Increase in minimum salary for Saudi nationals to fully count for Nitaqat

2 November 2026 1 min read

By Zahir Qayum and Noura Al Awfii

At a glance

A recent announcement by the Saudi Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (Ministry) indicates that there will be an increase to the minimum salary for Saudi nationals to be fully counted under the Nitaqat (Saudisation) programme.
On 25 October 2026, the Ministry confirmed that the increase will be implemented in two phases.
On 25 April 2027, the minimum monthly salary will increase from SAR4,000 to SAR5,000.
On 25 April 2028, the minimum monthly salary will further increase to SAR6,000.
This development does not necessarily require employers to increase their Saudi employees’ salaries. Rather, it affects how Saudi employees are counted towards an entity’s Saudisation percentage under Nitaqat.
This means that employers who do not meet the revised salary thresholds may see an impact on their Saudisation calculations and potentially their Nitaqat classification.

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