Nitaqat decides far more than a percentage on a dashboard. Your band controls whether you can get new work visas, renew your expat employees’ work permits, transfer workers in from other companies or change professions on iqamas. In 2026 the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (MHRSD) launched a new three-year phase of the programme, and since April Saudi employees only count if their contracts are documented on Qiwa. This guide explains, in plain English, how Nitaqat works now, how to check your status, what each band allows and what actually moves you up.
Nitaqat in 30 seconds
- Nitaqat is the Saudization programme that rates every private-sector entity by the share of Saudis in its workforce.
- There are five bands: Platinum, High Green, Medium Green, Low Green and Red. The old Yellow band is not part of the 2026 rules.
- You check your band in your Qiwa business account under Establishment assessment. It is free and instant.
- A Saudi earning SAR 4,000 or more a month counts as one employee, as long as the contract is documented on Qiwa.
- Required rates rise each year of the plan, so a band can drop even if your headcount does not change.
What Nitaqat is, and what changed in 2026
Nitaqat started in 2011. Its current form, Nitaqat Al-Mutawar (“Developed Nitaqat”), was announced in May 2021 and applied from December 2021. It replaced fixed size brackets with an equation linked to each entity’s headcount, merged economic activities into broader groups and published a three-year plan so companies could see their targets in advance.
On 22 January 2026 MHRSD announced a new three-year phase of the same programme, aiming to create more than 340,000 additional jobs for Saudis in the private sector, and published an updated procedural guide. The new phase took effect in April 2026 and runs to the end of 2028. Required rates go up in most activities, and the guide sets separate targets for 2026, 2027 and 2028.
The second big change came on 15 April 2026: a Saudi employee is now counted in Nitaqat only if their employment contract is documented electronically on Qiwa. Being registered with GOSI is still necessary, but on its own it is no longer enough.
The five Nitaqat bands and what each one allows
According to MHRSD’s 2026 procedural guide, the band determines which Qiwa services your entity can use:
| Service | Platinum to Medium Green | Low Green | Red |
|---|---|---|---|
| New work visas for permitted professions | Allowed | Stopped | Not allowed |
| Changing expat professions | Allowed | Stopped | Not allowed |
| Renewing expat work permits | Allowed | Allowed | Not allowed |
| Transferring expats in from other employers | Allowed | Check on Qiwa | Not allowed |
| Instant Nitaqat calculation | Available | Available | Not listed |
The practical difference between Low Green and Red is large. A Low Green company cannot grow its expat workforce, but it can keep renewing work permits. A Red company cannot renew work permits at all, which in practice holds up iqama renewals for its existing expat staff.
How your Saudization rate is calculated
Entities, not just establishments
Nitaqat measures an “entity”: all branches of the same economic activity owned by the same establishment. A group running a restaurant and a contracting business has two entities, each with its own band. Your Qiwa account lists every entity and its band separately, which often explains why one branch is green and another is red.
The formula
Your Saudization rate is the average number of Saudi workers divided by the average number of Saudi plus expat workers, multiplied by 100. GCC nationals are not counted as expats. Nitaqat works on averages rather than a one-day snapshot, which is why a new hire takes effect gradually rather than overnight.
The minimum rate for each band comes from an equation in the 2026 guide: Y = m × ln(X) + c, where X is the entity’s total workforce, and m and c are constants that differ by activity, band and year. In practice the required percentage rises slowly as a company grows. For example, working from the guide’s tables, a café with 20 workers needs roughly 22% Saudis for Low Green and about 40% for Platinum in 2026. Always confirm your own numbers with the Qiwa calculator, because your activity and headcount change the result.
How Saudi employees are counted
| Situation | Counts as |
|---|---|
| Saudi on SAR 4,000 or more a month, contract documented on Qiwa | 1 employee |
| Saudi on SAR 3,000 to 3,999 a month | 0.5 |
| Saudi on less than SAR 3,000 a month | 0 |
| Part-time Saudi (GOSI contributions paid, at least SAR 3,000) | 0.5 |
| Saudi with a disability | Up to 4, subject to Mowaamah rules |
| Saudi without a contract documented on Qiwa | Not counted |
Some non-Saudis, such as GCC citizens and foreign investors who own the establishment, are treated as Saudis for Nitaqat purposes. Check their status in Qiwa rather than assuming it.
How to check your Nitaqat status on Qiwa
- Sign in to your Qiwa business account through Nafath, as the owner, a partner, the general manager or an authorised delegate.
- Open Establishments and choose the establishment.
- Select Establishment assessment. Qiwa shows each entity linked to the establishment and its current band.
- Use “branch details” to see which branches sit under each entity.
The service is free and the result appears immediately. MHRSD’s hotline for Nitaqat questions is 19911.
Using the Nitaqat calculator
The Nitaqat calculator on Qiwa lets you test scenarios before you hire. Choose your sub-economic activity, enter the number of Saudi and non-Saudi employees, and the calculator returns the band you would land in. It uses your entity’s total actual headcount and shows the required rate for each year of the plan, which makes it the best tool for planning 2027 before it arrives.
Issuing a Saudization certificate
Many tenders and government contracts ask for a Saudization certificate, often called the “Nitaqat certificate”. In Qiwa go to Services, then Establishment management, then Certificates, and choose Issue certificate. It is free, needs no documents and is available to entities in Low Green or above, or Green for small Category A establishments. Check the expiry date printed on the certificate before you submit it with a bid.
