Article 17 of the Saudi Labor Law
المادة 17 من نظام العمل · الفصل الأول: التعريفات
Article 17 requires the employer to keep at the workplace the records and files the Regulations specify, and to post a visible schedule of working hours, rest periods and shifts.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
على صاحب العمل أن يحتفظ في مكان العمل بالسجلات والكشوف والملفات التي تحدد ماهيتها، والبيانات التي يجب أن تتضمنها اللائحة.
وعليه أن يضع في مكان ظاهر بموقع العمل جدولًا بمواعيد العمل، وفترات الراحة، ويوم الراحة الأسبوعي، ومواعيد بدء كل نوبة وانتهائها في حالة العمل بأسلوب المناوبة.
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 17 explained in plain English
Article 17 of the Labor Law imposes on the employer two clear organizational obligations inside the workplace, whose aim is to document the employment relationship and inform workers of their basic rights relating to working time.
The first obligation: keeping records and files. The employer must keep at the workplace the records, statements and files relating to the establishment and the workers. The article itself does not specify the type of these records or the data they must contain, but refers that to the Regulations, which state what the records are and what must be entered in them.
The second obligation: posting the working hours schedule. The employer must place in a prominent place at the work site a schedule containing:
- The daily working hours.
- Rest periods.
- The weekly rest day.
- The start and end times of each shift, if the establishment works on a shift basis.
The purpose of this schedule is that every worker knows in advance when his work begins and ends and when he rests, without having to ask management or rely on changing oral instructions, and it also makes it easier for the competent bodies to verify the establishment's compliance.
How is the article linked to those around it? Under Article 16, if the employer does not carry on the work himself he must appoint a person who represents him at the workplace and is responsible for any violation of the law, which in practice includes failing to keep the records or post the schedule, while the employer's responsibility remains in place as a primary matter. These records also gain importance when the ownership of the establishment is transferred or its legal form changes under Article 18, because employment contracts remain in force and service is considered continuous, and the previous and new owners are jointly liable for the workers' earlier rights, which requires careful documentation of periods and wages.
What does the worker do? The worker may look at the posted schedule to learn his official hours, and if there is no visible schedule or the actual hours differ from it, he may refer to the competent labor office or consult a labor lawyer.
Practical example
An industrial company in Jubail operates a three-shift system around the clock. Ahmed joined it as a new worker, and on his first day he found on the notice board at the factory entrance a schedule showing the working hours, the break time of each shift, and Friday as the weekly rest day, and that the night shift starts at 11 pm and ends at 7 am. Ahmed thus knew his hours without needing to ask the supervisor. At the same time, the personnel department keeps a file for Ahmed and the other workers according to the data the Regulations specify, which the competent body checks when it visits the establishment.
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 17 of the Saudi Labor Law
What records must the employer keep under Article 17?
The article itself did not specify the type of records, but provides that the Regulations state the records, statements, files and data they must contain, while requiring the employer to keep them at the workplace.
What must the working hours schedule posted in the establishment contain?
The schedule must contain the working hours, rest periods, the weekly rest day, and, where work is on a shift basis, the start and end times of each shift, and it must be placed in a prominent place at the work site.
Who bears responsibility if the establishment does not keep records or post the schedule?
The obligation falls on the employer in the first place, and under Article 16 the manager or representative appointed at the workplace is responsible for any violation of the law, while the employer's responsibility remains in place as a primary matter.
Is it enough to tell workers their hours orally?
No. The article requires a written schedule placed in a prominent place at the work site, and oral notice alone does not achieve what the article requires.
More articles on Definitions and General Provisions of the Labor Law
- Article 1
Article 1 gives this law its official name, the "Labor Law", the name used in contracts, decisions and all other articles of the law.
يسمى هذا النظام نظام العمل.
- Article 2Amended by M/44
Article 2 defines the terms used in the Labor Law, such as worker, employer, basic and actual wage, continuous service, types of work, secondment and resignation.
يقصد بالألفاظ والعبارات الآتية -أينما وردت في هذا النظام- المعاني المبينة أمامها ما لم يقتض السياق خلاف ذلك: الوزارة: وزارة العمل. الوزير: وزير العمل. مكتب العم
- Article 3Amended (1440 AH)
The article provides that work is a right of the citizen, that others may not practice it except on the law's conditions, and that citizens are equal in the right to work without discrimination based on sex, disability, age or otherwise.
العمل حق للمواطن، لا يجوز لغيره ممارسته إلا بعد توافر الشروط المنصوص عليها في هذا النظام، والمواطنون متساوون في حق العمل دون أي تمييز على أساس الجنس أو الإعاقة
- Article 4
Article 4 requires the employer and the worker alike to observe the provisions of Islamic Sharia in everything relating to the application of the Labor Law.
يجب على صاحب العمل والعامل عند تطبيق أحكام هذا النظام الالتزام بمقتضيات أحكام الشريعة الإسلامية.
- Article 5Amended (1436 AH)
Article 5 sets the scope of the Labor Law: every paid employment contract under an employer's management, government and public-body workers, charity workers, training contracts, and part-time workers within set limits.
تسري أحكام هذا النظام على الآتي : 1 - كل عقد عمل يلتزم بمقتضاه أي شخص بالعمل لمصلحة صاحب عمل وتحت إدارته أو إشرافه؛ مقابل أجر. 2 - عمال الحكومة والهيئات والمؤسس
- Article 6
Article 6 sets the provisions that apply to the casual, seasonal and temporary worker: duties, discipline, working hours, rest, overtime, official holidays, safety, work injuries and what the Minister decides.
تسري على العامل العرضي والموسمي والمؤقت الأحكام الخاصة بالواجبات وقواعد التأديب، والحد الأقصى لساعات العمل، وفترات الراحة اليومية والراحة الأسبوعية، والتشغيل ال
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.