ALWAYS read this skill before touching any Saudi Arabia employer compliance work — social insurance contributions, Saudization quotas, or monthly wage filings. Use whenever asked to compute, review, or advise on Saudi private-sector payroll obligations — General Organization for Social Insurance…
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Annuity (retirement) — employer
9%GOSI Law
Annuity (retirement) — employee
9%GOSI Law
Occupational Hazards — employer (Expatriate)
2%GOSI Law
SANED (unemployment) — employer
0.0075GOSI Law
SANED (unemployment) — employee
0.0075GOSI Law
Total — Saudi employer
0.1175GOSI Law
Total — Saudi employee
0.0975GOSI Law
Occupational Hazards — employer (Expatriate)
2%GOSI Law
Employee contribution (Expatriate)
0%GOSI Law
Contributory wage cap
SAR 45,000/month
Scope note: This skill is the end-to-end employer compliance orchestrator for private-sector establishments in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Saudi Arabia does not levy personal income tax on employment income for either Saudis or expatriates, so there is no PAYE-style withholding to compute. The employer's monthly obligations are therefore: (a) GOSI contributions, (b) Saudization compliance under Nitaqat, and (c) Wage Protection System (WPS) filing via Mudad. This skill does NOT cover Zakat, corporate income tax, VAT, or e-invoicing — those live in their respective Saudi Arabia skills.
Tax year 2025 note: Contribution rates below reflect the structure in force following the GOSI reforms phased in from 2024 onward. The 9%/9% annuity split is the pre-reform baseline for existing Saudi insured workers; newly insured Saudis (first GOSI registration on or after 3 July 2024) are subject to a phased increase under the Civil Pension and Social Insurance Schemes reform — verify current rate for any Saudi employee first registered after that date. SANED unemployment insurance has applied to Saudi nationals since 2014. Wage base cap of SAR 45,000/month is the long-standing ceiling — verify against the current GOSI portal before filing. Saudization quotas were tightened across multiple sectors in 2024–2025 (engineering, accounting, dentistry, pharmacy, retail outlets, telecom retail, real estate brokerage, project management, customer service, etc.) — always flag "verify current sector quota against the latest MHRSD notification" before relying on a percentage.
Reviewed against the cited tax authorities by Mehran Habib on 2026-06-06. Items flagged for further clarification are tracked separately and excluded here. This block is generated from verified
skill_facts— edit the facts, not the prose.
GOSI monthly contribution table
| Branch | Saudi employer | Saudi employee | Expat employer | Expat employee | Wage base |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annuity (retirement) | 9% | 9% | — | — | Contributory wage (basic + housing), capped at SAR 45,000/month |
| Occupational Hazards | 2% | — | 2% | — | Same contributory wage cap |
| SANED (unemployment) | 1.5% | 1.5% | — | — | Same contributory wage cap, Saudis only since 2014 |
| TOTAL — Saudi national | 12.5% | 10.5% | — | — | Combined 23% |
| TOTAL — Expatriate | — | — | 2% | 0% | Occupational Hazards only |
The order of GOSI branches matters because only Saudi nationals are subject to all three branches (Annuity, Occupational Hazards, SANED), while expatriates are subject only to Occupational Hazards. Calculate per-employee, then aggregate per establishment for the monthly remittance.
Nitaqat (Saudization) tier table
| Tier | Compliance status | Consequences |
|---|---|---|
| Platinum | Exceeds target | Maximum benefits — fastest visa issuance, iqama renewal without restriction, priority on government tenders, ability to "poach" workers from lower-tier establishments |
| High Green | Meets target comfortably | Full ability to hire expats, renew iqamas, issue work visas |
| Mid Green | Meets target | Hire expats and renew iqamas under standard quota |
| Low Green | Barely meets target | Hire expats but at reduced quota; iqama renewal allowed |
| Yellow | Below target | Restricted — limited new expat visas; existing iqamas renewable only for limited periods; workers may transfer out to Green/Platinum entities without employer consent |
| Red | Well below target | Severe — no new expat visas, no iqama renewals, workers may transfer out freely; government tender access blocked |
The Nitaqat program classifies every private-sector establishment into a colour-coded tier based on the percentage of Saudi nationals in its workforce, measured against the published target for its sector and size band. The tier is computed continuously by MHRSD and reviewed in real time on the Qiwa platform.
