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Nitaqat Band Calculator
Enter your total headcount, how many of those employees are Saudi nationals, and your sector. The calculator returns your Saudization percentage, your indicative Nitaqat band, and the number of additional Saudi employees needed to reach the next band up.
In short
Your Nitaqat band is determined by the percentage of your workforce who are Saudi nationals, measured against a threshold set for your sector and company size. This calculator shows your current percentage, your indicative band, and how many additional Saudi hires would move you up a band.
Your workforce
Everyone on your establishment file.
Saudi employees registered under GOSI.
Bands are measured against your sector's quota, not a fixed national percentage.
12.0%
6 of 50 employees are Saudi nationals
Indicative band
Red
Below the quota. New work visas and sponsorship transfers effectively frozen — Yellow no longer exists to fall into first.
To reach Low Green
You would need approximately 24 additional Saudi employees — taking you to 74 total staff, of which 30 would be Saudi nationals.
Losing non-Saudi headcount raises the ratio too, but hiring is the route that does not shrink your operation.
Where the bands sit
- Platinum64%+
- High Green52%+
- Mid Green44%+
- Low Green40%+
- RedYou are here< 40%
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Red band restrictions compound quickly.
New work visas and sponsorship transfers are effectively frozen, which means you cannot replace leavers — and the ratio worsens as people go.
Saudization & Nitaqat servicesRates last verified:
Two things to know. The Yellow band was removed in the 2026 Nitaqat cycle and establishments previously in it were reclassified Red, so there is no longer an intermediate band between meeting the quota and facing restrictions. And quotas are set per activity and establishment size — the restaurant and café figures here are the published ratios, but confirm yours on Qiwa before relying on it.
This is an indicative estimate for planning, not a formal calculation or legal advice. Statutory rates and government fees change. Verify against GOSI, Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development, Qiwa and Absher / Muqeem, or or ask us to confirm.
Common questions
How is the Saudization percentage calculated?
It is the number of Saudi nationals employed divided by total employees on the establishment file, expressed as a percentage. The threshold your percentage is measured against depends on your economic activity and company size band.
Is this the official Nitaqat calculation?
No. Official thresholds are set per activity and size band and are revised periodically, so this tool gives an indicative position for orientation. For your establishment's actual thresholds and current band, check Qiwa or ask us to review it.
Related services
Saudization & Nitaqat Band Management
Nitaqat rates every Saudi establishment on the proportion of Saudi nationals it employs, placing it in a band from Platinum down to Red. A low band restricts visa issuance, sponsorship transfers and renewals. SCPL assesses your current band, builds a realistic path to a compliant ratio, and monitors it as headcount changes.