Saudi Arabia Sets 45 Days Annual Paid Leave for Workers

Saudi Arabia's labor regulations stipulate that full-time employees are entitled to a minimum of 45 days of paid ordinary leave for each complete year of service. For employees who have not completed a full year, leave is calculated proportionally based on the duration of their service.

Importantly, employees must receive their full pay for the leave period before the leave commences. In the education sector, summer holidays are included in the ordinary leave entitlement, treating them as standard annual leave rather than a separate benefit.

The regulations also allow for the assignment of work-related duties during leave, but the minimum leave cannot fall below 45 days. Employees on exceptional leave, secondment, or unauthorized absence do not accrue annual leave for those periods, meaning the 45-day calculation applies only to time spent in active service under normal working conditions.