Occupational safety International framework and country guides
What is the main occupational safety and health law in Saudi Arabia and who enforces it?
Part of: Occupational safety and health in Saudi Arabia: law, authorities and employer duties
Short answer
The Labor Law (Royal Decree M/51 of 2005), Part VIII, Articles 121 to 148, is the main OSH law, detailed by ministerial decisions and NCOSH regulations. MHRSD labour inspectors enforce it with fines; GOSI, SASO and Civil Defence cover insurance, products and fire.
The main law is the Labor Law (نظام العمل), Royal Decree No. M/51 of 23/8/1426 AH (27 September 2005), as amended: its Part VIII, Articles 121 to 148, sets the OSH duties. The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (MHRSD) issues the detailed decisions and enforces them through labour inspectors, while the National Council for Occupational Safety and Health (NCOSH) governs the national system and issues regulations.
Short answer
- There is no separate OSH act: OSH sits in Part VIII of the Labor Law, plus MHRSD ministerial decisions and NCOSH regulations and policies.
- Key decisions: the OSH Management Regulation (Decision No. 161238, 2018) for establishments with 50 or more workers, the OSH staffing decision (No. 76509, 2019) and the midday sun ban.
- MHRSD labour inspectors inspect OSH and fine under the ministry's violations table (the current one was issued by Ministerial Decision No. 112377 of 21/8/1447 AH, 9 February 2026). Under Labor Law Articles 229 and 230 the ministry can impose up to half the legal maximum of SAR 100,000 or 30 days' closure; heavier cases go to court.
- NCOSH, set up by Council of Ministers Decision No. 379 of 7/7/1443 AH (8 February 2022) and chaired by the MHRSD minister, runs the accident reporting platform and licenses OSH practitioners.
- GOSI (insurance), SASO (products), Civil Defence (fire) and sector regulators enforce their own rules alongside.
What Part VIII of the Labor Law contains
Part VIII is titled prevention of work hazards, prevention of major industrial accidents, work injuries and health and social services. It has four chapters:
| Chapter | Articles | Main content |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Prevention of work hazards | 121 to 126 | Clean and healthy workplace, precautions against hazards and machinery, instructions in Arabic, information and PPE before work, worker duties, fire precautions, liability to visitors |
| 2. Prevention of major industrial accidents | 127 to 131 and 131 bis | Major-hazard establishments; Minister defines hazardous occupations and restricted groups |
| 3. Work injuries | 132 to 141 | Treatment and compensation where GOSI does not cover the worker; reporting procedures by ministerial decision |
| 4. Health and social services | 142 to 148 | First aid cabinets, annual medical examinations for exposed workers, health care, remote sites, housing and transport |
Article 131 bis lets the Minister decide which occupations are hazardous and which groups may not do them, or only under conditions; the former separate ban for women in Article 149 has been repealed. Article 161 still bars minors from hazardous work, and Part XII adds rules for mines and quarries (registers, safety instructions, rescue points). The Arabic text published by the Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers is authoritative; English versions are translations.
Who enforces what
| Body | Enforcement role |
|---|---|
| MHRSD (وزارة الموارد البشرية والتنمية الاجتماعية) | Labour and OSH inspection, ministerial decisions, fines |
| NCOSH (المجلس الوطني للسلامة والصحة المهنية) | National OSH governance, reporting and investigation programme, regulations on fitness examinations, high-risk occupations and licensing |
| GOSI (المؤسسة العامة للتأمينات الاجتماعية) | Occupational hazards insurance, injury notification and benefits |
| SASO | Technical regulations and conformity certificates for products, including Ex equipment |
| Civil Defence | Fire safety of buildings and facilities |
| Sector regulators | Supervise the establishments they license and confirm accident investigation reports under the NCOSH policy |
MHRSD's OSH inspection mechanism (November 2019) shows what inspectors look at: the size and activity of the establishment, which level of the OSH Management Regulation applies, the OSH policy signed by top management, the hazard register and corrective actions, accident investigation records, training records and emergency plans, followed by a site walk to check that the system works in practice.
What this means for a newcomer
Example: A foreign contractor starts a 120-person maintenance contract at an industrial site. It falls under the Labor Law and the MHRSD decisions like any private employer: Arabic safety instructions plus the workers' languages, free PPE, fire precautions, the OSH Management Regulation (50+ workers), OSH staff under the 2019 ratio and licensed by NCOSH, and an account on the NCOSH reporting platform. The client's sector regulator and Civil Defence add site rules, and Ex equipment must hold SASO certificates.
For the ILO conventions Saudi Arabia has ratified, see the country profile in the ILO NORMLEX database.
Common mistakes
- Looking for a stand-alone OSH act. The duties are in the Labor Law and the decisions and regulations under it.
- Treating the English translation as binding. The Arabic text prevails.
- Ignoring NCOSH. Since 2022 it issues regulations and runs the reporting platform that employers must use.
Related on excodex
- Occupational safety and health in Saudi Arabia: law, authorities and employer duties
- What are the penalties for breaking occupational safety rules in Saudi Arabia?
- How and within what time must a workplace accident be reported in Saudi Arabia?
- OSH law comparison: appointments and reporting deadlines
Standards and further reading
- Labor Law, Royal Decree No. M/51 of 23/8/1426 AH: laws.boe.gov.sa; Part VIII text on MHRSD: hrsd.gov.sa; penalty articles 229 to 233: hrsd.gov.sa
- MHRSD violations and penalties table, Ministerial Decision No. 112377 of 21/8/1447 AH: hrsd.gov.sa
- NCOSH rules and regulations library, including the Council's organisation (Council of Ministers Decision No. 379 of 7/7/1443 AH) and the OSH inspection mechanism: ncosh.gov.sa
This article is general occupational safety and health information prepared by the excodex editorial team. It does not replace the applicable legislation, standards, manufacturers' instructions or the assessment of a competent OSH professional or occupational physician.
More questions on this topic
- Must an employer in Saudi Arabia appoint a safety professional or an occupational physician?
- Is a written risk assessment mandatory in Saudi Arabia, and how often must it be reviewed?
- How and within what time must a workplace accident be reported in Saudi Arabia?
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- Are pre-employment and periodic medical examinations required for workers in Saudi Arabia?
- What are the penalties for breaking occupational safety rules in Saudi Arabia?
- Is a safety committee or a worker safety representative required in Saudi Arabia?
- How are explosive atmospheres and Ex equipment regulated in Saudi Arabia?
Part of: Occupational safety and health in Saudi Arabia: law, authorities and employer duties