What does Saudia publish about pilot pay?

The Saudia Group careers site showed one pilot vacancy on 15 October 2026, the Saudia Cadet Program, dated 18 September 2026. It sets out the requirements and the documents to attach, but gives no figure for salary, training pay, housing or allowances. Searches on the site for pilot, captain and officer returned no vacancy for experienced first officers or captains on that date.1

Can a foreign pilot join Saudia as a first officer?

Gulf News reported in December 2020 that Saudia had celebrated the full replacement of its foreign co-pilots with Saudi nationals, and that the airline planned to Saudise its pilots fully. Saudia gave no figures for how many co-pilots were replaced or how many foreign pilots it still employed. The wider Saudi rule points the same way. According to Argaam, the first phase of the localisation of licensed aviation professions took effect on 15 March 2023, requiring 100% Saudization of the copilot role and 60% for airline transport pilots in private sector firms with at least five employees in those professions. The second phase, from 4 March 2024, raised the airline transport pilot share to 70%. All workers in these professions need accreditation from the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA).23

What does the Saudia Cadet Program require?

The programme is for Saudi nationals only. Applicants need a valid GACA multi-engine Commercial Pilot License, a GACA AIP test score of at least 80%, ICAO English Level 4, a GACA First-class Medical and at least 240 flying hours, of which 25 hours must be on multi-engine aircraft. Saudia also asks for a height of 165cm to 193cm, and under education it lists a science high-school certificate with 80% or above and a diploma or bachelor's degree in science or engineering with a GPA of at least 2.75 out of 4.1

What end-of-service pay applies in Saudi Arabia?

Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development states that an employer pays an end-of-service award of half a month's wage for each of the first five years and one month's wage for each later year, based on the last wage. A worker who resigns with less than two years of service receives nothing, one third of the award after two to 5 years, and two thirds after more than 5 and less than 10 years. This is the general Saudi rule, and the Saudia vacancy does not state any terms of its own.14

How many pilots does Saudia employ?

In January 2014 Arab News reported that foreign pilots at Saudia were estimated at 25 percent, and a Shoura Council member said the airline had more than 700 assistant pilots, 250 of them ready for promotion to captain, while it had recruited 210 pilots of other nationalities. In a sponsored Saudia Group report published by Arab News in August 2023, 1,768 pilots and assistant pilots were said to have operated during the Hajj and summer season from 21 May to 2 August 2023.56