What is the Notice Period under Saudi Labor Law?

At the time of resignation or termination, a notice is served by one party of the contract to make arrangements for the replacement. As per Saudi Labor Law, the duration of the notice period in case of resignation or termination depends upon the type of contract in KSA.

Payment in lieu of Notice Period

In case any party wants to terminate the contract without giving any notice period, they can do so by paying the full salary for this period as per Article 76 of Saudi Labor Law.

Notice period in a fixed-term contract

In order to terminate a fixed-term contract, the employer must issue a notice as mentioned in the contract or 60 days’ notice if it is not mentioned in the contract.

As per the latest amendments in Saudi Labor Law, effective February 2025, the employee must issue a notice period of 30 days only in case of a fixed-term contract to resign from a job.

The contract with a non-Saudi employee will always be a fixed-term contract under Saudi Labor Law.

Notice in an Indefinite contract

As per Article 75 of Saudi Labor Law, the resignation or termination of an indefinite contract can be made with 60 days’ notice.

Termination under Article 77

An employer can terminate a worker without giving any notice under Article 77 of Saudi Labor Law unless stated otherwise in the contract. However, in case of termination under Article 77, the employer will have to compensate the employee heavily.

Minimum Notice period

• An employer can terminate a contract due to misconduct of the employee without any notice under Article 80 of Saudi Labor Law.
• An employee can resign due to misconduct of the employer without any notice under Article 81 of Saudi Labor Law.
• One day notice is required for termination or resignation during the probation period as per Article 53 of Saudi Labor Law.

The notice period mentioned above is the minimum period required by Saudi Labor Law in KSA. If a longer period is mentioned in the employment contract, both parties are obliged to follow it.

Request to Reduce Notice Period

You can request that your employer reduce the agreed-upon notice period through Qiwa. To do so;

• Login to Qiwa: https://sso.qiwa.sa/en/sign-in
• Select the “Individual Account“.
• Click on “Services“.
• Select Employment Contract.
• Select the contract you want to modify.
• Click on “Reduce Notice Period” and select the new termination date.
• Submit the request to your employer.

You can request the reduction of the notice period only once in the contract term, so use this option wisely. If your employer agrees to your request in Qiwa, you will have a shorter notice period.