Probation lets you and your employer test the job. In Saudi Arabia it is set by Articles 53 and 54 of the Labor Law. Article 53 changed with the amendments in force since 19 February 2025.
- Maximum: 180 days in total (Article 53).
- In the contract: required, with the number of days.
- Not counted: Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha holidays, National Day, Founding Day, sick leave.
- Salary: the wage in your contract.
- Ending it: either side, with no notice or compensation (Articles 53, 54, 80).
- End of service award: not due (Article 54).
- Still paid: unpaid wages and unused leave (Articles 88, 111).
How long can probation last (Article 53)
Probation must be written into your contract, with its length stated. The total may not exceed 180 days in all cases. Before the amendment the limit was 90 days, extendable in writing to 180. Now 180 days is the cap, and it cannot be extended past it.
Some days do not count. The Ministry of Human Resources lists them: the Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha holidays, the National Day holiday, the Founding Day holiday and sick leave. Each one moves the end of probation a day later, so the last day can fall more than 180 calendar days after you started.
Find your last day
We count calendar days, with your first day of work as day 1; the law does not say how to count. Example: a 180-day probation from 1 March 2026 ends on 27 August 2026. With 10 days of Eid holiday and sick leave inside it, it ends on 6 September 2026.
Your salary during probation
The Labor Law sets no separate probation wage. You are paid the wage in your contract, which must state the agreed wage, allowances and benefits (Article 52). Monthly-paid workers are paid once a month, into a bank account (Article 90), and the employer may not withhold any part of it without a judicial basis (Article 61).
If your offer letter gives a lower wage for the probation months, that is a term of your contract. We found no article on it either way.
Eid holidays are paid leave for every worker (Article 112). Annual leave builds up from your first day: if you leave, you are paid for the part of the year worked (Article 111). See the annual leave guide.
Who can end the contract
Under the amended Article 53, both parties may end the contract during probation. The old text let a contract give that right to only one side. That exception is not in the amended article.
If your employer ends it, Article 80(6) allows this without an award, notice or compensation. The article’s opening words still require the employer to give you a chance to state your objection.
If you resign, Article 54 says neither side is owed compensation, so in our reading you do not owe pay for notice. The resignation rules added in 2025 (Article 79 bis: accepted after 30 days, or delayed up to 60) do not mention probation. If your employer says you must wait, ask the Ministry.
What you are paid if probation ends
Under Article 54, neither side is owed compensation, and you get no end of service award. You are still owed:
- Wages for days you worked and were not paid.
- Unused annual leave, in proportion to the part of the year worked (Article 111).
- Your ticket home, for foreign workers: the employer pays it at the end of the contract (Article 40(1)). You pay it if you are unfit for work or go home without a legitimate reason (Article 40(2)). The law does not say whether resigning during probation is one.
- A free certificate of service on request, and your documents back (Article 64).
The employer must pay within one week of the end of the contract, or two weeks if you ended it (Article 88).
Example
You earn SAR 6,000 a month (basic plus allowances) and start on 1 March 2026. Your employer ends the contract on 12 May 2026, day 73. April was paid; 1 to 12 May was not.
| Line | SAR |
|---|---|
| End of service award | 0 |
| Notice or compensation | 0 |
| Wages, 12 days × 200 | 2,400 |
| Unused leave, 4.2 days × 200 | 840 |
| Total | 3,240 |
A day’s wage is 6,000 ÷ 30 = 200, because the law counts a month as 30 days (Article 2). The 4.2 days are 21 days a year (Article 109) × 73 ÷ 365; spreading leave over the days worked is our convention. For your own figures, use the final settlement calculator and choose “The contract ended during my probation period”.
Only one probation with the same employer (Article 54)
The same employer may not put you on probation more than once. There are two exceptions, both needing written approval from both parties:
- The second probation is for another profession or work.
- At least six months have passed since your employment with that employer ended.
Who these rules cover
The Labor Law covers anyone who works for an employer, under its supervision, for a wage (Article 5). That includes the private sector. Domestic workers and the other groups listed in Article 7 are outside it; the Minister issues separate rules for domestic workers (Article 7(2)).
Checklist
- Is probation written into your contract, with the number of days?
- Is it 180 days or less?
- Add the days not counted to find your real last day.
- If asked to serve a second probation, check that one of the two exceptions applies and that you agreed in writing.
Source: Saudi Labor Law, Royal Decree No. M/51, English text published by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development, Articles 2, 5, 40, 52, 53, 54, 61, 64, 79 bis, 80, 84, 88, 90, 109, 111 and 112; the Ministry’s guideline “Amendments to Labor Law Articles” (6 August 2024) for the amended Articles 2, 40, 52, 53, 61 and 79 bis; the Ministry’s Arabic text of the Law, consolidated to Royal Decree No. M/44, for Articles 7, 53, 54 and 80; and the Ministry’s guide to questions on the 2025 amendments (Arabic, page 4) for the days not counted. Articles 54, 80, 88, 109 and 111 are not in the Ministry’s list of changed articles. Checked on 8 November 2026. The English text is a translation; the Arabic text governs.
Common questions
Can probation be extended beyond 180 days in KSA?
No. Since 19 February 2025 probation may not exceed 180 days in any case (Article 53). Days that do not count (the two Eid holidays, National Day, Founding Day and sick leave) push the last day later, so it can fall more than 180 calendar days after you started.
What is the salary during probation in Saudi Arabia?
The wage in your contract. The Labor Law sets no separate probation wage, and you are paid on the normal dates: once a month for monthly-paid workers (Article 90).
What am I paid if I am terminated during probation?
Your unpaid wages and pay for annual leave you earned and did not take (Article 111), within one week (Article 88). No end of service award and no notice pay or compensation (Articles 54 and 80).
Can I resign during probation without notice?
Article 53 lets either side end the contract during probation, and Article 54 says neither side is owed compensation. In our reading, you do not owe notice pay. Check your contract too.
Does probation count toward end of service if I pass it?
The law does not leave probation out of the service period. In our reading, once you pass probation, your service for the award (Article 84) counts from your first day.
Is probation compulsory?
No. You are on probation only if your contract says so and states its length (Article 53).
Work out your own figure
Enter your own numbers to see the result and the working.
Open the calculatorarrow_forwardThis guide is general information, not legal advice. Check your own entitlement with the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development or a qualified adviser. The Arabic text of the law governs. See our Disclaimer.
