Programme overview
Introduction:
The February 2025 amendments to the Saudi Labor Law were the most significant reform of the Kingdom's employment framework in a decade, touching probation, notice periods, equal opportunity, housing and transport entitlements, leave and resignation. At the same time, employment administration has moved almost entirely onto government platforms: contracts are documented on Qiwa, salaries are verified through Mudad and the Wage Protection System, social insurance runs through GOSI, and Saudization performance is tracked through Nitaqat. For HR teams, the risk is no longer only knowing the law, but making sure that what the policy says, what the platform shows and what payroll actually pays all match. Offered by Core Concept, this five-day course takes participants through the Saudi Labor Law and its Implementing Regulations as they apply to daily HR operations, from hiring and contracting through working time, wages and discipline to termination and end-of-service settlement. Participants leave with a Saudi HR Compliance Audit and Remediation Matrix mapped to their own organisation.
Course Objectives:
- Interpret the Saudi Labor Law, its Implementing Regulations and the February 2025 amendments, and translate them into internal HR policies and procedures.
- Align employment contracts, internal work regulations and HR records with Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (MHRSD) requirements and the Qiwa platform.
- Administer working hours, overtime, leave, wages and allowances in line with statutory entitlements, Mudad wage protection and GOSI obligations.
- Manage discipline, investigations, resignation and termination lawfully, and reduce exposure in amicable settlement (Wedy) and Labor Court proceedings.
- Build a Saudi HR Compliance Audit and Remediation Matrix covering Saudization, labour inspection readiness and employee data protection under the PDPL.
Target Audience:
- HR managers, HR business partners and HR operations specialists in Saudi private-sector organisations
- Government relations and HR officers responsible for Qiwa, Mudad, GOSI and Nitaqat transactions
- Payroll, compensation and benefits professionals handling wages, allowances and end-of-service settlements
- Employee relations, legal and compliance professionals dealing with discipline, grievances and labour disputes
- Line and operations managers who supervise mixed Saudi and expatriate teams
Course Outline:
Day 1: The Saudi Employment Framework and the 2025 Amendments
- Structure of the Saudi Labor Law, its Implementing Regulations and the role of MHRSD
- Key changes introduced by the February 2025 amendments and their operational impact
- Scope of the law: Saudi nationals, expatriate employees, excluded categories and flexible or remote work arrangements
- Equal opportunity and non-discrimination duties in recruitment, pay and promotion
- Baseline gap analysis using a Saudi HR Regulatory Diagnostic Checklist
Day 2: Contracts, Qiwa and HR Governance
- Fixed-term and indefinite contracts: required terms, Arabic text precedence and documentation on Qiwa
- Probation periods under the amended law: duration, documentation and termination during probation
- Internal work regulations: adopting and adapting the MHRSD model regulations
- Employee files and HR records governance, including personal data handling under the Personal Data Protection Law (PDPL)
- Saudization under Nitaqat: workforce planning, platform accuracy and compliance risk
Day 3: Working Time, Wages and Statutory Entitlements
- Working hours, weekly rest, Ramadan hours and overtime calculation using an Overtime Audit Register
- Wage governance through Mudad and the Wage Protection System: reconciling contract, payroll and platform data
- Housing and transport provision or allowances, and their effect on wage calculations
- Annual, sick, maternity, bereavement and other statutory leave: entitlements and accrual tracking
- GOSI registration and contributions, and MHRSD occupational safety and health obligations
Day 4: Discipline, Termination and Labour Disputes
- Disciplinary procedures and penalties within the internal work regulations, using a progressive sanctions matrix
- Workplace investigations and grievance handling: evidence, minutes and employee rights
- Resignation, termination with and without valid reason, notice periods and compensation exposure
- End-of-service award calculation and final settlement using a structured calculation ledger
- The dispute route in practice: amicable settlement through Wedy, the Labor Courts and MHRSD violations and penalties
Day 5: Saudi Case Practice and Deliverable Assembly
- Case exercise: contract and probation dispute in a healthcare employer with a mixed Saudi and expatriate workforce
- Case exercise: wage and overtime discrepancies found during a Mudad reconciliation in a retail chain
- Case exercise: restructuring and termination settlements in a contracting company during project demobilisation
- Labour inspection readiness: prioritising gaps and root causes using the Ishikawa diagnostic tool
- Final assembly of the Saudi HR Compliance Audit and Remediation Matrix
Skills You Will Gain:
- Saudi Labor Law Interpretation
- Qiwa Contract Governance
- Mudad Wage Protection Reconciliation
- End-of-Service Award Calculation
- Disciplinary and Investigation Case Management
- Saudization Compliance Monitoring
- HR Compliance Audit and Remediation Planning
Why Attend This Course:
- Bring contracts, internal regulations and HR procedures in line with the amended Saudi Labor Law rather than pre-2025 practice.
- Reduce the risk of MHRSD violations and penalties by ensuring that Qiwa, Mudad, GOSI and payroll records tell the same story.
- Prevent costly claims arising from miscalculated entitlements, unrecorded overtime and improperly handled terminations.
- Handle disputes from a stronger position, with documentation that stands up in Wedy settlement and before the Labor Courts.
- Return with a practical Saudi HR Compliance Audit and Remediation Matrix ready to apply in your organisation.
Conclusion:
Labour compliance in Saudi Arabia is now as much about operations and data as it is about law. The amended Labor Law raises the bar on how employers hire, contract, pay and part ways with employees, while government platforms make every inconsistency visible. By working through the law, the platforms and realistic Saudi workplace cases, participants gain the ability to review their current HR practices with confidence, identify where exposure sits, and put in place corrective measures that protect both the organisation and its people.