Saudi Notice Period: 2026 Guide (Article 75)
How much notice applies in Saudi Arabia after the 2025 Labor Law amendment — the new 30-day employee rule, the employer's 60 days, and what happens if notice is skipped.
→ Open the Saudi Notice Period Calculator
Saudi notice periods were reshaped by the Labor Law amendment effective 18 February 2025. The headline change: the employee's notice was reduced to a flat 30 days, while the employer's notice depends on how you are paid. The rules live in Article 75.
The current notice periods
| Situation | Notice |
|---|---|
| You resign (any pay frequency) | 30 days |
| Employer ends it — monthly-paid worker | 60 days |
| Employer ends it — other pay frequency | 30 days |
These apply to indefinite-term contracts. Before the amendment, both sides owed 60 days (monthly-paid) or 30 days (other); the employee side was cut to a flat 30 days regardless of pay frequency.
Pay in lieu of notice
If notice is not served, the party at fault pays the other side's wage for the notice period. The wage basis follows Article 2 of the Labor Law — basic wage plus regular cash allowances — calculated over a 30-day month.
Automatic acceptance of resignation
A useful protection for employees: if your employer does not respond to your resignation within 30 days, it is automatically accepted. The employer may postpone acceptance by up to 60 days, but only with written justification.
Worked example
You resign on a monthly salary of SAR 12,000 but serve none of your 30 days. The daily wage is 12,000 ÷ 30 = SAR 400, so pay in lieu = 400 × 30 = SAR 12,000 potentially owed to your employer. If instead the employer terminates a monthly-paid contract without notice, they owe you 60 days: 400 × 60 = SAR 24,000.
How it fits your exit
Notice pay (or a deduction) sits alongside your end-of-service award and unused-leave encashment in your final settlement. Serving notice keeps your service and leave accruing to the end date.
Why the 2025 change matters for planning
The reform cut the employee's notice to a flat 30 days while leaving a monthly-paid employer on 60 days. In practice this makes it easier and cheaper for employees to move on — you can commit to a new employer knowing you owe only a month — while employers of monthly-paid staff must plan for a longer wind-down or budget two months' pay in lieu. If you are relying on older guidance that says "both sides owe 60 days," you will over- or under-estimate the figure. Always anchor to the post-18-February-2025 position, and confirm whether your contract is indefinite-term, since the framework applies there.
Key takeaways
- Employee resigns: 30 days, any pay frequency.
- Employer ends a monthly-paid contract: 60 days; other pay frequency: 30 days.
- Pay in lieu uses the Article 2 wage (basic + regular allowances) ÷ 30.
- Silence for 30 days after a resignation = automatic acceptance.
- The framework applies to indefinite-term contracts.
Frequently asked questions
How long is the notice period in Saudi Arabia?
Since the amendment effective 18 February 2025: 30 days if you resign or if your employer ends a non-monthly-paid contract, and 60 days if your employer ends a monthly-paid contract.
Did the Saudi notice period change recently?
Yes. Before the amendment both sides owed 60 days (monthly-paid) or 30 days (other). The employee side was reduced to a flat 30 days regardless of pay frequency.
What happens if my employer ignores my resignation?
If your employer does not respond within 30 days, your resignation is automatically accepted, though they may postpone acceptance up to 60 days with written justification.
What wage is used for pay in lieu of notice?
The wage under Article 2 — basic wage plus regular cash allowances — divided by 30 for a daily figure.
Related calculators & guides
More Saudi Arabia employment calculators
Calcnate keeps a full set of Saudi Labor Law tools — all updated for the 2025 amendments — so you can check every part of an exit or contract in one place:
- Saudi End-of-Service Calculator — the half-month/full-month award with resignation tiers.
- Saudi Notice Period Calculator — the 30/60-day rule and pay in lieu.
- Saudi Probation Period Calculator — the 180-day contract rules.
- Saudi Maternity Leave Calculator — 12 weeks at full pay.
- Saudi Leave Encashment Calculator — cash value of unused annual leave.
Browse everything on the Saudi Arabia hub.