# Unpaid salary in Saudi Arabia: labour complaints and the labour court

If you work in Saudi Arabia and your employer has not paid you, or you are in a dispute at work, there is an official route. A labour claim usually starts with a friendly settlement stage run by the labour ministry, and goes to the labour court if it does not settle. What you can claim depends on your contract and records, so have a lawyer assess it.

Published by RAED ALI ALJOHANI COMPANY FOR Lawyership and Legal Consultations · Last updated 2026-10-21. General information about Saudi law — not advice on your situation.

## At a glance

- **Who this is for:** Foreign professionals and other foreign employees still working or living in Saudi Arabia whose salary is unpaid, or who are in a dispute with their employer. Already left? See [claims after leaving](/from-abroad/claims-after-leaving/).
- **Can it be handled from outside Saudi Arabia?:** Partly. This page is for people still in Saudi Arabia. Someone else, such as a lawyer, can act for you if your power of attorney allows it, whether or not you travel.
- **What usually decides the route:** Your contract, your pay records and what has happened so far, and whether your employer settles at the first stage.
- **What you usually need first:** A short outline: your employer's name, your role, what is unpaid and since when. No documents yet.
- **First step with us:** Send a short outline by WhatsApp, phone or email.


## What can you do if your Saudi employer has not paid your salary?

You can raise it through the official labour route. A labour claim between a worker and an employer usually starts with friendly settlement, a stage run by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (HRSD). If the dispute does not settle there, it goes to the labour court.

Before you file anything, keep a clear record of what is owed and have a lawyer read your contract. What you can claim depends on that contract and on the facts.

## What records should you keep in a pay dispute?

Keep everything that shows the job, the pay and what went wrong. Start now, while you still have access to your work accounts:

- your employment contract, and any offer letter or amendment;
- payslips, and bank statements showing what was paid and when;
- emails, messages and letters about pay, bonuses or the dispute;
- a short timeline: when pay stopped or fell short, and what you were told;
- anything that shows your role and working hours.

According to the labour ministry, a friendly settlement claim attaches the employment contract, or other proof of the working relationship. Keep copies outside your work devices.

## How does a labour complaint start: friendly settlement

According to HRSD, friendly settlement is the first stage of a labour dispute between a worker and an employer. The claim is received electronically, with its documents, and ministry staff review it. The two sides are given time to negotiate directly. Then both are invited to settlement sessions, where the ministry tries to bring the views closer and to mediate an agreement.

If an agreement is reached, the dispute can end at this stage. If not, the case is referred to the labour court. The service has a time limit for filing, which the official page sets out, so do not wait.

People often call this a "Qiwa complaint" or going to the "labour office". HRSD describes [Qiwa](https://saudilaw.co/glossary/) as the main digital platform for the services of the Saudi labour system, used by employees and employers. The ministry's website also has a directory of its branches.

## When does a labour dispute go to the labour court?

When it does not settle at the friendly settlement stage. According to HRSD, an unresolved claim is then referred to the [labour court](https://saudilaw.co/glossary/), a court that hears employment disputes.

At that point the evidence and the way the claim is put matter more. A lawyer reviews your file, prepares the claim and acts for you in court. How a case goes depends on the claim, the evidence and the contract, and we tell you plainly where yours stands.

## Can someone act for you in a labour dispute?

Yes. According to HRSD, a representative can act in the friendly settlement stage if their power of attorney allows them to attend the sessions. It must also give them authority to settle or give up claims on your behalf.

That is a lot of authority, so read the wording before you sign. We will tell you exactly what your power of attorney needs to cover for your matter. See [power of attorney for Saudi Arabia](https://saudilaw.co/from-abroad/power-of-attorney/) for how one is made.

## What does a lawyer do in a Saudi labour dispute?

A lawyer first works out whether you have a claim, and for what. In general, that means:

- **Reading your contract** and your pay records together.
- **Checking the facts and the dates**, including any time limit that applies.
- **Preparing the claim** and its documents for the friendly settlement stage.
- **Attending the settlement sessions** for you, under a power of attorney.
- **Negotiating a settlement**, if your employer wants one.
- **Acting for you in the labour court** if the dispute does not settle.

