Article 137 of the Saudi Labor Law
المادة 137 من نظام العمل · الباب الثامن: الوقاية من مخاطر العمل والوقاية من الحوادث الصناعية الكبرى وإصابات العمل والخدمات الصحية والاجتماعية
Article 137 gives an injured worker with temporary disability full pay for 60 days, then 75% throughout treatment, and treats the injury as total disability if treatment reaches a year or recovery is ruled out.
Official text after amendments (Arabic)
Compiled from the original text and every officially published amendment; the amendments are shown in full below for comparison.
للمصاب - في حالة عجزه المؤقت عن العمل الناتج من إصابة عمل - الحق في معونة مالية تعادل أجره كاملاً لمدة ستين يوماً ثم يستحق مقابلاً ماليًّا يعادل (75%) من أجره طوال المدة التي يستغرقها علاجه. فإذا بلغت مدة العلاج سنة أو تقرر طبيًّا عدم احتمال شفائه وحالته الصحية لا تمكنه من العمل، عُدت الإصابة عجزاً كليًّا، وينهي العقد ويعوض عن الإصابة. ولا يكون لصاحب العمل حق في استرداد ما دفعه إلى المصاب خلال تلك السنة.
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 137 explained in plain English
Article 137 of the Labor Law regulates the rights of a worker who suffers a work injury that prevents them temporarily from performing their work, meaning they have not permanently lost the ability to work but need a period of treatment before returning. The article guarantees them an income during this period in two stages:
- The first 60 days: the injured worker is entitled to financial assistance equal to their full wage.
- After that: they are entitled to a financial payment equal to 75% of their wage, which continues throughout the period their treatment takes.
The article then sets a time and medical limit at which the injury changes from temporary disability to total disability, in one of two cases:
- If the period of treatment reaches a full year.
- If it is decided medically that the injured person is not expected to recover, and their health condition does not allow them to work, even if this is before the year has passed.
When either of these cases is met, two things follow: the employment contract ends, and the injured person is compensated for the injury. The amount of this compensation is set under Article 138, which provides that compensation for total permanent disability equals the worker's wage for 3 years with a minimum of SAR 54,000, while the degrees of total or partial disability are determined by the disability percentage guide table referred to in Article 136.
The article protects the worker from another angle, expressly providing that the employer has no right to recover what it paid the injured person during that year, meaning the sums paid to them during treatment (the full wage and then the 75%) remain their right and are not deducted from the disability compensation.
An amendment to this article was issued by Royal Decree No. M/46 dated 5/6/1436 AH, and the text explained here is the one in force after the amendment. If a dispute arises over the classification of the injury, the calculation of the periods or the amount of compensation, it is advisable to consult a lawyer who specializes in labor cases.
Practical example
Ahmed works as a technician at a factory in Dammam on a monthly wage of SAR 6,000, and suffered a hand injury while operating a machine that prevented him from working temporarily. Under Article 137, Ahmed is entitled during the first 60 days of his disability to his full wage, that is SAR 6,000 a month; if his treatment extends beyond that, he is entitled to 75% of his wage, that is SAR 4,500 a month, throughout the period of treatment. If his treatment continued until it reached a full year, or the doctors decided before that that he is not expected to recover and his condition does not allow him to work, his injury is treated as total disability, his contract ends and he is compensated for the injury under Article 138, without the factory having the right to recover any amount it paid him during that year.
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 137 of the Saudi Labor Law
How much of their wage is an injured worker entitled to during temporary disability?
They are entitled to their full wage for 60 days, then 75% of their wage throughout the period their treatment takes.
When does a work injury change from temporary disability to total disability?
When the period of treatment reaches a year, or it is decided medically that the injured person is not expected to recover and their health condition does not allow them to work. The contract then ends and the injured person is compensated for the injury.
Can the employer deduct what it paid the injured person from the disability compensation?
No. Article 137 expressly provides that the employer has no right to recover what it paid the injured person during that year.
How is total disability compensation calculated after the contract ends?
Article 137 refers to compensation for the injury, which Article 138 sets as the worker's wage for 3 years with a minimum of SAR 54,000 in the case of total permanent disability.
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:
"للمصاب - في حالة عجزه المؤقت عن العمل الناتج من إصابة عمل - الحق في معونة مالية تعادل أجره كاملاً لمدة ستين يوماً ثم يستحق مقابلاً ماليًّا يعادل (75%) من أجره طوال المدة التي يستغرقها علاجه. فإذا بلغت مدة العلاج سنة أو تقرر طبيًّا عدم احتمال شفائه وحالته الصحية لا تمكنه من العمل، عُدت الإصابة عجزاً كليًّا، وينهي العقد ويعوض عن الإصابة. ولا يكون لصاحب العمل حق في استرداد ما دفعه إلى المصاب خلال تلك السنة".
Original text before the amendments (Arabic)
للمصاب في حالة عجزه المؤقت عن العمل الناجم عن إصابة عمل الحق في معونة مالية تعادل أجره كاملًا لمدة ثلاثين يومًا ثم يستحق 75% من أجره طوال الفترة التي يستغرقها علاجه. فإذا بلغت السنة أو تقرر طبيًّا عدم احتمال شفائه وحالته الصحية لا تمكنه من العمل عدت الإصابة عجزًا كليًّا، ينهى العقد ويعوض عن الإصابة. ولا يكون لصاحب العمل حق في استرداد ما دفعه إلى المصاب خلال تلك السنة.
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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.