Article 162 of the Saudi Labor Law
المادة 162 من نظام العمل · الباب العاشر: تشغيل الأحداث
Article 162 prohibits employing anyone under 15 or letting them enter workplaces, while allowing the Minister to permit light work for those aged 13 to 15 under set conditions.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
1- لا يجوز تشغيل أي شخص لم يتم الخامسة عشرة من عمره ولا يسمح له بدخول أماكن العمل، وللوزير أن يرفع هذه السن في بعض الصناعات أو المناطق أو بالنسبة لبعض فئات الأحداث بقرار منه .
2 - استثناء من الفقرة (1) من هذه المادة يجوز للوزير أن يسمح بتشغيل أو عمل الأشخاص الذين تتراوح أعمارهم ما بين 13- 15 سنة في أعمال خفيفة، يراعى فيها الآتي:
2 /1 - ألا يحتمل أن تكون ضارة بصحتهم أو نموهم.
2 /2 - ألا تعطل مواظبتهم في المدرسة واشتراكهم في برامج التوجيه أو التدريب المهني، ولا تضعف قدرتهم على الاستفادة من التعليم الذي يتلقونه.
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 162 explained in plain English
Article 162 of the Labor Law sets the minimum working age in the Kingdom, and is one of the basic articles of Part Ten on the employment of juveniles.
The general rule: no person who has not completed fifteen years of age may be employed, and he is not even allowed to enter workplaces. This obligation falls on the employer, and neither the juvenile's consent nor his guardian's approval changes it.
The Minister's power to raise the age: the Minister may, by decision, raise this age in some industries or regions or for some categories of juveniles, so the required age may become higher than 15 in certain fields as the Minister issues.
The exception, light work: the Minister may permit the employment or work of those aged between 13 and 15 in light work, on two conditions:
- The work must not be likely to be harmful to their health or development.
- It must not interrupt their regular attendance at school or their participation in vocational guidance or training programs, and must not weaken their ability to benefit from the education they receive.
Note that this exception is not automatic; it requires permission from the Minister, and the article does not specify the details of the mechanism for this permission or the list of light work.
Relationship to surrounding articles: even when the juvenile reaches 15, other restrictions remain on him: Article 161 prevents employing juveniles in hazardous work or harmful industries that the Minister specifies, and Article 163 prohibits employing them at night for a period of not less than 12 consecutive hours except in cases the Minister specifies.
In practice: if your son or relative who has not completed 15 years is offered a job, it is generally prohibited unless it falls under an exception issued by the Minister for light work. Employers wishing to employ juveniles must verify age and the relevant ministerial decisions, and consulting a lawyer specialized in labor law is advisable when in doubt.
Practical example
Saad, aged 14, applied to a cafe in Dammam to work serving orders after his school day, and his father agreed. Under Article 162, the cafe may not employ him or allow him to enter the workplace, because he has not completed 15 years, and his father's consent is not enough. The only way to employ him is for the work to be covered by a permission issued by the Minister for light work for those between 13 and 15, and for the work to be not harmful to his health and development, and not to affect his regular school attendance or his benefit from education. Even if that is met, the restrictions of Articles 161 and 163 on hazardous work and night work remain in force for him.
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 162 of the Saudi Labor Law
What is the minimum working age under the Saudi Labor Law?
Under Article 162, no person who has not completed fifteen years of age may be employed or allowed to enter workplaces, and the Minister may raise this age in some industries or regions or for some categories of juveniles.
Can someone aged 13 or 14 be employed?
As an exception, the Minister may permit the employment of those aged between 13 and 15 in light work only, provided it is not likely to harm their health or development, does not interrupt their regular attendance at school or vocational guidance or training programs, and does not weaken their benefit from education.
Is a guardian's consent enough to employ a child under 15?
No. Article 162 prohibits employment and entry to workplaces for anyone who has not completed 15 years regardless of the guardian's consent, and the only exception is the Minister's permission for light work for those between 13 and 15.
Can the working age be higher than 15 for some work?
Yes. Article 162 gives the Minister the power to raise this age by decision in some industries or regions or for some categories of juveniles.
More articles on Employment of Juveniles
- Article 131 bisAmended (1442 AH)
Article 131 bis authorizes the Minister to specify by decision the dangerous or harmful occupations and work, and the categories barred from them or employed only on special conditions, consistent with international conventions.
يحدد الوزير – بقرار منه – المهن والأعمال التي تعد خطرة أو ضارة أو من شأنها أن تعرض العامل لأخطار أو أضرار غير عادية، والفئات التي يحظر -–دائماً أو مؤقتاً _ تشغي
- Article 161
Article 161 prohibits employing juveniles in hazardous work, harmful industries and any occupation that may threaten their health, safety or morals, with the Minister specifying such work by decision.
لا يجوز تشغيل الأحداث في الأعمال الخطرة أو الصناعات الضارة، أو في المهن والأعمال التي يحتمل أن تعرض صحتهم أو سلامتهم أو أخلاقهم للخطر، بسبب طبيعتها أو الظروف ال
- Article 163
Article 163 prohibits employing juveniles during a night period of at least 12 consecutive hours, except in cases the Minister specifies by decision.
يحظر تشغيل الأحداث أثناء فترة من الليل لا تقل عن اثنتي عشرة ساعة متتالية إلا في الحالات التي يحددها الوزير بقرار منه.
- Article 164
Article 164 sets juveniles' working hours at six a day and four in Ramadan, regulates their rest breaks, and prohibits employing them on leave days and for overtime.
لا يجوز تشغيل الأحداث تشغيلًا فعليًّا أكثر من ست ساعات في اليوم الواحد لسائر شهور السنة، عدا شهر رمضان، فيجب ألا تزيد ساعات العمل الفعلية فيه على أربع ساعات. وت
- Article 165
Before employing any juvenile, the employer must obtain proof of his identity or birth, a certified medical fitness certificate and his guardian's consent, and keep them in his file.
على صاحب العمل قبل تشغيل الحدث أن يستوفي منه المستندات الآتية: 1 - بطاقة الهوية الوطنية أو شهادة رسمية بميلاده. 2 - شهادة باللياقة الصحية للعمل المطلوب صادرة من
- Article 166
The article requires the employer to notify the competent labor office of each juvenile it employs within the first week of employing him, and to keep a special register of juvenile workers at the workplace.
على صاحب العمل أن يبلغ مكتب العمل المختص عن كل حدث يشغله خلال الأسبوع الأول من تشغيله، وأن يحتفظ في مكان العمل بسجل خاص للعمال الأحداث يبين فيه اسم الحدث وعمره
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.