Do you get gratuity if you resign before 2 years in Saudi Arabia?
Last updated: October 2026. Based on the Saudi Labour Law; not legal advice.
No. Under Article 85 of the Saudi Labour Law, resigning with less than 2 years of service earns no end-of-service award. But if the employer ends the contract, or a fixed-term contract simply expires, you get a proportional award even for less than 2 years, unless the job ends during probation.
The rule at a glance
| Service | If you resign | If the employer ends it |
|---|---|---|
| Under 2 years | Nothing | Full (proportional) |
| 2 to 5 years | One third | Full |
| 5 to 10 years | Two thirds | Full |
| 10 years or more | Full | Full |
When resigning still gets you the full award
Article 87 gives the full award in some resignation cases: if you leave because of force majeure beyond your control, or if a woman leaves within 6 months of marriage or 3 months of giving birth. And if you leave under Article 81 because of the employer's serious violations, such as unpaid salary, your full rights are kept.
What you get even when gratuity is zero
No gratuity doesn't mean a zero final settlement. Pay for the days you worked, pay for unused annual leave, and anything your contract promises (such as a return ticket) are still yours.
Is it worth waiting a little?
Example: your total monthly wage is SAR 5,000. Resign at 1 year 11 months and your gratuity is zero. Stay one more month to complete 2 years, and the full award becomes SAR 5,000, of which you get one third on resignation: about SAR 1,666. The calculator's “Resign now or wait?” planner tells you the exact date.
If you're a domestic worker
House drivers and domestic workers fall under separate domestic worker regulations instead of the Labour Law, so this calculation doesn't apply to them. Check the Musaned platform for those rules.
Work out your own amount
Enter your dates and salary to see your end-of-service pay instantly.