What happens in the Red band
A Red entity cannot get new visas, issue work permits for new expats, renew work permits for current expats, transfer workers in or change professions. The 2026 guide does not provide a general grace period for Red, so the only real way out is raising the Saudization rate. Because work permits cannot be renewed, the effects reach your employees quickly: an expat whose permit expires while you are Red cannot have it renewed, and that holds up the iqama as well.
Why your band can drop without any staffing change
This surprises many business owners. There are three common causes:
- The annual step-up. The constants in the 2026 guide rise for 2027 and 2028, so the same headcount can fall into a lower band at the start of a new plan year.
- Undocumented contracts. Since 15 April 2026, Saudis whose contracts are not documented on Qiwa no longer count. One unaccepted contract can tip a small company into a lower band.
- Wage changes. A Saudi whose registered salary falls below SAR 4,000 drops from a full count to a half.
Practical ways to move up a band
- Hire Saudis at SAR 4,000 or more a month. Remember that each hire increases both sides of the ratio. To go from 20 Saudis out of 100 employees to 30%, you need about 15 new Saudi hires, not 10.
- Raise existing Saudi salaries to SAR 4,000. An employee on SAR 3,500 counts as half. Moving them to SAR 4,000 turns a half into a full count without adding headcount.
- Document every Saudi contract on Qiwa and make sure the employee accepts it. This is now a basic condition for being counted at all.
- Make GOSI, Qiwa and Mudad match. The salary, profession and status registered in each system should be the same. Our guide to GOSI registration for employers covers the GOSI side.
- Stay current on wage protection. Mudad wage files are due monthly. Two months late suspends most services, and three months late suspends all of them and allows workers to transfer without your consent.
- Check your entity structure. If a branch is registered under the wrong activity, it may be measured against the wrong target.
- Plan for next year now. Run the calculator against the 2027 rates so a step-up does not catch you by surprise.
Profession quotas are a separate obligation
Alongside your overall band, MHRSD sets Saudization quotas for specific professions. They apply on top of Nitaqat, so a company can be Platinum overall and still be out of line on a profession quota. Two that took effect in 2026:
| Professions | Required Saudi share | Applies when | Effective |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engineering professions | 30% | 5 or more workers in these professions | 30 June 2026 |
| Marketing and sales roles | 60% | 3 or more workers in these roles | 19 April 2026 |
Further decisions cover areas such as procurement, accounting, administrative support, project management, dental care and tourism, each with its own thresholds and dates. Check MHRSD’s announcements for your sector before hiring for a localised role.
Small businesses with fewer than six employees
Small companies are no longer outside the system. Legal summaries of the 2026 rules say the old exemption for entities with fewer than six employees has been removed, although such entities are generally required to employ only one Saudi. MHRSD’s certificate service still refers to “Green for small establishments (Category A)”. If you run a micro-business, check in Qiwa whether your Saudi employee, or you as the owner, is actually being counted, rather than assuming it.
How Moaqeb can help
Most Nitaqat problems we see are administrative rather than strategic: a contract that was never accepted, a salary registered differently in GOSI and Qiwa, or a branch under the wrong activity. We review your Qiwa dashboard with you, find what is pulling your rate down, prepare the contract and data corrections, and guide you through each step on the platform remotely. Logging in with Nafath and paying any government fees stay with you. See our online services, how we quote a service, or how we handle government transaction follow-up.
Official sources
This guide was checked in October 2026 against the following sources. Rules and targets change, so confirm the current figures before acting:
- MHRSD procedural guide for Nitaqat Al-Mutawar 2026 (PDF, Arabic)
- MHRSD: Qiwa-documented contracts required for Nitaqat calculation
- MHRSD: Nitaqat Al-Mutawar FAQ
- MHRSD: SAR 4,000 minimum wage for counting Saudis
Frequently asked questions
How do I check my company’s Nitaqat status?
Sign in to your Qiwa business account, open Establishments and select Establishment assessment. Qiwa shows each entity linked to your establishment and its current band. The service is free and instant.
What do the Nitaqat colours mean?
There are five bands: Platinum, High Green, Medium Green, Low Green and Red. Platinum to Medium Green have full access to services, Low Green loses new visas and profession changes, and Red also loses work permit issuance and renewal and incoming transfers.
How is a Saudi employee counted in Nitaqat?
A Saudi earning SAR 4,000 or more a month with a contract documented on Qiwa counts as one. A salary of SAR 3,000 to 3,999 counts as half, and below SAR 3,000 does not count. Part-time Saudis count as half.
How quickly does my band change after hiring a Saudi?
The new employee counts once the contract is documented on Qiwa and accepted. Nitaqat bands are refreshed weekly, and because the rate uses averages, the full effect builds up over time.
Why did my Nitaqat band drop when my headcount did not change?
Usually because the required rates rose for a new plan year, because a Saudi contract is not documented on Qiwa, or because a Saudi salary was registered below SAR 4,000.
How do I get a Nitaqat certificate?
In Qiwa go to Services, Establishment management, Certificates and Issue certificate. The Saudization certificate is free and available to entities in Low Green or above, or Green for small Category A establishments.
