Saudi Labour Law Article 109: annual leave of 21 or 30 days
Not changed by the 2025 amendments
Article 109 of the Saudi Labour Law gives every worker paid annual leave of at least 21 days a year, rising to at least 30 days after five consecutive years with the same employer. Leave pay is paid in advance, and the leave must be taken: it cannot be given up or exchanged for cash during employment.
This is general information to help you understand the topic. It is not legal advice. Rules and rates change: always check the official text on the relevant authority’s platform and consult a qualified adviser before acting.
What Article 109 says
- At least 21 days of paid annual leave for each year of service.
- At least 30 days once the worker has spent five consecutive years with the employer.
- Paid in advance: leave pay is paid before the leave starts.
- Taken in the year it is due: the worker may not give it up or receive cash instead while employed.
- The employer sets the dates to suit the work, or rotates leave, and must tell the worker the date at least 30 days ahead.
Two neighbouring articles complete the rule. Article 110 lets leave be postponed to the next year with the employer’s approval, and lets the employer postpone it by up to 90 days for work reasons, or longer with the worker’s written consent, but not beyond the end of the following year. Article 111 pays unused days, and a proportional share for part of a year, when employment ends.
Was it changed in 2025?
No. Article 109 is not among the articles the 2025 amendments changed, according to the ministry’s summary of the amendments.
Worked example
A worker in the seventh year of service, entitled to 30 days a year, leaves after 4 months of the current leave year with 5 days carried over unused. The actual wage is 9,000 SAR.
- This year’s share: 30 × 4 ÷ 12 = 10 days
- Days due: 10 + 5 = 15 days
- Daily wage: 9,000 ÷ 30 = 300 SAR
- Leave pay in the final settlement: 15 × 300 = 4,500 SAR
What HR should do
- Switch each worker to 30 days on the fifth anniversary of continuous service.
- Plan leave dates with the team and give the worker at least 30 days’ notice of the date set.
- Pay leave pay before the leave starts.
- Keep a running balance for each worker; it feeds the final settlement.
Work out the entitlement with the Saudi leave calculator. This page is a general explanation, not legal advice.
Official sources
- Summary of the 2025 Labour Law amendments (HRSD, Arabic): Article 109 is not among the amended articles
- Worker health, safety and leave rules (HRSD, Arabic)
- Saudi Labour Law, English translation (HRSD, pre-2025 text, for Articles 109 to 111)
- KSA Labour Law amendments: leave entitlements (Clyde & Co, April 2025)
Frequently asked questions
Are the 21 days calendar days or working days?
The article says “days” without saying which kind. Write in the contract whether annual leave is counted in calendar or working days, check how the contract documented in Qiwa states it, and apply the same rule to everyone.
When does a worker get 30 days?
Once the worker has completed five consecutive years of service with the same employer.
Can the employer pay cash instead of leave?
Not during employment. The worker may not give up the leave or take cash in lieu while employed. Unused days are paid only when employment ends (Article 111).
