What is the notice period in Saudi Arabia?
Written by Usama Afzal, Founder & Editor, GratuityHisab. Last updated: October 2026. Based on the Saudi Labour Law; not legal advice.
Since the February 2025 amendments to the Saudi Labour Law, the notice period in Saudi Arabia depends on who ends the contract: if you resign, you must give your employer at least 30 days' written notice; if your employer ends your contract, they must give you at least 60 days' written notice (for monthly-paid workers on indefinite contracts). When the wage is not paid monthly, the notice period in Saudi Arabia is 30 days for either party. Your contract may set a longer notice period, but never a shorter one than the law requires.
The notice period in Saudi Arabia at a glance
The shortest lawful way to remember the notice period in Saudi Arabia is the 30/60 split: workers give 30 days, employers give 60 days — but only on monthly-paid, indefinite contracts. Everything else follows from Article 75 of the Saudi Labour Law, as amended in 2025.
| Who ends the contract | Minimum notice period |
|---|---|
| You resign (monthly-paid, indefinite contract) | 30 days' written notice |
| Employer terminates you (monthly-paid, indefinite contract) | 60 days' written notice |
| Either party (wage not paid monthly) | 30 days' written notice |
| Contract term | May be longer, never shorter than the legal minimum |
Related reading: if you are leaving by choice, check what happens to your gratuity when you resign before 2 years in Saudi Arabia — the notice period and the gratuity rules apply at the same time.
Article 75 of the Saudi Labour Law: what changed in 2025
Before 19 February 2025, Article 75 of the Saudi Labour Law set the notice period in Saudi Arabia at 60 days for either party on a monthly-paid, indefinite contract. The 2025 amendments split it: for a monthly-paid worker, a worker-initiated termination now needs only 30 days' written notice, while an employer-initiated termination still needs 60 days. Where the wage is not paid monthly, either party gives 30 days' written notice stating a valid reason.
Two points from Article 75 matter in practice. First, the notice must be in writing — a verbal resignation does not start the clock. Second, the contract can extend the Saudi notice period beyond the legal minimum, but it cannot cut it shorter.
Resignation notice period in Saudi Arabia
The resignation notice period in Saudi Arabia is 30 days for a monthly-paid worker on an indefinite contract. Submit your resignation in writing through the approved electronic channel (the Qiwa platform), keep a dated copy, and work the 30 days unless your employer agrees in writing to release you earlier.
The 2025 amendments also wrote the resignation mechanics into the law (Article 79). If your employer does not accept or respond to your resignation within 30 days, it is automatically deemed accepted. The employer may delay acceptance by up to 60 days, but only with a valid, work-related reason given to you in writing within the first 30 days. You may withdraw your resignation within 7 days, as long as the employer has not already accepted it. And you cannot submit a resignation with a future effective date — the clock starts when you file it.
Leaving during the notice period without your employer's agreement has a price: under Article 76 you owe the employer your wage for the unserved part of the notice period in Saudi Arabia.
When your employer ends the contract: the 60-day notice period
If the employer terminates an indefinite contract, the notice period in Saudi Arabia is 60 days for a monthly-paid worker — and the employer must state a valid reason in the written notice. During those 60 days you keep earning your full wage, and you gain an extra statutory right under Article 78: a paid absence of one full day or eight hours per week to look for another job. You choose when to take it, and you must tell the employer at least one day in advance.
The employer may also excuse you from coming to work during the notice period in Saudi Arabia. That does not shorten your service: your employment term, your wage, and your end-of-service entitlements all run to the end of the notice period.
Notice period pay in Saudi Arabia
Notice period pay is what the party that skips the notice owes the other. Article 76 of the Saudi Labour Law is blunt: if the party ending an indefinite contract fails to observe the notice period, it must pay the other party compensation equal to the worker's wage for the notice period.
How notice period pay is calculated in Saudi Arabia
Take the monthly wage, divide by 30 to get the daily wage, and multiply by the notice days owed. With a monthly wage of SAR 12,000: an employer that skips the full 60-day notice period in Saudi Arabia owes SAR 24,000 (12,000 ÷ 30 × 60); a worker who walks out 30 days early owes SAR 12,000 (12,000 ÷ 30 × 30). The parties can agree on a higher figure, but not a lower one.
Notice period pay is separate from everything else in your final settlement: end-of-service gratuity, unused leave, and any Article 77 compensation for termination without a valid reason are calculated on top of it. Check how gratuity after 5 years in Saudi Arabia is calculated to estimate the gratuity part of your settlement.