WPS (Wage Protection System) filing summary
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Platform | Mudad (mudad.com.sa) — gateway to MHRSD |
| Frequency | Monthly — file matching actual payroll month |
| Content | Per-employee salary file with IBAN, contractual salary, paid amount, payment date, status (paid in full / partial / unpaid) |
| Bank transfer requirement | All salaries must be paid via Saudi bank transfer to the employee's IBAN — cash payments do not satisfy WPS |
| Tolerance | Salary must be paid in full and on time; partial or late payment is flagged and feeds into Nitaqat tier downgrade and visa freezes |
| Deadline | File submitted before salary disbursement; payment must clear within the contractual pay cycle (typically by end of the calendar month for the preceding month) |
Inputs required to run Saudi employer compliance
| Input | Source | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| GOSI establishment number | GOSI portal | Required for monthly contribution upload |
| Commercial Registration (CR) number | Ministry of Commerce | Links GOSI, ZATCA, MHRSD, Qiwa, Mudad |
| Unified Number (700-series) | National platform | Cross-system identifier |
| Nationality of each employee | HR / iqama / national ID | Saudi vs GCC vs other expat — drives GOSI branches |
| National ID (for Saudis) or Iqama number (for expats) | HR | Required on every GOSI and WPS submission |
| Date of first GOSI registration (Saudis) | GOSI history | Determines whether the post-3-July-2024 reform rate applies |
| Contractual basic salary + housing allowance per employee | Employment contract | Forms the contributory wage |
| Other allowances (transport, mobile, etc.) | Employment contract | Generally excluded from GOSI base; verify per contract |
| Saudi bank IBAN per employee | HR / employee record | Required for WPS — non-Saudi bank IBANs are not accepted |
| Sector classification (ISIC code) | CR | Drives Nitaqat target percentage |
| Establishment size band (employee headcount) | Qiwa | Drives Nitaqat target percentage |
| Current Nitaqat tier | Qiwa | Determines visa and iqama renewal posture |
| Date of joining and iqama expiry per expat | HR | Drives iqama renewal calendar and Nitaqat impact |
Refusal catalogue — out of scope
| Scenario | Action |
|---|---|
| Domestic workers (drivers, housemaids, nannies) under the Musaned platform | Out of scope — Musaned regime differs; refer to a qualified Saudi labour consultant |
| Government / public-sector employees (PPA — Public Pension Agency, not GOSI) | Out of scope — GOSI is private sector only; PPA covers civil servants |
| Military and security forces personnel | Out of scope |
| End-of-service award (gratuity) computation under Articles 84–88 of the Labour Law | Flag — separate legal computation; refer to Saudi labour counsel for senior or contested cases |
| Employees on home-country payroll continuation (shadow payroll) | Out of scope — requires bespoke transfer pricing and GOSI carve-out analysis |
| Employee stock options, RSUs, long-term incentive plans | Out of scope — GOSI treatment and labour law treatment are unsettled; specialist required |
| Treaty positions and totalization agreements (e.g. with GCC states) | Out of scope — refer to Saudi tax counsel; GCC nationals are treated as Saudis for GOSI purposes by Council of Ministers Resolution but specific cases need verification |
| Free zone establishments (e.g. Special Integrated Logistics Zone, NEOM) | Flag — some free zones have bespoke labour and social insurance regimes that override the standard GOSI rules |
| Establishments straddling the pre/post 3-July-2024 GOSI reform with mixed cohorts of Saudi staff | Flag for reviewer — per-employee analysis required to determine the correct annuity rate cohort |
| Saudization exemptions (small establishments under 5, family-owned enterprises, specific sectors) | Flag — verify each exemption claim against current MHRSD notification |
Wage base — what's in, what's out
| Component | In GOSI base? |
|---|---|
| Basic salary | YES |
| Housing allowance (cash) | YES |
| Housing in kind (employer-provided accommodation) | YES — at deemed cash value |
| Transport allowance | Generally NO — verify if it's structured as part of basic |
| Mobile / communication allowance | Generally NO |
| Food allowance | Generally NO |
| Performance bonus (annual) | Generally NO for GOSI base (one-off), but flag if recurrent |
| Commission (sales) | YES if regular and contractual; flag otherwise |
| End-of-service award accrual | NO — separate gratuity regime |
| Overtime | NO — excluded by regulation |
Monthly filing & remittance
| Step | Where | Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| Upload monthly contribution file | GOSI portal (gosi.gov.sa) | By end of the month following the contribution month |
| Pay contribution amount via SADAD | SADAD bill payment via any Saudi bank | Same deadline |
| Reconcile against WPS-filed salaries | Mudad ↔ GOSI cross-check | Before next month's filing |
Saudization quotas were tightened across multiple sectors in 2024 and 2025, including but not limited to:
Always flag: "Verify the current Saudization target for this sector × establishment size on Qiwa / MHRSD notification before quoting a percentage." Sector quotas change by ministerial decision and the published percentages drift upward each cycle.
