Number Of Citizens In Saudi Dental, Pharmaceutical Professions Rises
String of government initiatives launched to replace foreign workers in several fields
The percentage of Saudisation in the dental profession is set to increase to 55%, with a minimum wage of SR9,000.
Saudi Arabia has announced raising rates of allocating jobs to Saudi nationals in the dental and pharmaceutical professions as part of expanding citizens' employment in the healthcare sector.
In recent years, the kingdom has launched a series of initiatives to employ its nationals and replace foreign workers in several fields as part of a labour policy known as 'Saudisation'.
Saudi Minister of Health Fahad Al Jalajel has said the percentage of Saudisation in the dental profession will increase to 55%, with a minimum wage of SR9,000, and in the pharmaceutical profession to 35% in community pharmacies, 65% in hospitals, and 55% in other activities.
The official called recent decisions to expand localisation of the Saudi healthcare sector 'pioneering strides'.
Last year, a government decision to partially Saudise the dental profession went into effect after a six-month.
In September 2023, the Saudi Ministry of Human Resources gave private sector dentistry institutions six months to readjust their status and meet the proscribed rates of initial 35 per cent of their manpower.
The decision applies to facilities employing three or more dental professionals.
Last November, Saudi Arabia unveiled a new plan to increase the numbers of Saudis working in four health professions in the private sector as part of government efforts to provide jobs for citizens.
The Ministry of Human Resources said that in partnership with the Ministry of Health, decisions have been taken to raise the rates of professional localisation in radiology to reach 64% of the overall workforce at the private sector institutions; to 70% in the medical lab field; 80% in therapeutic nutrition; and 80% in physiotherapy.
The decisions will be implemented in two phases this year.
The first is due to begin on April 17 covering all medical institutions in the main Saudi cities, namely Riyadh, Mecca, Medina, Jeddah, Dammam and Khubar and major institutions in other regions of the kingdom.
The second phase will start on October 17, applying to all institutions across the kingdom.
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