The employment contract is an enforceable document: Receive your delayed salaries immediately via Najiz
In a historic move that reshapes the contractual relationship in the Saudi labor market, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development, in strategic partnership with the Ministry of Justice, launched a groundbreaking initiative to end the suffering of employees with delayed salaries. This initiative grants the "notarized employment contract" the status of a legally binding enforceable instrument, enabling employees to immediately recover their outstanding financial entitlements through the enforcement courts, thus bypassing the traditional procedures for filing labor lawsuits.
A qualitative leap in the history of labor justice
To understand the significance of this decision, one must consider the historical context of previous procedures. Previously, an employee whose salary was delayed was forced to navigate a lengthy legal process, beginning with an amicable settlement, then proceeding to the labor court, and awaiting hearings, initial rulings, and appeals—a journey that could take many months. Today, thanks to this initiative, this long process has been streamlined into an immediate electronic procedure, reflecting the tremendous advancements in the Kingdom's legislative and technological infrastructure.
Advanced technological mechanism to guarantee rights
The initiative relies on a precise technical link between the "Qiwa" and "Najiz" platforms, supported by verification through the "Mudad" platform, which specializes in the Wage Protection Program. This system grants the worker legal power to directly enforce the contract against the employer's funds in case of payment default. The enforcement power of the contract is not limited to the basic salary alone, but encompasses a wide range of entitlements
- Basic salary.
- Housing allowance.
- Transportation allowance.
- All other cash allowances agreed upon in the contract.
Eligibility requirements and timeframes
The relevant authorities clarified that to benefit from this service, the contract must be documented on the Qiwa platform according to the "Unified Executive Form" and approved by the Ministry of Justice. The initiative has set precise timeframes that allow the worker to resort to the Enforcement Court
- After 30 days of the salary being fully delayed.
- After 90 days if the wage is received incompletely or partially.
The process is carried out by submitting a “virtual court” request via the Najiz platform, where the employer is given a statutory period of 5 days to object or pay before the start of enforcement procedures.
The implications of the decision on the investment environment and Vision 2030
The impact of this decision extends beyond legal aspects, encompassing significant economic and investment dimensions that align with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030. This step will enhance the attractiveness of the Saudi labor market to both local and international talent by ensuring financial security. It will also contribute to improving the Kingdom's ranking in labor market efficiency and contract enforcement indicators, creating a more transparent and regulated investment environment. Furthermore, it will reduce the administrative and operational burden on labor courts, allowing them to focus on more complex cases.
The initiative has recorded a record response, with the number of contracts documented as executive bonds exceeding 300,000 contracts, confirming the growing confidence in the digital transformation of judicial and labor services in the Kingdom.