Consequences of tier — operational impact
| Tier | New expat visas | Iqama renewals | Worker mobility | Government tender |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Platinum | Full | Full + extended periods | Can attract workers from other establishments | Priority |
| High Green | Full | Full | Standard | Eligible |
| Mid Green | Standard | Full | Standard | Eligible |
| Low Green | Reduced | Full but with restrictions | Standard | Eligible |
| Yellow | Restricted | Limited renewal periods | Workers can leave to Green/Platinum without consent | Restricted |
| Red | None | Blocked | Workers leave freely | Blocked |
Business impact: A drop from Green to Yellow or Red has substantial commercial impact — projects requiring expat technical staff stall when iqamas cannot be renewed, and government contracts may be cancelled. This is materially more disruptive than a tax penalty.
For each employee, per month:
Facts:
GOSI monthly computation
| Group | Per-employee contributory wage | Employer rate | Employee rate | Per-employee employer | Per-employee employee | Headcount | Employer total | Employee total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saudis | SAR 10,000 | 12.5% | 10.5% | SAR 1,250 | SAR 1,050 | 10 | SAR 12,500 | SAR 10,500 |
| Expats | SAR 15,000 | 2% | 0% | SAR 300 | SAR 0 | 5 | SAR 1,500 | SAR 0 |
| TOTAL | 15 | SAR 14,000 | SAR 10,500 |
Nitaqat status (IT consultancy, Small size band 10–49):
WPS monthly file:
If a Saudi senior manager earns contractual basic SAR 50,000 + housing SAR 12,000 = contributory wage SAR 62,000/month:
Filing & payment calendar
| Obligation | Frequency | Deadline | Channel |
|---|---|---|---|
| GOSI monthly contribution upload + payment | Monthly | End of month following | gosi.gov.sa + SADAD |
| WPS payroll file | Monthly | Before contractual pay date | mudad.com.sa |
| Nitaqat tier monitoring | Continuous | Real-time on Qiwa | qiwa.sa |
| Iqama renewal per expat | Annual (or biennial) | Before iqama expiry | Absher / Qiwa |
| End-of-service award accrual | Continuous; payable on separation | At end of contract | HR / payroll system |
| GOSI annual reconciliation | Annual | As notified by GOSI | gosi.gov.sa |
Calendar discipline: Set monthly reminders for GOSI upload (last working day of month following), WPS submission (5 working days before contractual pay date), and continuous Qiwa monitoring (weekly check on Nitaqat tier headroom).
Penalties
| Breach | Penalty |
|---|---|
| Late GOSI contribution payment | 2% per month delay surcharge on unpaid amount, until full settlement |
| Under-reporting GOSI wage base | Recovery of underpaid contributions + 2%/month surcharge + administrative penalty per Social Insurance Law |
| Failure to register an establishment with GOSI | Per-Royal-Decree-M/33 penalties — administrative fines and back-contribution recovery |
| Failure to register an employee with GOSI | Per-employee fine + back-contribution from date of joining |
| WPS non-compliance (late, partial, or unpaid salary) | Article 90 Labour Law fines per employee per occurrence; iqama renewal freeze; Nitaqat tier downgrade |
| Cash salary payment (bypassing WPS) | Treated as non-payment — WPS does not credit cash; Nitaqat consequences follow |
| Nitaqat Yellow tier | Restricted expat visas; limited iqama renewal periods; workers may transfer to Green/Platinum without employer consent |
| Nitaqat Red tier | No new expat visas; no iqama renewals; workers leave freely; government tender access blocked |
| Saudization fraud (fake Saudi headcount — "phantom Saudization") | Severe — Royal Decree penalties, fines per phantom employee, immediate Nitaqat downgrade, blacklist from government contracts, potential criminal referral |
Materiality note: For most Saudi establishments, the Nitaqat consequences materially exceed the GOSI cash penalties in business impact. A two-tier Nitaqat downgrade can halt an entire engineering or construction project. Treat Saudization compliance as a board-level operational risk, not a back-office administrative item.
