Saudi Arabia has dealt a significant blow to its expatriate workforce, including thousands of Indian professionals, by announcing a decision to localise 70 per cent of project management roles in the private sector.

The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development, in collaboration with the Ministry of Municipalities and Housing, announced that this strict Saudization drive would come into effect on February 14, 2027. The move aims to increase the representation of Saudi citizens in high-ranking professional roles and secure their active participation in key economic sectors.

Impact on private firms
The new mandate will apply to all private sector organisations employing three or more workers in project management roles. The directive specifically targets crucial, high-level positions such as project management directors, project management engineers, and project management specialists. Many expatriates, especially from Kerala, currently hold these senior roles across the kingdom and will be directly affected by the decision.

Concerns over job security
As these senior roles involve critical decision-making and strategic planning, apprehensions are growing within the expatriate community about their job security. Industry analysts suggest that implementing this policy will lead to a sharp decline in the number of foreign professionals holding key leadership and engineering roles within the Saudi project management sector, accelerating the transition toward a nationalised workforce.