Yes, unless you have ten years or more. Under Article 85 of the Saudi Labor Law a worker who resigns gets no award with less than two years of continuous service, one third of it from two to five years, two thirds above five and below ten years, and the full award from ten years. Article 87 keeps the full award in a few cases.
What do the shares mean in money?
The share applies to the full award worked out under Article 84: half a month's wage for each of the first five years and a month's wage for each year after. The table shows the same worker resigning at different points.
| Continuous service | Share | Full award | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 year 6 months | nothing | SAR 6,005.48 | SAR 0.00 |
| 2 years exactly | one third | SAR 8,000.00 | SAR 2,666.67 |
| 4 years | one third | SAR 16,000.00 | SAR 5,333.33 |
| 5 years exactly | one third | SAR 20,000.00 | SAR 6,666.67 |
| 6 years | two thirds | SAR 28,000.00 | SAR 18,666.67 |
| 9 years | two thirds | SAR 52,000.00 | SAR 34,666.67 |
| 10 years exactly | full | SAR 60,000.00 | SAR 60,000.00 |
At the mid market rate on 8 November 2026, one riyal is 73.75 rupees. The calculator applies the shares to your own dates.
What happens exactly at the lines?
Article 85 gives one third after continuous service of "not less than two years and not more than five years", so exactly two years and exactly five years both give one third. Two thirds apply when service "exceeds five years but does not reach ten years". The full award applies when service "reaches ten years or more". One day short of two years gives nothing, as the ministry's own guidance and the unified contract (clause 11.10) say expressly.
The law counts periods in the Hijri calendar unless the contract or the work regulations say otherwise (Article 10). If you are within a few weeks of a line, check which calendar your contract uses: a Hijri year is about eleven days shorter.
When do you keep the full award after leaving?
Article 87 sets aside Article 85 in two situations: the worker leaves because of force majeure beyond their control, or a woman ends her contract within six months of the date of her marriage contract or within three months of the date she gave birth. In those cases the full award is due. Separately, Article 81 lets a worker leave without notice and keep all statutory rights where the employer is at fault in one of the cases it lists; a dispute over which case applies is for the labour courts, not a calculator.
What counts as a resignation since 2025?
The 2025 amendment added a definition: a resignation is the worker stating in writing, without coercion, a wish to end a fixed term contract, and the employer accepting it. A new Article 79 bis says a resignation is treated as accepted if the employer does not answer within 30 days, lets the employer postpone acceptance by up to 60 days with written reasons, and lets the worker withdraw it within 7 days. Its sixth paragraph says a worker whose contract ends by resignation is entitled to all rights under the law, which this site reads as including the Article 85 share, not replacing it.
The amended Article 75 sets notice for an open ended contract paid monthly: 30 days from the worker, 60 days from the employer. How Article 85 applies to a worker who ends an open ended contract by notice is not settled in any official text this site could find.
Is it different if the employer ends the contract?
Yes. When the employer ends the contract, or a fixed term contract runs out, the full Article 84 award is due, whatever the length of service. The exceptions are dismissal under one of the nine cases in Article 80, which include assault, serious misconduct and long unexcused absence, and termination during probation; neither carries an award.
Sources
- Saudi Labor Law, Articles 84 to 88 (HRSD consolidated English text), checked 18 October 2026
- HRSD knowledge centre: end of service award on resignation, checked 18 October 2026
- Implementing Regulations of the Labor Law with the unified contract (HRSD, PDF), checked 18 October 2026
- Royal Decree M/44 of 8/2/1446H amending the Labor Law, Umm Al Qura, checked 18 October 2026
Last checked 18 October 2026. Rates on this page are from 8 November 2026 and are refreshed daily. If a rule here has changed, the official source wins.