Article 22 of the Saudi Labor Law
المادة 22 من نظام العمل · الباب الثاني: تنظيم عمليات التوظيف
Article 22 requires the Ministry to provide free employment channels that connect workers and employers, collect labor market data, register job seekers and guide them toward suitable training.
Official text after amendments (Arabic)
Compiled from the original text and every officially published amendment; the amendments are shown in full below for comparison.
توفر الوزارة قنوات للتوظيف دون مقابل، تقوم بما يأتي:
1 - مساعدة العمال في الحصول على الأعمال المناسبة، ومساعدة أصحاب الأعمال في إيجاد العمال المناسبين.
2 - جمع المعلومات الضرورية عن سوق العمل وتطوره وتحليلها؛ لكي تكون في متناول مختلف الهيئات العامة والخاصة المعنية بشؤون التخطيط الاقتصادي والاجتماعي .
3 - تنفيذ الواجبات الآتية:
3 /1- تسجيل طالبي العمل.
3 /2 - الحصول على بيانات بالأعمال الشاغرة من أصحاب الأعمال.
3 /3 - مواءمة طلبات طالبي العمل مع الأعمال الشاغرة وفق مؤهلاتهم.
3 /4 - تقديم النصح والمعونة إلى طالبي العمل فيما يختص بالتأهيل والتدريب المهني، أو بإعادة التدريب اللازم للحصول على الأعمال الشاغرة.
3 /5 - غير ذلك من الأمور التي تقررها الوزارة.
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 22 explained in plain English
Article 22 of the Labor Law places a clear duty on the Ministry: to provide employment channels free of charge, meaning these channels cost nothing to use, whether you are a job seeker or an employer looking for staff. It sets the general framework for the State's role in organizing the labor market, and it follows Article 21, which requires the Minister to coordinate with the relevant bodies whenever needed to carry out the provisions of the Law.
The article sets out three main tasks for these channels:
- Matching the two sides of the labor market: helping workers obtain suitable jobs, and helping employers find suitable workers.
- Monitoring the labor market: collecting the necessary information about the labor market and its development and analyzing it, so that it is available to the public and private bodies concerned with economic and social planning.
- Specific operational duties: registering job seekers, obtaining data on vacant jobs from employers, matching job seekers' applications with vacancies according to their qualifications, and giving job seekers advice and assistance on vocational qualification and training, or on the retraining needed to fill the vacant jobs, in addition to any other matters the Ministry decides.
What does this mean in practice?
- A job seeker is not asked to pay any fee to register or to receive help from these channels, and may ask for advice on training that improves their chances of getting hired.
- An employer can use the same channels to announce vacancies and find suitable candidates.
- Article 23 complements this article by giving every citizen of working age who is able and willing to work the right to ask for their name to be registered with the employment channels, stating their date of birth, qualifications, previous jobs, preferences and address.
Note that the text now in force for this article was issued by Royal Decree No. M/44 dated 8/2/1446 AH, effective from 20/8/1446 AH. As for the details of how these channels operate and the additional matters assigned to them, the Law leaves them to what the Ministry decides.
Practical example
Fahad recently graduated from a technical institute in Dammam and could not find a job in his field. He went to the employment channel provided by the Ministry and registered his details and qualifications without paying any fee. At the same time, an industrial company in Jubail reported vacancies for technicians to the channel. The channel matched Fahad's qualifications with the vacancy under Article 22, and when it became clear that the job required an additional certificate, it advised him on a training program that would qualify him for it.
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 22 of the Saudi Labor Law
Is registering with the government employment channels free?
Yes. Article 22 expressly states that the Ministry provides employment channels free of charge, so no fees are imposed on job seekers or employers for using them.
What services do the employment channels provide to a job seeker?
They register the job seeker's details, match the application with vacancies according to the job seeker's qualifications, and give advice and assistance on vocational qualification and training, or the retraining needed to fill the available jobs.
Do the employment channels also serve employers?
Yes. Their tasks include helping employers find suitable workers and obtaining from them data on vacant jobs so that these can be matched with job seekers' applications.
Who may ask to have their name registered with the employment channels?
Under Article 23, every citizen of working age who is able and willing to work may ask for their name to be registered, stating their date of birth, qualifications, previous jobs, preferences and address.
