Human Resources KSA Salary Guide 2020

The human resources (HR) industry in Saudi Arabia is maturing as organisations review their priorities and grow their horizons in line with the Vision 2030 agenda. State-led initiatives to develop the private sector are bearing fruit, with substantial growth in business creation over the past year and a positive impact on recruitment activity.

In general, there will be significant demand for HR professionals across the kingdom, particularly in Riyadh, Jeddah, Yanbu, Dammam and Khobar due to their high levels of foreign and local investment. On the flipside, flatter economic growth in the GCC has prompted some firms to restructure and retract from the region. Some multinationals have centralised their Middle East HR operations outside the kingdom, resulting in fewer roles available in some sectors. However, start-ups and homegrown companies are attaching increased importance to HR as they search for staff to help them grow.

Across the GCC, there is a shortage of candidates with recognised HR industry qualifications such as CIPD, PHR and SHRM. However, this is likely to improve in future as more HR professionals seek to enhance their knowledge through postgraduate courses or training programs.