Article 29 of the Saudi Unemployment Insurance Law
المادة 29 من نظام التأمين ضد التعطل عن العمل
The Article provides that the Law takes effect from the first day of the month following the end of 180 days from its publication in the Official Gazette.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
يعمل بهذا النظام ابتداءً من أول الشهر التالي لانقضاء مائة وثمانين يوماً من تاريخ نشره في الجريدة الرسمية.
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 29 explained in plain English
This Article sets the date the Law takes effect, that is, the day its provisions begin to apply. The rule is:
- 180 days are counted from the date of the Law's publication in the Official Gazette.
- The Law then takes effect from the first day of the month following the end of that period.
So effect does not begin merely when 180 days have passed, but waits for the start of the month after they end. The Article does not state the publication date itself, which is found in the Official Gazette.
The reason for the period: the interval between publication and effect allows preparation for applying the Law. Article 28 requires the Minister to issue the Implementing Regulations within 60 days of publication, that is, before the 180-day period ends, so the bodies and employers have time to review them.
The link with the rest of the Law: the effective date matters because Article 3 requires, for mandatory application, that the worker's age when the Law starts applying to them is under fifty-nine. Article 4 also makes the start of the employer's obligation the day the conditions set in the Law and the Implementing Regulations are completed.
The Article is procedural by nature and gives no direct right to any particular person, but it sets the time frame from which the Law's other provisions begin.
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 29 of the Saudi Unemployment Insurance Law
When does the Unemployment Insurance Law take effect?
From the first day of the month following the end of 180 days from its publication in the Official Gazette.
Does the Law take effect as soon as it is published?
No. It takes effect after 180 days from publication have passed, starting from the first day of the month following that.
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 26
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.
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.
- 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.
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.