Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Tuesday, Feb 24, 2026

Termination of contract ‘without genuine reason’ pushes 12,500 Saudis to leave their jobs

Termination of contract ‘without genuine reason’ pushes 12,500 Saudis to leave their jobs

A total of 12,520 Saudi male and female employees had left their jobs due to termination of their work contract without a valid reason during the second half of 2021, according to a monitoring conducted by Okaz/Saudi Gazette based on government reports.
It was found that 5,761 Saudi employees had submitted their resignations based on Article 77 of the Labor Law, while 6,759 employees were dismissed based on the same article.

The monitoring showed that the male employees who had submitted their resignations during the second half of last year accounted for 3,335, while the number of Saudi female employees who tendered their resignations reached 2,426, bringing the total of Saudis who had submitted their resignations under Article 77 of the Labor Law to about 5,761 employees.

Among these employees, those whose contracts were for a fixed period of time, need to pay compensation to employers for the remaining period of their contracts.

As for employees whose terms of contracts are unlimited, they have to pay compensation equivalent of 15 days’ of wages for each year of the previous period of the contract. The average number of Saudis who submitted their resignations per day is about 31 Saudis.

While the number of Saudi employees who were dismissed from their jobs based on Article 77 of the Labor Law reached about 6,759 employees, including 4,094 male employees and 2,665 female employees.

According to Article 77, when the contract is terminated by one of the parties (employer or employee) for an unlawful reason, the party affected by the termination of the contract will be entitled to get compensation equivalent to 15 days’ wages for each year of the worker’s service years if the contract is for an unlimited period of time.

However, if the remaining period of the contract is for a fixed term, the wages for the period will be paid to the affected party, and the article stipulated that the compensation should not be less than the worker’s wages for a period of two months.

As for the Saudis whose contracts were terminated based on Article 80 of the Labor Law, their number during the second half of 2021 accounted for about 15,116 male and female employees, with an average dismissal of 82 Saudi men and women per day.

Article 80 of the Labor Law included the right of the employer to terminate the worker’s contract without payment of remuneration.

The major reasons for the termination are identified in the article as follows: “The worker’s assault of his superiors or subordinates; his perpetration of an act that violates someone’s honor or trust; or his carrying out an act that leads to incurring losses for the employer; or his unauthorized absence for an intermittent period of 30 years or 15 consecutive days with a warning or the employee’s disclosure of industrial or commercial secrets.”

There will be exemptions in certain specific cases, the law points out.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
GCC Secretary-General Holds Talks with EU Ambassador in Riyadh
Gulf States’ AI Investment Drive Seen as Strategic Bet on Technology and U.S. Security Ties
African Union Commission Chair Meets Saudi Vice Foreign Minister to Deepen Strategic Cooperation
President El-Sisi Holds Strategic Talks with Saudi Crown Prince in Riyadh
Lucid Unveils Up to $12,000 Incentive for Air and Gravity Models in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia Enters Global AI Partnership, Expanding Its Role in International Technology Governance
Saudi Arabia’s Landmark U.S. LNG Agreement Signals Major Strategic Shift
Saudi Arabia Accelerates Global Gaming Push with Billion-Dollar Deals and Expanded PIF Mandate
Saudi Arabia Reports $25.28 Billion Budget Deficit in Fourth Quarter of 2025
Alvarez & Marsal Tax Establishes Dedicated Pillar Two and Transfer Pricing Team in Saudi Arabia
United States Approves Over Fifteen Billion Dollars in Major Arms Sales to Israel and Saudi Arabia
Pre-Iftar Walks Gain Momentum as Ramadan Wellness Trend Spreads
Middle East Jackup Rig Fleet Contracts Further After Saudi Drilling Suspensions
Türkiye and Saudi Arabia Prepare to Sign Five Gigawatt Renewable Energy Deal at COP31
King Mohammed VI Congratulates Saudi Leadership on Founding Day, Reaffirming Strategic Ties
US Envoy Huckabee Clarifies Remarks on Israel After Expansionism Controversy
Saudi Arabia Introduces Limited Exceptions to Regional Headquarters Requirement for Foreign Firms
Saudi Arabia Joins Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence, Elevating Its Role in Shaping AI Governance
Saudi Arabia and Arab States Mobilise Diplomatically After U.S. Envoy’s Israel Remarks
Cristiano Ronaldo Reaffirms His Commitment to Saudi Arabia Amid Transfer Speculation
Proposed US-Saudi Nuclear Deal Raises Questions Over Uranium Enrichment Provisions
Saudi Arabia Sends 81st Aid Flight to Gaza as Humanitarian Air Bridge Continues
Global Games Show Riyadh 2026 Positioned as Catalyst for Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030
Saudi Arabia Eases Procurement Rules, Allowing Foreign Firms Greater Access to Government Contracts
Türkiye and Saudi Arabia Seal Two Billion Dollar Solar Energy Agreement
Saudi Crown Prince Reportedly Sends Letter to UAE Leader Over Yemen and Sudan Policies
Saudi Arabia Voices Concerns to UAE Over Sudan Conflict and Yemen Strategy
Saudi Arabia Joins Global Artificial Intelligence Alliance to Strengthen International Collaboration
Shura Island Positioned as Flagship of Saudi Arabia’s Ambitious Red Sea Tourism Drive
Saudi Arabia Rebukes Mike Huckabee Over Remarks in Tucker Carlson Interview
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman praises the rapid progress of Chinese tech companies.
Concerns Mount Over Potential Saudi Uranium Enrichment in Prospective US Nuclear Accord
Trump Directs Government to Release UFO and Alien Information
Trump Signs Global 10% Tariffs on Imports
Investability Emerges as the Defining Test of Saudi Arabia’s Next Market Phase
Saudi Arabia’s Packaging Market Accelerates as Sustainability and E-Commerce Drive Transformation
Saudi Arabia Unveils $32 Billion Push Into Theme Parks and Global Entertainment
Saudi Crude Exports to India Climb Sharply, Closing Gap With Russia
Saudi Arabia’s Halal Cosmetics Market Expands as Faith and Ethical Beauty Drive Growth
ImmunityBio Secures Saudi Partnerships to Launch Flagship Cancer Therapy
United Kingdom Denies U.S. Access to Military Base for Potential Iran Strike
Türkiye and Saudi Arabia Launch Expanded Renewable Energy Partnership
US Supreme Court Voids Trump’s Emergency Tariff Plan, Reshaping Trade Power and Fiscal Risk
Mongolian Mining Family’s HK$247 Million Stanley Home Purchase Highlights Resilient Luxury Market
UK Intensifies Efforts to Secure Saudi Investment in Next-Generation Fighter Jet Programme
Saudi Arabia Tops Middle East Green Building Rankings with Record Growth in 2025
Qatar and Saudi Arabia Each Commit One Billion Dollars to President Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’ Initiative
Ramadan 2026 Prayer Times Set as Fasting Begins in Saudi Arabia and Egypt Announces Dates
Saudi Arabia Launches Ramadan 2026 Hotel Campaign to Boost Religious and Leisure Tourism
Saudi Arabia Seeks Reroute of Greece-Bound Fibre-Optic Cable Through Syria Instead of Israel
×