Verification discipline: Before completing any Saudi employer compliance task, verify on the official portals (GOSI, Qiwa, Mudad, MHRSD) that the rates, caps, sector quotas, and size bands quoted in this skill have not been superseded by a subsequent notification. Saudi compliance changes frequently and the cost of relying on stale figures is high.
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Review status
Accountant-reviewed
Reviewed by a named licensed practitioner against the stated sources, as general reference material.
Accountant-reviewed
Reviewed by Mehran Habib · 6 June 2026
A named accountant reviewed this complete Guide version within the stated scope. It is not a guarantee.
View review record →Other Saudi Arabia computations in the OpenAccountants Tax Library.
GOSI Contribution Base
Basic salary + housing allowanceGOSI Law, Part 1 Article 8(1)
Nitaqat — Platinum tier
Exceeds target — maximum benefitsMHRSD / Qiwa — Nitaqat Mutawar Program procedural guidelines
Nitaqat — High/Mid/Low Green tier
Meets target — standard to limitedMHRSD / Qiwa — Nitaqat Mutawar Program procedural guidelines
Nitaqat — Red tier
Well below — no visas, no iqama renewalsMHRSD / Qiwa — Nitaqat Mutawar Program procedural guidelines
WPS Platform
Mudad (mudad.com.sa)MHRSD — Wage Protection System
WPS Requirement
All salaries via Saudi bank IBANMHRSD — Wage Protection System, ref. 1.8.4 (59 - ACC)
GOSI monthly contribution table
| Branch | Saudi employer | Saudi employee | Expat employer | Expat employee | Wage base | |---|---|---|---|---|---| | **Annuity (retirement)** | 9% | 9% | — | — | Contributory wage (basic + housing), capped at SAR 45,000/month | | **Occupational Hazards** | 2% | — | 2% | — | Same contributory wage cap | | **SANED (unemployment)** | 1.5% | 1.5% | — | — | Same contributory wage cap, Saudis only since 2014 | | **TOTAL — Saudi national** | **12.5%** | **10.5%** | — | — | Combined 23% | | **TOTAL — Expatriate** | — | — | **2%** | **0%** | Occupational Hazards only |
Contributory wage definition
GOSI uses basic salary + housing allowance (whether paid in cash or in kind). Other allowances (transport, mobile, food, etc.) are generally excluded unless the employment contract structures them as part of basic. Conservative default: if an allowance is fixed and unconditional, treat it as part of the contributory wage and flag for reviewer.
Cap rule
The contributory wage is capped at SAR 45,000/month per employee for all branches. Salaries above SAR 45,000 still pay GOSI but only on the first SAR 45,000.
Conservative default
When in doubt whether a particular allowance is part of the contributory wage, include it in the base and flag for reviewer. GOSI under-contribution triggers GOSI inspector recovery plus 2%/month penalty; over-contribution is recoverable but administratively painful.
Nitaqat (Saudization) tier table
| Tier | Compliance status | Consequences | |---|---|---| | **Platinum** | Exceeds target | Maximum benefits — fastest visa issuance, iqama renewal without restriction, priority on government tenders, ability to "poach" workers from lower-tier establishments | | **High Green** | Meets target comfortably | Full ability to hire expats, renew iqamas, issue work visas | | **Mid Green** | Meets target | Hire expats and renew iqamas under standard quota | | **Low Green** | Barely meets target | Hire expats but at reduced quota; iqama renewal allowed | | **Yellow** | Below target | Restricted — limited new expat visas; existing iqamas renewable only for limited periods; workers may transfer out to Green/Platinum entities without employer consent | | **Red** | Well below target | Severe — no new expat visas, no iqama renewals, workers may transfer out freely; government tender access blocked |
Sector × size matrix
Saudization targets range from approximately 5% to 75% depending on the sector (banking, telecom, retail trade, construction, hospitality, professional services etc.) and establishment size band (Giant ≥ 3,000 employees, Big 500–2,999, Medium 50–499, Small 10–49, Tiny 5–9 — verify current size bands on Qiwa). Banking, finance and certain professional sectors carry the highest Saudization targets; construction and unskilled labour carry the lowest. Always verify the current sector quota on the MHRSD/Qiwa portal before relying on a percentage.
