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Dubai: Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Human Resources and Social Development, Ahmed Al Rajhi, has announced an update to the Flexible Work Regulation, increasing the monthly working hours for Saudi nationals in a single facility to 160 hours.
The change includes modifications to Clause 2 of Article 27 of the Executive Regulations of the Labor Law.
The updated regulation now allows a facility to earn a full point in the Nitaqat Saudisation Programme when a flexible worker or group of employees completes 160 hours of work. Over 35,000 Saudi men and women have already benefited from this system since its launch.
The revision is part of the ministry’s ongoing effort to adapt labor market regulations, enhance the stability and growth of establishments, protect workers’ rights, and improve the labor market’s attractiveness and flexibility.
The ministry has also been proactive in ensuring the flexible work framework creates job opportunities and provides additional income sources for Saudis under a system where wages are determined on an hourly basis. The establishment of the flexible work platform has further secured these relationships by enabling the electronic documentation of employment contracts.
The regulations offer significant benefits for both employers and employees, such as job market readiness, professional skill development, and reduced hiring costs. The flexible work system is tailored specifically for Saudi citizens and excludes the government and military sectors. It aims to regularize the hiring process, with establishments registering workers through the Mrn system and verifying data via Absher or by allowing workers to create personal profiles on the portal website for employer access.
