Green hydrogen. It holds promise for the world—and, in Saudi Arabia, for transformation on a national scale. This clean fuel, produced from renewable energy, is not just reshaping power grids; it is rewriting the rules of work, investment, and economic diversification.
Amid the ambition, an urgent question emerges: How do companies find, recruit, and support the right talent to build and run green hydrogen facilities at a scale and pace never seen before?
Setting up a green hydrogen plant in Saudi Arabia means more than finding chemists and engineers. It demands a complex mosaic of technical, managerial, and compliance skills—navigating global standards, handling local realities, and making sure every employment decision propels growth rather than slowing it. Projects like those enabled by EWS Limited aren’t just about compliance or logistics; they’re about unlocking confidence with every new hire.
Every green hydrogen project starts and succeeds with the right people.
Saudi Arabia has charted a bold path. Its hydrogen industrial strategy aims for nearly three million tons of clean hydrogen production by 2030, rising to four million by 2035. The NEOM green hydrogen project alone targets an annual output of 1.2 million tons by 2025—ambitious benchmarks, pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in the region.
At the same time, renewables are expected to account for half of the country’s electricity by 2030. Government action through the National Renewable Energy Program and further boosts reflected in IMF data show renewables quadrupling, tenders surging, and targets rising even further to a range of 100–130 gigawatts by the end of the decade.
But as hydrogen and renewable energy take center stage, demand for talent will outpace supply. According to studies on hydrogen technologies and fuel cells, hydrogen’s rise leads to new roles and skills along the supply chain, from R&D to plant operations to safety. Many of these skills do not yet exist at scale in the local market.
Here’s the friction: the green energy revolution needs more people at the exact moment that those people are harder to find, harder to onboard, and even harder to retain.
If you’re tasked with building a green hydrogen team in Saudi Arabia, the recruitment checklist stretches wide—sometimes too wide for old hiring models. Here’s what often comes up:
The gap is not just technical. There’s demand for soft skills, agility, and cultural understanding. With projects relying on both local and international collaboration, teams are expected to function across time zones, languages, and regulatory frameworks.
Saudi Arabia, while welcoming investment, has strict labor, Saudization, and immigration laws. Each new hire—from plant operators to senior engineers—triggers a checklist that includes:
This is why many projects look for a single point of contact who can navigate these processes and release leaders and operational managers to focus on what matters most: moving the facility from blueprint to production.
Let’s pause and think about the reality of green hydrogen operations. Each phase—development, construction, commissioning, or scaling—brings different workforce needs.
It’s easy to underestimate the churn between these phases. Skilled contractors hired for construction might not have post-commissioning roles. Others, like regulatory and compliance staff, become more prominent as production ramps up. At every point, adaptability and upskilling matter as much as any credential.
Projects succeed when the workforce reflects a spectrum of backgrounds, experiences, and problem-solving approaches.
Innovation thrives where teams are diverse, inclusive, and open to new ideas.
Integrating global talent, particularly in settings like Saudi Arabia’s push for new energy, requires attention to both skill-based hiring and a recruitment process that encourages a broad array of candidates. Guides on skill-based hiring and inclusive hiring are shaping the way modern hydrogen facilities recruit and grow.
There’s a lesson here: hiring people for what they can do, rather than just for where they studied or who they know, leads to stronger, more flexible teams—better placed to ride the harsh winds of change in the hydrogen industry.
Ask anyone involved in large-scale recruitment for green hydrogen and the answers start to repeat:
It is not always simple to balance urgent project needs, cost control, and ambitious sustainability targets.
An overlooked issue is how the speed of hiring must match the speed of payroll, onboarding, and legal compliance. Running payroll across multiple currencies and jurisdictions, setting up contracts for expatriates, or even simply aligning HR systems to Saudi social security frameworks—these headaches consume time and energy that should be spent on scaling up production.
Companies like EWS Limited help to streamline employment tasks, reduce risks, and centralize the functions that often distract leadership, allowing a smart, compliant, and quick expansion of teams. For new or growing hydrogen ventures, having this strategic support can make the difference between fast progress and mounting delay.
Some of the best engineers, safety experts, and plant managers for hydrogen facilities have deep roots outside Saudi Arabia. The challenge? Moving talent internationally—sometimes at short notice, and always in a way that respects every layer of visa, tax, and workplace regulations.
Saudi Arabia has made the rules clear—international workers are welcome, but businesses must strictly follow legal channels. Having a partner that manages global mobility and immigration smooths the way. It means fewer surprises for HR directors, less paperwork for C-suites, and a better onboarding experience for new staff.
