Article 25 of the Saudi Labor Law
المادة 25 من نظام العمل · الباب الثاني: تنظيم عمليات التوظيف
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.
Official text after amendments (Arabic)
Compiled from the original text and every officially published amendment; the amendments are shown in full below for comparison.
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 في مدة لا تتجاوز خمسة عشر يومًا من تاريخ شغورها أو استحداثها.
2 - إشعارًا بما اتخذه بشأن توظيف المواطن الذي رشحته قنوات التوظيف خلال سبعة أيام من تاريخ تسلُّم خطاب الترشيح.
3 - بيانًا بأسماء عماله، ووظائفهم، ومهنهم، وأجورهم، وأعمارهم، وجنسياتهم، وأرقام رخص العمل لغير السعوديين وتواريخها وغير ذلك من البيانات التي تحددها اللائحة.
4 - تقريرًا عن حالة العمل وظروفه وطبيعته، والنقص والزيادة في الأعمال المتوقعة خلال السنة التالية لتاريخ التقرير.
5 - ترسل البيانات المشار إليها في الفقرتين 3، 4 من هذه المادة خلال شهر محرم من كل عام.
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 25 explained in plain English
Article 25 of the Labor Law places on every employer a duty to inform the Ministry of specified information about its establishment and workers, so that the Ministry can follow the labor market and direct citizens seeking work to the available opportunities. The article falls within Part Two on organizing hiring operations, and it is the practical tool that helps apply Article 26, which requires establishments to attract and hire Saudis and to comply with a ratio of not less than 75% of the total workers.
The obligations in the article fall into two types:
First: obligations tied to a specific event
- Statement of vacant and newly created jobs: it must be sent within a period not exceeding 15 days from the date the job becomes vacant or is created, and it includes the type of work, its location, the wage assigned to it and the conditions required to fill it.
- Notice about the nominated citizen: if the employment channels nominate a citizen for a job, the employer must inform the Ministry of what it has done regarding hiring that citizen within 7 days of receiving the nomination letter.
Second: annual obligations, sent during the month of Muharram each year:
- Statement of workers: it includes their names, positions, occupations, wages, ages and nationalities, the numbers and dates of work permits for non-Saudis, and any other data the Regulations specify.
- Report on the state of work: it describes working conditions and the nature of the work, and the expected shortage or surplus in work during the year following the date of the report.
Note that the article refers to the Regulations for specifying additional data, and that Article 24 makes the Regulations the source for the forms of records and notices used in the employment channels and for the classification of occupations, so the employer should refer to them to learn the approved format for sending.
This text is the version in force after the article was amended by Royal Decree No. M/44 dated 8/2/1446 AH, effective from 20/8/1446 AH. Where there is a question about how to meet these obligations in a particular case, it is advisable to consult a lawyer specialized in labor cases.
Practical example
A contracting company in Riyadh had an accountant resign on 1 Rabi al-Awwal, so the accountant position became vacant. Under Article 25 the company must send a statement of this job to the Ministry before 15 days pass, that is, by 16 Rabi al-Awwal at the latest, stating the work location, the wage assigned and the conditions required. Two weeks later the company received a nomination letter for a citizen named Ahmed from one of the employment channels, so it must notify the Ministry of what it decided about hiring him within 7 days of receiving the letter. In Muharram of the following year the company sends its annual statement with the names of all its workers, their wages and nationalities and the work permit numbers for non-Saudis, together with a report on the state of work and the expected increase or decrease in its work during the coming year.
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 25 of the Saudi Labor Law
How long does an employer have to inform the Ministry of a vacant job?
Article 25 provides for sending a statement of vacant or newly created jobs within a period not exceeding 15 days from the date they become vacant or are created, including their type, location, the wage assigned and the conditions for filling them.
How many days does an employer have to respond to a citizen nominated by the employment channels?
The employer must send a notice to the Ministry of what it did regarding hiring the nominated citizen within 7 days of receiving the nomination letter.
When are the workers' data and the annual report on the state of work sent?
Paragraph 5 of Article 25 provides that the statement of workers' names, positions and wages, and the report on the state of work and the expected shortage and surplus, are sent during the month of Muharram each year.
Does Article 25 apply to small establishments?
The text of the article is addressed to every employer without exception by size, and the Regulations set any additional data and the forms for sending under Articles 24 and 25.
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)
وعدلت هذه المادة على النحو الآتي:
- إحلال كلمة "قنوات" محل كلمتي "وحدة" و "وحدات" أينما وردت في المادة.
-إحلال كلمة "الوزارة" محل عبارة "مكتب العمل المختص". أينما وردت في المادة.
Original text before the amendments (Arabic)
على كل صاحب عمل أن يرسل إلى مكتب العمل المختص ما يأتي:
1 - بيانًا بالأعمال الشاغرة والمستحدثة، وأنواعها، ومكانها، والأجر المخصص لها، والشروط اللازم توافرها لشغلها، وذلك في مدة لا تتجاوز خمسة عشر يومًا من تاريخ شغورها أو استحداثها.
2 - إشعارًا بما اتخذه بشأن توظيف المواطن الذي رشحته وحدة التوظيف خلال سبعة أيام من تاريخ تسلُّم خطاب الترشيح.
3 - بيانًا بأسماء عماله، ووظائفهم، ومهنهم، وأجورهم، وأعمارهم، وجنسياتهم، وأرقام رخص العمل لغير السعوديين وتواريخها وغير ذلك من البيانات التي تحددها اللائحة.
4 - تقريرًا عن حالة العمل وظروفه وطبيعته، والنقص والزيادة في الأعمال المتوقعة خلال السنة التالية لتاريخ التقرير.
5 - ترسل البيانات المشار إليها في الفقرتين 3، 4 من هذه المادة خلال شهر محرم من كل عام.
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 22Amended by M/44
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.
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
- 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
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.