Article 61 of the Saudi Labor Law

Article 61 of the Labor Law sets out a group of basic duties of the employer toward its workers, duties that are in addition to the other obligations in the Law, its regulations and decisions; that is, they are a minimum that does not replace anything else.

In their form in force after the amendment issued by Royal Decree No. M/44 dated 8/2/1446 AH (effective from 20/8/1446 AH), these duties include the following:

1. Prohibition of forced labor and withholding of wages: a worker may not be made to work by compulsion, nor may their wages or any part of them be withheld except under a judicial instrument. Workers must also be treated with due respect, and any word or act that affects their dignity or religion must be avoided.
2. Time needed to exercise rights: the worker is given enough time to exercise their statutory rights without deduction from their wages, with the employer having the right to organize this so as not to disrupt the course of work.
3. Facilitating the tasks of the competent bodies: such as cooperating with inspection officials in everything related to applying the Law.
4. Prohibition of discrimination: anything that nullifies or impairs equality of opportunity or equal treatment, whether in hiring or during work, on the basis of race, color, sex, age, disability, marital status or any other form of discrimination, is prohibited, and this includes job applicants and current workers.
5. Suitable housing: the employer provides it in kind, or substitutes for it a suitable cash allowance paid with the wage.
6. Transport: providing a suitable means of transport from housing to the place of work, or a suitable cash allowance paid with the wage.

The article does not specify the amount of the cash allowance for housing or transport, and merely describes it as "suitable", so reference is made to the agreement between the parties and what the regulations and competent bodies decide.

This article comes in a connected context: Article 60 prevents assigning a worker to work that differs substantially from what was agreed without written consent except for necessity and for a period not exceeding 30 days in the year, and Article 62 gives the worker their wages if they attended ready to work and were prevented only by a reason attributable to the employer. The three articles together protect the worker from arbitrariness in organizing work, in wages and in treatment. A worker who has suffered a breach of these duties may turn to the competent bodies, and it is preferable to consult a labor lawyer to assess their position.