Sick leave in Saudi Arabia runs on a ladder set by Article 117 of the Labor Law: the first 30 days on full pay, the next 60 days on three-quarters pay, and a final 30 days unpaid, all within one year that starts on your first sick day. That is up to 120 days a year, whether the absences are continuous or scattered. Article 82 then stops your employer from ending the contract because of the illness until those days are used up.
The ladder is simple to state and easy to get wrong in practice: the wage it applies to, how separate absences add up, when the year resets, and how it differs from a work injury. Each is worked through below in riyals. Because Article 82 also lets you attach annual leave to sick leave, check your annual balance here:
Saudi Arabia Annual Leave Entitlement Calculator
Annual leave calculator
Need help managing EOSB for your team?
Get a free HR software recommendation from our partners.
No spam. Unsubscribe any time.
How sick leave in Saudi Arabia is paid (Article 117)
The article in full, from the consolidated Arabic text: a worker whose illness is proved is entitled to paid sick leave for the first thirty days, three-quarters of the wage for the following sixty days, and leave without pay for the thirty days after that, within one year, whether the leaves are continuous or separate. The year is the one that starts on the date of the first sick leave.
| Days of sick leave in the year | Pay |
|---|---|
| Days 1 to 30 | Full wage |
| Days 31 to 90 | 75% of the wage |
| Days 91 to 120 | Unpaid |
Three details decide the money:
- The wage is the actual wage. Article 2 defines the wage as basic pay plus allowances, so sick pay is calculated on your whole package, divided by 30 for a daily figure.
- Days add up across absences. Three separate ten-day absences use the same 30 full-pay days as one 30-day absence.
- The year starts with the first sick day, not on 1 January. It is not your contract year or the calendar year, and it does not restart because an absence ends.
Sick days are their own entitlement and do not come out of annual leave. The same is true of the other leave types in the Saudi Labor Law, from marriage and Hajj leave to maternity.
Worked examples on a SAR 9,000 wage
Take a worker on SAR 6,000 basic plus 3,000 allowances: an actual wage of SAR 9,000, so SAR 300 a day.
One long illness of 100 days
- Days 1 to 30 at full pay: 30 × 300 = SAR 9,000
- Days 31 to 90 at 75%: 60 × 225 = SAR 13,500
- Days 91 to 100 unpaid: SAR 0
- Sick pay for the 100 days: SAR 22,500, against SAR 30,000 for the same days at work
Three absences in the same year: 12, 20 and 15 days
- Full pay for the first 30 days of the total: all 12 days of the first absence and the first 18 of the second
- 75% for the rest: the last 2 days of the second absence and all 15 of the third
- Pay: 30 × 300 + 17 × 225 = 9,000 + 3,825 = SAR 12,825 for 47 days
The second example is where payslips go wrong: an employer that restarts the count with each certificate pays all 47 days in full, and one that counts from the calendar year can do the opposite. The law counts days, in order, inside one year from the first sick day.
Sick leave versus a work injury (Article 137)
Absence caused by an injury at work is not Article 117 sick leave. Article 137 pays a worker temporarily disabled by a work injury their full wage for 60 days, then 75% for as long as treatment lasts, with no 30-day unpaid tail. If treatment reaches a year, or recovery is medically unlikely, the injury counts as total disability, the contract ends and the worker is compensated for the injury.
| Same worker, 100 days off | Ordinary illness (Art. 117) | Work injury (Art. 137) |
|---|---|---|
| Days 1 to 30 | Full: SAR 9,000 | Full: SAR 9,000 |
| Days 31 to 60 | 75%: SAR 6,750 | Full: SAR 9,000 |
| Days 61 to 90 | 75%: SAR 6,750 | 75%: SAR 6,750 |
| Days 91 to 100 | Unpaid | 75%: SAR 2,250 |
| Total | SAR 22,500 | SAR 27,000 |
If your absence came from an accident or exposure at work, make sure it is recorded as a work injury. The difference here is SAR 4,500.
Your job is protected while you are on sick leave (Article 82)
Article 82 forbids the employer to end your service because of illness before you have used up the sick leave the law provides, and it gives you the right to ask for your annual leave to be joined to your sick leave. That can turn unpaid days at the bottom of the ladder into paid annual-leave days, as many as your annual leave balance allows.
Two further protections apply. Article 155 forbids dismissing a pregnant worker, or one on maternity leave, including for related illness of up to 180 days a year. And Article 118 forbids working for another employer while on any leave, sick leave included; an employer who proves it can withhold or recover the leave pay.
What happens when sick leave runs out
Once the 120 days in the year are used, Article 82's protection ends. If the illness leaves you unable to do the job, Article 79 ends the contract on a medical certificate. That is not a resignation, so the end-of-service award is paid under Article 84 without the Article 85 reduction, together with your unused leave under Article 111. The Saudi final settlement calculator adds those up.
Common mistakes with Saudi sick leave
- Paying sick days on basic salary only. The wage in Article 117 is the actual wage, allowances included.
- Restarting the count with each medical certificate. Days accumulate inside the year from the first sick day.
- Counting from 1 January. The year starts on the first sick day.
- Treating the last 30 days as Article 116 unpaid leave. They are the third step of the sick-leave ladder, not unpaid leave by agreement.
- Recording a work injury as sickness. Article 137 pays more and has no unpaid stage.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many sick leave days are allowed in Saudi Arabia?
Up to 120 days in a year under Article 117: 30 days on full pay, 60 days on three-quarters pay and 30 days unpaid. The year starts on the date of your first sick leave, and the days count whether the absences are continuous or separate.
Is sick leave paid on basic or full salary in Saudi Arabia?
On the actual wage, basic pay plus allowances. Article 117 grants leave 'with wage', and Article 2 says that wherever the Labor Law says wage it means the actual wage.
Can my employer terminate me while I am on sick leave?
Not because of the illness until you have used up your statutory sick leave (Article 82). Pregnant workers and workers on maternity leave have wider protection under Article 155.
Does sick leave reset every year?
The year is counted from your first sick day, not from 1 January or your contract date. When that year ends, the next sick leave starts a new year with a fresh 120 days.
Can I use annual leave instead of unpaid sick leave?
Yes, if you ask. Article 82 gives the worker the right to request that annual leave be joined to sick leave, which keeps you on full pay for those days.
What is Article 117 of the Saudi Labor Law?
The sick-leave article. It gives a worker whose illness is proved paid sick leave for 30 days, three-quarters pay for the next 60 days and 30 unpaid days, within one year counted from the first sick leave.
Is a work injury paid as sick leave?
No. Article 137 pays a worker disabled by a work injury the full wage for 60 days, then 75% for as long as treatment lasts, with no unpaid stage.
Do I get end of service if my contract ends because of illness?
Yes. A contract that ends because illness leaves you unable to work ends under Article 79, not by resignation, so the award is paid under Article 84 without the Article 85 reduction.
Related rules
Sick leave is only one of the leave types in the Labor Law; the guide to annual leave in Saudi Arabia and every other leave type lists them all. For what happens to your job and pay if a contract is ended, see Article 77 and the other termination rules, and for the end-of-service award itself, the Saudi end of service calculator.
Sources: Saudi Labor Law (Royal Decree M/51), consolidated Arabic text as amended to 1446 AH, Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development. This guide is for general guidance, not legal advice.