Article 31 of the Saudi Labor Law
المادة 31 من نظام العمل · الباب الثاني: تنظيم عمليات التوظيف
Article 31 provides that a Saudi worker hired through an office or company, and a worker recruited on an employer's behalf, are workers of the employer with a direct contractual relationship.
Official text after amendments (Arabic)
Compiled from the original text and every officially published amendment; the amendments are shown in full below for comparison.
يُعدّ العمال السعوديون الذين أسهمت المكاتب أو الشركات في توظيفهم والعمال الذين استقدمتهم نيابة عن أصحاب العمل عمالًّا لدى صاحب العمل، ويرتبطون به بعلاقة عقدية مباشرة.
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 31 explained in plain English
This article determines who the real employer is when a worker reaches their job through an intermediary, whether an office or a company of the kinds that Article 30 requires to hold a license from the Ministry. The rule is clear: the intermediary is not the employer; the employer is the establishment the worker will actually work for.
The article covers two categories of workers:
- Saudi workers whose hiring with a particular establishment the offices or companies contributed to.
- Workers who were recruited by an office or company on behalf of the employer.
In both cases the worker is considered a worker of the employer for whose benefit the hiring or recruitment was done, and a direct contractual relationship arises between them. In practice this means:
- The employment contract is between the worker and the employer, not between the worker and the office or the recruitment company.
- The employer bears the obligations of an employer toward the worker under the Labor Law, and is the party the worker faces in any claim or dispute.
- The end of the office's or company's role after hiring or recruitment is completed does not affect the relationship between the worker and the employer.
This article is part of an integrated system: Article 30 prohibits practicing the activity of hiring Saudis, recruitment or outsourcing without a license from the Ministry, and refers to the Regulations for the controls of these activities and the licensee's obligations, and Article 32 prohibits recruitment for work except after the Ministry's approval. Article 31 settles the effect of this intermediation on the employment relationship itself, so that the presence of an intermediary is not a reason to evade the status of employer.
The text shown above is the text as amended by Royal Decree No. M/44 dated 8/2/1446 AH, effective from 20/8/1446 AH. If a dispute arises over identifying the responsible party in a particular case, it is appropriate to consult a lawyer specialized in labor cases.
Practical example
A company in Riyadh contracted with a licensed hiring office to look for a Saudi accountant, and the office nominated Ahmed, who was appointed at the company. At the same time, a licensed recruitment company recruited a technician from abroad on behalf of the same company. Under Article 31, Ahmed and the recruited technician are workers of the company in Riyadh and are tied to it by a direct employment contract, and the company is the party responsible to them as employer, while the role of the hiring office and the recruitment company ends once the intermediation task is completed.
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 31 of the Saudi Labor Law
Is a hiring office or recruitment company the employer as far as the worker is concerned?
No. Article 31 provides that a worker whom the office or company contributed to hiring or recruiting on behalf of an employer is considered a worker of the employer itself and is tied to it by a direct contractual relationship, so the office's role is only intermediation.
Does Article 31 apply only to Saudi workers or to non-Saudis as well?
The article covers two categories: Saudi workers whom offices or companies contributed to hiring, and workers recruited on behalf of employers. In both cases the contractual relationship is directly with the employer.
What does "direct contractual relationship" mean in Article 31?
It means that the employment contract is made between the worker and the employer for whose benefit the hiring or recruitment was done, without the intermediary office or company being a party to this relationship after hiring is completed.
How does Article 31 relate to Articles 30 and 32 of the Labor Law?
Article 30 requires a Ministry license to practice hiring, recruitment and outsourcing activities and refers to the Regulations for their controls, and Article 32 requires the Ministry's approval before recruitment for work, while Article 31 determines the effect of intermediation on the employment relationship by making the worker directly the employer's.
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 وذلك بإضافة عبارة "أو الشركات" بعد كلمة "المكاتب"
Original text before the amendments (Arabic)
يُعدّ العمال السعوديون الذين أسهمت المكاتب في توظيفهم والعمال الذين استقدمتهم نيابة عن أصحاب العمل عمالًّا لدى صاحب العمل، ويرتبطون به بعلاقة عقدية مباشرة.
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.