Saudi Arabia Labour Salary: 7 Rules Behind Your Pay

The most common question we hear from workers is a single number: what is the Saudi Arabia labour salary per month, and what is it in rupees? It is a fair question with an honest answer that disappoints people. There is no single figure. What exists instead is a set of rules that decide how your pay is set, protected and calculated, and they are worth more to you than any number on a poster.

Here are the seven rules behind a Saudi Arabia labour salary, drawn from the Saudi Labour Law as amended in February 2025.

Rule 1 — There is no minimum wage for expatriate workers

Saudi Arabia does not set a statutory minimum wage for non-Saudi workers in the private sector. The SAR 4,000 figure often quoted online applies to Saudi nationals, as the level at which a Saudi employee counts towards the employer’s Saudization quota. It is not a floor for a Pakistani worker’s pay.

That is why the Saudi Arabia labour salary for the same trade varies so widely between employers, and why any agency quoting you a fixed figure before a demand letter exists is guessing.

Rule 2 — Your salary is whatever the contract says

Pay is set by the employer in the demand letter and fixed in your employment contract. Make sure the contract states the basic salary as a figure, in riyals, per month. A range, or “as per company policy”, is not a salary.

Rule 3 — Basic pay and allowances are different things

A Saudi Arabia labour salary is often quoted as a total that mixes basic pay with allowances for housing, transport or food. Some employers pay allowances in cash; others provide accommodation and transport instead. Ask for the basic to be stated separately, because overtime is calculated on it.

Rule 4 — Working hours are capped by law

Under Article 98 of the Labour Law, normal working hours are eight a day and 48 a week. During Ramadan, Muslim workers work six hours a day and 36 a week. Anything above the normal hours is overtime.

Rule 5 — Overtime is paid at a premium

Article 107 requires overtime to be paid at the hourly wage plus 50% of the basic hourly wage. Since the 2025 amendments, employer and worker can also agree to compensate overtime with paid time off instead of money. Either way, the basis must be agreed, so check that your contract states it.

Rule 6 — Wages are paid electronically and recorded

Private-sector salaries in Saudi Arabia, including those of expatriates, are paid through the Wage Protection System on the Mudad platform. Payment goes through licensed banks or approved payroll channels, not in cash, and the employer reports your contracted salary against what was actually paid. If your pay stops or falls short, that record is your evidence.

Rule 7 — Leave and end-of-service are part of the package

A worker who has completed a year of service is entitled to 21 days of paid annual leave, rising to 30 days after five years with the same employer (Article 109). At the end of the contract, the end-of-service award is half a month’s wage for each of the first five years and a full month’s wage for each year after that (Article 84). A worker who resigns receives a share of the award that depends on length of service, with nothing for under two years.

What to check on your first payslips

The first two or three months are when problems are easiest to fix, so read each payslip against your contract:

• the basic salary matches the figure in the contract;
• any allowance paid in cash is shown separately;
• overtime hours are listed, and the rate matches Article 107;
• every deduction has a reason you recognise.

Keep the payslips and your bank statements together. They are the evidence for every later question about pay, leave or end-of-service.

If your salary is not paid

Raise it with your employer in writing first, and keep a copy. If that fails, a complaint can be filed with the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development in Saudi Arabia. On the Pakistani side, the Community Welfare Attaché at the Pakistan Embassy in Riyadh or the Consulate General in Jeddah can help workers in a wage dispute, and the agency that sent you should be told as well. A worker registered with the Protector of Emigrants has a record that makes all of this easier.

Converting a Saudi Arabia labour salary into rupees

The Saudi riyal is pegged to the US dollar at 3.75 riyals, but the rupee is not pegged to either, so the rupee value of the same salary moves from month to month. To estimate a Saudi Arabia labour salary per month in Pakistan, multiply the basic in riyals by that day’s exchange rate, and remember that housing or food provided in kind is money you do not spend rather than money you can send home. Send remittances through banking channels so that every transfer is documented.

Frequently asked questions

What is the minimum salary for a labourer in Saudi Arabia?

For expatriate workers there is no statutory minimum. The salary is what your contract states.

Is overtime compulsory?

Overtime has to be paid, or compensated with agreed time off, and it is recorded. Check what your contract says about how it is requested.

Where can I check the rules myself?

The Labour Law and its regulations are published by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development.

Working with a licensed promoter

Al Abbasi Enterprises has been licensed as an Overseas Employment Promoter since 1988 under licence OEP-0664-Rawalpindi. Ask to see the salary in the employer’s demand letter before you commit to anything — with us or with anyone else.

See the full sequence on our process page, the trades in demand in our guide to the skilled trades Saudi Arabia is hiring, or contact our Rawalpindi office.