What is vacation salary in Saudi Arabia?
Vacation salary, also called leave salary or leave pay, is the money your employer pays you for your annual leave days. In Saudi Arabia annual leave is paid leave. You do not lose income while you rest or travel home. The law goes one step further: the leave wage must be paid in advance, before your leave starts.
There are two moments when vacation salary matters:
- Before you go on leave. Your employer should pay the wage for your leave days before you leave. Many expats use this to buy tickets and gifts and to support their family during the trip.
- When your job ends. If you have leave days you did not use, your employer must pay you for them in your final settlement. This is often called leave encashment.
Our calculator covers both. It shows your leave entitlement, your remaining balance, the advance leave pay for the days you plan to take, and the cash value of unused days if you leave the company.
Who is covered?
These rules apply to all workers under the Saudi Labor Law, both Saudis and expats in the private sector. Domestic workers such as house drivers and maids are outside the Labor Law. They have a separate regulation, explained below. Government employees follow civil service rules.
Legal basis: Articles 109 to 112 of the Saudi Labor Law
The annual leave rules are in Chapter Two of Part Six of the Saudi Labor Law, issued by Royal Decree No. M/51. The official Arabic text is on the Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers website. The Labor Law amendments that came into force on 19 February 2025 did not change Articles 109, 110 or 111; the official text shows no amendment marker on them. Here they are in plain English:
| Article | What it says (summary) |
|---|---|
| Article 109 | At least 21 days of annual leave per year, rising to at least 30 days after five continuous years with the employer. Leave is paid, with the wage paid in advance. Leave must be taken in its year, cannot be given up, and cannot be swapped for cash during service. The employer sets the dates for work needs and must give at least 30 days' notice of the leave date. |
| Article 110 | With the employer's agreement, the worker may postpone all or part of the leave to the next year. The employer may delay leave up to 90 days after the year ends if work requires. Further delay needs the worker's written consent and cannot go past the end of the following year. |
| Article 111 | A worker who leaves before using earned leave is entitled to pay for those days. Leave pay is also due for parts of a year, in proportion to the time worked. |
| Article 112 | Workers get full-paid leave on the official holidays and occasions set by the implementing regulations. |
The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development summarises the same rules on its annual leave page: at least 21 days, 30 after five continuous years, paid in advance, to be taken in its year, and paid out in proportion if the worker leaves.
How many annual leave days do you get in Saudi Arabia?
| Service with same employer | Minimum annual leave | Per month of service |
|---|---|---|
| Less than 5 continuous years | 21 days per year | 1.75 days |
| 5 continuous years or more | 30 days per year | 2.5 days |
These are minimums. Many contracts give more, for example 30 days from the first year. If your contract is better than the law, your contract applies. If it gives less, the law applies, because Article 8 makes any term against the law void unless it is better for the worker.
Leave days in the law are generally treated as calendar days in practice, but some companies count working days. Your contract or company work regulations should say which. Our calculator works in days as you enter them.
When do I move from 21 to 30 days?
The law speaks of five continuous years in the employer's service. In our calculator, service up to five years earns 21 days a year, and every year after the fifth earns 30 days. For example, a worker with 7 years of service has earned 5 × 21 + 2 × 30 = 165 days in total over the whole period.
How to calculate vacation salary in Saudi Arabia: step by step
Step 1: Find your monthly wage
The law says leave is paid, but it does not set a separate formula for which wage to use. In common practice, employers and HR advisers use the actual wage: basic pay plus fixed allowances such as housing and transport. Some contracts use basic pay only. Our calculator lets you choose.
Step 2: Find the daily wage
Step 3: Work out your earned leave days
Part years are counted in proportion (months ÷ 12).
Step 4: Find your balance
Step 5: Work out the pay
Encashment on leaving = daily wage × unused balance
Some employers use 365 instead of 30 when working out daily rates, or count working days. These give slightly different numbers. The 30-day method is the most widely used and easiest to check.
Worked examples
Each example below matches the calculator output for the same inputs, using basic plus allowances.
Example 1: Taking 21 days of leave after 3 years
Bilal earns a basic of SAR 4,500 and allowances of SAR 1,500. He has worked 3 years and has already taken 42 days of leave. He now wants to take 21 days.
Earned days = 3 × 21 = 63
Balance = 63 − 42 = 21 days
Advance leave pay for 21 days = 21 × 200 = SAR 4,200.00
Example 2: Leaving after 7 years with unused leave
Anita earns SAR 9,000 in total. She has worked 7 years and has taken 120 days of leave over the years. She resigns.