If your employer has also reported you absent from work, tell us both facts in your first message. See [absent-from-work (huroob) reports](https://saudilaw.co/cases-arrests-travel-bans/absent-from-work-reports/).

Contact: WhatsApp or phone +966 54 797 7285 · email office@raedlawyer.com · undefined

## How does a labour claim usually work, step by step?

Most claims follow these steps, though not always in this order.

1. **Send us a short outline.** Your employer's name, your role, what is unpaid and since when.
2. **Sign the engagement letter and, if needed, a power of attorney.** The engagement letter is the written agreement between you and the firm; work starts only after it is signed. See [how we work](https://saudilaw.co/how-we-work/).
3. **Review the contract and the records.** We read your contract, payslips and messages together. Where a lawyer helps: telling you plainly whether there is a claim, and what it depends on.
4. **File the claim for friendly settlement.** The claim is filed online with its documents, within the time limit the official page sets.
5. **Attend the settlement sessions.** The ministry invites both sides and tries to mediate an agreement. Where a lawyer helps: attending for you and negotiating any settlement.
6. **Go to the labour court if needed.** If the dispute does not settle, the case is referred to the labour court.

## What if you have already left Saudi Arabia?

Then see [claiming end-of-service pay and unpaid salary after you've left](https://saudilaw.co/from-abroad/claims-after-leaving/). You may still be able to claim from abroad through a lawyer holding your power of attorney, but time limits apply.

If you are planning to leave, keep copies of your records first. Access to work email and accounts often ends on your last day.

## What to prepare before you talk to a lawyer

A short outline is enough for a first message. Keep the following ready, but don't send it yet:

- your employer's name and your job title;
- your employment contract and any amendments;
- recent payslips and bank statements;
- a short timeline of what is unpaid, and since when;
- any message or notice from your employer or a government platform.

Once we confirm we can help, we will tell you what to send.


## Frequently asked questions

### My employer in Saudi Arabia has not paid my salary. What should I do?

Act early and keep your records: what is unpaid and since when, your contract, payslips and messages. The claim usually starts online at the labour ministry's friendly settlement stage (see [how a labour complaint starts](#friendly-settlement)). Ask a licensed lawyer before you file.

### Is a Qiwa complaint the same as a labour case?

People often use the two phrases for the same thing. Qiwa is the labour ministry's main digital platform for employees and employers, while a pay dispute itself goes first to the ministry's friendly settlement service, before any court.

### What happens at the friendly settlement stage?

The claim is filed online, the two sides are given time to negotiate, and the ministry then tries to mediate at settlement sessions. If there is no agreement, the case goes to the labour court. There is a time limit for filing, set out on the official page.

### How does the labour court in Saudi Arabia work?

It hears employment disputes that are not resolved at the friendly settlement stage. A licensed lawyer can review your file and act for you there; see [when a dispute goes to the labour court](#labour-court).

### Can a lawyer handle my labour complaint for me?

Yes, if your power of attorney allows it. It must let your representative attend the settlement sessions and settle or give up claims for you, so check the wording before you sign.

### What if I leave Saudi Arabia before I am paid?

You may still be able to claim after you leave, but time limits apply, so do not wait. Before you leave, keep copies of your contract, payslips and messages, because access to work accounts can end. A Saudi lawyer can usually act for you from abroad under a power of attorney. See [claiming unpaid salary after you've left](/from-abroad/claims-after-leaving/).

## Official sources

- Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development: [Friendly Settlement for Labor Disputes](https://www.hrsd.gov.sa/en/ministry-services/services/269970) (checked 2026-10-21)
- Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development: [The official website of the Ministry of HRSD](https://www.hrsd.gov.sa/en) (checked 2026-10-21)
- Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development: [Labor Law](https://www.hrsd.gov.sa/en/knowledge-centre/%D9%86%D8%B8%D8%A7%D9%85-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D9%85%D9%84) (checked 2026-10-21)

General information about Saudi law, not legal advice on your situation. For your own case, speak to a licensed lawyer. Contacting us does not create a lawyer–client relationship until an engagement letter is signed.

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Saudi Law is operated by RAED ALI ALJOHANI COMPANY FOR Lawyership and Legal Consultations, licensed in Saudi Arabia. https://saudilaw.co/cases-arrests-travel-bans/unpaid-wages-and-labour-complaints/