Article 133 of the Saudi Labor Law
المادة 133 من نظام العمل · الباب الثامن: الوقاية من مخاطر العمل والوقاية من الحوادث الصناعية الكبرى وإصابات العمل والخدمات الصحية والاجتماعية
Article 133 requires the employer to treat a worker with a work injury or occupational disease and bear all treatment costs, including hospital stay, tests, X-rays, prosthetic devices and travel.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
إذا أصيب العامل بإصابة عمل، أو بمرض مهني، فإن صاحب العمل يلتزم بعلاجه، ويتحمل جميع النفقات اللازمة لذلك، بطريقة مباشرة أو غير مباشرة، بما فيها الإقامة في المستشفى، والفحوص والتحاليل الطبية، والأشعة، والأجهزة التعويضية، ونفقات الانتقال إلى أماكن العلاج.
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 133 explained in plain English
Article 133 of the Labor Law lays down a clear rule to protect the worker: if they suffer a work injury or an occupational disease, then the employer is responsible for their treatment and bears all the necessary costs of this, whether it pays them itself directly or through another party indirectly.
The article lists the types of costs this obligation covers, which are:
- Hospital stay.
- Medical tests and analyses.
- X-rays.
- Prosthetic devices.
- The cost of travel to places of treatment.
To understand the scope of this article, it must be read with the two articles next to it:
- Article 132 provides that the provisions of this chapter do not apply to establishments subject to the occupational hazards branch of the Social Insurance Law; that is, the employer's obligation to provide treatment under Article 133 concerns establishments not covered by that branch, while the provisions of the Social Insurance Law apply to covered establishments.
- Article 134 refers to the Social Insurance Law for the meaning of a work injury, and provides that occupational diseases are treated like work injuries, and that the date of the first medical observation of the disease is the date of the injury.
In practice, this means that a worker who is injured during work or because of their occupation in an establishment to which this article applies is not required to pay the costs of their treatment, and these costs may not be deducted from their wage, because the text places them in full on the employer. If the employer refuses to provide treatment or bear its costs, the worker may turn to the authorities competent to settle labor disputes, and it is advisable to consult a labor lawyer to assess their particular position.
Practical example
Ahmed works as a technician at a small workshop in Dammam that is not subject to the occupational hazards branch of the Social Insurance Law. While operating a machine, his hand was seriously injured, requiring his transfer to hospital, X-rays and tests, and the fitting of a prosthetic device. Under Article 133, the owner of the workshop is bound to bear the costs of his transport to the hospital, his stay there, the tests, the X-rays and the prosthetic device, without charging Ahmed any part of these costs.
Translated from our Arabic explanation with machine assistance. For guidance only; it does not replace advice from a lawyer on your situation.
How we write and review contentA question about Article 133 of Labor Law?
Describe what happened and specialist lawyers answer. You can write in English.
- Completely free
- Lawyers from the directory answer
- Your name stays hidden
Labour & Employment Law lawyers: ask a specialist about your case
Describe your situation briefly and we'll suggest a lawyer who specialises in this law
Labour & Employment Law lawyers
Lawyers who handle this kind of case
شركة امتداد النظام للمحاماة والاستشارات المهنية
- Labour & Employment Law
- Criminal Law
Dr. Ali Al-Rubaie Law Office and Ittihad Al-Asr Legal Company
Active contributorFrequently asked questions about Article 133 of the Saudi Labor Law
Who pays for treatment of a work injury under the Saudi Labor Law?
Under Article 133, the employer is bound to treat a worker with a work injury or occupational disease and bears all the necessary costs of this, directly or indirectly.
What costs does the employer's treatment obligation cover?
It covers hospital stay, medical tests and analyses, X-rays, prosthetic devices, and the cost of travel to places of treatment.
Does Article 133 apply to all establishments?
No. Article 132 excludes establishments subject to the occupational hazards branch of the Social Insurance Law from the provisions of this chapter, and the provisions of that law apply to them.
Is an occupational disease treated like a work injury?
Yes. Article 133 expressly covers occupational disease, and Article 134 provides that occupational diseases are treated as work injuries, with the date of the first medical observation of the disease taken as the date of injury.
More articles on Safety and Work Injuries
- Article 6
Article 6 sets the provisions that apply to the casual, seasonal and temporary worker: duties, discipline, working hours, rest, overtime, official holidays, safety, work injuries and what the Minister decides.
تسري على العامل العرضي والموسمي والمؤقت الأحكام الخاصة بالواجبات وقواعد التأديب، والحد الأقصى لساعات العمل، وفترات الراحة اليومية والراحة الأسبوعية، والتشغيل ال
- Article 29
Article 29 requires an employer to employ a worker injured at work in its establishment, whose abilities are reduced, in a suitable job at that job's wage, without affecting the worker's right to compensation for the injury.
إذا أصيب أي عامل إصابة عمل نتج عنها نقص في قدراته المعتادة لا يمنعه من أداء عمل آخر غير عمله السابق، فإن على صاحب العمل الذي وقعت إصابة العامل بسبب العمل لديه ت
- 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 61Amended by M/44
Article 61 imposes basic duties on the employer toward its workers: no forced labor or withholding of wages, respect, time to exercise rights, facilitating inspection, no discrimination, and housing and transport or a cash allowance.
بالإضافة إلى الواجبات المنصوص عليها في هذا النظام واللوائح والقرارات الصادرة تطبيقاً له، يجب على صاحب العمل ما يأتي: 1 - أن يمتنع عن تشغيل العامل سخرة، وألا يحت
- Article 63
Article 63 requires the employer and anyone with authority over workers to prevent any substance forbidden by Sharia from entering the workplace, and penalizes anyone found with it or using it.
على صاحب العمل أو وكيله أو أي شخص له سلطة على العمال، منع دخول أي مادة محرمة شرعًا إلى أماكن العمل، ويطبق بحق من وجدت لديه أو من تعاطاها العقوبات المقررة في هذا
- Article 65
Article 65 sets six basic duties of the worker: performing the work skillfully per lawful instructions, caring for the employer's tools, good conduct, helping in emergencies, undergoing medical examination, and keeping the establishment's secrets.
بالإضافة إلى الواجبات المنصوص عليها في هذا النظام واللوائح والقرارات الصادرة تطبيقًا له، يجب على العامل: 1 - أن ينجز العمل وفقًا لأصول المهنة ووفق تعليمات صاحب
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.