Notice period in Saudi Arabia for expats on fixed-term contracts
Most foreign workers in Saudi Arabia are on fixed-term contracts — non-Saudi employees must be hired on fixed-term contracts, documented through Qiwa. Here the notice period in Saudi Arabia works differently: a fixed-term contract ends automatically when its term expires, and neither side needs to give Article 75 notice.
Ending a fixed-term contract early is a different matter. If the employer ends it early without a valid reason, Article 77 compensation applies: 15 days' wage for each year of service, never less than 2 months' wage (or the wage for the remaining contract period). If you resign during a fixed term, you may owe the employer compensation too — read the contract's own termination clause first. Run the numbers with our free Saudi gratuity calculator to see the end-of-service side of the same exit.
Notice period during probation in Saudi Arabia
During the probation period there is no notice period in Saudi Arabia at all: Article 53 lets either party end the contract without notice, unless the contract itself says otherwise. Probation can run up to 180 days in total and must be written into the contract. See probation and gratuity rules in Saudi Arabia for what you are owed if the job ends during probation.
7 mistakes workers make with the Saudi notice period
- Believing resignation still needs 60 days. Since the 2025 amendments, the resignation notice period in Saudi Arabia is 30 days for monthly-paid workers — giving 60 is generous, not required.
- Resigning verbally. The law needs written notice; verbal resignations create disputes about when the clock started.
- Leaving early without written agreement, then being surprised by a notice-pay claim under Article 76.
- Assuming probation has a notice period — it doesn't, unless the contract adds one.
- Applying the Labour Law notice rules to domestic workers — they are covered by separate regulations; see end-of-service rules for domestic workers in Saudi Arabia.
- Forgetting the notice period counts as service — end-of-service benefits accrue to the end of the notice period, not your last day at the desk.
- Signing the final settlement without checking that notice pay and gratuity are both included; if the employer refuses to pay, see what to do when your employer does not pay your gratuity in Saudi Arabia.
What to do if the employer ignores the notice period
If your employer ends your contract without the required notice period in Saudi Arabia and refuses notice pay, put your complaint in writing to the employer first, keep copies of everything, then escalate to the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (MHRSD). The same route covers unpaid gratuity and final settlement — our guide on what to do when your employer does not pay in Saudi Arabia walks through the complaint steps.
Your notice period checklist (5 minutes)
- Confirm your contract type — indefinite (Article 75 notice applies) or fixed-term (expires automatically).
- Check how you are paid — monthly (30/60-day split) or not (30 days either way).
- Put the notice in writing, dated, through Qiwa — and keep a copy.
- Work the notice (or get a written release), and use your Article 78 job-search day if the employer ended it.
- Before signing the final settlement, verify notice pay + gratuity + unused leave are all included — estimate the gratuity with our free Saudi gratuity calculator.
Frequently asked questions
What is the notice period in Saudi Arabia for resignation?
30 days' written notice for a monthly-paid worker on an indefinite contract, under Article 75 as amended in February 2025. If your wage is not paid monthly, the resignation notice period in Saudi Arabia is also 30 days. Your contract may require a longer period, never a shorter one.
Is the notice period 30 days or 60 days in Saudi Arabia?
Both, depending on who ends the contract. On a monthly-paid indefinite contract, the worker gives 30 days and the employer gives 60 days. If the wage is not paid monthly, the notice period in Saudi Arabia is 30 days for either party.
Do I get paid during the notice period in Saudi Arabia?
Yes — you earn your full wage through the end of the notice period, even if the employer excuses you from work. If the employer ends the contract, you also get one paid day (or 8 hours) per week to look for another job under Article 78.
Can I leave Saudi Arabia without serving the notice period?
You can, but under Article 76 you owe your employer the wage for the unserved notice period — SAR 12,000 on a SAR 12,000 monthly wage if you skip all 30 days. Get the employer's written agreement first, and complete your final-exit formalities through your sponsor.
Does the notice period apply to domestic workers in Saudi Arabia?
No. Domestic workers are covered by separate regulations, not the Labour Law's Article 75 notice rules. The 30/60-day notice period in Saudi Arabia applies to private-sector workers under the Saudi Labour Law.
Work out your own amount
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More questions
- Resign before 2 years: do you get gratuity?
- Is housing allowance included in gratuity?
- Company not paying gratuity? What to do
- How is unused leave paid?
Sources
This guide is based on the Saudi Labor Law (Royal Decree No. M/51). Labour laws are amended from time to time; for the latest version, always check the official gazette of Saudi Arabia.