Processes for company formation, global assignment, and logistics are just as significant as sourcing and recruitment. Managing all these processes efficiently is especially relevant for firms expanding their workforce internationally in rapidly changing markets.
For Saudi projects, missing even one step—like failing to register a new hire, or missing a visa renewal deadline—risks both financial penalties and reputational harm. Local collaborations and government partnerships make following the letter and spirit of labor regulation doubly significant.
Compliance is a daily commitment, not a one-time checkbox.
Automating compliance, integrating payroll solutions, and relying on a trusted Employer of Record can offer peace of mind as the project grows.
Technologies in hydrogen evolve quickly. A technician who joined in 2022 might need to relearn protocols by 2025. Digital controls, new safety approaches, and green chemistry methods move in cycles as fast as any in tech. Regular upskilling is not a luxury, it’s a necessity for teams running these new plants.
Investment in training is smart business. Besides maintaining compliance and safety, it attracts top talent who always want to evolve. Plus, continuous learning strengthens employee loyalty during intense build-out phases, when turnover can be especially risky.
Organizations putting learning at the heart of their hiring model—like those committing to diversity and building truly diverse teams—are seeing stronger results and faster adaptation as green hydrogen technologies shift.
Should companies focus on recruiting Saudi nationals, or tap the international market? In reality, the answer is rarely either/or.
Profiles in engineering, digital control, and plant safety are especially affected. Sometimes the best answer is a phased approach: hire global experts during setup, while steadily training and promoting local workers for long-term roles.
Forming the right kind of local entity (LLC, branch, or partnership) changes what’s possible when hiring teams, especially for international firms. Every structural decision affects payroll, compliance, and recruitment. Getting advice and execution right at the company formation stage will save countless headaches later.
The story is not only Saudi. Demand for workers with hydrogen facility experience is growing worldwide, with intense competition for the best candidates.
Global initiatives for low-carbon energy, such as described in scientific reviews of hydrogen value chains, point to rising needs for all types of workforce: planners, operators, digital experts, logistics coordinators, and safety managers.
For Saudi firms, this means not just competing on compensation but also on work culture, benefits, and opportunities for development.
So, what have companies launching or upgrading hydrogen plants in Saudi Arabia learned about finding and keeping the best workforce?
Building, running, and scaling green hydrogen facilities depends on clever structures, determined leadership, and, above all, the right talent. Every hiring decision shapes not just today’s project, but the future of clean energy in Saudi Arabia and beyond.
While the rush to green hydrogen is fast, taking the time to recruit thoughtfully, manage smoothly, and develop talent continuously is ultimately what will keep these facilities on course.
Interested in making your next workforce decision count? Connect with EWS Limited to discover how our tailored employment, payroll, and global mobility solutions can simplify and accelerate your journey in Saudi Arabia’s green hydrogen revolution.
Green hydrogen roles require a mix of technical and soft skills. Common technical backgrounds include electrical, chemical, or mechanical engineering, automation, and process instrumentation. Safety and compliance expertise is also in high demand, especially for handling hazardous materials. Soft skills matter too—problem-solving, adaptability, and cross-cultural communication all play a big part. As hydrogen plants ramp up, ongoing upskilling is needed, especially in digital monitoring and safety protocols.
Recruiting for hydrogen facilities usually blends several channels. Employers tap international talent pools, specialist job boards, local universities, and technical institutes. Partnerships with workforce solutions providers, like EWS Limited, streamline sourcing, vetting, and compliance for both local and international hires. Targeting skill-based recruitment and promoting an inclusive work environment also widens the pool of viable candidates.
Training covers safety, technical operation, and ongoing development. Workers learn about hydrogen production technology, safe handling and storage, emergency procedures, and digital plant management. Many companies prioritize regular updates, since protocols and equipment change fast. Soft skill training—like teamwork and communication in multicultural teams—also helps. Upskilling programs can transition staff from other energy sectors into hydrogen roles.
Costs depend on role, seniority, nationality, and benefits. Engineers and managers in hydrogen can command premium salaries due to demand and the technical nature of the work. Companies also need to budget for visa sponsorship, relocation, compliance, insurance, and ongoing training. Streamlining hiring through centralized solutions can reduce indirect costs by simplifying compliance and administrative processes.
The talent pool is global. Saudi universities and training centers develop new talent, while experienced professionals often come from countries with established hydrogen or renewables sectors. Recruitment partners, professional networks, tailored job platforms, and events like renewable energy conferences are all effective. Employers looking for broad, diverse teams often focus on both local upskilling and global search strategies to fill critical gaps quickly.
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