WPS (Wage Protection System) filing summary
| Item | Detail | |---|---| | **Platform** | Mudad (mudad.com.sa) — gateway to MHRSD | | **Frequency** | Monthly — file matching actual payroll month | | **Content** | Per-employee salary file with IBAN, contractual salary, paid amount, payment date, status (paid in full / partial / unpaid) | | **Bank transfer requirement** | All salaries must be paid via Saudi bank transfer to the employee's IBAN — cash payments do not satisfy WPS | | **Tolerance** | Salary must be paid in full and on time; partial or late payment is flagged and feeds into Nitaqat tier downgrade and visa freezes | | **Deadline** | File submitted before salary disbursement; payment must clear within the contractual pay cycle (typically by end of the calendar month for the preceding month) |
Inputs required to run Saudi employer compliance
| Input | Source | Notes | |---|---|---| | GOSI establishment number | GOSI portal | Required for monthly contribution upload | | Commercial Registration (CR) number | Ministry of Commerce | Links GOSI, ZATCA, MHRSD, Qiwa, Mudad | | Unified Number (700-series) | National platform | Cross-system identifier | | Nationality of each employee | HR / iqama / national ID | Saudi vs GCC vs other expat — drives GOSI branches | | National ID (for Saudis) or Iqama number (for expats) | HR | Required on every GOSI and WPS submission | | Date of first GOSI registration (Saudis) | GOSI history | Determines whether the post-3-July-2024 reform rate applies | | Contractual basic salary + housing allowance per employee | Employment contract | Forms the contributory wage | | Other allowances (transport, mobile, etc.) | Employment contract | Generally excluded from GOSI base; verify per contract | | Saudi bank IBAN per employee | HR / employee record | Required for WPS — non-Saudi bank IBANs are not accepted | | Sector classification (ISIC code) | CR | Drives Nitaqat target percentage | | Establishment size band (employee headcount) | Qiwa | Drives Nitaqat target percentage | | Current Nitaqat tier | Qiwa | Determines visa and iqama renewal posture | | Date of joining and iqama expiry per expat | HR | Drives iqama renewal calendar and Nitaqat impact |
Refusal catalogue — out of scope
| Scenario | Action | |---|---| | Domestic workers (drivers, housemaids, nannies) under the Musaned platform | Out of scope — Musaned regime differs; refer to a qualified Saudi labour consultant | | Government / public-sector employees (PPA — Public Pension Agency, not GOSI) | Out of scope — GOSI is private sector only; PPA covers civil servants | | Military and security forces personnel | Out of scope | | End-of-service award (gratuity) computation under Articles 84–88 of the Labour Law | Flag — separate legal computation; refer to Saudi labour counsel for senior or contested cases | | Employees on home-country payroll continuation (shadow payroll) | Out of scope — requires bespoke transfer pricing and GOSI carve-out analysis | | Employee stock options, RSUs, long-term incentive plans | Out of scope — GOSI treatment and labour law treatment are unsettled; specialist required | | Treaty positions and totalization agreements (e.g. with GCC states) | Out of scope — refer to Saudi tax counsel; GCC nationals are treated as Saudis for GOSI purposes by Council of Ministers Resolution but specific cases need verification | | Free zone establishments (e.g. Special Integrated Logistics Zone, NEOM) | Flag — some free zones have bespoke labour and social insurance regimes that override the standard GOSI rules | | Establishments straddling the pre/post 3-July-2024 GOSI reform with mixed cohorts of Saudi staff | Flag for reviewer — per-employee analysis required to determine the correct annuity rate cohort | | Saudization exemptions (small establishments under 5, family-owned enterprises, specific sectors) | Flag — verify each exemption claim against current MHRSD notification |
Statutory basis
GOSI operates under the Social Insurance Law (Royal Decree M/33, 1421H, as amended) and is administered by the General Organization for Social Insurance headquartered in Riyadh. The three branches are: 1. Annuity Branch (التأمين ضد المعاشات) — retirement, disability, and survivor benefits. Saudi nationals only. 2. Occupational Hazards Branch (التأمين ضد الأخطار المهنية) — work-injury and occupational disease compensation. All employees, Saudi and expat. 3. SANED Unemployment Insurance (نظام ساند) — added in 2014. Saudi nationals only.Social Insurance Law, Royal Decree M/33, 1421H
Computation order
For each employee, in order: 1. Determine nationality bucket: Saudi (including GCC nationals treated as Saudis), or expatriate. 2. Determine contributory wage: basic salary + housing allowance, capped at SAR 45,000/month. 3. Determine first-registration cohort (Saudis only): if first GOSI registration is on or after 3 July 2024, flag for verification of phased reform rate; otherwise apply the 9%/9% baseline used in this skill. 4. Compute employer contribution: 12.5% (Saudi) or 2% (expat) of contributory wage. 5. Compute employee deduction: 10.5% (Saudi) or 0% (expat) of contributory wage. 6. Aggregate per establishment: sum all employer contributions + all employee deductions = the GOSI monthly remittance. 7. Cross-check against Mudad/WPS payroll file: GOSI base × headcount should reconcile to WPS contractual salary aggregate (after stripping out the SAR 45,000 cap effect).
