Article 167 of the Saudi Labor Law
المادة 167 من نظام العمل · الباب العاشر: تشغيل الأحداث
Article 167 excepts educational and training work by children and juveniles in schools and training institutions, and training work by those aged 14 or over in establishments on the Minister's conditions, from the rules on employing juveniles.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
لا تسري الأحكام المنصوص عليها في هذا الباب على العمل الذي يؤديه الأطفال والأحداث في المدارس لأغراض التعليم العام أو المهني أو التقني، وفي مؤسسات التدريب الأخرى، ولا تسري على العمل الذي يؤديه في المنشآت الأشخاص الذين بلغوا سن أربع عشرة سنة على الأقل إذا كان هذا العمل ينفذ وفقًا لشروط يقررها الوزير، وكان العمل يشكل جزءًا أساسيًّا من الآتي:
1 - دورة تعليمية أو تدريبية تقع مسؤوليتها الرئيسية على مدرسة أو مؤسسة تدريب .
2 - برنامج تدريبي ينفذ قسمه الأكبر أو كله في منشأة إذا كانت الجهة المختصة قد أقرته.
3 - برنامج إرشادي أو توجيهي يرمي إلى تسهيل اختيار المهنة أو نوع التدريب.
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 167 explained in plain English
Article 167 of the Labor Law sets a limit on the scope of application of the provisions on employing juveniles. It closes the group of rules regulating juveniles' work (including Article 166, which requires the employer to notify the labor office and keep a special register of juveniles), and specifies the cases to which these provisions do not apply because they fall within education and training rather than wage employment in the usual sense.
The article provides for two exceptions:
- Work inside schools and training institutions: the provisions of the Part do not apply to work done by children and juveniles in schools for general, vocational or technical education, nor to work in other training institutions. The practical activity a student carries out in a school workshop or training institute is not considered employing juveniles.
- Training work inside establishments: the provisions of the Part do not apply to work done in establishments by someone who has reached at least 14 years, on two conditions together: the work must be carried out under conditions set by the Minister, and it must be an essential part of one of the following programs:
- An educational or training course whose main responsibility lies with a school or training institution.
- A training program carried out mostly or entirely in an establishment, provided that the competent authority has approved it.
- A guidance or orientation program aimed at facilitating the choice of an occupation or type of training.
It follows that the second exception is not absolute; merely being 14 or older is not enough, and the work must actually be tied to an educational, training or guidance program of the three types mentioned, and carried out under the conditions the Minister sets. The article does not specify these conditions but leaves setting them to the Minister.
If these conditions are not met, the employment of the juvenile is subject to the general provisions on employing juveniles, including the employer's obligations in Article 166. Note that the following Article 168 begins the provisions and definitions of the maritime work contract, which is a separate subject. When in doubt whether the exception applies to a particular program, it is advisable to consult a lawyer specialized in labor cases.
Practical example
Faisal, aged 16, joined a technical training institute, and his study program includes a period of practical training at a factory in Dammam, where he spends most of the training hours inside the factory under the institute's supervision. The competent authority approved this program and it is carried out under the conditions the Minister set. In this case what Faisal does at the factory is not employing a juvenile in the sense used in the Part, and its provisions do not apply to him under Article 167. But if the factory had contracted with Faisal to work for it for pay outside any approved training program, the provisions on employing juveniles would apply, and the factory would then be required to notify the labor office and open a special register under Article 166.
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 167 of the Saudi Labor Law
Is practical training for students in schools and institutes considered employing juveniles?
No. Article 167 provides that the provisions on employing juveniles do not apply to work done by children and juveniles in schools for general, vocational or technical education, nor in other training institutions.
What age is required for the exception of training work in establishments from the juvenile employment provisions?
The trainee must have reached at least 14 years, the work must be carried out under conditions set by the Minister, and it must be an essential part of an educational course, an approved training program or a guidance program for choosing an occupation.
Is being 14 enough to be excepted from the juvenile provisions?
No. Age is only one condition; in addition the work must be carried out under the Minister's conditions and be an essential part of one of the three programs mentioned in Article 167, otherwise the provisions on employing juveniles apply in full.
Who sets the conditions for juveniles' training work inside establishments?
Article 167 provides that this work is carried out under conditions set by the Minister, and it also requires that the training program carried out inside the establishment be approved by the competent authority.
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.