Nitaqat program
In one sentenceA government program that classifies private sector businesses into bands by their Saudization rate compared with businesses of the same activity and size, and links their services to this classification.
Simply put
The business sees its band in its account on the Qiwa platform. The higher the band, the more services are available to it, and if it drops, some services may be restricted.
The band changes as the number of Saudi and non-Saudi employees changes, so before any large hiring or ending of contracts, check the effect on your band. The details of the bands and the counting rules are with the competent authority.
Example
A restaurant wanted to recruit new cooks from abroad, so the owner first checked his business's band on the Qiwa platform, then hired two Saudi receptionists before applying for the visas.
Don't confuse it with
SaudizationNitaqat is the measuring and classification tool, while Saudization is the policy it measures.