Sattam bin Khalid Law Firm represents workers and employers in labour disputes, from amicable settlement at the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development to the labour court and appeal. Our office is in Jeddah and we appear before labour courts across the Kingdom.
The firm has handled more than 300 cases before the Labour Court.
Before the labour court, the claim goes to amicable settlement at the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development, the first stage of a labour dispute. The service is online and free.[1][2]
The first session is held within ten working days of registering the claim, and the settlement department must resolve the dispute within 21 working days of the first session. A ratified settlement record is an enforcement instrument.[2]
If the parties do not agree, a record of failed settlement is issued and the claimant must then file a statement of claim with the competent labour court, online through the Najiz portal.[2][3]
Through its e-litigation service the Ministry of Justice allows hearings to be held in writing or by video, memoranda to be exchanged, and the judgment to be received and challenged electronically. The average labour case took 20 days from registration to closure, the ministry said in January 2025.[4][5]
The time limit to appeal is thirty days, starting the day after the copy of the judgment is received or the day set for receiving it; the right to appeal lapses once it passes.[6][7]
Yes, under the rules currently in force: amicable settlement at the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development is the first stage of a labour dispute, and the claimant goes to the labour court if no settlement is reached.
If the claimant misses a settlement session the claim is shelved; it can be resumed if the claimant returns within the 21 working days, otherwise a new claim must be filed.[1][2]
A labour claim is not accepted more than twelve months after the employment relationship ended, unless the claimant gives an excuse the court accepts or the defendant acknowledges the right (Article 234 of the Labour Law).
Periods in the Labour Law are counted by the Hijri calendar unless the contract or the work regulations say otherwise (Article 10), so do not delay a claim.[8]
Half a month's wage for each of the first five years and one month's wage for each later year, based on the last wage, with part-years counted pro rata (Article 84 of the Labour Law).
On resignation the worker is entitled to one third of the award after at least two and not more than five years of service, two thirds after more than five and less than ten years, and the full award after ten years or more (Article 85). You can try the end-of-service calculator on this site.[8]
If the contract sets no specific compensation, the injured party is entitled to fifteen days' wage for each year of service under an indefinite-term contract, or the wage for the remaining term under a fixed-term contract, and in either case not less than two months' wage (Article 77).
This compensation is separate from the end-of-service award and from notice pay.[8]
Within one week at most of the end of the contractual relationship, and within two weeks if it was the worker who ended the contract (Article 88).[8]
Judicial costs are not charged to a worker claiming entitlements that arise from an employment contract (Article 17 of the Judicial Costs Law).
Otherwise labour claims are subject to judicial costs: a percentage of the claim in claims of a stated value, and SAR 2,000 in claims of no stated value. Non-payment does not prevent the claim from being registered.[9][10]
Through its e-litigation service the Ministry of Justice allows hearings to be held in writing or by video, memoranda to be exchanged, and the judgment to be received and challenged electronically.
The statement of claim is filed through Najiz, and the service does not require a visit to the court unless one is requested by text message.[4][3]
The average labour case took 20 days from registration to closure, with an average of two hearings for closed cases, the Ministry of Justice said in January 2025.
This is a published overall average; each case differs, and it does not include the amicable settlement stage that precedes the claim.[5]
A lawyer's fees and how they are paid are set by agreement between lawyer and client (Article 26 of the Code of Law Practice); they vary with the type of case and the work involved.
Contact us with your situation for an estimate that fits it.[11]
Courts received 157,000 labour cases in 2025.
Ministry of Justice (data reported by Saudi Gazette) · 2025The average labour case lasts 20 days, measured from the date the claim is registered until it is closed.
Ministry of Justice (via the Saudi Press Agency) · Announced January 2025Labour courts issued more than 130,000 rulings in 2024, up 21% on 2023.
Ministry of Justice (via the Saudi Press Agency) · 2024The amicable settlement process resolves 77% of labour complaints before they reach litigation.
Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development · Published December 2025; period not stated in the sourceThis page is general information about Saudi law, not legal advice, and makes no promise of any outcome. Laws and regulations change; consult a lawyer before you act.
Contact us with a short outline of your situation and we will explain the appropriate legal step.
