Saudi Arabia to raise minimum wage threshold to SR6,000 by 2028

Private companies in Saudi Arabia will have to meet higher monthly wage thresholds for their Saudi employees to qualify as full-time workers under the Nitaqat programme, with the first increase taking effect in April 2027.

The Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported that the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development had announced a two-stage revision of the rules. Under the changes, the minimum monthly wage required for a Saudi national to count as one full worker will rise to SR5,000 on April 25, 2027.

A further increase is scheduled for April 25, 2028, when the threshold will reach SR6,000.

The revised criteria will affect how companies calculate their Saudi workforce figures for compliance with the programme. Employees earning below the applicable threshold will not qualify to be counted as full workers for this purpose.

The ministry said the changes would not oblige employers to increase existing wages automatically. Instead, the new figures will serve as the benchmark for determining how Saudi employees are counted towards private-sector workforce requirements.

The two-stage rollout will give businesses time to prepare for the revised rules before each deadline.