's rules (sometimes proportionally) - computation details are checked in the current Nitaqat guide.
Relationship with WPS and GOSI?
The three are integrated: GOSI registers the employee, WPS verifies their payment, and Nitaqat evaluates the business's Saudisation on the basis of both. Partial compliance in any surfaces in the others.