Qiwa: Firms cannot change activity if nationality diversity rules are breached

RIYADH — Qiwa platform has clarified that companies will not be allowed to change their business activity if doing so would cause them to exceed the permitted workforce nationality diversity limits, Okaz newspaper reported.The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development's platform said requests to change a company's economic activity are reviewed by a specialized committee, which approves or rejects applications based on approved regulations. Businesses can view the reasons for any rejection through the requests section on the platform.Qiwa said a company seeking to change its business activity will be unable to do so if the new classification results in exceeding the required nationality diversity threshold.The platform also noted that if a company adds a new activity to its commercial registration and that activity carries a higher Saudization requirement than its existing activity, the higher localization rate will automatically apply when assessing the company's compliance.The ministry launched the three-year Developed Nitaqat program at the beginning of 2026, aiming to create more than 340,000 additional jobs for Saudi men and women in the private sector as part of efforts to strengthen labor market sustainability and support the goals of Saudi Vision 2030.Under current regulations, establishments employing five workers are required to hire at least one Saudi national.