Saudi probation, notice and annual leave: what the Labor Law says

Three questions land on a Saudi HR officer’s desk again and again: how long can probation last, how much notice does each side give, and what happens to annual leave when someone leaves.

This guide puts the three answers on one page, using the Saudi Labor Law as published by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (HRSD). It covers Articles 53, 75 and 109 to 111. Bookmark it, or send it to the next manager who asks.

One note first. Everything below follows the article text published on the HRSD pages, including the amendments in force since February 2025, as of 1 November 2026. Before you act on a real case, check the HRSD page and your own contract. This is a summary, not legal advice.

Probation (Article 53)

Probation is the first stretch of a contract, when either side can see whether the job works. Article 53 sets three simple rules:

• The duration must be stated in the contract. If the contract doesn’t state a probation period, don’t assume one.
• It can never be longer than 180 days. The law says “in all cases”, so no contract term overrides it.
• Either party may end the contract during probation. The employee can leave and the employer can end it.

What this means in practice: when you draft or review a contract, look for the probation clause and read the number. If it says 90 days, that is the period. If it says anything over 180 days, the clause is a problem to raise with whoever drafted it.

A short checklist for each new joiner:

1. Is the probation period written in the contract?
2. Is it 180 days or fewer?
3. Does the start date in the contract match the date the person actually started?
4. Is the end date of probation in your calendar, with a reminder for the line manager?

The last two are habits, not legal requirements, but they stop the quiet drift where nobody can say when probation ended.

Notice (Article 75)

Article 75 deals with notice on an indefinite-term contract when one side ends it for a valid reason. The notice has to be in writing, and these are minimums. The periods depend on how the person is paid:

• Paid monthly, employee ends it: at least 30 days.
• Paid monthly, employer ends it: at least 60 days.
• Not paid monthly, either side ends it: at least 30 days.

So for monthly-paid staff, the employer’s notice is twice as long as the employee’s. Two things to keep in mind. First, this article is about indefinite-term contracts, so a fixed-term contract needs a separate read of its own terms. Second, put the notice in writing and keep a copy with the employee’s record, with the date it was given. A conversation in the corridor is hard to prove later.

For HR, the practical question is the last working day. Agree the date with the employee in writing, record it, and tell payroll, because the final salary depends on it. If the date is unclear, check the contract and the HRSD page before you confirm it.

Annual leave (Articles 109 to 111)

Three articles cover annual leave, and together they answer the question people search at resignation time: “Do I get paid for leave I didn’t use?” As published by HRSD, they say this:

• The entitlement: at least 21 days a year, rising to at least 30 days after five consecutive years with the same employer.
• While in service: leave can’t be waived, and it can’t be swapped for cash.
• Postponing: leave can be postponed to the next year, with the employer’s approval.
• Leaving with leave unused: if the worker leaves before using the leave, they are owed wages for the leave days they have accrued.

It helps to keep two situations apart. While someone is employed, leave is for taking. It isn’t something to be bought out. When someone leaves, the unused accrued days are paid as wages. Keep the two apart and most disputes get simpler.

This guide doesn’t say when leave is earned during the year, how many days can be postponed, or how to calculate a part-year balance. Those need the full text of the law and your contract, so check the HRSD page before you work out a figure for a real person.

One routine that covers all three

You can fold all three rules into one monthly check, ideally a few days before you lock payroll:

• New joiners: probation period in the contract, and no more than 180 days.
• Anyone who has given or received notice: written notice on file, with the date, and the last working day recorded.
• Anyone leaving: the accrued leave balance checked, so the wages for unused days are in the final payment.
• Everyone else: a quick look at who has a large unused balance, so you can talk about taking it or planning to postpone it, with the employer’s approval.

Doing it before payroll means a leaver’s leave pay and notice dates are known when you review salaries, not discovered after the file has gone to the bank.

How Ahlan Hamad can help

Everything above can be done by hand. When you want to stop doing it by hand, Ahlan Hamad lets you review payroll, lock it, and download the WPS salary file for your bank.

If you want to check a leave balance on your own, the free Saudi annual leave tool is here: https://ahlanhamad.com/sa/en/annual-leave/?utm_source=blog&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=2026-W46-ksa-probation-notice-leave

And the free Saudi WPS tool is here: https://ahlanhamad.com/sa/en/wps/?utm_source=blog&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=2026-W46-ksa-probation-notice-leave

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