Under Article 151 of the Labor Law, as amended with effect from February 2025, a female employee gets 12 weeks of maternity leave on full pay. The six weeks after childbirth are mandatory, and she may place the remaining six weeks as she wishes, starting up to four weeks before the expected delivery date.
Step by step
- 1
Length and pay
12 weeks on full pay, with the six weeks after childbirth mandatory.
- 2
Set the start
It may start up to four weeks before the expected delivery date, which is set by a medical certificate certified by a health authority.
- 3
If delivery is late
If the leave remaining after a late delivery is less than six weeks, the time needed to complete it counts as unpaid leave.
- 4
Extension
She may in all cases extend maternity leave by one month without pay.
- 5
A sick or disabled newborn
If the child's condition needs a constant companion, she gets one month on full pay after maternity leave, extendable by one month without pay.
- 6
Protection after return
She cannot be dismissed or warned of dismissal during pregnancy or maternity leave, and on return she gets nursing breaks of no more than one hour a day, under Articles 154 and 155.
Applying the previous ten-week rule is a mistake since the amendments took effect in February 2025, and so is linking leave pay to length of service: leave is 12 weeks on full pay and Article 152 is repealed.
- 12 week maternity leave in saudi arabia
- maternity leave for private sector employees in saudi arabia