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Saudi Arabia Leave Entitlements: An Employer's Guide to Annual, Sick, and Maternity Leave Under Saudi Labor Law

Under Saudi Labor Law, employers must grant employees at least 21 days of paid annual leave per year, rising to at least 30 days once an employee completes 5 consecutive years of continuous service, per the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (HRSD). Proven illness entitles an employee to a three-tier sick leave during a single year (HRSD's published wording says only "during a single year" without clarifying whether this is a fixed calendar year or a rolling 12-month period): the first 30 days at full pay, the next 60 days at three-quarters (75%) of wage, and a final 30 days unpaid - and employers may not dismiss staff for sickness before this entitlement is exhausted. Female employees receive 12 weeks of fully paid maternity leave (Article 151): 6 weeks after delivery are mandatory, and the remaining 6 weeks can be allocated starting up to 4 weeks before the medically certified due date, plus an extra fully paid month if the newborn is sick or has special needs requiring a constant companion. All leave wages are paid directly by the employer through normal payroll - there is no separate government approval process or fee for granting the leave itself.

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Steps

Track service tenure for annual leave tier - Monitor each employee's continuous service date so the correct statutory minimum applies automatically: 21 days per year up to 5 consecutive years, 30 days per year from the 5-year mark onward; pay leave wages in advance and ensure leave is taken within the year it accrues, since it cannot be waived or cashed out during employment.
Require medical proof before granting sick leave - Only apply the paid sick-leave tiers once illness is proven (medical certificate); pay full wage for the first 30 days, 75% of wage for the next 60 days, and treat the final 30 days as unpaid, all during a single year - HRSD's published wording does not clarify whether that resets on a fixed calendar year or a rolling 12-month basis, so track it conservatively until this is confirmed - and do not terminate an employee for sickness before this entitlement is used up.
Plan maternity leave around the certified due date - Obtain the health-authority-certified expected delivery date, treat the 6 weeks following birth as mandatory paid leave, and let the employee allocate the other 6 weeks (of the 12-week total) starting up to 4 weeks before the due date; if actual delivery timing shortens the post-birth portion, the shortfall converts to unpaid leave rather than being forfeited, and the employee may request a further month unpaid.
Budget leave pay as a direct payroll cost - Because HRSD does not reimburse or administer these payments, build annual leave (paid in advance), tiered sick-leave wages, and the full 12-week maternity wage into payroll cash-flow planning rather than treating them as a government fee or filing.
Document special-circumstance extensions - Keep records for edge cases the law also covers, such as an extra fully paid month of leave if a newborn is sick or has special needs requiring a constant companion, so entitlements beyond the standard 12 weeks are tracked and paid correctly.

Timeline

No government application or approval process applies to any of these entitlements - they trigger automatically at the relevant milestone rather than through a filed request. Annual leave accrues from the start of employment and must be used within the year it is earned, stepping up from 21 to 30 days after 5 consecutive years of service. Sick-leave tiers (30 days full pay / 60 days at 75% / 30 days unpaid) run during a single year per the employee's illness, though HRSD's published wording does not specify whether that year is a fixed calendar year or a rolling 12-month period measured from the illness. Maternity leave can begin up to 4 weeks before the medically certified due date and totals 12 weeks, with 6 weeks after birth mandatory.

Cost & fees

There is no HRSD fee for granting these entitlements - the cost to the employer is continued payroll: full wage for annual leave (paid in advance), the tiered sick-leave wage (100% / 75% / unpaid), and full wage for the 12-week maternity leave, all paid directly by the employer rather than reimbursed by a government fund.

Some figures on this page vary by jurisdiction, zone or nationality, or could not be independently confirmed from a public source at time of writing - confirm the current figure with the regulator before relying on it.

Sources

Frequently asked

Does annual leave increase gradually with tenure, or jump straight to 30 days?

It is a single step-up rather than a gradual scale: employees are entitled to at least 21 days of paid annual leave per year, increasing to at least 30 days once they complete 5 consecutive years with the same employer (HRSD, "Annual Leave"). Employees cannot waive leave or take cash instead while still employed - unused accrued days are only paid out if they leave the company without having used them.

Can we terminate an employee who is out sick?

No. Under Saudi Labor Law an employer may not terminate an employee's service due to sickness before the employee has used the full sick-leave entitlement: 30 days at full pay, then 60 days at three-quarters (75%) pay, then 30 days unpaid, during a single year (HRSD, "Sick Leave"). Note that HRSD's own text says only "during a single year" without specifying whether this is a fixed calendar year or a rolling 12-month window tied to the illness, so employers should track entitlement resets conservatively until this is clarified.

How is the 12-week Saudi maternity leave split between before and after birth?

Six of the twelve weeks, immediately following delivery, are mandatory. The employee can allocate the remaining six weeks herself, starting as early as four weeks before the medically certified expected delivery date. If the birth is later than expected and eats into the post-birth six weeks, the shortfall is treated as unpaid leave rather than forfeited outright, and she may also request a further month of unpaid leave (HRSD, "Women's Leaves", Article 151).

Is there paid leave if a newborn has a health condition?

Yes. If a child is born sick or with special needs requiring a constant companion, the mother is entitled to an additional one month of fully paid leave starting after her maternity leave ends, with the option to extend by a further unpaid month (HRSD, Article 151(2)).