Wage base — what's in, what's out
| Component | In GOSI base? | |---|---| | Basic salary | **YES** | | Housing allowance (cash) | **YES** | | Housing in kind (employer-provided accommodation) | **YES** — at deemed cash value | | Transport allowance | Generally **NO** — verify if it's structured as part of basic | | Mobile / communication allowance | Generally **NO** | | Food allowance | Generally **NO** | | Performance bonus (annual) | Generally **NO** for GOSI base (one-off), but flag if recurrent | | Commission (sales) | **YES** if regular and contractual; flag otherwise | | End-of-service award accrual | **NO** — separate gratuity regime | | Overtime | **NO** — excluded by regulation |
Monthly filing & remittance
| Step | Where | Deadline | |---|---|---| | Upload monthly contribution file | GOSI portal (gosi.gov.sa) | By **end of the month following** the contribution month | | Pay contribution amount via SADAD | SADAD bill payment via any Saudi bank | Same deadline | | Reconcile against WPS-filed salaries | Mudad ↔ GOSI cross-check | Before next month's filing |
Late payment
GOSI imposes a 2% per month delay penalty on unpaid contributions, calculated from the due date until full settlement.
Statutory basis & administration
The Nitaqat program is administered by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (MHRSD) under the authority of the Saudi Labour Law (Royal Decree M/51, 1426H, as amended) and successive Council of Ministers resolutions. The program is operationalised through the Qiwa platform (qiwa.sa), which displays each establishment's current Saudization percentage, target percentage, tier, and remaining headroom in real time.Saudi Labour Law, Royal Decree M/51, 1426H
How the tier is calculated
For each establishment (identified by CR number, with separate CRs running on separate Nitaqat counters): 1. MHRSD assigns the establishment a sector classification based on the CR's primary economic activity (ISIC code). 2. MHRSD assigns a size band based on the total employee count (Giant ≥ 3,000; Big 500–2,999; Medium 50–499; Small 10–49; Tiny 5–9 — verify current bands). 3. The sector × size band cell has a published target Saudization percentage, ranging from approximately 5% to 75%. 4. Daily computation: MHRSD calculates the establishment's actual Saudization percentage = (Saudi headcount counted under Nitaqat weighting) ÷ (total headcount). 5. Tier assignment: Platinum / High Green / Mid Green / Low Green / Yellow / Red — based on how the actual percentage compares to the target.
Nitaqat weighting nuances
Not every Saudi employee counts as a full "1" in the Saudization headcount. MHRSD has historically applied weighting multipliers for special categories — for example, part-time Saudi workers under the official part-time contract count as a fraction, Saudi women in roles previously male-dominated may carry a multiplier, and Saudi workers with disabilities carry a higher weight. Conversely, certain expat categories may count differently. Verify current weighting rules on Qiwa before relying on a target.
