Saudi Arabia’s Qiwa Platform Introduces Major Reforms to Employment Contract Rules

Saudi Arabia’s Qiwa platform has announced a series of major updates to its employment contract system, introducing tighter regulations and digital services aimed at enhancing transparency and efficiency in the labor market.

According to a report by Saudi Gazette, the latest update significantly changes how employers can file “absent from work” reports. Under the new rules, companies can only submit such reports if the worker’s residency permit (Iqama) is valid for at least 60 days and if the employee does not have an active employment contract in place.

Once a worker is marked as “disconnected from work,” a 60-day grace period begins. During this time, the individual must either transfer to another employer, exit the Kingdom, or re-establish employment with the same company. If no action is taken by the end of the grace period, the system will automatically classify the employee as “absent from work” and remove them from the employer’s records.

The platform has also clarified how employment contract terminations are processed. Whether initiated by the employer or employee, the contract will be marked as “terminated” once the notice period expires. If the worker fails to respond within the specified time, an automatic alert will be sent to both the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (MHRSD) and the Ministry of Interior.

These procedural updates are part of Saudi Arabia’s broader labor market reforms, which aim to modernize systems, improve employer-employee relations, and reduce administrative ambiguities.

In a related development, Qiwa has also launched a new digital service allowing workers to obtain employment-related certificates through the “Qiwa Individuals” platform. Active employees can generate free salary certificates that include real-time job details, while former workers can request service certificates summarizing their previous employment history.

To access the service, users must log in to their Qiwa Individuals account and navigate to the “Employment Certificates” section. The platform says the feature is designed to help boost job competitiveness and support career advancement by providing verified documentation of work experience.

The latest upgrades reflect Saudi Arabia’s ongoing efforts to digitize and streamline labor procedures, supporting both employers and workers with a more transparent, accountable framework for managing employment transitions.