Saudi Arabia employs close to ten million non-Saudis in its private sector, and the official data shows clearly where they work: overwhelmingly in manual, trade and operator roles, with a much smaller professional and managerial layer. At the same time, the government is pushing hard to bring more Saudis into private-sector jobs. If you are an expat weighing a move to the Kingdom, both facts shape which roles are open to you and how you should pitch yourself.
This overview uses figures from the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) and the Saudi Labor Law. Labour data is published quarterly, so treat the numbers as a snapshot as of November 2026 and check the latest release before making decisions.
The headline numbers
GASTAT publishes two kinds of labour data. The Labour Force Survey asks households about work and job search, and produces unemployment and participation rates. Register-based statistics count people in administrative records, mainly social insurance registrations, and show how many people are employed and in which occupations. They answer different questions, so the totals do not match exactly.
Unemployment and participation
| Measure | Q2 2025 | Q1 2026 | Q2 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment, all residents (Saudi and non-Saudi) | 3.2% | 3.1% | 3.0% |
| Unemployment, Saudi nationals | 6.8% | 6.4% | 6.5% |
| Labour force participation, all residents | 67.1% | 67.2% | 67.2% |
| Labour force participation, Saudi nationals | 49.2% | 49.0% | Not checked |
| Unemployment, Saudi women | 11.3% | 9.0% | Not checked |
Q2 2025 figures are from GASTAT’s own release. Q1 2026 figures are GASTAT data as reported by Gulf News; Q2 2026 figures are as reported by Trading Economics. Check the GASTAT website for the official release.
Two things stand out. The overall rate is much lower than the Saudi rate, which is consistent with a workforce in which most non-Saudis are in the country because an employer has hired them; Article 33 of the Labor Law ties a non-Saudi’s work permit to a contract with an employer. The Saudi rate is roughly double the overall rate, and reducing it is the main policy aim behind most of the rules that affect foreign hiring.
Who works in the private sector
GASTAT’s register-based statistics for Q2 2025, as compiled by the Gulf Labour Markets, Migration and Population programme, show:
- Total private-sector employment: 12,256,541
- Saudis: 2,461,907
- Non-Saudis: 9,794,634, or about 80% of the total
In other words, four in five private-sector employees are expatriates. The private sector still depends heavily on foreign labour, even as the Saudi share is pushed up.
Where expats work: the occupation mix
The same register-based source breaks down the non-Saudi employed population by occupation. For Q1 2025 the total was 9,882,887. The percentages below are calculated from the published counts.
| Occupation group | Non-Saudi workers | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Elementary occupations | 5,158,320 | 52.2% |
| Craft and related trades | 1,250,151 | 12.6% |
| Plant and machine operators, assemblers | 1,233,514 | 12.5% |
| Professionals | 807,823 | 8.2% |
| Service and sales workers | 611,852 | 6.2% |
| Technicians and associate professionals | 590,778 | 6.0% |
| Managers | 133,567 | 1.4% |
| Clerical support workers | 52,580 | 0.5% |
| Skilled agricultural, forestry and fishery workers | 33,429 | 0.3% |
| Other occupations | 10,873 | 0.1% |
What this suggests, reading the data rather than any official statement:
- Professional and managerial roles are a small slice. Fewer than one in ten non-Saudi workers are classed as professionals, and fewer than 2% as managers. Competition for these roles is real, and employers can be selective.
- Office support roles employ very few expats. Only about 52,600 non-Saudis are in clerical support roles. If you are an expat looking for administrative or reception work, expect very few openings.
- Technical and trade skills travel well. Trades, operators and technicians together account for about 31% of non-Saudi employment. Verifiable qualifications and licences matter in these fields.
The rules that shape foreign hiring
The Saudi Labor Law (Royal Decree No. M/51) sets the framework. Its English text, published by the Human Resources Development Fund, includes these provisions:
A Saudi share of the workforce
Article 26 states that “the percentage of Saudi workers employed by an employer shall not be less than 75% of the total number of his workers”, and allows the Minister to lower this temporarily where qualified Saudis are not available. In practice, Saudization requirements are applied through the Nitaqat programme, which we explain in a separate guide.
Recruitment needs approval
Article 32 says recruitment from abroad may not take place without the Ministry’s approval. The employer, not the candidate, starts the process.
