RIYADH: The Qiwa labor platform of Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development has surpassed 2 million registered firms in the first quarter of 2026, alongside 13 million workers and 12 million documented employment contracts, underscoring the rapid digitalization of the Kingdom’s market.
The ministry, in statements carried by the Saudi Press Agency recently, said new services launched during the quarter include a unified system for documenting training contracts and a registration service for Saudi nationals, aimed at organizing employment relationships and curbing irregular multiple contracting.
The milestone comes as authorities tighten compliance rules on contract documentation. The ministry has raised the required compliance rate to 85 percent as at April 30, with a second phase lifting it to 90 percent by June 30.
Compliance is measured as the ratio of documented contracts to total employee contracts at each establishment, a metric officials say will improve transparency and help safeguard the rights of employers and workers.
In parallel, the ministry has advanced legal enforceability of employment agreements. A second phase now recognizes authenticated fixed-term contracts as enforcement instruments when renewed or updated, with plans to extend the framework to indefinite-term contracts in a subsequent phase.
Employers and employees have been urged to update and document contracts through Qiwa and consult with the ministry on compliance.
Reforms also extend to workforce development. A ministerial decision requires private-sector firms with 50 or more employees to provide on-the-job training to Saudi graduates and job seekers equivalent to at least 2 percent of their workforce annually.
Training periods must run between two and six months and be documented on Qiwa, detailing roles, stages, and rights and obligations.
Large firms with 5,000 employees or more must train at least 100 individuals every year.
Authorities said the measures — spanning stricter documentation, enforceable contracts, and mandated training — are designed to raise compliance with labor regulations, improve labor market efficiency, and support human capital development in line with Vision 2030.
