Article 166 of the Saudi Labor Law
المادة 166 من نظام العمل · الباب العاشر: تشغيل الأحداث
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.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
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 والاسم الكامل لولي أمره ومحل إقامته وتاريخ تشغيله.
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 166 explained in plain English
Article 166 of the Labor Law imposes on the employer two administrative obligations when employing any juvenile, through which it aims to enable the competent authority to follow juvenile workers' situations and verify that the conditions for employing them are met:
- Notification: the employer must notify the competent labor office of every juvenile it employs, within the first week of starting his employment. The deadline is short and specific, and does not wait for the probation period to end or a month to pass, for example.
- The special register: the employer must keep, at the workplace itself, a special register of juvenile workers, containing for each juvenile the following data: his name, his age, his guardian's full name, his place of residence, and the date of his employment.
This obligation is linked to what Article 165 provides, which requires the employer, before employing the juvenile, to obtain from him the national ID card or an official birth certificate, a certificate of medical fitness for the work required, and his guardian's consent, and to keep these documents in the juvenile's file. Article 165 concerns what comes before employment, while Article 166 concerns the notification and ongoing documentation that follow employment directly.
Note that Article 167 excepts from the provisions of this whole Part, including Article 166, the work done by children and juveniles in schools and training institutions for general, vocational or technical education, and likewise the work done in establishments by those who have reached at least 14 years if it is an essential part of an educational or training course, a training program approved by the competent authority, or a guidance program, and on the conditions set by the Minister.
In practice, an employer is advised to prepare the register from the first day of employment and complete the notification without waiting for the deadline to end, and a juvenile's guardian can check that the juvenile's data is entered in this register. If there is a dispute about applying these provisions or whether the exceptions apply, it is advisable to consult a lawyer specialized in labor cases.
Practical example
A carpentry workshop in Dammam hired Fahd, a juvenile, as an assistant in the packaging section, and he began work on Sunday. Before that, the workshop owner obtained the documents Article 165 requires: an ID, a medical fitness certificate and his father's consent. Under Article 166, the workshop owner must notify the competent labor office of Fahd's employment before the first week ends, that is, by the following Saturday at the latest, and must open at the workshop a special register of juvenile workers in which he records Fahd's name, age, his father's full name, place of residence and start date. If Fahd were doing this work within a training program approved by the competent authority on the conditions the Minister sets, the exception in Article 167 might apply.
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 166 of the Saudi Labor Law
Within what period must the labor office be notified of employing a juvenile?
The employer must notify the competent labor office within the first week of employing the juvenile, for every juvenile it employs.
What data must the juvenile workers' register contain?
The register must show the juvenile's name, age, his guardian's full name, place of residence and date of employment, and it must be kept at the workplace.
Does keeping the juvenile's documents in his file replace notification and the register?
No. Keeping the documents in the juvenile's file is a separate obligation imposed by Article 165 before employment, while Article 166 imposes two additional obligations: notification within the first week and keeping a special register at the workplace.
Does Article 166 apply to juveniles working in training programs?
Under Article 167, the provisions of this Part do not apply to work done by juveniles in schools and training institutions for educational purposes, nor to the work of those who have reached at least 14 years in establishments if it is an essential part of a training or guidance course or program on the conditions the Minister sets.
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 162
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.
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 الأح
- 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
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.