Article 47 of the Saudi Labor Law
المادة 47 من نظام العمل · الباب الرابع: التدريب والتأهيل
Article 47 empowers the Minister to require establishments to accept a number or percentage of university and institute students and graduates for training under a training contract governed by this chapter, with remuneration optional.
Official text after amendments (Arabic)
Compiled from the original text and every officially published amendment; the amendments are shown in full below for comparison.
للوزير أن يلزم المنشآت بقبول عدد أو تنسبة محددة من طلاب الجامعات والكليات والمعاهد والمراكز وخريجيها؛ بغية التدريب واستكمال الخبرة العملية، وفق الشروط والأوضاع والمدد التي تحددها اللائحة، على أن يُبرم عقد تدريب بين المتدرب وصاحب العمل تطبق في شأنه الأحكام الواردة في هذا الفصل. وللمنشأة أن تقدم مكافأة للمتدرب.
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 47 explained in plain English
Article 47 of the Labor Law regulates a special case of training, namely mandatory training of students and graduates within establishments. The starting point is that an establishment is free to choose whom it trains, but this article gives the Minister the power to require establishments to accept a specified number or percentage of students of universities, colleges, institutes and centers, and graduates of these bodies, for the purpose of training them and completing their practical experience.
The article sets several controls for this requirement:
- The conditions, arrangements and periods under which the training takes place are not set by the article itself, but are referred to the Regulations; the establishment and the trainee refer to them for the details.
- A training contract must be concluded between the trainee and the employer; it is not enough for the trainee to be accepted orally or by a letter from their educational institution.
- This contract is subject to the provisions of the chapter on training and qualification in full; under Article 46 it must be in writing, and must specify the profession being trained for, the rights and duties of the parties and the place of training, and the remuneration must not be set on a piece-rate or output basis. Under Article 48 the employer may terminate the contract if it is established by periodic evaluation reports that the trainee is unable to complete the program, and the trainee also has the right to terminate it, with notice to the other party at least a week in advance.
- Remuneration, according to the text of Article 47, is optional for the establishment and not obligatory; if it decides to give it, it is recorded in the contract under Article 46.
In practice, this means that a student or graduate placed in an establishment on the basis of the Minister's decision has a clear legal position: they have a written contract setting out their rights, they are not treated as a worker under an ordinary employment contract, and their relationship with the establishment is governed by the provisions of this chapter and not by the provisions of an employment contract. This article was amended by Royal Decree No. M/44 dated 8/2/1446 AH, and the current wording applies from 20/8/1446 AH. Where there is a dispute over applying the obligation to work for a similar period after training or over its costs, it is advisable to consult a labor lawyer.
Practical example
The Minister issued a decision requiring large contracting companies to accept a percentage of engineering college graduates for training and to complete their practical experience. Abdullah, a recent graduate, applied to a company in Dammam, and it accepted him within this percentage. It is not enough here for the company merely to list his name in its records; it must sign a written training contract with him stating the specialty he will be trained in and his rights and duties under Article 46, and the duration and conditions of training are as set by the Regulations. The company decided to give him a monthly remuneration, which is permitted to it under Article 47, so it recorded it in the contract. If it later became clear from periodic evaluation reports that Abdullah was unable to complete the program, the company could terminate the contract after notifying him at least a week in advance under Article 48.
Translated from our Arabic explanation with machine assistance. For guidance only; it does not replace advice from a lawyer on your situation.
How we write and review contentA question about Article 47 of Labor Law?
Describe what happened and specialist lawyers answer. You can write in English.
- Completely free
- Lawyers from the directory answer
- Your name stays hidden
Labour & Employment Law lawyers: ask a specialist about your case
Describe your situation briefly and we'll suggest a lawyer who specialises in this law
Labour & Employment Law lawyers
Lawyers who handle this kind of case
شركة امتداد النظام للمحاماة والاستشارات المهنية
- Labour & Employment Law
- Criminal Law
Dr. Ali Al-Rubaie Law Office and Ittihad Al-Asr Legal Company
Active contributorFrequently asked questions about Article 47 of the Saudi Labor Law
Can a company be forced to accept university trainees?
