Nitaqat — Second Wave of Saudization: Is it an Answer to the Domestic Discontent?

Saudi Arabia recently announced a plan — Nitaqat — for increasing Saudization in private-sector enterprises. Official statistics reveal over 550,000 Saudi job seekers, including women, in a country of 8 million foreign workers predominantly employed in the private sector. Nitaqat has undertaken two distinct measures. First, to limit the ability of private-sector enterprises to employ expatriate workers; and second, to limit the duration of expatriates’ residency to a maximum of six years.