According to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's Labor Law, during any probationary period, either the employer or employee has the right to terminate the employment contract without notice.
Parties to indefinite employment contracts that pay a monthly salary may terminate the contract for a legitimate reason as follows:
Parties to indefinite employment contracts that do not pay monthly salaries may terminate the contract for a legitimate reason with 30 days written notice to the other party before the termination date.
Employees employed under fixed-term contracts may resign by submitting a 30-day notice to their employer.
Foreign nationals who wish to work in Saudi Arabia must obtain work visas sponsored by their employers. There are 3 types of work visas in Saudi Arabia: seasonal work visas, permanent work visas, and temporary work visas.
Temporary work visas are issued for up to 1 year, but allow the visa holder to stay for a period limited to 90 days. This period can be extended only once for a period of another 90 days. Permanent work visas are granted to workers with long-term employment contracts, while seasonal visas cannot exceed 4 months.
To obtain a work visa, the employer must prove that no Saudi citizen could fill the position. Employers must apply for a work visa to the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development. After receiving authorization from the Ministry, a work visa is issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Documents to be submitted include the employment contract, proof of qualifications, medical certificate, letter of sponsorship from the employer, Zakat Certificate, Company Registration, etc.
In July 2025, Saudi Arabia introduced a new skill-based classification system for expatriate permits. Under this system, work permits are categorized into high-skilled, skilled, and basic levels, based on factors such as qualifications, experience, occupation, and wage levels. The change was rolled out in phases, beginning with the reclassification of existing foreign workers and then applying to new work permit applications as of August 3, 2025.
In March 2021, the existing Saudi immigration regulations were amended as part of the Kingdom's Labor Reform Initiative. The reforms affect foreign workers in Saudi Arabia and aim to ease the strict "kafala" employer sponsorship system. The reforms allow foreign workers to change jobs by transferring their sponsorship from one employer to another and re-enter and exit the country without the consent of their employer.
The minimum entitlement to paid annual leave is 21 days a year, increasing to 30 days a year after 5 years of service. The employer cannot forfeit the leave, nor can it be paid in lieu of leave. Employers decide the dates of the leave according to work requirements. They must inform their employees of the leave at least 30 days before.
The employee has the right to request that their employer defer their entire annual leave or part thereof to the next year. If required by work conditions, an employer may postpone an employee's leave for up to 90 days after the end of the year, which is due with the employee's written approval.
According to a new measure for mitigating the impact of COVID-19, the government has allowed employers to place employees on paid annual leave or unpaid leave (with the employee's agreement) to cope with a decrease in work.
The maximum working hours are generally 8 per day or 48 per week, except during the holy month of Ramadan. During Ramadan, Muslim employees' working hours may not exceed 6 hours per day or 36 hours per week. Under exceptional circumstances, employees may be asked to work beyond normal hours, limited to 10 hours per day or 60 hours per week. Employees cannot be allowed to work for more than 5 hours continuously.
Under the Labor Law of Saudi Arabia, pregnant employees are entitled to 12 weeks of paid maternity leave, with at least 6 weeks of this leave to be taken after the birth of a child. The remaining 6 weeks of leave may be taken as the pregnant employee chooses, beginning as early as 4 weeks before the expected date of birth. If the remaining leave is less than 6 weeks due to a delay in the date of birth, the remaining period will be unpaid. The employee may extend the unpaid leave for 1 month in all cases.
If an employee's child is born sick or with specific needs that require continuous attention, the employee is entitled to an additional 1 month of paid leave beginning after the end of the maternity leave period, and the employee may extend an additional month of unpaid leave.
Employers are prohibited from dismissing or suspending an employee while she's on maternity leave or for 180 days before her maternity leave begins.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has a government-mandated minimum wage for all employees.
There is no general statutory minimum wage for private-sector foreign workers in Saudi Arabia. Under the Nitaqat (Saudization) program, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development set a minimum wage for Saudi nationals in the private sector of SAR 4,000 per month (basic salary plus housing allowance, as registered with GOSI). A Saudi employee earning at least SAR 4,000 counts as one full worker toward the employer's Saudization quota.
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