How many days you get
The Saudi Labor Law sets a minimum of paid annual leave for private-sector employees (Article 109):
| Service with the same employer | Annual leave (minimum) |
|---|---|
| Less than 5 continuous years | 21 days a year |
| 5 continuous years or more | 30 days a year |
These are minimums. Your contract can give you more, but never less. The 2025 amendments to the Labor Law didn’t change these numbers.
Leave is on full pay, and the law entitles you to be paid for it in advance.
When you take your leave
- Your employer sets the dates, based on the needs of the work, and should tell you in good time.
- Leave can be taken in one go or split, if you and your employer agree.
- Your employer can postpone your leave for work reasons, and you can carry it over to the next year if your employer agrees.
- While you’re employed, you can’t give up your leave or take money instead of it.
Unused leave when your job ends
When your job ends, whether you resign, your contract ends or you’re let go, you’re entitled to your wage for every day of annual leave you didn’t take (Article 111). This is paid on top of your end-of-service award.
How it’s usually calculated:
- Daily wage = monthly wage ÷ 30
- Leave pay = daily wage × unused leave days
Example: your monthly wage is 9,000 SAR and you have 12 unused days.
9,000 ÷ 30 = 300 SAR a day, so 300 × 12 = 3,600 SAR for unused leave.
Most employers use the full monthly wage, meaning the basic salary plus allowances such as housing and transport. Check your contract and your final settlement to see which wage was used.
Other paid leave at a glance
| Leave | Entitlement |
|---|---|
| Sick leave (per year) | First 30 days on full pay, next 60 days on 75% pay, next 30 days unpaid |
| Maternity leave | 12 weeks |
| Paternity leave | 3 days |
| Marriage | 5 days |
| Death of a spouse, parent or child | 5 days |
| Death of a brother or sister | 3 days |
Public holidays (Eid al-Fitr, Eid al-Adha, Saudi Founding Day and Saudi National Day) are paid too, and they’re separate from your annual leave.
Working out your final settlement
When your job ends, your final settlement usually includes your last salary, your end-of-service award and pay for unused leave. Use the end-of-service calculator to estimate the award, and the days between dates tool to count leave or notice periods.