RIYADH — The Qiwa platform, under the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development, has removed the general manager profession from its records for expatriates, confirming that this profession is restricted to Saudi citizens only. It explained that establishments with employees holding the general manager profession can change this to other professions, such as CEO or chairman of the board, provided that the employee is registered in the commercial registration with the same profession and that there are no other employees with the same profession within the establishment. The Qiwa platform has also begun suspending the service of changing certain professions for expatriate workers. The most prominent of these professions include general manager, sales representative, marketing specialist, and purchase manager.A message, appears for establishments wishing to change their employees' professions on the platform’s site read: "Sorry, the employee’s current profession cannot be changed." The platform clarified that when this message appears, it is not possible to change from that profession to another, or vice versa. The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development recently decided to raise the localization rates in marketing and sales professions to increase the level of Saudization in specialized professions, in order to provide stimulating and productive job opportunities for male and female citizens. The first decision mandates raising the Saudization rate to 60 percent in marketing professions within the private sector, effective January 19, 2026. This applies to establishments hiring three or more workers in marketing roles, with a minimum wage set at SR5,500. Targeted professions include marketing manager, advertising agent, advertising manager, graphic designer, advertising designer, public relations specialist, advertising specialist, marketing specialist, public relations manager, and photographer. The decision will be implemented three months after the announcement date to allow establishments sufficient time to prepare and implement it. The second decision stipulates raising the Saudization rate to 60 percent in sales positions within the private sector, effective January 19, 2026. This applies to establishments with three or more employees in sales roles. Targeted positions include sales manager, retail sales representative, wholesale sales representative, sales representative, IT and communications equipment sales specialist, sales specialist, and freight broker. The decision will take effect three months after the announcement date to allow targeted establishments time to fulfill the requirements and achieve the Saudization target.