Amendment history
Royal Decree No. M/44 — 8/2/1446 AH
In effect from 20/8/1446 AH
Official amendment text (Arabic)
- صدر المرسوم الملكي رقم (م/44) وتاريخ 1446/2/8هـ، وذلك بالموافقة على تعديلات بعض مواد نظام العمل (ويعمل بها من تاريخ 1446/8/20هـ)
وعُدلت هذه المادة على النحو الآتي:
- عُدل صدر هذه المادة ليكون بالنص الآتي "توفر الوزارة قنوات للتوظيف دون مقابل، تقوم بما يأتي:".
- عُدلت الفقرة (3/3) لتكون بالنص الآتي: "مواءمة طلبات طالبي العمل مع الأعمال الشاغرة وفق مؤهلاتهم".
Original text before the amendments (Arabic)
توفر الوزارة وحدات للتوظيف دون مقابل في الأماكن المناسبة لأصحاب العمل والعمال، تقوم بما يأتي:
1 - مساعدة العمال في الحصول على الأعمال المناسبة، ومساعدة أصحاب الأعمال في إيجاد العمال المناسبين.
2 - جمع المعلومات الضرورية عن سوق العمل وتطوره وتحليلها؛ لكي تكون في متناول مختلف الهيئات العامة والخاصة المعنية بشؤون التخطيط الاقتصادي والاجتماعي .
3 - تنفيذ الواجبات الآتية:
3 /1- تسجيل طالبي العمل.
3 /2 - الحصول على بيانات بالأعمال الشاغرة من أصحاب الأعمال.
3 /3 - إحالة طلبات العمال للأعمال الشاغرة الملائمة.
3 /4 - تقديم النصح والمعونة إلى طالبي العمل فيما يختص بالتأهيل والتدريب المهني، أو بإعادة التدريب اللازم للحصول على الأعمال الشاغرة.
3 /5 - غير ذلك من الأمور التي تقررها الوزارة.
More articles on Recruitment and Employing Non-Saudis
- Article 11Amended (1436 AH)
Article 11 requires anyone entrusted with the employer's original work, or part of it, to give his own workers all the rights and benefits that the original employer gives his workers.
إذا عهد صاحب العمل لأي شخص طبيعي أو معنوي القيام بعمل من أعماله الأصلية، أو جزء منها؛ وجب على الأخير أن يعطي عماله جميع الحقوق والمزايا التي يعطيها صاحب العمل ا
- Article 11 bisAmended (1436 AH)
The article gives the Minister the power to take measures that ensure better labor market performance and regulate the movement of labor, without prejudice to the provisions of the law and related laws.
مع عدم الإخلال بأحكام هذا النظام والأنظمة ذات العلاقة؛ للوزير أن يتخذ الإجراءات التي من شأنها أن تكفل تحسين أداء سوق العمل، وتنظيم حركة انتقال الأيدي العاملة
- Article 21
Article 21 requires the Minister to coordinate with the relevant bodies whenever needed in order to implement the provisions of the Labor Law.
على الوزير- في سبيل تنفيذ أحكام هذا النظام- التنسيق مع الجهات ذات العلاقة كلما اقتضى الأمر ذلك.
- Article 23Amended by M/44
Article 23 gives every citizen of working age who is able and willing to work the right to ask for their name to be registered with the employment channels, providing basic personal details.
لكل مواطن في سن العمل قادر على العمل وراغب فيه أن يطلب قيد اسمه في قنوات التوظيف، مع بيان تاريخ مولده ومؤهلاته وأعماله السابقة ورغباته وعنوانه.
- Article 24Amended by M/44
Article 24 refers to the Regulations the rules of operation, procedures, forms of records and notices, and occupational classification tables of the employment channels, as the basis for organizing hiring operations.
تحدد اللائحة قواعد سير العمل وإجراءاته في قنوات التوظيف، ونماذج السجلات والإشعارات والأوراق المستخدمة في أعمالها، وكذلك جداول تصنيف المهن وفقًا للتصنيف المهني ا
- Article 25Amended by M/44
Article 25 requires every employer to send periodic data to the Ministry on vacant and newly created jobs, nominated citizens, its workers, and an annual report on the state of work.
على كل صاحب عمل أن يرسل إلى الوزارة ما يأتي: 1 - بيانًا بالأعمال الشاغرة والمستحدثة، وأنواعها، ومكانها، والأجر المخصص لها، والشروط اللازم توافرها لشغلها، وذلك ف
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.