Article 58 of the Saudi Labor Law
المادة 58 من نظام العمل · الباب الخامس: علاقات العمل
Article 58 prevents transferring a worker to a place that changes their residence without their written consent, and permits temporary assignment out of occasional necessity for up to 30 days a year at the employer's expense.
Official text after amendments (Arabic)
Compiled from the original text and every officially published amendment; the amendments are shown in full below for comparison.
1 - لا يجوز لصاحب العمل أن ينقل العامل بغير موافقته – كتابةً – من مكان عمله الأصلي إلى مكان آخر يقتضي تغيير محل إقامته.
2 - لصاحب العمل - في حالات الضرورة التي قد تقتضيها ظروف عارضة ولمدة لا تتجاوز ثلاثين يوماً في السنة – تكليف العامل بعمل في مكان يختلف عن المكان المتفق عليه دون اشتراط موافقته، على أن يتحمل صاحب العمل تكاليف انتقال العامل وإقامته خلال تلك المدة.
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 58 explained in plain English
Article 58 of the Labor Law sets out when an employer may change the worker's place of work, and distinguishes between two cases: a transfer that changes the worker's place of residence, and a temporary assignment for an urgent circumstance.
First: a transfer that requires changing the place of residence. An employer may not move the worker from their original place of work to another place that requires them to move to live in another city or region except with the worker's consent, and this consent must be given in writing; oral consent or silence is not enough. The criterion here is not distance in itself, but whether the transfer forces the worker to change their place of residence.
Second: a temporary assignment without consent. Paragraph 2 permits the employer to assign the worker to work in a place different from the agreed place without needing their consent, but on conditions that must all be met:
- There must be a necessity arising from occasional circumstances, not a permanent or planned situation.
- The period of assignment must not exceed 30 days in the year.
- The employer must bear the costs of the worker's travel and stay throughout that period.
If the assignment exceeds 30 days in the year, or is not based on an occasional circumstance, it may not be imposed without the worker's consent. And if the transfer requires changing their place of residence, it is valid only with their written consent under paragraph 1.
This article is linked to Article 59, which protects the worker from another change no less significant in its effect, namely moving them from monthly wages to the category of daily, weekly, piece-rate or hourly workers, as it too requires their written consent; the logic is the same: the essential elements of the contract (the place of work and the method of calculating wages) do not change by the employer's will alone. Article 57, by contrast, concerns the end of a contract concluded to complete a specific job on completion of that job.
The text in its current form was issued by Royal Decree No. M/46 dated 5/6/1436 AH. If a worker is subjected to a transfer or assignment that does not meet these conditions, it is appropriate to document the assignment, its details and its duration and consult a lawyer specialized in labor cases.
Practical example
Ahmed works as an engineer at a contracting company in Riyadh under a contract stating that his workplace is in Riyadh. A company project in Dammam suddenly stalled because its supervisor was absent, so the company assigned him to supervise it for 3 weeks and bore his travel tickets and accommodation there. This assignment is permitted without his consent because it was for an occasional circumstance, did not exceed 30 days in the year, and the company bore the costs. After the project ended, the company asked Ahmed to move permanently to the Dammam branch, which requires moving his residence and family; here the transfer is valid only if Ahmed agrees to it in writing, and it is not enough to inform him orally or by a text message to which he responds with silence.
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 58 of the Saudi Labor Law
May an employer transfer a worker to another city without their consent?
No. Paragraph 1 of Article 58 provides that a worker may not be transferred from their original place of work to another place that requires changing their place of residence except with their written consent.
What is the maximum period a worker may be assigned to work in another place without their consent?
30 days in the year at most, and on condition that the assignment is for a necessity arising from occasional circumstances, and that the employer bears the costs of the worker's travel and stay during that period.
Who bears the travel and accommodation costs during a temporary assignment to a different place?
The employer. Article 58 requires, for an assignment without the worker's consent to be valid, that the employer bear the costs of the worker's travel and stay throughout the period of assignment.
Is oral consent enough for a transfer to a new workplace that changes the place of residence?
No. The text is explicit that the consent must be in writing, the same condition that Article 59 requires for moving a worker from monthly wages to the other wage categories.
Amendment history
Royal Decree No. M/46 — 5/6/1436 AH
Official amendment text (Arabic)
تم تعديل هذه المادة بموجب المرسوم الملكي رقم ( م/ 46) وتاريخ 5 / 6 / 1436 هـ ؛ لتكون بالنص الآتي :
"1 - لا يجوز لصاحب العمل أن ينقل العامل بغير موافقته – كتابةً – من مكان عمله الأصلي إلى مكان آخر يقتضي تغيير محل إقامته.
2 - لصاحب العمل - في حالات الضرورة التي قد تقتضيها ظروف عارضة ولمدة لا تتجاوز ثلاثين يوماً في السنة – تكليف العامل بعمل في مكان يختلف عن المكان المتفق عليه دون اشتراط موافقته، على أن يتحمل صاحب العمل تكاليف انتقال العامل وإقامته خلال تلك المدة".
Original text before the amendments (Arabic)
لا يجوز لصاحب العمل أن ينقل العامل من مكان عمله الأصلي إلى مكان آخر يقتضي تغيير محل إقامته، إذا كان من شأن النقل أن يلحق بالعامل ضررًا جسيمًا ولم يكن له سبب مشروع تقتضيه طبيعة العمل.
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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.