Nationalisation in Saudi’s Engineering Sector

The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development, in partnership with the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs and Housing, has announced the decision to nationalise 25% of engineering professions in the private sector effective from 21 July 2024. This will be applicable to all private sector establishments that employ five employees in the engineering professions.

As a large employer in the region, 42% of Serco employees in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are Saudi nationals. Commenting on this story Mona Althagafi, the Country Director for Serco in Saudi Arabia, said:

“We commend the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development’s decision to nationalise 25% of engineering professions in the private sector. This aligns perfectly with Serco’s own ongoing commitment to supporting local employment and talent development in the Kingdom. Since our inception here in the region, we have been dedicated to not just hiring Saudi nationals but also investing heavily in their training, development and career progression.

As of April 2024, the Serco workforce in Saudi Arabia is now 42% Saudi nationals. This milestone reflects our commitment to nationalisation and impacting a better future through sustainable workforce development. Because nationalisation does not begin and end with the hiring of a Saudi, we must also look to deliver strong retention rates and job satisfaction.

As private sector roles are increasingly popular for nationals, we must also ensure they, like all our employees, enjoy a long, successful career within our business. We consider their full career path to ensure retention. This means, for example, continuous training and career development opportunities, competitive benefits packages, and offering roles that offer opportunities they might not get elsewhere. And the private sector often has the capabilities to provide a holistic employment experience that aligns with the evolving aspirations of today’s workforce. At Serco, for example, our secondment programmes allow employees to gain invaluable experience working in different parts of the world, this year has seen our Saudi national spacecraft operations engineer seconded to Germany.

These employees gain invaluable experience by working on various international projects, broadening their skillsets and perspectives. Additionally, providing a stimulating and rewarding work environment is key to attracting and retaining top talent. The insights and contributions of our Saudi employees have been instrumental in driving our success in the region and growing our offering in exciting sectors including our defence and our newly launched Space Division, where we have nurtured Saudi engineering talent through our graduate programme.

We are proud to support this Saudi nationalisation initiative and look forward to continuing our work in developing local talent. This is not just about meeting quotas; it is about building a future where Saudi nationals are at the forefront of innovation and leadership within the private sector.”