Saudisation cost calculator
Compare a full year of a Saudi hire with an expat hire, and see how each changes your company’s Saudisation percentage.
This Saudisation cost calculator compares a year of a Saudi hire, covering salary, the employer’s GOSI share and end-of-service accrual, with an expat hire, covering salary, the expat levy, iqama, work permit, visas, medical insurance and 2% GOSI. It then shows your Saudisation percentage after each option. Results are estimates, and fees change.
7,437.56 SAR
- Saudi annual cost
- 93,937.56 SAR
- · of which employer GOSI
- 9,562.56
- Expat annual cost
- 86,500 SAR
- Saudisation now
- 15%
- After the Saudi hire
- 19.05%
- After the expat hire
- 14.29%
The Saudi’s pay is below 4,000 SAR, so they count as half in this estimate.
How it works and what it assumes
- Saudi cost = salary × 12 + the employer’s GOSI share (11.75% old regime, 12.75% new regime from July 2026) + half a month’s wage of end-of-service accrual.
- Expat cost comes from the expat hiring cost calculator: salary, the expat levy (800 SAR a month), iqama, work permit, one single exit re-entry visa, medical insurance, 2% GOSI, end of service and recruitment.
- Saudisation is simplified: a Saudi paid 4,000 SAR or more counts as one, a Saudi paid less as half.
- Wage support programmes that may cover part of a Saudi’s salary are not included.
Frequently asked questions
Is a Saudi hire more expensive than an expat?
Not always. Once the levy, iqama, visas, insurance and recruitment are added, the two costs often come close, and the Saudi hire raises Saudisation.
How does a hire affect Nitaqat?
A Saudi paid 4,000 SAR or more raises the rate; an expat lowers it, because the total grows while the Saudis do not.
This is general information to help you understand the topic. It is not legal advice. Rules and rates change: always check the official text on the relevant authority’s platform and consult a qualified adviser before acting.
Hiring decisions on your real data
RafiqHR shows the effect of each hire on Nitaqat and cost before you decide, on the Pro plan.
No card, up to 50 employees, sample company preloaded