Saudi Notice Period 2026: 30 or 60 Days and Resignation

Amendments to the Saudi Labour Law took effect in February 2025 and changed the rules on notice and resignation for open-ended (indefinite) contracts.

Notice periods

You resign: at least 30 days' written notice.
Your employer ends the contract: at least 60 days' written notice.
For workers not paid monthly, 30 days applies to both sides.
The notice must give a legitimate reason.

How resignation works now

A resignation is a written statement by the worker, made freely.
If the employer does not reply within 30 days, the resignation is treated as accepted.
The employer can delay acceptance by up to 60 days for a work reason, if it gives written reasons within the first 30 days.
You can withdraw your resignation within 7 days, as long as the employer has not accepted it.

If notice is not given

The side that does not give the required notice pays the other the wage for the notice period, or the part not served (Article 76). Example: total wage SAR 9,000. If your employer ends your contract without notice, it owes you 60 days, which is SAR 18,000.

Job search time

While working a notice period given by your employer, you can take one paid day or eight paid hours a week to look for a new job (Article 78).

Fixed-term contracts

A fixed-term contract normally ends on its end date. Ending it early without a valid reason can mean paying compensation for the rest of the term, as set out in the contract and Article 77.

Your end of service after resigning

Resigning reduces the end of service award if you have under 10 years of service: nothing under 2 years, one third from 2 to under 5 years and two thirds from 5 to under 10 years. Check your figure with the Saudi end of service calculator, and your full dues with the Saudi final settlement calculator.

Sources

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Saudi notice period and resignation rules after the 2025 changes