Resignation in Saudi Arabia now has its own article. Article 79-bis of the Saudi Labor Law says your resignation is accepted after 30 days if your employer stays silent, that your employer can defer it by up to 60 days only with written reasons, and that you can withdraw it within 7 days. These rules came in with the 2025 amendments and have applied since 19 February 2025.
This guide walks through each part of the procedure. For how much end-of-service award you keep after resigning, use our Saudi gratuity calculator, which applies the Article 85 resignation rules automatically.
Which article covers resignation?
Before 2025, the Labor Law did not set out a resignation procedure. Practice varied from employer to employer, and disputes over “unaccepted” resignations were common.
Royal Decree M/44 changed that in two places, both visible in the consolidated law on the Bureau of Experts site:
- Article 74, paragraph 3-bis adds resignation to the list of ways an employment contract ends.
- Article 79-bis sets out the procedure in six paragraphs.
| Paragraph | What it says |
|---|---|
| 79-bis(1) | Resignation is deemed accepted after 30 days without a reply; the employer may defer acceptance up to 60 days, with written reasons, before the 30 days end |
| 79-bis(2) | The contract ends on acceptance, when the 30 days pass, or when the deferral ends |
| 79-bis(3) | You may withdraw within 7 days, unless the employer has already accepted |
| 79-bis(4) | A resignation may not name a deferred (future) date |
| 79-bis(5) | The contract stays in force while the resignation is pending |
| 79-bis(6) | You keep all your statutory rights |
When is your resignation accepted? The 30-day rule
Your employer can accept your resignation at any time. If it does not reply at all, the resignation is deemed accepted once 30 days have passed from the date you submitted it, and the contract ends.
In practice this means silence works in your favour. An employer can no longer keep a worker in limbo by simply not answering. Keep proof of the date you resigned: a dated letter with an acknowledgement, an email, or the submission record if you resign through Qiwa.
Can your employer delay it? The 60-day deferral
The law gives the employer one tool: it may defer acceptance for up to 60 days if the interests of the work require it. Three conditions apply:
- The deferral must be in writing.
- It must give reasons.
- It must reach you before the first 30 days end.
The 60 days are counted from the date of that written explanation, not from your resignation. A deferral notice that arrives on day 35 comes too late: the resignation has already been deemed accepted.
The employer cannot refuse a resignation outright. The most it can do is postpone the end date, within these limits.
Changing your mind: the 7-day withdrawal window
Under Article 79-bis(3) you can withdraw your resignation within 7 days of submitting it, provided your employer has not accepted it in the meantime.
Two practical points:
- If your employer accepts on day 2, the window has closed, even though 7 days have not passed.
- After 7 days, withdrawal is no longer a right. You can still ask your employer to agree to cancel it, but that is up to them.
Withdraw in writing, the same way you resigned, so there is a record.
Why you cannot put a future date on a resignation
Article 79-bis(4) says a resignation may not be tied to a deferred date. You cannot hand in a letter in January saying “my resignation takes effect on 1 June”.
If you want to leave at a particular date, submit your resignation so that the 30-day period, or your contract’s notice period, ends when you want it to. Note that the notice rules in Article 75 also apply: for an open-ended, monthly-paid contract, the worker gives at least 30 days’ written notice. See our guide to the Saudi notice period for how the two fit together.
Working and being paid during the resignation period
Until the resignation takes effect, the contract stays in force (Article 79-bis(5)). That cuts both ways:
- You keep working, and your employer keeps paying your full wage and benefits.
- Your service keeps counting towards your end-of-service award and your annual leave.
Article 79-bis(6) adds that you keep all your statutory rights. Resigning does not waive your final wage, your unused annual leave, or the share of the end-of-service award the law gives you.
Resigning before the end of a fixed-term contract
Article 79-bis sets the procedure for resigning; it does not cancel the consequences of leaving a fixed-term contract early. Under Article 77, a party that ends a contract without a valid reason can owe compensation, and for a fixed-term contract that is based on the wage for the remaining term, subject to any amount set in the contract. Read your contract before resigning early, and keep your resignation letter factual.
How to resign: a practical checklist
- Check your service and contract type. Your years of continuous service decide your award share under Article 85, and a fixed-term contract carries different risks from an open-ended one.
- Write a dated, unconditional letter. State that you resign. Do not add a future effective date, which Article 79-bis(4) does not allow.
- Get proof of delivery. A signed copy, an email with the employer’s reply, or the Qiwa record. The 30-day clock runs from submission.
- Mark your calendar. Day 7 closes your withdrawal window; day 30 is when silence becomes acceptance, unless a written, reasoned deferral reached you first.
- Keep working normally. The contract is still in force, so absence can still be treated as absence.
- Prepare your final settlement. List your final wage, unused leave and end-of-service award, and check each against the calculators before your last day.
What you are owed: gratuity after resignation
The procedure is in Article 79-bis, but the money is in Article 85. When you resign, the end-of-service award under Article 84 is reduced according to your service:
| Continuous service when you resign | Share of the award |
|---|---|
| Under 2 years | Nothing |
| 2 years up to and including 5 years | One-third |
| More than 5 and under 10 years | Two-thirds |
| 10 years or more | Full award |
The full award is calculated first, on your last actual wage (basic plus allowances): half a month’s wage for each of the first five years, then a full month for each year after that.
Example. You earn SAR 8,000 a month and resign after 7 years and 3 months (1 January 2019 to 31 March 2026). The full award would be SAR 38,016.44. Because you resigned with between 5 and 10 years of service, you receive two-thirds: SAR 25,344.29.
There are exceptions where a resignation still earns the full award. Article 87 covers force majeure, and a woman who ends her contract within 6 months of marriage or 3 months of giving birth. Leaving under Article 81, for example because the employer did not meet its obligations, also keeps the full award.
For a side-by-side comparison with being terminated across all six Gulf countries, read resigning vs being terminated. The Saudi labour law guide covers the other parts of the law.
Calculate yours
Enter your actual wage, start date and last working day in the Saudi end-of-service calculator and choose “I resigned”. It applies the Article 85 thresholds and shows each line of the calculation. To check what your unused leave is worth, use the Saudi leave salary calculator.
Ready to write it? Use our resignation letter templates in English or Arabic.
Frequently asked questions
Which article of the Saudi Labor Law covers resignation?
Article 79-bis, added by the 2025 amendments (Royal Decree M/44) and in force since 19 February 2025. Article 74 was also amended to list resignation as one of the ways an employment contract ends.
How long does my employer have to accept my resignation in Saudi Arabia?
30 days. If your employer does not respond within 30 days of the resignation, it is deemed accepted and the contract ends.
Can my employer refuse my resignation?
No. The employer can only defer acceptance, for up to 60 days, if work requires it, and only with a written, reasoned explanation given before the first 30 days run out.
Can I take back my resignation in Saudi Arabia?
Yes, within 7 days of submitting it, as long as your employer has not already accepted it (Article 79-bis(3)).
Do I lose my end-of-service award if I resign?
Not all of it. Under Article 85 you get nothing under 2 years of service, one-third from 2 to 5 years, two-thirds from more than 5 to under 10 years, and the full award from 10 years.
Can I write a future date on my resignation letter?
No. Article 79-bis(4) says a resignation may not be tied to a deferred date. You submit it, and the 30-day period starts from then.