Amendments to the Saudi Arabian Labor and Workmen's Law
– Summary of Key Changes
Under Saudi Arabian law, the employment relationship between
employer and employee is governed comprehensively by the Labor and
Workmen's Law (the Labor Law).
In early 2015, the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Labor announced an
overhaul of the Labor Law that would include 38 amendments (the
Amendments) to its statutory provisions. The Amendments were
approved by HRH King Salman by Royal Decree no. D/46 dated
5/6/1436H., corresponding to 25/3/2015G. and comes into force on 18
October 2015 when they will be published in the Umm Al-Qura, the
Saudi Arabian Official Gazette.
As a whole, the Amendments purport to boost Saudization and
increase workers' rights in general, while a small number of
provisions fall in favor of employers. The below description
summarizes 10 noteworthy changes to the Labor Law out of the 38
total Amendments.
