Since 19 April 2026, private-sector establishments in Saudi Arabia that employ three or more people in marketing or sales roles must have at least 60% of those roles held by Saudi nationals. In marketing roles, a Saudi employee only counts toward the quota if they earn at least SAR 5,500 a month. The rule comes from two decisions by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (MHRSD), announced on 19 January 2026 with a three-month grace period.
For most B2B companies in the Kingdom, this isn't just an HR task. It changes who sits in your growth team, how you hire, and how quickly new people can start winning business. This guide covers what the rule says, how to check whether it applies to you, and how to build a growth team that is both compliant and effective.
The rule at a glance
- Saudization rate: 60%, for both marketing and sales professions.
- Who it applies to: private-sector establishments with three or more workers in the covered professions.
- Salary floor: SAR 5,500 a month for a Saudi employee to count toward the rate in marketing professions.
- Announced: 19 January 2026, with a three-month grace period.
- In force: 19 April 2026.
- Calculation and penalties: set out in the procedural guides MHRSD published on its website.
Which roles are covered?
Marketing (10 professions): marketing manager, advertising agent, advertising manager, graphic designer, advertising designer, public relations specialist, advertising specialist, marketing specialist, public relations manager and photographer.
Sales (8 professions): sales manager, retail sales representative, wholesale sales representative, sales representative, ICT sales specialist, sales specialist, commercial specialist and commodity broker.
Coverage follows the occupation registered for each employee, not what the business card says. If someone does marketing work but is registered under another title, or the other way round, fix that first. Mismatched titles are a compliance risk in themselves.
How to check whether your company is affected
- List everyone in a covered profession, using their registered occupations, across both marketing and sales.
- Check the threshold. If you have three or more people in these professions, the rule applies.
- Count who qualifies. Count your Saudi employees in those roles, and for marketing roles include only those paid at least SAR 5,500 a month.
- Compare against 60%. As a rough illustration, a five-person sales team needs at least three Saudi members. The official guide sets the exact calculation, so confirm it there before you act.
What it actually changes for B2B growth teams
Compliance is the minimum. The bigger shift is in how growth teams are built and run:
- Hiring gets more competitive. Every company in the Kingdom is now looking for experienced Saudi marketers and sales people at the same time. Expect longer hiring cycles and more competition for senior candidates.
- Many hires will be early-career. Talented, but often new to complex B2B sales or technical marketing. Your onboarding, playbooks and tools decide how fast they become productive.
- Systems matter more than individuals. A team that runs on documented positioning, a clear sales process and a working CRM can absorb new people. A team that runs on one expert's memory can't.
- Local relationships get stronger. A Saudi team selling in Arabic to Saudi buyers, many of whom now work in Saudized procurement teams themselves, is a real commercial advantage when you invest in it.
Build, partner, or both?
A common question is whether working with an external agency changes the calculation. The published decisions apply to people your establishment employs in the covered professions, and the official summaries we've reviewed don't address outsourced work. Confirm it with the MHRSD procedural guide or a labour adviser before you plan around it.
Either way, we don't think outsourcing should be a quota workaround. The better question is what your in-house team should own, and where a partner makes that team stronger:
- Keep in-house: customer-facing sales and account management, key relationships and partnerships, and the day-to-day voice of your brand.
- Bring in a partner for: go-to-market strategy and positioning, specialist channels like SEO, web and paid media, bilingual content at scale, CRM and lead-scoring setup, and the playbooks and training that make a new team productive faster.
Done well, a growth partner builds the system your Saudi team runs on, without replacing the team.
A 90-day plan
- Days 1–30, audit: map registered occupations, calculate your current rate, and identify gaps by role. Read the MHRSD procedural guide.
- Days 31–60, redesign and hire: define each role around the work it does, and start hiring for the gaps. Check which recruitment and training support you can use. MHRSD has announced support packages, including priority access to Human Resources Development Fund (HRDF) programmes.
- Days 61–90, enable: write down your positioning, ideal customer profile and sales process, set up the CRM so pipeline is visible, and run structured onboarding for new hires.
If you're unsure where your funnel leaks today, our free Sales Funnel Assessment is a quick place to start.
Frequently asked questions
When did 60% Saudization in marketing and sales take effect?
MHRSD announced the two decisions on 19 January 2026 and gave establishments a three-month grace period. The rates have been enforced since 19 April 2026.
Is the rate different for marketing and for sales?
No. Both marketing and sales professions are set at 60%.
Does it apply to small companies?
It applies to private-sector establishments with three or more workers in the covered marketing or sales professions. Below that, the rule doesn't apply.
Does the SAR 5,500 minimum salary apply to sales roles?
The ministry's announcement sets SAR 5,500 as the minimum for a Saudi employee to count in marketing professions. It doesn't state one for sales. Check the procedural guide for the current calculation rules.
What happens if a company doesn't comply?
MHRSD's procedural guides set out the penalties for violations. Read the guide for the current penalties, and fix any gap early.
Does outsourcing marketing to an agency count toward Saudization?
The published decisions apply to employees in the covered professions, and the official summaries don't address outsourced work. Confirm with MHRSD or a labour adviser. Either way, use a partner to strengthen your team, not to replace it.
This article summarises public announcements by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development as of 21 October 2026. It isn't legal advice. For your situation, check the official MHRSD announcement and its procedural guides.