Conditions for a work permit
Under Article 33, a non-Saudi may not work without a work permit, and the conditions include that the worker has entered the country lawfully and is authorised to work, “possesses the professional or academic qualifications which the country needs”, and has a contract with an employer and is under that employer’s responsibility.
Who pays the fees
Article 40 places on the employer the fees for recruiting non-Saudi workers, for issuing and renewing the residence permit (iqama) and work permit, for changes of profession, exit and re-entry visas, and the return ticket at the end of the relationship, along with fines for delays. If an offer asks you to pay any of these, ask why in writing before accepting.
Recent amendments
Amendments to the Labor Law came into force on 19 February 2025. According to a client alert from the law firm King & Spalding, they raised the maximum probation period to 180 days (which must be stated in the contract), set notice periods for open-ended contracts at 30 days for the employee and 60 days for the employer, and extended maternity leave to 12 weeks on full pay. Check the current consolidated text with the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development.
This is general information, not legal advice. Check the current rules with the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development before relying on them.
How Saudis look for work, and why it matters to you
GASTAT’s Q2 2025 release reports the most common job search methods used by unemployed Saudis: applying directly to employers (72.4%), the national Jadarat platform (56.3%) and asking friends or relatives (50.5%). The data covers Saudi job seekers, not expats, but it suggests something about the market you are entering: direct applications and personal networks are used at least as much as formal platforms. A tidy CV sent straight to the right person, or passed on by a contact, still carries weight.
What this means for an expat job search
Pulling the data and the rules together:
- Target roles where your skills are scarce. Article 33 links work permits to qualifications “which the country needs”. Specialist, technical and senior roles are where an employer can best justify hiring from abroad.
- Make qualifications easy to verify. Put the awarding body, year and any licence numbers on your CV. You may be asked for attested certificates; our separate guides cover attestation and professional accreditation.
- Expect fewer openings in generic office roles. The occupation data shows very low expat numbers in clerical work.
- Check that the employer, not you, bears the fees Article 40 assigns to it.
- Read the probation and notice clauses against the 2025 amendments.
- Write for recruiters who screen quickly. A clear, keyword-matched CV helps; you can run yours through the ATS resume score checker and start from one of the resume templates built for Gulf applications.
For the practical side of the move itself, including the visa steps and life after arrival, see our other Saudi Arabia guides. If you are applying from abroad to several Gulf countries at once, the international resume builder helps you keep country versions of the same CV.
How to keep this picture current
- Quarterly: GASTAT’s Labour Market Statistics release gives the latest unemployment and participation rates. The Q2 2025 release, for example, was published on 30 September 2025.
- When it is updated: GASTAT’s register-based statistics give employment by nationality and occupation.
- Whenever rules change: the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development for labour law and Saudization requirements.
Frequently asked questions
Is it hard for foreigners to get jobs in Saudi Arabia?
It depends on the role. Expats make up about 80% of private-sector employees, but most work in manual, trade and operator roles. Professional and managerial roles are a much smaller share, and Saudization rules give priority to Saudi candidates where they are available.
What is the unemployment rate in Saudi Arabia?
For all residents it was 3.2% in Q2 2025 according to GASTAT, and was reported at 3.0% in Q2 2026. For Saudi nationals it was 6.8% in Q2 2025 and was reported at 6.5% in Q2 2026.
Can I apply for a Saudi job without a sponsor?
You can apply, but you cannot start work without an employer. Article 33 requires a contract with an employer as a condition of the work permit, and Article 32 requires Ministry approval for recruitment from abroad.
Sources
- GASTAT publishes Labor Market Statistics for Q2 of 2025 (General Authority for Statistics)
- Saudi unemployment falls to 6.4% in Q1 2026 (Gulf News)
- Saudi Arabia jobless rate edges down to 3.0% (Trading Economics)
- Saudi Arabia: population employed in the private sector, by nationality (Q2 2018 to Q2 2025) (Gulf Labour Markets, Migration and Population programme, Gulf Research Center; data from GASTAT)
- Saudi Arabia: non-Saudi employed population by occupation category (Q1 2021 to Q1 2025) (Gulf Labour Markets, Migration and Population programme, Gulf Research Center; data from GASTAT)
- Labor Law (Royal Decree No. M/51), English translation (Human Resources Development Fund)
- Saudi Arabia labor law amendments (client alert) (King & Spalding)