The End of the Grace Period for Saudizing Administrative Support Professions: What to Review in Your Employment Contracts and Hiring Paperwork Before 4 October

What is confirmed and what still needs verifying before you act

What is confirmed on the ministry's official website is that there is a decision to Saudize administrative support professions, and that its updated procedural guide was published on 17 Shawwal 1447 AH, corresponding to 5 April 2026. The end date of the grace period, the number of professions, the exact list of job titles, the Saudization percentage required for each profession, and the minimum wage at which an employee counts under this particular decision are all details to be read directly from the text of the decision and its guide, because news reports summarise them and may mix them up with earlier Saudization decisions.

Remember that counting a Saudi employee in the Nitaqat programme follows a separate general rule: an employee paid 4,000 riyals or more counts as a full worker, one paid between 3,000 and 4,000 riyals counts as half a worker, and one paid under 3,000 riyals does not count. Profession Saudization decisions may, however, set conditions of their own, so do not assume that the general Nitaqat rule is enough to satisfy the administrative professions decision without checking its guide.

Mapping the professions inside your business before the grace period ends

Before you amend any contract, know where your business stands. Reports indicate that the covered professions include titles in human resources, recruitment and administrative affairs, which are roles found in most small and medium businesses, even if under a different title. The following steps help you build a clear picture within a few days.

1. Download the list of covered professions from the procedural guide published on the ministry's website, and do not rely on lists circulating on social media.
2. Export from the Qiwa platform a list of your employees with each one's registered occupation and nationality.
3. Compare the registered occupation with the title written in the employment contract and with the duties the employee actually performs each day.
4. Sort every role into three groups: covered and held by a Saudi, covered and held by a non-Saudi, and not covered.
5. For each covered role, identify the contract, annex or Qiwa update it needs, and set an internal date well ahead of the announced end of the grace period.

What to check in your existing employment contracts

The employment contract is the first document requested in any compliance check, so it must tell the same story as the Qiwa platform and social insurance. Review every contract for a covered role against the following points.

• Job title: matching the occupation registered in Qiwa word for word, with no generic titles such as administrative employee or assistant.
• Description of duties: reflecting the actual work, because duties reveal the real profession whatever the title says.
• Wage: the basic wage and fixed allowances in the contract matching what is registered with social insurance, so the Saudi employee is counted as intended.
• Contract type: Sighaty's E-02 template is routed for an indefinite contract with a Saudi employee, and the E-01 template is used for a fixed-term contract.
• Authentication: the contract is authenticated on Qiwa, and any change to the title or wage has been documented in an annex and updated on the platform.

New hiring paperwork: from the offer to authentication

If you will appoint Saudi employees to covered roles before the grace period ends, speed does not justify incomplete paperwork. A rushed appointment with an inaccurate title or a wage that is not registered correctly may not achieve the purpose you hired for. Follow this sequence.

1. Issue an offer letter stating the title matching the occupation, the wage, the start date and any conditions, using template E-05.
2. Sign the appropriate employment contract: E-02 for an indefinite contract or E-01 for a fixed-term contract, with the job description attached.
3. If you agree on a probation period, write it expressly in the contract or an annex. It may not exceed 180 days including any extension, and an extension is valid only by written agreement of both parties under Articles 53 and 54 of the Labor Law.
4. Authenticate the contract on the Qiwa platform and make sure the registered occupation is the same one written in the contract.
5. Check that the employee is registered with social insurance at the same wage stated in the contract.

A non-Saudi employee in a covered profession: lawful solutions, not cosmetic ones

The most dangerous thing a business can do before the grace period ends is to change the title on paper while the duties stay the same. This cosmetic fix creates a contradiction between the contract and reality, and it is hard to defend in any inspection or dispute. The safer course is to choose one of the lawful paths and document it in writing.

• A genuine transfer to a role that is not covered and whose duties are actually different, by a contract annex signed by both parties and an update of the occupation on Qiwa.
• Ending the relationship in line with the contract and the Labor Law where a transfer is not possible, after reviewing the case with a lawyer before deciding.
• When service ends, the end-of-service award is calculated under Article 84: half a month's wage for each of the first five years and a full month's wage for each year after, based on the last wage including fixed allowances.
• Documenting the termination with the appropriate letter and the final settlement, and never relying on a verbal agreement.

How a licensed Saudi lawyer keeps these clauses current

Saudization decisions are updated, their procedural guides are amended, and job titles change as the occupational classification is revised. A contract written a year ago may not reflect what the ministry requires today. That is why Sighaty's employment contract templates are certified by Abdulaziz Sukkar, a licensed Saudi lawyer, and are reviewed whenever an amendment affects their clauses.

• Following the decisions and procedural guides the ministry publishes and matching them against the title, wage and contract type clauses.
• Updating the smart-fill questions so they ask for the data the contract needs, such as the registered occupation and the job description.
• Keeping the contract bilingual, with the Arabic text prevailing in case of any difference.
• Flagging clearly what has not yet been verified, instead of assuming unconfirmed figures or periods.

Frequently asked questions