Article 136 of the Saudi Labor Law
المادة 136 من نظام العمل · الباب الثامن: الوقاية من مخاطر العمل والوقاية من الحوادث الصناعية الكبرى وإصابات العمل والخدمات الصحية والاجتماعية
Article 136 refers the determination of occupational diseases and degrees of total or partial permanent disability to the occupational diseases table and the disability percentage guide table in the Social Insurance Law.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
تحدد الأمراض المهنية وفق جدول الأمراض المهنية المنصوص عليه في نظام التأمينات الاجتماعية وتحدد درجات العجز الدائم الكلي أو الجزئي وفق جدول دليل نسب العجز المنصوص عليه في النظام المذكور.
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 136 explained in plain English
Article 136 does not set its own list of occupational diseases or a table of disability percentages within the Labor Law, but refers on both matters to the Social Insurance Law. The reference for determining whether a disease that has afflicted a worker is an occupational disease is the occupational diseases table provided in that law, and the reference for assessing the degree of permanent disability, whether total or partial, is the disability percentage guide table contained in the same law.
The purpose of this reference is to unify the standard between the Labor Law and the Social Insurance Law, so that the description of the disease or the assessment of disability does not differ according to which authority examines the case, and the matter is not left to the discretion of the employer or the worker.
What the article means in practice:
- Occupational diseases: if a worker suffers from a disease they believe results from the nature of their work, whether it is considered an occupational disease depends on its being included in the occupational diseases table in the Social Insurance Law.
- Degrees of disability: once the injured person's condition stabilizes, the remaining permanent disability percentage is assessed according to the disability percentage guide table, and on this percentage it is determined whether the disability is total or partial.
This article is linked to its neighbors in Part Eight; Article 135 treats a relapse or any complication arising from the injury as the original injury as regards assistance and treatment, and Article 137 regulates the injured person's rights in the case of temporary disability: financial assistance equal to the full wage for 60 days, then 75% of the wage throughout the period of treatment, and if the period of treatment reaches a year or it is decided medically that recovery is not expected with inability to work, the injury is treated as total disability and the contract ends with compensation. Article 136 takes the step that precedes all of that: identifying the reference by which an occupational disease is known and the degree of permanent disability is measured.
Because the details of the two tables are in the Social Insurance Law and not in the Labor Law, it is useful for someone facing this situation to refer to that law or to consult a lawyer who specializes in labor cases.
Practical example
Khalid has worked for years at a chemicals factory in Jubail, and developed a respiratory disease that he believes results from his continuous exposure to fumes at the work site. Under Article 136, whether his disease is considered an occupational disease is not decided by the employer's judgment or by Khalid's personal opinion, but by referring to the occupational diseases table provided in the Social Insurance Law. After his treatment ends, if he is left with permanent weakness in lung function, the percentage and degree of this disability (total or partial) are assessed according to the disability percentage guide table contained in the same law, and not according to a table specific to the Labor Law.
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 136 of the Saudi Labor Law
Who decides whether a worker's disease is an occupational disease under the Saudi Labor Law?
Article 136 provides that occupational diseases are determined according to the occupational diseases table provided in the Social Insurance Law, so the matter is not left to the discretion of the employer or the worker.
How is the percentage of permanent disability resulting from a work injury assessed?
Degrees of total or partial permanent disability are determined according to the disability percentage guide table provided in the Social Insurance Law, as Article 136 of the Labor Law provides.
Does the Labor Law contain its own table of occupational diseases or disability percentages?
No. Article 136 refers on both matters to the two tables in the Social Insurance Law, and does not set an independent list or percentages within the Labor Law.
What is the difference between Article 136 and Article 137 of the Labor Law?
Article 136 identifies the reference by which occupational diseases are defined and the degrees of permanent disability measured, whereas Article 137 regulates financial assistance for the injured person during temporary disability, which is the full wage for 60 days then 75% of it throughout the period of treatment, and when an injury is treated as total disability.
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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.