Employment contract: what must it include under the Saudi Labour Law?

An employment contract must be written in two copies, one per party, and must mainly contain: the employer's name and location; the worker's name, nationality, proof of identity and address; the agreed wage with benefits and allowances; the type and place of work; the start date; the term if fixed-term; and each party's basic rights and obligations (Articles 51, 52).

Steps

1. Compare your contract with the basic items of the ministry's unified employment contract model (Article 52): the employer's name and location; your name, nationality, proof of identity and your place of residence; the wage with benefits and allowances; the type and place of work; the start date; the term if the contract is fixed-term; and each party's basic rights and obligations.
2. Keep your copy: the contract is written in two copies, and each party keeps one (Article 51).
3. If there is no written contract: the contract is still considered to exist, the worker alone may prove the contract and his rights by any means of proof, and either party may ask at any time for the contract to be put in writing (Article 51).
4. Check the documentation: the Implementing Regulations require the employer to document employees' contracts electronically on the platform approved by the ministry (Regulations Article 18).
5. For non-Saudis: the contract must be written and fixed-term. If it states no term, the term is one year from the actual start of work, and if work continues after that it is deemed renewed for the same period (Article 37).
6. Probation: if there is one, the contract must state it expressly, and the total may not exceed 180 days (Article 53). Details are on the Dalni probation page.
7. Extra clauses: the parties may add other clauses as long as they do not conflict with the Labour Law, its regulations and the decisions issued to implement it (Article 52).
8. If you disagree with your employer about the contract's terms or how they are applied: file an amicable settlement request for free on the HRSD portal. The steps are on the Dalni page about a contract dispute with your employer.