Yes. Article 47 gives the Minister the power to require establishments to accept a specified number or percentage of students of universities, colleges, institutes and centers and their graduates for training and completing practical experience, on the conditions, arrangements and periods set by the Regulations.
Is a trainee whom the establishment is required to accept entitled to remuneration?
The text of Article 47 makes giving remuneration optional for the establishment and not obligatory. If the establishment decides to give remuneration, Article 46 provides that its amount is set in the training contract and not on a piece-rate or output basis.
Must a contract be signed with a student or graduate trainee?
Yes. Article 47 requires a training contract to be concluded between the trainee and the employer, to which the provisions of the chapter on training and qualification apply, including the requirement that the contract be in writing under Article 46.
Can the trainee or the establishment terminate the training contract?
Under Article 48, the employer may terminate the contract if it is established by periodic evaluation reports that the trainee is unable to complete the program, and the trainee also has the right to terminate, provided that the party wishing to terminate notifies the other at least a week in advance.
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 لتكون بالنص الآتي: "للوزير أن يلزم المنشآت بقبول عدد أو تنسبة محددة من طلاب الجامعات والكليات والمعاهد والمراكز وخريجيها؛ بغية التدريب واستكمال الخبرة العملية، وفق الشروط والأوضاع والمدد التي تحددها اللائحة، على أن يُبرم عقد تدريب بين المتدرب وصاحب العمل تطبق في شأنه الأحكام الواردة في هذا الفصل. وللمنشأة أن تقدم مكافأة للمتدرب".
Original text before the amendments (Arabic)
للوزير أن يلزم المنشآت- التي يحددها بقرارات منه- بقبول عدد أو نسبة محددة من طلاب الكليات والمعاهد والمراكز وخريجيها؛ بغية التدريب واستكمال الخبرة العملية، وفق الشروط والأوضاع والمدد ومكافآت المتدربين التي يحددها اتفاق يعقد بين الوزارة وإدارة المنشأة المعنية.
More articles on Training and Qualification
- 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 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 26
Article 26 requires every establishment, whatever its size or activity, to attract, hire and train Saudis, with Saudis making up at least 75% of workers, which the Minister may temporarily reduce.
1- على جميع المنشآت في مختلف أنشطتها، وأيًّا كان عدد العاملين فيها، العمل على استقطاب السعوديين وتوظيفهم، وتوفير وسائل استمرارهم في العمل، وإتاحة الفرصة المناسب
- Article 41
Article 41 refers to the Regulations the conditions for recruiting non-Saudi labor, transferring its services and changing its profession, and the related controls and procedures.
تحدد اللائحة شروط الاستقدام، ونقل الخدمات، وتغيير المهنة، وضوابط ذلك وإجراءاته.
- Article 42Amended by M/44
Article 42 requires every employer to set a policy for training and qualifying its Saudi workers to raise their skills in technical, administrative and professional work, and leaves the detailed provisions to the Implementing Regulations.
على كل صاحب عمل وضع سياسة لتدريب عماله السعوديين وتأهيلهم، من أجل رفع مهاراتهم وتحسين مستواهم في الأعمال الفنية والإدارية والمهنية وغيرها. وتحدد اللائحة الأحكام
- Article 43Amended by M/44
Article 43 requires an employer to qualify or train, for its work, the Saudi workers who complete their studies at its expense, subject to the terms of franchise agreements, and refers the details to the Regulations.
دون إخلال بما تنص عليه اتفاقيات الامتياز وغيرها من الاتفاقيات من شروط وقواعد خاصة بالتدريب والتأهيل ورفع المهارات؛ على كل صاحب عمل أن يؤهل أو يدرب على أعماله 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.