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The Gulf Expat

Dismissed under Article 80 in Saudi Arabia: what am I owed?

No end of service award and no notice pay, in the cases Article 80 lists. Your unpaid wages are still due; ask HR how unused leave will be paid.

Checked 21 October 2026

Article 80 is a list of cases where your employer may end the contract without an award or notice. One case is the probation period. Ask for the case your employer relies on, in writing.

Get your datesEvery deadline as a date, from your last working day.

What to do now

  1. Ask for the dismissal reason in writing, naming the case in Article 80 it relies on.
  2. Check that your final pay includes your wages and unused leave, due within one week.
  3. If you disagree, file on Wedi within 12 months. Your leaving plan has the date.
See an example plan
Example only: an expat whose employer ended the job, with a last working day of 7 Nov 2026. Tap it to build your own.

What to ask HR

  1. Which case in Article 80 are you relying on?
  2. When will my wages and leave pay be paid?
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Also happening to you?

What you are still owed

  • Wages for every day you worked.
  • Pay for your unused annual leave. Ask HR which wage they use for it.

Your employer must settle these within one week of the contract ending (Art. 88).

If you dispute the reason

If you challenge it, the labour court decides whether the dismissal fits Article 80. If it does not, the court decides what is owed.

If the court finds there was no valid reason, compensation under Article 77 can apply. On an open-ended contract it is 15 days' wage for each year, and at least 2 months' wage.

  1. File for friendly settlement through HRSD's Wedi service, at the office for the city where you last worked. It is free.
  2. If it does not settle within 21 working days, the case goes to the labour court on Najiz.
  3. Workers pay no court costs for these claims.

You have 12 months from the end of the job to claim (Art. 234).

Unemployment insurance

SANED is for Saudi nationals only. For them, it does not pay after a dismissal that is their own fault.

Keep your papers

Keep the dismissal letter, your contract and your payslips. Write down the date you were told, and who told you.

Probation

Ending the contract during probation is one of the Article 80 cases. No award is due then either (Art. 54).

Probation can last up to 180 days. Eid, National Day and Founding Day holidays and sick leave do not count towards it.