Article 111 of the Saudi Labor Law
المادة 111 من نظام العمل · الباب السادس: شروط العمل وظروفه
Article 111 gives a worker who leaves work the right to pay for the days of earned annual leave not used, with parts of a year counted in proportion to the time actually worked.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
للعامل الحق في الحصول على أجرة عن أيام الإجازة المستحقة إذا ترك العمل قبل استعماله لها، وذلك بالنسبة إلى المدة التي لم يحصل على إجازته عنها، كما يستحق أجرة الإجازة عن أجزاء السنة بنسبة ما قضاه منها في 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 111 explained in plain English
Article 111 of the Labor Law deals with a common situation: a worker's relationship with the employer ends while the worker still has a balance of annual leave they have not used. The rule here is clear: unused leave does not lapse when work ends, but turns into a financial right paid to the worker with their dues.
The article contains two connected rights:
- Pay for earned, unused leave days: if the worker leaves work before getting their leave, they are entitled to pay for the days they did not take for the period for which they were not granted leave. This includes leave postponed from an earlier period under Article 110, whether the postponement was at the worker's request with the employer's consent, or by the employer's decision because of working conditions within the limits stated there.
- Leave pay for parts of a year: the worker need not complete a full year to be entitled to something; if, for example, they leave in the middle of the year of entitlement, they are entitled to leave pay in proportion to the time they actually spent working in that year.
The article applies in general terms to every worker who leaves work, without distinguishing in its text between the reasons the contract ends; the criterion is the existence of an earned leave balance that was not used.
Note that this article concerns earned annual leave; as for the holiday and occasion leaves regulated by Article 112, these are leaves with full pay on dates set by the Regulations, and the compensation rule stated here does not address them.
In practical terms, a worker at the end of their service is advised to review their leave balance as documented in the employer's records, and to make sure that pay for unused leave is included in the settlement of their dues. If a dispute arises over the number of days due or the method of calculation, it is appropriate to consult a lawyer who specializes in labor cases.
Practical example
Saad worked for a contracting company in Dammam for two and a half years, and then his employment relationship ended. During the second year, the employer postponed 10 days of his leave because of project conditions under Article 110, and Saad did not use them before leaving. In the third year he spent only 6 months at work. Under Article 111, on settlement Saad is entitled to pay for the ten postponed days he did not get, in addition to leave pay equal to half of the third year's leave, because he spent half of that year at 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 111 of the Saudi Labor Law
Do I lose my annual leave balance if I resign before taking it?
No. Article 111 provides that a worker has the right to pay for the earned leave days if they leave work before using them, for the period for which they did not get their leave.
Am I entitled to leave pay if I did not complete a full year at work?
Yes. Article 111 provides that the worker is entitled to leave pay for parts of a year in proportion to the time spent working, without requiring completion of the year.
Is leave postponed from previous years included in what is paid when leaving work?
Article 111 provides for payment of leave pay for the period for which the worker did not get their leave, which includes days that were postponed under Article 110 and not used before leaving work.
Does Article 111 cover holiday leave I did not take?
Article 111 speaks about pay for earned, unused leave and parts of a year, that is, annual leave, whereas Article 112 regulates holiday and occasion leaves with full pay as set by the Regulations.
More articles on Leave
- Article 49
Article 49 applies the Labor Law provisions on leave, holidays, working hours, rest periods, occupational safety and work injuries to the trainee and the person undergoing qualification.
تسري على عقد التأهيل والتدريب الأحكام الواردة في هذا النظام، الخاصة بالإجازات السنوية والعطلات الرسمية، والحد الأقصى لساعات العمل، وفترات الراحة اليومية والراحة
- Article 82
Article 82 bars an employer from ending a worker's service because of illness before the statutory sick leave periods are used up, and lets the worker ask to add annual leave to sick leave.
لا يجوز لصاحب العمل إنهاء خدمة العامل بسبب المرض، قبل استنفاذه المدد المحددة للإجازة المنصوص عليها في هذا النظام، وللعامل الحق في أن يطلب وصل إجازته السنوية بال
- Article 109
Article 109 gives a worker paid annual leave, paid in advance, of at least 21 days, rising to 30 days after 5 continuous years, and bars waiving it or replacing it with money during service.
1- يستحق العامل عن كل عام إجازة سنوية لا تقل مدتها عن واحد وعشرين يومًا، تُزاد إلى مدة لا تقل عن ثلاثين يومًا إذا أمضى العامل في خدمة صاحب العمل خمس سنوات متصلة
- Article 110
Article 110 allows annual leave, or part of it, to be postponed to the next year with the employer's consent, lets the employer postpone it for 90 days for work reasons, then longer only with the worker's written consent, up to the end of the next year.
1- للعامل بموافقة صاحب العمل أن يؤجل إجازته السنوية أو أيامًا منها إلى السنة التالية. 2 - لصاحب العمل حق تأجيل إجازة العامل بعد نهاية سنة استحقاقها إذا اقتضت ظر
- Article 112
Article 112 gives every worker the right to leave with full pay on the holidays and occasions set by the Implementing Regulations of the Labor Law.
لكل عامل الحق في إجازة بأجر كامل في الأعياد والمناسبات التي تحددها اللائحة.
- Article 113Amended by M/44
Article 113 gives a worker paid leave: 5 days for marriage or the death of a spouse, ascendant or descendant, 3 days for the death of a brother or sister, and 3 days on the birth of a child.
مع مراعاة إجازات المرأة العاملة المحددة بموجب هذا النظام، للعامل الحق في إجازة بأجر كامل لمدة (خمسة) أيام عند زواجه، أو في حالة وفاة زوجه أو أحد أصوله أو فروعه،
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.