Article 103 of the Saudi Labor Law
المادة 103 من نظام العمل · الباب السادس: شروط العمل وظروفه
Article 103 allows the Minister to specify work that must continue without a rest period, while requiring the employer to give a period for prayer, food and rest organized by the establishment's management during work.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
للوزير أن يحدد بقرار منه الحالات والأعمال التي يتحتم فيها استمرار العمل دون فترة راحة لأسباب فنية أو لظروف التشغيل، ويلتزم صاحب العمل في هذه الحالات والأعمال بإعطاء فترة للصلاة والطعام والراحة بطريقة تنظمها إدارة المنشأة أثناء العمل.
This is the official Arabic wording, the only legally binding version. We do not translate the law itself; the explanation below is ours. Official source: Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers
Article 103 explained in plain English
Article 103 of the Labor Law deals with a special case to which the general rule on rest periods does not apply. The rule is that a worker has periods set aside for rest, prayer and food during which work stops, and Article 102 provides that these periods are not part of actual working hours, that the worker is not under the employer's authority during them, and that the worker may not be required to stay at the workplace. But some work cannot be stopped, so Article 103 came to regulate this exception.
What does the article provide?
- It gives the Minister the power to issue a decision specifying the cases and kinds of work in which work must continue without a rest period.
- It requires the reason for continuing to be technical or due to operating conditions, that is, the nature of the work itself prevents it from stopping.
- In these cases the worker is not deprived of their right; rather, the employer must give them a period for prayer, food and rest, but during work and in the manner organized by the establishment's management.
What does this mean in practice?
- An employer may not decide for itself that its establishment is among the continuous kinds of work; the reference is the Minister's decision that specifies those cases and kinds of work, and the article does not give a list of them.
- If the work is within what the decision specifies, the establishment's management is the one that organizes how workers get time for prayer, food and rest without operations stopping, for example by distributing it among them in turns.
- The management's organization of these periods does not cancel them; the obligation to give them is express in the text.
This article remains separate from the weekly rest provided for in Article 104, which sets a weekly rest day with full pay of not less than 24 consecutive hours; Article 103 concerns daily rest periods only. If a worker doubts whether their establishment is covered by the Minister's decision or how their periods are organized, it is appropriate to consult a labor lawyer.
Practical example
Khalid works as an operator on a production line at a factory in Jubail that cannot be stopped for technical reasons, and the factory's activity is among the work specified by the Minister's decision under Article 103. Here, the factory's management may not deprive Khalid and his colleagues of time for prayer, food and rest, but it organizes it in turns: Khalid stops for prayer and food while a colleague covers his position, and then they swap roles, so that operations continue and each worker gets their period during work.
Translated from our Arabic explanation with machine assistance. For guidance only; it does not replace advice from a lawyer on your situation.
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Active contributorFrequently asked questions about Article 103 of the Saudi Labor Law
Can an employer deny a rest period on the grounds that work never stops?
No. Article 103 limits this to the cases and kinds of work specified by the Minister by decision for technical reasons or operating conditions, and even in these cases the employer must give a period for prayer, food and rest organized by the establishment's management during work.
Who decides which work must continue without a rest period?
The Minister alone, by a decision that specifies those cases and kinds of work. The article gives no list of them, so the reference is the ministerial decision.
What is the difference between Article 102 and Article 103 on rest periods?
Article 102 is the general rule: rest, prayer and meal periods are not counted as actual working hours and the worker is not under the employer's authority during them. Article 103 is an exception for the continuous work the Minister specifies, where these periods are given during work as organized by the establishment's management.
Does Article 103 affect the weekly rest day?
No. Article 103 concerns daily rest periods only; weekly rest is regulated by Article 104, which provides a day with full pay of not less than 24 consecutive hours.
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The texts are reproduced from the official website of the Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers for reference; where they differ, the officially published Arabic text prevails. This content is not legal advice.