Earned days = 5 × 21 + 2 × 30 = 165
Balance = 165 − 120 = 45 days
Encashment = 45 × 300 = SAR 13,500.00
This is paid in addition to her end of service award. You can check that part with our Saudi end of service calculator.
Example 3: Leaving in the middle of a year
Daniel earns SAR 7,500 and has worked 2 years and 6 months. He has taken 40 days of leave.
Earned days = 2.5 × 21 = 52.5
Balance = 52.5 − 40 = 12.5 days
Encashment = 12.5 × 250 = SAR 3,125.00
Example 4: Leaving during the first year
Rosa earns SAR 8,000 and leaves after 6 months without taking any leave. Article 111 gives leave pay for part of a year.
Daily wage = 8,000 ÷ 30 = SAR 266.67
Encashment = 10.5 × 266.67 = SAR 2,800.00
Example 5: More leave taken than earned
Karim earns SAR 5,000, has worked 1 year, and has taken 25 days of leave (his employer let him take some in advance). His earned leave is 21 days, so his balance is −4 days. No encashment is due. His employer may try to deduct the extra 4 days (about SAR 666.67) from final dues, as Article 88 allows deduction of work-related debts. Check any such deduction carefully.
Leave encashment when your job ends
Article 111 is the key rule for workers who are leaving. If you leave before using the leave you earned, you must be paid for those days. This applies whatever the reason for leaving: resignation, end of contract, or termination by the employer.
Important points:
- No cash in place of leave while working. Article 109 forbids giving up leave or taking money instead of it during service. So "selling" leave each year is not allowed by law. Cash is only due when the work relationship ends.
- Part years count. You earn leave month by month. Leaving after 8 months still gives you 8/12 of your yearly leave.
- Paid with final dues. Under Article 88, your employer must settle all dues within one week if the employer ended the contract, and within two weeks if you ended it. Leave pay is part of these dues.
- Separate from end of service. Leave encashment is added to your end of service award. One does not replace the other, and the resignation reductions of Article 85 do not apply to leave pay.
Your full final settlement normally includes: last month's salary up to your last day, unused leave pay, the end of service award, and any unpaid overtime. Check overtime with our Saudi overtime calculator.
Carry forward, postponement and timing
Who decides when I take leave?
Article 109 lets the employer set leave dates according to work needs, or give leave in rotation so the business keeps running. But the employer must tell you the leave date at least 30 days in advance.
Can I carry leave forward?
Article 110 gives two routes:
- You may postpone all or part of your leave to the next year, if the employer agrees.
- The employer may delay your leave for up to 90 days after the end of the leave year if work requires. Any longer delay needs your written consent, and it cannot go beyond the end of the year that follows the leave year.
In practice, many expats save leave and take a longer trip home every two years. This is fine if the employer agrees. Keep written approval so that the carried-forward days are not "lost" in a dispute.
Can my employer refuse leave forever?
No. The law says leave must be enjoyed in its year and cannot be waived. Delays are allowed only within the limits above. If your leave is refused again and again, raise it with HR in writing and, if needed, with the Ministry.
Other types of leave (not taken from annual leave)
Annual leave is separate from other paid leave in the Labor Law. These should not be deducted from your annual leave balance:
| Type of leave | Rule |
|---|---|
| Official holidays (Eid, national days) | Full pay, as set by the implementing regulations (Art. 112) |
| Own marriage | 3 days with full pay (Art. 113) |
| Birth of a child (father) | Paternity leave of 3 paid days within 7 days of the birth, under the 2025 amendments |
| Death of spouse, parent or child | Paid leave under Art. 113 |
| Death of a brother or sister | 3 paid days, added by the 2025 amendments |
| Maternity leave | 12 weeks with full pay since the 2025 amendments (was 10 weeks) |
| Exams | Paid for a non-repeated year; unpaid for a repeated year (Art. 115) |
Sick leave also has its own rules and is not taken from annual leave. Check the latest details with the Ministry, as the implementing regulations can be updated.
Special cases
Probation
You earn leave from your first day, including during probation. Since February 2025 probation can be up to 180 days. If the contract ends during probation, unused earned leave should still be paid under Article 111.
