Article 92 of the Saudi Labor Law
المادة 92 من نظام العمل · الباب السادس: شروط العمل وظروفه
Article 92 bars deducting any amount from a worker's wage for private claims without the worker's written consent, with 6 specific exceptions, limits and an order of priority for debts.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
لا يجوز حسم أي مبلغ من أجور العامل لقاء حقوق خاصة دون موافقة خطية منه، إلا في الحالات الآتية:
1 - استرداد قروض صاحب العمل، بشرط ألا يزيد ما يحسم من العامل في هذه الحالة على 10% من أجره.
2 - اشتراكات التأمينات الاجتماعية ، وأي اشتراكات أخرى مستحقة على العامل ومقررة نظامًا.
3 - اشتراكات العامل في صندوق الادخار والقروض المستحقة للصندوق.
4 - أقساط أي مشروع يقوم به صاحب العمل لبناء المساكن بقصد تمليكها للعمال أو أي مزية أخرى.
5 - الغرامات التي توقع على العامل بسبب المخالفات التي يرتكبها، وكذلك المبلغ الذي يقتطع منه مقابل ما أتلفه.
6 - استيفاء دين إنفاذًا لأي حكم قضائي، على ألَّا يزيد ما يحسم شهريًّا لقاء ذلك على ربع الأجر المستحق للعامل ما لم يتضمن الحكم خلاف ذلك.
ويستوفى دين النفقة أولًا، ثم دين المأكل والملبس والمسكن قبل الديون الأخرى.
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 92 explained in plain English
Article 92 protects the worker's wage from deduction. The general rule is that the employer may not deduct any amount from the wage for private claims except with the worker's written consent. The article then lists 6 cases in which deduction is permitted without this consent:
- Recovery of loans the employer gave to the worker, provided the amount deducted does not exceed 10% of the worker's wage.
- Social insurance contributions and any other contributions owed by the worker and required by law.
- The worker's contributions to the savings fund and loans owed to that fund.
- Installments for housing projects that the employer builds to transfer ownership of homes to workers, or for any other benefit.
- Fines imposed on the worker for violations, and the amount deducted for what the worker damaged; this deduction is regulated by Article 91, which requires the damage to result from the worker's fault, caps it at 5 days' wage per month, and gives the worker the right to file a grievance before the Labor Disputes Settlement Authority within 15 working days.
- Collection of a debt in execution of a court judgment, provided the monthly deduction does not exceed one quarter of the wage due, unless the judgment provides otherwise.
When there are several debts, the article sets an order of priority: the debt of maintenance (alimony) is paid first, then the debt for food, clothing and housing, then other debts.
This article must be read together with Article 93, which sets a general cap on the total of deductions however many their causes: they may not exceed half of the wage due, unless it is established before the Labor Disputes Settlement Authority that the deduction can be increased or that the worker needs more than half of their wage, in which latter case the worker is not given more than three quarters of their wage.
In practice, if an amount is deducted from a worker's wage outside these cases and without their written consent, or if a deduction exceeds the stated proportions, the worker has the right to object, and it is advisable to consult a labor lawyer where there is a dispute over whether a deduction is valid or its amount.
Practical example
Ahmed works for a company in Jeddah on a monthly wage of SAR 6,000, and had received a personal loan from the company. The company began deducting SAR 1,200 per month to repay the loan without his written consent. This violates Article 92, because the maximum deduction in this case is 10% of the wage, that is only SAR 600. In the same month, the company received a court judgment for a maintenance debt against Ahmed, so it may deduct from him no more than one quarter of the wage due (SAR 1,500), unless the judgment provides otherwise. The total of the two deductions (600 + 1,500 = SAR 2,100) is less than half of the wage, so it does not exceed the general cap set in Article 93.
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 92 of the Saudi Labor Law
Can my employer deduct from my salary without my consent?
The rule is that no amount may be deducted for private claims without the worker's written consent, except in the 6 cases listed in Article 92, such as employer loans, insurance contributions, fines and court-ordered debts.
What is the maximum deduction from salary to repay a loan from the employer?
The amount deducted from a worker's wage to recover the employer's loans may not exceed 10% of the wage.
How much can be deducted from wages to enforce a court judgment?
The monthly deduction may not exceed one quarter of the wage due to the worker unless the judgment provides otherwise, and the maintenance debt is paid first, then the debt for food, clothing and housing, before other debts.
Is there a cap on the total deductions from a worker's wage?
Yes. Article 93 provides that in all cases the deducted amounts may not exceed half of the wage due, except by a decision of the Labor Disputes Settlement Authority, and up to a maximum of three quarters of the wage where the worker's need is established.
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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.