Saudi Arabia Tightens Controls on Expat Job Titles in Qiwa (2026): What Employers and Expats Need to Know
Saudi Arabia’s labour market reforms continue to accelerate in 2026, and one of the most immediate changes HR teams are seeing is inside Qiwa—the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (MHRSD) platform used to manage private-sector employment services and job classifications.
Recent reporting indicates that Qiwa has suspended or blocked “profession change” / job-title reclassification requests for expatriates for four specific job titles—a move that can prevent employers from assigning or amending those titles for non-Saudis inside the system.[1]
At the same time, the Saudi government has issued official Saudization (localization) decisions that directly impact marketing, sales, and procurement roles—each with defined implementation windows and compliance requirements.[2][3]
This article breaks down what is official, what is platform-enforced, and what employers should do next.
1) The key update: Qiwa job-title change requests are being restricted for four roles
According to regional reporting (including Saudi business press), organisations attempting to change an expatriate’s profession in Qiwa have encountered a message stating that the employee’s current profession cannot be changed from or to—and the affected titles include:[1]
- General Manager
- Sales Representative
- Marketing Specialist
- Procurement Manager
Important nuance: This is widely described as “expats can’t work in these roles,” but the more accurate framing is:
Qiwa is restricting job-title/classification changes for expatriates under these titles, which can effectively block assigning the title through the platform—even if a person is already performing similar responsibilities.
That distinction matters for compliance: many enforcement actions are tied to the registered occupation/job title (contracts, permits, classifications), not only the day-to-day duties.
2) Qiwa clarification on “General Manager”: not a blanket Saudization ban, but stricter conditions
In follow-up coverage, Qiwa reportedly clarified that “General Manager” is not necessarily fully Saudized by a standalone decision; however, changing a non-Saudi’s profession to “General Manager” is subject to regulatory conditions, including alignment with the commercial register (i.e., the position must be recorded under the same title).[4]
What this means in practice
- Many companies may find that “General Manager” cannot be assigned to an expat through Qiwa unless the required conditions are met (and the company’s commercial registration data supports it).[4]
- HR teams should treat this as a compliance and data-consistency issue as much as a localization issue.
3) What’s officially confirmed by government sources (and what timelines matter)
While the Qiwa restriction is being observed at platform level and reported by media, Saudi government channels have also issued explicit Saudization decisions that overlap with some of these job families.
A) Marketing & sales Saudization raised to 60% (decision announced Jan 19, 2026)
Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported that MHRSD issued decisions to increase Saudization rates in marketing and sales professions to 60%, applied to establishments with three or more employees in these roles, with implementation three months after the announcement.[2]
Employer impact: If your business has marketing and sales teams, plan for a compliance deadline around mid-April 2026 (three months from Jan 19, 2026), unless later guidance changes.[2]
B) Procurement localization raised to 70% (effective as of Nov 30, 2025; enforcement window)
MHRSD announced the localization rate for procurement professions rises to 70% for private-sector establishments with three or more employees in covered roles, with the decision entering into force six months from the date of issuance.[3]
Employer impact: Many organisations will be working toward compliance by late May 2026 (six months from Nov 30, 2025), with the covered procurement job titles defined under the Saudi Standard Classification of Occupations.[3]
4) What employers should do now (practical compliance checklist)
If you hire in Saudi Arabia—or employ expatriates whose Qiwa job titles may be affected—take these steps immediately:
Step 1: Audit affected job titles in Qiwa
- Pull a list of employees (Saudis + expats) whose registered professions match or map to the four titles above.
- Flag roles in sales, marketing, and procurement for Saudization ratio planning (60% marketing/sales; 70% procurement).[2][3]
Step 2: Stop “title swapping” as a workaround
Saudi labour enforcement has increasingly focused on alignment between job title, actual duties, and official classification—and Qiwa restrictions appear designed to reduce reclassification loopholes.[5]
Step 3: Prepare staffing plans for April–May 2026 compliance windows
- Marketing & Sales: plan to meet 60% Saudization after the three-month grace period from Jan 19, 2026.[2]
- Procurement: plan for 70% localization with the six-month runway from Nov 30, 2025.[3]
Step 4: For “General Manager” registrations, validate commercial-register alignment
If you need a non-Saudi to hold a senior title, confirm whether your commercial registration data supports that title and whether Qiwa’s conditions can be met.[4]
Step 5: Update recruitment pipelines
- Increase Saudi candidate sourcing for marketing specialists, sales roles, and procurement roles.
- Align job descriptions to Saudi Standard Classification titles to avoid rework later.[3]
5) What expats should do (career risk mitigation)
If you are an expatriate currently holding—or aiming for—one of the affected titles:
- Clarify your registered job title (in Qiwa/contract) versus your functional responsibilities.
- If your employer is considering a title change, understand it may now be blocked for certain roles.[1]
- If you work in sales, marketing, or procurement, expect localization pressure to increase through 2026 based on official decisions.[2][3]
- Consider shifting to adjacent, non-restricted titles where appropriate (and legitimate) that still match your actual duties—your HR team should handle this carefully to remain compliant.
FAQ
Q1: Did Saudi Arabia “ban expats” from four professions?
Not exactly. What’s being observed is that Qiwa has restricted profession-change requests for expatriates for certain job titles, which can prevent assigning those titles to non-Saudis in the system.[1]
Q2: Which job titles are affected in Qiwa?
Reportedly: General Manager, Sales Representative, Marketing Specialist, and Procurement Manager.[1]
Q3: Is “General Manager” fully Saudized now?
Follow-up reporting suggests restrictions on changing a non-Saudi’s profession to “General Manager” may depend on regulatory conditions like commercial-register alignment, rather than being a simple blanket ban.[4]
Q4: What are the official Saudization rules tied to these job families?
- Marketing & sales: MHRSD decisions announced via SPA set 60% Saudization, implemented after a three-month grace period from Jan 19, 2026.[2]
- Procurement: MHRSD announced 70% localization for procurement professions with a six-month runway from Nov 30, 2025.[3]
Bottom line for Saudi employers
If you rely on expatriate staff in leadership, sales, marketing, or procurement, treat this as a Qiwa compliance change plus a Saudization planning issue—not a headline-only “ban.” The operational impact is real: if the system won’t accept the title change, HR and mobility workflows can stall.
For saudihires.com readers, the practical action is clear: audit job titles now, plan localization ratios for April–May 2026, and keep job titles aligned with official classifications and commercial registration records.[2][3]
References
- Okaz (Saudi business press): reporting on Qiwa profession-change restrictions for four job titles.
https://www.okaz.com.sa/economy/na/2233240 - Saudi Press Agency (SPA): MHRSD decision raising Saudization for marketing and sales to 60% (announced Jan 19, 2026).
https://www.spa.gov.sa/en/N2493370 - MHRSD (official): localization increase for procurement professions (and engineering) incl. procurement to 70% with implementation details.
MHRSD news page - Okaz: follow-up on Qiwa clarification regarding “General Manager” conditions (commercial register alignment, etc.).
https://www.okaz.com.sa/economy/na/2233409 - Gulf News: overview of Qiwa suspension of job title changes for expats in key roles (contextual reporting).
Gulf News article