Unpaid leave
Long periods of unpaid leave are usually not counted when working out how much annual leave you earned. If you had unpaid leave, reduce your service months in the calculator. Ask HR how your company treats it.
Part-time workers
Part-time workers covered by the Labor Law also earn annual leave. The leave pay is based on their part-time wage.
Domestic workers
Domestic workers follow the Domestic Workers Regulation (Ministerial Decision 310), not the Labor Law. Under that regulation, a domestic worker gets 30 days of paid leave for every two years of service. Disputes go through the Musaned platform. Check the latest rules with the Ministry.
Working in another Gulf country?
Leave rules are different across the Gulf. In the UAE, for example, workers get 30 days from the first year. See our UAE leave salary calculator to compare.
Common mistakes
- Thinking unused leave is lost. Unused leave you earned is paid when you leave. It is not lost, even if you resign.
- Moving to 30 days too early. The 30 days start after five continuous years. Before that, the legal minimum is 21 days, unless your contract gives more.
- Counting Eid as annual leave. Official holidays are separate paid leave.
- Accepting leave pay after you return. The law says leave pay is paid in advance. Ask for it before you travel.
- Agreeing to sell leave each year. Cash instead of leave during service goes against Article 109. You may also lose rest you need.
- Not keeping leave records. Keep copies of approved leave forms and the dates you travelled. These prove how many days you really took.
What to do if leave pay is refused
- Check your balance. Use this calculator and compare with your HR records. Ask HR for your leave statement in writing.
- Ask in writing. Send a polite request to HR with your figures and dates.
- File an amicable settlement request. The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development handles the first stage of labor disputes through its labor e-services and my.gov.sa (log in with Nafath). The service is free. The Ministry helpline is 19911.
- Labor court. If there is no settlement, the case goes to the labor courts under the Ministry of Justice, which accept claims through the Najiz portal. File within 12 months of the end of your employment relationship.
Frequently asked questions
How many days of annual leave do I get in Saudi Arabia?
Article 109 of the Saudi Labor Law gives at least 21 days of paid annual leave per year. After five continuous years with the same employer, it rises to at least 30 days per year.
How is vacation salary calculated in Saudi Arabia?
Divide your monthly wage by 30 to get a daily wage, then multiply by the number of leave days. For example, a wage of SAR 6,000 gives SAR 200 a day, so 21 days of leave is worth SAR 4,200.
Is vacation salary paid in advance in Saudi Arabia?
Yes. Article 109 says annual leave is paid leave with the wage paid in advance, so your employer should pay your leave salary before you start the leave.
Can I sell my annual leave for cash while I am still working?
No. Article 109 says a worker may not give up annual leave or take cash instead of it during service. Cash is only due for unused leave when the job ends, under Article 111.
Do I get paid for unused leave when I resign or am terminated?
Yes. Article 111 gives the right to be paid for leave days you earned but did not use when you leave work, whatever the reason. Part years are paid in proportion.
Is leave pay based on basic salary or total salary?
The law says leave is paid with wage but does not spell out a separate formula. Common practice is to use the actual wage, meaning basic plus regular allowances such as housing and transport. Check your contract, and ask the Ministry if your employer uses only basic pay.
Can I carry forward annual leave to next year in Saudi Arabia?
Article 110 allows you to postpone all or part of your leave to the next year with your employer's agreement. The employer may also delay it up to 90 days after the year ends for work reasons, and longer only with your written consent, but not beyond the end of the next year.
Do I get 30 days leave after five years even if the five years are not continuous?
The law says five continuous years in the service of the employer. A break that ends the work relationship normally restarts the count with a new employer.
How much notice must my employer give before my annual leave?
The employer sets the leave dates according to work needs but must tell you the date at least 30 days before the leave starts.
Are Eid and public holidays counted as annual leave days?
Official holidays are a separate paid leave under Article 112. They should not be taken from your annual leave balance. Check your company policy on how holidays that fall during annual leave are handled.
Disclaimer
This Saudi vacation salary calculator gives an estimate for general guidance only. It is not legal advice. Your employer may count leave in working days or use a different daily rate, and your contract may give you more than the legal minimum. For a binding answer, contact the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development or a licensed Saudi lawyer.
Sources / references: Saudi Labor Law, Royal Decree No. M/51, Articles 2, 8, 88, 109–115, official text on the Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers; Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development, Annual Leave; Ministry announcement on the Labor Law amendments in force from 19 February 2025; Domestic Workers Regulation (Ministerial Decision 310).