A question we are hearing more frequently from employers is whether Saudization performance can affect their ability to hire foreign workers.

The question usually arises when a business is preparing to expand operations, mobilise a project team, or fill a specialised role that cannot easily be sourced from the local market.

Recent localisation initiatives demonstrate how quickly the landscape is evolving. Procurement professions are now subject to a 70% Saudization requirement across 12 occupations. Marketing professions have been increased to 60% localisation, while engineering professions continue to operate under dedicated Saudization requirements with specific workforce thresholds and salary criteria.

In many cases, employers view work visas and Saudization as separate requirements. One relates to immigration. The other relates to workforce localisation.

In practice, the two are becoming increasingly difficult to separate.

Saudi Arabia’s workforce regulations are designed to encourage both economic growth and local employment. As a result, an employer’s workforce profile, compliance position, and Nitaqat classification can influence the range of workforce services available to them.

This means that when employers ask whether they can apply for work visas without meeting Saudization targets, the answer is rarely a simple yes or no.

The more relevant question is whether the organisation’s workforce structure supports its hiring objectives.

Businesses that review localisation requirements only after identifying a candidate often find themselves solving compliance questions at the same time as recruitment challenges. By contrast, organisations that assess workforce requirements before hiring decisions are made generally have greater flexibility when recruiting both local and international talent.

For employers operating in Saudi Arabia, workforce planning is increasingly becoming a prerequisite for workforce mobility.