Saudi Labour Law Article 80: dismissal without notice or award
Not changed by the 2025 amendments
Article 80 of the Saudi Labour Law lists the cases in which an employer may end a contract without an end-of-service award, notice or compensation: assault, serious breach despite written warning, dishonesty, deliberate damage, forgery, probation, long unexcused absence, abuse of position and disclosing work secrets. The worker must first be allowed to object.
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 80 says
The employer may end the contract without an end-of-service award, notice or compensation only in these cases, and only after giving the worker a chance to state their objections:
- Assault by the worker on the employer, the responsible manager or a superior, during or because of work.
- Failure to perform main obligations under the contract, disobeying lawful orders, or deliberately ignoring posted safety instructions, despite a written warning.
- Proven misconduct or an act against honour or trust.
- A deliberate act or omission meant to cause the employer material loss, provided the employer reports it to the competent authorities within 24 hours of learning of it.
- Forgery proven to have been used to obtain the job.
- Probation: the worker is still in the probation period.
- Absence without a valid reason of more than 30 days in one contract year or more than 15 consecutive days, after the written warnings described below.
- Using the position for personal gain, once proven.
- Disclosing industrial or commercial secrets of the work, once proven.
Was it changed in 2025?
No. Article 80 is not among the articles the 2025 amendments changed, according to the ministry’s summary of the amendments.
Worked example: the absence rule
| Pattern of absence | Written warning due after | Dismissal possible once absence exceeds |
|---|---|---|
| Days scattered through one contract year | 20 days | 30 days |
| Consecutive days | 10 consecutive days | 15 consecutive days |
A worker is absent without a valid reason for 12 consecutive days. The employer must have sent a written warning after the 10th day; dismissal under Article 80 becomes possible only if the absence passes 15 consecutive days. Without the warning, the employer cannot rely on this paragraph.
What is still owed
Article 80 removes the award, notice and compensation. It does not remove wages for the days worked or pay for unused annual leave under Article 111, which go into the final settlement.
What HR should do
- Keep evidence for the specific paragraph relied on: incident reports, warnings, attendance records.
- Send the written warnings the article requires, on time, and keep proof of delivery.
- Hear the worker before deciding, and record what they said.
- In a damage case, report to the authorities within 24 hours of learning of it.
- State the paragraph in the termination letter; if the reason does not hold, the dismissal may be treated as without a valid reason under Article 77.
This page is a general explanation, not legal advice.
Official sources
Frequently asked questions
Does a worker dismissed under Article 80 get an end-of-service award?
No. Article 80 allows the employer to end the contract without an award, notice or compensation. Wages for days worked and pay for unused annual leave remain due in the final settlement.
How many days of absence allow dismissal under Article 80?
More than 30 days without a valid reason in one contract year, or more than 15 consecutive days. Dismissal must be preceded by a written warning after 20 days of absence in the first case, or 10 consecutive days in the second.
Can an employer dismiss under Article 80 without a warning?
For breach of main obligations or safety instructions, and for absence, the article requires written warnings first. In every case the worker must be given a chance to state why they object to the dismissal.
