Article 26 of the Saudi Unemployment Insurance Law
المادة 26 من نظام التأمين ضد التعطل عن العمل
The Article voids any agreement or settlement that contradicts the Law, made by those it covers, if it would harm subscribers' rights or impose additional obligations on them.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
كل اتفاقٍ أو تسويةٍ تخالف أحكام هذا النظام وتصدر ممن يشملهم، تُعدُّ باطلة إذا كان من شأنها أن تضر بحقوق المشتركين أو تحملهم التزامات إضافية.
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 26 explained in plain English
This Article protects subscribers' rights from contrary agreements, providing that any agreement or settlement that:
- contradicts the provisions of the Law,
- and is made by those the Law covers,
is considered void if it would:
- harm subscribers' rights, or
- impose additional obligations on them.
What does this mean? That the Law's provisions that protect the subscriber may not be circumvented by an agreement, even if the subscriber themselves agreed to it. If a worker and an employer agreed that the employer would not register the worker under the Law, or that the worker would bear the employer's share of the contribution that Article 7 places on the employer, that agreement would be void because it harms the subscriber's rights or imposes an additional obligation on them.
What are the limits of voidness? The Article requires two things together: contradiction of the Law, and that the agreement would harm subscribers or impose additional obligations on them. The voidness here is established to protect the subscriber.
The Article comes after Article 25, which sets fines for violating the Law's provisions, and before Article 27, which makes the Social Insurance Law the reference for matters without a provision. Anyone who has signed an agreement or settlement they suspect contradicts the Law should consult a lawyer specialized in social insurance.
Practical example
A business in Hail offered its employee Turki that he bear its share of the contribution in return for a small raise in his salary, and Turki signed. This agreement contradicts Article 7 and imposes an additional obligation on Turki, so it is void and cannot be invoked against him.
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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Frequently asked questions about Article 26 of the Saudi Unemployment Insurance Law
Can I agree with my employer to waive unemployment insurance rights?
Any agreement or settlement that contradicts the Law's provisions and harms subscribers' rights or imposes additional obligations on them is void.
Is the agreement valid if the worker agreed to it?
The Article voids a contrary agreement made by those the Law covers when it harms subscribers' rights or imposes additional obligations on them, and it makes no exception for the subscriber's consent.
More articles on Persons Covered by Unemployment Insurance
- Article 2
The article makes unemployment insurance a branch of social insurance that ensures compensation for subscribers who are out of work, under the Law's provisions.
يعد التأمين ضد التعطل عن العمل فرعاً من فروع التأمينات الاجتماعية، ويكفل تقديم التعويض للمشتركين المتعطلين عن العمل وفق الأحكام المحددة بموجبه.
- Article 3
The article applies the Law compulsorily to Saudi workers without discrimination of sex if under 59 when it starts to apply to them, and stops a subscriber's contributions at age 60.
1- يطبق النظام بصورة إلزامية على جميع العمال السعوديين دون أي تمييز في الجنس، بشرط أن تكون سن العامل عند بدء تطبيق النظام عليه دون سن التاسعة والخمسين. 2- إذا ب
- Article 4
The article requires employers to apply the Law and the Regulations from the day the conditions are met, and refers the way employers and subscribers register with the Organization to the Regulations.
1- يلتزم أصحاب العمل بتطبيق هذا النظام واللائحة، ويبدأ التطبيق من اليوم الذي تكتمل فيه الشروط المنصوص عليها في هذا النظام واللائحة. 2- تحدد اللائحة طريقة التسجي
- Article 17
The Article provides that the subscriber's age is determined by their birth certificate or the certificate issued by the competent authority under the law.
تحدد سن المشترك بشهادة ميلاده أو بالشهادة التي تصدرها الجهة المختصة نظاماً.
- Article 27
The Article provides that the Social Insurance Law applies to matters the Unemployment Insurance Law does not address, to the extent consistent with its nature.
فيما لم يرد به نص في هذا النظام، يطبق نظام التأمينات الاجتماعية بالقدر الذي يتفق مع طبيعة هذا النظام.
- Article 28
The Article requires the Minister to issue the Implementing Regulations with the Board of Directors' approval within 60 days of the Law's publication, and to publish them in the Official Gazette.
يصدر الوزير اللائحة - بناءً على موافقة مجلس الإدارة - خلال ستين يوماً من تاريخ نشر هذا النظام، وتنشر في الجريدة الرسمية.
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.