Consequences of tier — operational impact
| Tier | New expat visas | Iqama renewals | Worker mobility | Government tender | |---|---|---|---|---| | Platinum | Full | Full + extended periods | Can attract workers from other establishments | Priority | | High Green | Full | Full | Standard | Eligible | | Mid Green | Standard | Full | Standard | Eligible | | Low Green | Reduced | Full but with restrictions | Standard | Eligible | | Yellow | Restricted | Limited renewal periods | Workers can leave to Green/Platinum without consent | Restricted | | Red | None | Blocked | Workers leave freely | Blocked |
Statutory basis
The Wage Protection System was introduced by MHRSD Resolution to enforce Article 90 of the Saudi Labour Law (timely full-amount payment of wages). It is administered via the Mudad platform (mudad.com.sa), which receives the monthly payroll file from the establishment and reconciles it against actual bank-clearing data drawn from the Saudi banking system.MHRSD Resolution; Saudi Labour Law Article 90
WPS compliance feedback loop
Mudad reconciles the submitted file against actual bank-clearing records: 1. Match: salary paid in full and on time → green / compliant. 2. Partial or late payment: flagged → contributes to Nitaqat tier downgrade and triggers MHRSD inspector follow-up. 3. No payment: treated as a labour law violation under Article 90 → fines per employee per occurrence + iqama renewal freeze + Nitaqat consequence.Saudi Labour Law Article 90
Cash payments do not satisfy WPS
All salaries must be paid by Saudi bank transfer to the employee's IBAN. Cash payments are not recognised by Mudad and are treated as non-payment for WPS purposes — even if the employee signs a receipt.
GOSI monthly computation
| Group | Per-employee contributory wage | Employer rate | Employee rate | Per-employee employer | Per-employee employee | Headcount | Employer total | Employee total | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | Saudis | SAR 10,000 | 12.5% | 10.5% | SAR 1,250 | SAR 1,050 | 10 | **SAR 12,500** | **SAR 10,500** | | Expats | SAR 15,000 | 2% | 0% | SAR 300 | SAR 0 | 5 | **SAR 1,500** | **SAR 0** | | **TOTAL** | | | | | | **15** | **SAR 14,000** | **SAR 10,500** |
Filing & payment calendar
| Obligation | Frequency | Deadline | Channel | |---|---|---|---| | **GOSI monthly contribution upload + payment** | Monthly | End of month following | gosi.gov.sa + SADAD | | **WPS payroll file** | Monthly | Before contractual pay date | mudad.com.sa | | **Nitaqat tier monitoring** | Continuous | Real-time on Qiwa | qiwa.sa | | **Iqama renewal per expat** | Annual (or biennial) | Before iqama expiry | Absher / Qiwa | | **End-of-service award accrual** | Continuous; payable on separation | At end of contract | HR / payroll system | | **GOSI annual reconciliation** | Annual | As notified by GOSI | gosi.gov.sa |
Penalties
| Breach | Penalty | |---|---| | **Late GOSI contribution payment** | **2% per month** delay surcharge on unpaid amount, until full settlement | | **Under-reporting GOSI wage base** | Recovery of underpaid contributions + 2%/month surcharge + administrative penalty per Social Insurance Law | | **Failure to register an establishment with GOSI** | Per-Royal-Decree-M/33 penalties — administrative fines and back-contribution recovery | | **Failure to register an employee with GOSI** | Per-employee fine + back-contribution from date of joining | | **WPS non-compliance (late, partial, or unpaid salary)** | Article 90 Labour Law fines per employee per occurrence; iqama renewal freeze; Nitaqat tier downgrade | | **Cash salary payment (bypassing WPS)** | Treated as non-payment — WPS does not credit cash; Nitaqat consequences follow | | **Nitaqat Yellow tier** | Restricted expat visas; limited iqama renewal periods; workers may transfer to Green/Platinum without employer consent | | **Nitaqat Red tier** | No new expat visas; no iqama renewals; workers leave freely; government tender access blocked | | **Saudization fraud (fake Saudi headcount — "phantom Saudization")** | Severe — Royal Decree penalties, fines per phantom employee, immediate Nitaqat downgrade, blacklist from government contracts, potential criminal referral |
Step 1: Determine GOSI contribution per employee
Run GOSI monthly contribution computation per employee (nationality bucket, contributory wage, cohort, employer/employee rates)
Step 2: File and remit GOSI monthly contribution
Upload monthly contribution file to GOSI portal and pay via SADAD by end of month following the contribution month
Step 3: Monitor Nitaqat tier
Determine sector classification, size band, target Saudization percentage, and current tier on Qiwa; flag if quota needs verification
Step 4: File WPS payroll via Mudad
Submit monthly payroll file via Mudad before contractual pay date and reconcile against actual bank-clearing data
Step 5: Reconcile GOSI against WPS
Reconcile GOSI contribution base against WPS-filed salaries (Mudad ↔ GOSI cross-check) before next month's filing
Rendered from the canonical facts model · facts last reviewed Jun 6, 2026. General reference only — confirm with a qualified professional before acting.
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