Compliance roadmap for employers and expatriate staff
Both business owners and expat professionals working in commercial sectors should take structured compliance steps:
- 1
Step 1: Audit active Qiwa profession codes
Review all Iqama profession titles and digital contracts to identify every employee assigned to one of the 18 regulated sales and marketing codes.
- 2
Step 2: Calculate the exact 60% headcounts
Confirm whether you meet the 6-to-4 ratio and ensure all Saudi marketing personnel have verified GOSI salaries of at least SAR 5,500.
- 3
Step 3: Leverage HRDF Hadaf subsidies
Utilize government wage-subsidy programs that cover up to 30% to 50% of Saudi employee salaries during their initial training and onboarding period.
- 4
Step 4: Align Iqama renewals in advance
Ensure quotas are met before expat work permits expire; falling below the 60% threshold will freeze Qiwa renewal permissions automatically.
The 60% sales and marketing localization mandate
As part of Saudi Arabia's ongoing labor market reforms under Vision 2030, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (MHRSD) enforces a targeted 60% localization (Saudization) quota across core commercial roles in the private sector.
Rather than applying broadly to entire companies regardless of business activity, this decision is profession-specific: any private business that employs three or more individuals in designated marketing or sales capacities must ensure that at least six out of every ten workers in those occupations are Saudi citizens.
The 10 marketing occupations and SAR 5,500 salary floor
To ensure high-quality employment rather than nominal compliance, MHRSD established a strict wage threshold for marketing roles. A Saudi national working in a marketing position is only counted toward the establishment's 60% quota if their monthly wage recorded in the General Organization for Social Insurance (GOSI) is SAR 5,500 or higher.
The 10 regulated marketing professions include: Marketing Manager, Marketing Specialist, Advertising Manager, Advertising Agent, Advertising and Promotion Specialist, Graphic Designer, Advertising Designer, Public Relations Manager, Public Relations Specialist, and Photographer.
The 8 sales occupations subject to the 60% rule
Alongside marketing, commercial sales roles across wholesale, retail, and enterprise technology sectors are subject to the same 60% ratio. The 8 designated sales professions include:
Sales Manager, Sales Specialist, Retail Sales Representative, Wholesale Sales Representative, Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Sales Specialist, Commercial Specialist, Commodity Broker, and Sales Supervisor.
These positions form the front line of corporate revenue generation, and MHRSD requires companies to train national talent through programs co-funded by the Human Resources Development Fund (HRDF / Hadaf).
How the 3-worker rule and Qiwa system calculate compliance
The regulation triggers the moment an establishment employs 3 or more staff members across the specified sales titles, or 3 or more staff members across the marketing titles.
Compliance audits are completely digital. The Qiwa platform checks the official Saudi Standard Classification of Occupations code linked to each employee's Iqama and contract. If an employer attempts to classify a marketing specialist under an unrelated generic title to bypass quotas, discrepancies flagged during inspections lead to severe administrative penalties.
Penalties for non-compliance and official support channels
Failing to maintain the required Saudization ratio results in immediate establishment penalties. Qiwa will halt the issuance of new work visas, block employee transfers from other companies, and deny work permit renewals for existing expatriate sales and marketing staff.
Employers needing support can access recruitment matching and subsidy programs through Hadaf's Taqat platform to recruit qualified national graduates and experienced professionals.