Article 113 of the Saudi Labor Law
المادة 113 من نظام العمل · الباب السادس: شروط العمل وظروفه
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.
Official text after amendments (Arabic)
Compiled from the original text and every officially published amendment; the amendments are shown in full below for comparison.
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، و(ثلاثة) أيام في حالة وفاة الأخ أو الأخت؛ تحتسب جميعها من تاريخ الواقعة. و(ثلاثة) أيام في حالة ولادة مولود له خلال (سبعة) أيام من تاريخ الولادة. ويحق لصاحب العمل أن يطلب الوثائق المؤيدة لهذه الحالات.
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 113 explained in plain English
Article 113 of the Labor Law regulates what are known as casual or social leaves, short leaves with full pay granted to a worker on specific family occasions, alongside the holiday leaves provided in Article 112 and the Hajj leave in Article 114.
The cases the article covers and the length of leave in each:
- The worker's marriage: 5 days.
- The death of the husband or wife, or of an ascendant (such as the father, mother, grandfather or grandmother), or of a descendant (such as children and grandchildren): 5 days.
- The death of a brother or sister: 3 days.
- The birth of a child to the worker: 3 days, to be used within 7 days of the date of birth.
Note that marriage and bereavement leaves are counted from the date of the event itself, so they may not be postponed to a later time. As for the newborn leave, the law gave limited flexibility by allowing it to be used at any time within the seven days following the birth.
The article begins with the phrase "subject to the leaves of the working woman," meaning that these leaves do not affect the leaves specific to women provided elsewhere in the law (such as maternity leave), which are independent of them.
The employer is entitled to ask the worker for documents supporting these cases, such as a marriage contract, death certificate or birth certificate, to verify entitlement to the leave.
This article was amended by Royal Decree No. M/46 dated 5/6/1436 AH and then by Royal Decree No. M/44 dated 8/2/1446 AH, in force from 20/8/1446 AH, and the text explained above is the text in force after this amendment.
If an employer refuses to grant this leave or deducts its pay, it is appropriate to consult a lawyer who specializes in labor cases to learn the available steps.
Practical example
Ahmed works for a company in Riyadh and had a baby born on a Sunday. He is entitled to request 3 days of leave with full pay, and he can take them at any time within 7 days of the date of birth, so if he prefers to start on Tuesday, that is permitted. Two months later his father died, and here he is entitled to 5 days of leave with full pay beginning directly from the day of death. In both cases the company may ask him for the birth certificate and the death certificate to verify.
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 113 of the Saudi Labor Law
How long is marriage leave under the Saudi Labor Law?
Under Article 113, a worker is entitled to leave with full pay of 5 days on their marriage, counted from the date of the event.
Is bereavement leave paid, and how long is it?
Yes, it is leave with full pay. It lasts 5 days on the death of a spouse, an ascendant or a descendant, and 3 days on the death of a brother or sister, all counted from the date of death.
How long is paternity leave for a new baby, and can it be postponed?
Newborn leave is 3 days with full pay, and it must be used within 7 days of the date of birth, so it cannot be postponed beyond that period.
Can the employer ask for proof of the occasion?
Yes. Article 113 expressly provides that the employer may ask for documents supporting these cases, such as a marriage contract, death certificate or birth certificate.
Amendment history
Royal Decree No. M/46 — 5/6/1436 AH
Official amendment text (Arabic)
تم تعديل هذه المادة بموجب المرسوم الملكي رقم ( م/ 46) وتاريخ 5 / 6 / 1436 هـ ؛ لتكون بالنص الآتي:
"مع مراعاة إجازات المرأة العاملة المحددة بموجب هذا النظام، للعامل الحق في إجازة بأجر كامل لمدة خمسة أيام في حالة وفاة زوجه أو أحد أصوله أو فروعه، أو عند زواجه، وثلاثة أيام في حالة ولادة مولود له. ويحق لصاحب العمل أن يطلب الوثائق المؤيدة للحالات المشار إليها".
Royal Decree No. M/44 — 8/2/1446 AH
In effect from 20/8/1446 AH
Official amendment text (Arabic)
- صدر المرسوم الملكي رقم (م/44) وتاريخ 1446/2/8هـ، وذلك بالموافقة على تعديلات بعض مواد نظام العمل (ويعمل بها من تاريخ 1446/8/20هـ)
وعدلت هذه المادة لتكون بالنص الآتي: "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، و(ثلاثة) أيام في حالة وفاة الأخ أو الأخت؛ تحتسب جميعها من تاريخ الواقعة. و(ثلاثة) أيام في حالة ولادة مولود له خلال (سبعة) أيام من تاريخ الولادة. ويحق لصاحب العمل أن يطلب الوثائق المؤيدة لهذه الحالات".
Original text before the amendments (Arabic)
للعامل الحق في إجازة بأجر لمدة يوم واحد في حالة ولادة مولود له، وثلاثة أيام لمناسبة زواجه، أو في حالة وفاة زوجه أو أحد أصوله أو فروعه، ويحق لصاحب العمل أن يطلب الوثائق المؤيدة للحالات المشار إليها.
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 111
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.
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 الإج
- 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.
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.