Saudi Arabia Labour Law (2026): Leave, Working Hours, Notice & Probation

Working hours

A maximum of 8 actual working hours a day or 48 hours a week.

• Some categories of workers can work up to 9 hours a day, and some hazardous jobs are cut to 7 hours, as set by ministerial decision (Article 99).
• You must get a break of at least 30 minutes after no more than 5 consecutive hours of work, and you cannot be kept at the workplace for more than 12 hours a day (Article 101).
• Rest, prayer and meal breaks do not count as working hours (Article 102).
• Senior managers, guards and some intermittent jobs are excluded from the daily hour limits (Article 108).

Article 98

Sources:hrsd.gov.sahrsd.gov.sahrsd.gov.sa

Ramadan working hours

During Ramadan, Muslim workers work no more than 6 hours a day or 36 hours a week.

• The reduction applies to Muslim workers only.
• Work outside the official working hours is paid as overtime.
• Certain jobs can have different hour limits set by ministerial decision (Article 99).

Article 98

Sources:hrsd.gov.sahrsd.gov.sahrsd.gov.sa

Overtime pay

Each overtime hour is paid at your hourly wage plus 50% of your basic hourly wage.

• HRSD's own example: basic wage SAR 4,000 and total wage SAR 6,000 gives 25 + (16.67 x 0.5) = about SAR 33.33 per overtime hour.
• All hours worked on public holidays count as overtime.
• Since the 2025 amendments, overtime pay can be replaced by paid time off if you agree. HRSD says this must be at least 1.5 hours off per overtime hour, used within 60 days, and no more than 30 days a year.
• Housing and transport allowances are not part of the basic wage for this calculation unless your contract says otherwise.

Article 107

Sources:hrsd.gov.sahrsd.gov.sahrsd.gov.saqoyod.com

Weekly rest day

Friday is the paid weekly rest day, lasting at least 24 consecutive hours.

• Your employer may set a different rest day for some workers after notifying the labor office, as long as you can still perform religious duties.
• The weekly rest day cannot be replaced with cash.
• In remote areas or continuous operations, rest days may be accumulated for up to 8 weeks with agreement and ministry approval (Article 105).

Article 104

Sources:hrsd.gov.sahrsd.gov.sa

Annual leave

At least 21 days of paid leave a year, rising to 30 days after 5 consecutive years with the same employer.

• Leave pay is paid in advance, before you go on leave.
• You cannot give up your leave or take cash instead while you are still employed.
• Your employer sets the leave dates but must tell you at least 30 days in advance, and can postpone leave by up to 90 days for work needs.
• When you leave the job, unused leave days and leave for part of a year are paid in cash (Article 111).

Article 109

Sources:hrsd.gov.sahrsd.gov.sahrsd.gov.sa

Sick leave

Up to 120 days a year: 30 days on full pay, 60 days on three-quarters pay, then 30 days unpaid.

• Your illness must be proven, for example with a medical report.
• Your employer cannot dismiss you for illness before you use up your sick leave entitlement.
• You can ask to add your annual leave to your sick leave.
• A work injury is treated separately: full pay for 60 days, then 75% of pay for the rest of the recovery period.

Article 117

Sources:hrsd.gov.sahrsd.gov.sahrsd.gov.sa

Maternity leave

12 weeks of maternity leave on full pay, up from 10 weeks before February 2025.

• 6 weeks must be taken after the birth. The other 6 weeks can be taken before or after the birth, as you choose.
• You can extend the leave by one month without pay.
• If the baby is sick or has a disability and needs constant care, you get one extra month on full pay, plus one more month unpaid.
• After returning, you are entitled to a one-hour nursing break a day for 24 months.
• A woman cannot be dismissed during pregnancy, maternity leave or an illness caused by either.

Article 151

Sources:hrsd.gov.sahrsd.gov.saqoyod.commorganlewis.com

Paternity leave

3 days of paid leave on the birth of a child, taken within 7 days of the birth.

• Your employer may ask for documents proving the birth.
• Marriage leave is a separate 5 days on full pay.

Article 113

Sources:hrsd.gov.sahrsd.gov.samorganlewis.com

Bereavement leave

5 paid days on the death of a spouse, parent or child, and 3 paid days on the death of a brother or sister.

• The 3 days for a sibling were added by the amendments in force since February 2025.
• A Muslim widow gets 4 months and 10 days of fully paid leave (iddah). A non-Muslim widow gets 15 days on full pay.
• Your employer may ask for supporting documents.

Article 113

Sources:hrsd.gov.sahrsd.gov.sahrsd.gov.saqoyod.com

Hajj leave

10 to 15 days of paid leave, including the Eid al-Adha holiday, once during your service.

• You must have worked at least 2 consecutive years for the employer.
• It is given only if you have not performed Hajj before.
• Your employer can limit how many workers take Hajj leave each year based on work needs.

Article 114

Sources:hrsd.gov.sahrsd.gov.sa

Probation period

Probation can last up to 180 days in total and must be written in your contract.

• Before February 2025 the limit was 90 days, extendable in writing. The amended law allows up to 180 days, which can be split into periods if the contract says so.
• Eid al-Fitr, Eid al-Adha, National Day and Founding Day holidays and sick leave are not counted in the probation period.
• Either side can end the contract during probation with no compensation and no end-of-service award.
• You cannot be put on probation twice with the same employer unless the job is different or more than 6 months have passed (Article 54).

Article 53

Sources:hrsd.gov.sahrsd.gov.saqoyod.commorganlewis.com

Notice period and resignation

On an open-ended, monthly-paid contract, you give 30 days' written notice and your employer gives 60 days.

• For workers not paid monthly, both sides give at least 30 days' notice.
• Contracts of non-Saudi workers must be fixed-term. If no term is stated, the contract runs for one year and renews for the same period if both sides continue.
• Resignation from a fixed-term contract (Article 79 bis): it is accepted automatically if the employer does not reply within 30 days. The employer can delay acceptance by up to 60 days with a written reason, and you can withdraw within 7 days.
• The side that skips the required notice must pay the other side the wage for the notice period (Article 76).

Article 75

Sources:hrsd.gov.sahrsd.gov.saqoyod.comqoyod.commorganlewis.comthenationalnews.com

Termination and end-of-service award

Unfair dismissal is compensated with at least 2 months' wages, and the end-of-service award is half a month's wage per year for the first 5 years, then one month per year.

• Compensation for termination without a valid reason, unless the contract sets an amount: 15 days' wage per year of service on an open-ended contract, or the wages for the rest of the term on a fixed-term contract (Article 77).
• Your employer can dismiss you without notice, compensation or award only in cases listed in Article 80, such as assault, forgery, or absence of more than 30 days in a contract year or 15 days in a row after written warnings.
• You can leave without notice and keep all your rights if the employer breaks the contract, assaults you or treats you harshly or unsafely (Article 81).
• If you resign, the award is reduced (Article 85): nothing under 2 years, one-third for 2 to 5 years, two-thirds for 5 to 10 years, and the full award after 10 years.
• The award is based on your last wage. A woman who resigns within 6 months of marriage or 3 months of giving birth gets the full award (Article 87).

Articles 77, 80, 84

Sources:hrsd.gov.sahrsd.gov.saqoyod.com

Frequently asked questions