Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (MHRSD) has recently amended - Opens in new tab the schedule of violations and penalties for workers in various sectors.
The new ministerial resolution, implemented in February 2026, significantly expands the list of violations. While the previous schedule spanned nine pages, the updated version extends to 24 pages. The revised framework increases fines in certain instances and reclassifies a number of violations into specific categories based on the nature of the activity or sector. These include general violations applicable to all private sector workers under the Labour Law, as well as sector-specific categories covering:
- Mining and quarrying operations
- Maritime sector
- Operation and maintenance activities
- Labour outsourcing and human resources companies
- Recruitment offices and domestic workers
- Domestic sector
- Agricultural workers and private shepherds
According to the MHRSD, the revised schedule is intended to “achieve greater clarity for establishments and employees in applying and adhering to the regulations.”
This follows an earlier overhaul in February 2024, when the MHRSD substantially reduced fines imposed on employers for various labour violations, in some cases by 80 per cent. The new schedule largely retains the fines and penalties introduced in 2024, with some exceptions. As under the previous framework, penalties continue to vary according to the size of the business, and violations remain classified as either “serious” or “not serious.” However, the new schedule also introduces administrative sanctions for certain violations in place of monetary fines, including warnings, temporary service suspensions, and permanent bans.
Some notable changes include increased fines for employers who confiscate the passports of workers covered by the Labour Law. Previously, this violation carried a fixed fine of SR 1,000, regardless of the size of the establishment. Under the new schedule, the penalty has been increased to SR 2,000 for establishments employing between 21 and 49 workers, and to SR 3,000 for establishments with 50 or more workers.
Other examples of increased fines include:
Violation
Old Schedule fine
New schedule fine
The employer enables the non-Saudi worker to work in a profession other than the profession listed on the work permit
SR 300 per worker for establishments with 20 workers or fewer SR 500 per worker for establishments with 21–49 workers SR 1,000 per worker for establishments with 50 or more workers
SR 3,000 per worker for establishments with 20 workers or fewer SR 5,000 per worker for establishments with 21–49 workers SR 10,000 per worker for establishments with 50 or more workers
An employer employing non-Saudi workers in professions or activities reserved exclusively for Saudi nationals.
SR 2,000 per worker for establishments with 20 workers or fewer SR 4,000 per worker for establishments with 21–49 workers SR 8,000 per worker for establishments with 50 or more workers
SR 3,000 per worker for establishments with 20 workers or fewer SR 5,000 per worker for establishments with 21–49 workers SR 10,000 per worker for establishments with 50 or more workers
Failure by the employer, its representative, or the responsible official at the workplace to facilitate the work of labour inspectors or other employees tasked with supervision, or to cooperate with them in implementing the provisions of the Labour Law
SR 3,000 for establishments with 20 workers or fewer SR 4,000 for establishments with 21–49 workers SR 5,000 for establishments with 50 or more workers
SR 10,000 regardless of the size of the establishment
The new schedule also specifies penalties for a number of violations that were not expressly addressed under the previous schedule. For example, it imposes fines on employers who permit their workers to work for a third party or engage in self-employment, ranging from SR 10,000 per worker for establishments employing 20 workers or fewer to SR 20,000 per worker for establishments employing 50 or more workers.
The new schedule also provides sector-specific fines and penalties, with penalties for similar violations differing in some cases depending on the sector involved, for example:
Violation
Sector and fine
Failure by the employer to pay wages to workers
Domestic Sector Agriculture Sector SR 3,000 per worker Agriculture Sector SR 3,000 per worker Maritime Sector SR 300 per worker for establishments with 20 workers or fewer SR 500 per worker for establishments with 21–49 workers SR 1,000 per worker for establishments with 50 or more workers Private Sector (Labour Law) SR 1,000 per worker for establishments with 20 workers or fewer SR 2,000 per worker for establishments with 21–49 workers SR 3,000 per worker for establishments with 50 or more workers
Employer’s confiscation of a worker’s passport or any of their personal documents, identification papers, or personal belongings
Domestic Sector SR 2,000 per worker Agriculture Sector SR 3,000 per worker Private Sector (Labour Law) SR 1,000 per worker for establishments with 20 workers or fewer SR 2,000 per worker for establishments with 21–49 workers SR 3,000 per worker for establishments with 50 or more workers
Failure to comply with statutory leave/rest entitlements
Domestic Sector SR 1,000 per worker Agriculture Sector SR 1,000 per worker Maritime Sector SR 300 per worker for establishments with 20 workers or fewer SR 500 per worker for establishments with 21–49 workers SR 1,000 per worker for establishments with 50 or more workers Private Sector (Labour Law) SR 1,000 per worker for establishments with 20 workers or fewer SR 2,000 per worker for establishments with 21–49 workers SR 3,000 per worker for establishments with 50 or more workers
The variation in fines and penalties across sectors reflects a differentiated regulatory approach to labour protection in Saudi Arabia. While private-sector workers covered by the Labour Law are subject to more comprehensive protections and enforcement mechanisms, workers in the domestic and maritime sectors are governed by separate frameworks that generally offer limited regulatory oversight and inspection. These sectors have also been less prominently included in recent labour reform initiatives and in the labour violations schedule, compared to private-sector workers.
In recent years, the Saudi government has gradually lowered fines and penalties for employers violating labour laws. For more information, read MRRORS previous reporting on this issue.
