Saudi annual leave: 21 or 30 days and how unused leave is paid

Annual leave in the Saudi private sector is set by Articles 109 to 111 of the Labour Law. The 2025 amendments did not change it.

How many days

• At least 21 days of paid leave a year.
• At least 30 days a year after five consecutive years with the same employer.
• Your contract can give more.

Taking your leave

• Leave is paid in advance at your full wage.
• Your employer sets the dates, giving you at least 30 days' notice.
• You cannot give up your leave or take cash for it while you are still employed.
• With agreement, leave can be postponed to the following year (Article 110).

Unused leave when you leave

When your contract ends, you are paid for all earned leave you have not taken, including a share for the part year (Article 111). The pay is worked out on your wage, which usually includes basic and fixed allowances such as housing and transport. A day is the monthly wage ÷ 30.

Example: wage SAR 9,000 and 14 unused days. A day is SAR 300, so the leave payout is 14 × SAR 300 = SAR 4,200.

Part-year leave

In your last year, leave builds up month by month. With 21 days a year, each month earns 1.75 days. With 30 days a year, each month earns 2.5 days.

Public holidays and sick leave

Eid holidays and other official holidays are separate from annual leave. Sick leave is also separate; see the Saudi sick leave guide and Saudi public holidays.

Add your unused leave to your end of service with the Saudi final settlement calculator.

Sources

• Saudi Labour Law (Royal Decree M/51), as amended with effect from February 2025
• Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (HRSD)
• Qiwa

Related on Sumtrail

See also the Saudi end of service calculator and all Saudi calculators.