Human Resources Ministry Enhances Localization through Integrated Regulatory Approach
The localization decisions launched by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development have contributed to a qualitative shift within the Saudi labor market, as policies aimed at empowering citizens have evolved from regulatory measures into an integrated national project that redistributes opportunities and enhances the readiness of national competencies for specialized and future professions.
In recent years, these decisions have expanded to include more than 600 professions and have shown clear results reflecting their positive impact. The number of Saudis working in the private sector has risen to more than 2.5 million citizens, according to the latest indicators, while the participation of Saudi women recorded the largest growth in the history of the labor market, increasing from 23% in 2019 to more than 35%, reflecting the scale of new opportunities made available to national competencies across various sectors.
This transformation has enabled a large segment of young men and women to secure jobs built on advanced digital and knowledge-based skills that keep pace with global technological shifts. These decisions have also directly reduced unemployment in the Kingdom, as the expansion of job opportunities and the redirection of roles toward national competencies accelerated job seekers' entry into the private sector, resulting in unemployment falling to historically unprecedented levels.
Current localization programs focus on specialized professions that form the backbone of the fastest-growing sectors, such as healthcare, engineering, technology, procurement, accounting, marketing, and logistics services.
These regulatory efforts to implement localization decisions and the continued achievements in the Saudi labor market reflect the state’s commitment to empowering individuals and developing their capabilities, while providing a more attractive and competitive environment in line with the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030, which seeks to enhance the quality of life and build a knowledge- and skills-based economy.
