Saudi Annual Leave Law 2026: Carry Over and Unused Leave Pay

Short answer: you get at least 21 days of paid annual leave a year, rising to 30 days after five consecutive years with the same employer (Article 109). You can carry leave to the next year with your employer’s approval (Article 110). The Labor Law does not say unused leave expires: when you leave, you are paid your wage for the days you did not take (Article 111).

How many days (Article 109)

Your service with the employer	Paid annual leave
Less than five consecutive years	At least 21 days a year
Five consecutive years or more	At least 30 days a year

Your contract or company policy can give more.

Taking your leave

• You take your leave in the year it is due (Article 109).
• During your employment you may not give up your leave or take cash instead.
• The employer can set the dates to suit the work, or rotate leave between staff, and must tell you the date at least 30 days ahead.
• Leave is paid in advance: Article 109 calls it “prepaid”.

Carrying leave over (Article 110)

• You ask: with the employer’s approval, you can move your leave, or some of the days, to the following year.
• The employer decides: it may postpone your leave for up to 90 days after the year it is due, if work requires it. Longer needs your written consent, and never past the end of the following year.

Example. Your leave year ends on 31 December 2026. Your employer can hold your leave back to 31 March 2027 on its own decision. With your written consent it can go to 31 December 2027, and no later.

Does unused leave expire?

The Labor Law has no rule that unused leave is lost at the end of the year. Article 109 says to take it in the year it is due, Article 110 limits how far it can be pushed back, and Article 111 pays you for the days you did not take when you leave.

Pay for unused leave when you leave (Article 111)

If you leave without using your leave, you are paid your wage for the accrued days, plus leave pay for the part of the year you worked, in proportion.

Which wage. Article 111 says wage, and Article 2 defines wage as the actual wage: your basic wage plus the allowances and other increments in your contract or the work rules. A month is 30 days (Article 2), so the daily wage is the monthly wage ÷ 30. Article 111 gives no formula; that division is our reading of the definition.

Example. You have worked 3 years and 6 months, with 5 unused days from earlier years and 2 days taken this year, on an actual wage of SAR 9,000. The daily wage is 9,000 ÷ 30 = SAR 300. At 21 days a year, the half-year earned is 10.5 days. Payable days: 10.5 + 5 − 2 = 13.5. Pay: 13.5 × 300 = SAR 4,050.

The 30-day rate applies once you have completed five years of service.

When it is paid. With your other final dues: within one week of the end of the contract, or two weeks if you ended it (Article 88).

The Saudi annual leave calculator works out your balance over your whole service.

Other paid leave

• Marriage, or death of a spouse, parent or child: 5 days on full pay.
• Death of a brother or sister: 3 days on full pay.
• Birth of a child: 3 days, to be taken within 7 days of the birth.

These come from Article 113 as amended in 2025, counted from the date of the event. The employer can ask for supporting documents.

• Public holidays (Article 112), as listed by the Ministry: Eid al-Fitr 4 days from the day after 29 Ramadan, Eid al-Adha 4 days from the Day of Arafah, Founding Day (22 February) and National Day (23 September). Work on these days counts as overtime.
• Hajj: 10 to 15 days of paid leave, including the Eid al-Adha holiday, once during your service, if you have not performed Hajj before and have at least two consecutive years of service. The employer can decide how many workers get it each year (Article 114).
• Exams: paid leave for the actual exam days if the employer approved your enrolment in a course and it is not a repeat year. A repeat-year exam is unpaid. Without the employer’s approval of the enrolment, exam days come out of your annual leave if available, or are unpaid. You must apply at least 15 days ahead (Article 115).
• Unpaid leave: by agreement with the employer. Beyond 20 days, the contract is deemed suspended unless both parties agree otherwise (Article 116).

Also see

• Saudi sick leave and maternity leave pay
• Saudi final settlement calculator
• Resigning in Saudi Arabia

Official text: Labor Law, English · Labor Law, Arabic (as amended to 1446 AH) · Amendments to Labor Law Articles · Ministry guide to rights and duties, December 2025 (Arabic)

Source: Saudi Labor Law, Royal Decree No. M/51, published by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development. Checked on 2 October 2026. Articles 2, 7, 82, 88 and 109 to 118 re-read in the Arabic text, as amended by Royal Decree No. M/44 of 8/2/1446 AH, on 8 November 2026; holidays from the Ministry’s December 2025 guide. The Arabic text governs.

Common questions

Is the minimum the same for every job?

Yes. Article 109 depends only on your years with the employer, not your job or grade; your contract can give more. The Labor Law does not cover domestic workers, agricultural workers and private herders, sports club players and coaches, an employer's family members who are its only staff, or non-Saudi workers in the Kingdom for a task of two months or less (Article 7).

Do public holidays and weekends count as annual leave?

Public holidays do not: if Eid, National Day or Founding Day falls during your annual leave, the leave is extended by those days (Ministry of Human Resources guide, December 2025). For weekends, the Labor Law does not say; check your contract or the company's work rules.

Can I work for another employer during my leave?

No. If your employer proves you did, it can withhold your wage for the leave or take back what it paid (Article 118).

Can I add annual leave to sick leave?

Yes. You have the right to ask for your annual leave to be joined to your sick leave (Article 82).