What OSH training must employers provide to workers in Saudi Arabia?

Every employer must, before work begins, inform each worker of the hazards of the job, require the prescribed protective measures and train workers to use the personal protective equipment (PPE) supplied (Labor Law Article 123). Establishments with 50 or more workers must also identify training needs and give documented, free training under the OSH Management Regulation, with emergency training and drills, and workers in high-risk occupations need specific training and a licence under a 2025 NCOSH regulation.

Short answer

• Everyone, before starting: hazards of the job, protective measures, PPE use (Article 123); safety instructions posted in Arabic and in languages the workers understand (Article 122).
• Fire: detailed fire prevention instructions posted (Article 125); emergency information and training under the OSH Management Regulation.
• 50 or more workers: training needs analysis, training free of charge, in an understandable language, during working hours where possible, by competent people, recorded (OSH Management Regulation, Decision No. 161238 of 2018).
• High-risk occupations: training and medical checks to obtain the licence before doing the work (NCOSH Regulation on Organising Work in High-Risk Occupations, 2025, which applies 180 days after its publication in the Official Gazette).
• No national hours or renewal periods were found in the texts reviewed. Türkiye, by contrast, fixes minimum basic training of 8, 12 or 16 hours by hazard class, repeated every 3, 2 or 1 years.

What the rules say

Labor Law. Article 123 makes informing workers of their job's hazards and training them on PPE a condition before work starts. Article 122 requires safety instructions to be displayed in Arabic and, where needed, in other languages the workers understand. The MHRSD violations table of February 2026 (Ministerial Decision No. 112377) fines an employer that does not post safety instructions in all the workers' languages, with Arabic and English as the minimum.

OSH Management Regulation. At both the minimum and intermediate levels, the establishment must make sure workers are competent (adequately qualified, trained and experienced) for the safety and health aspects of their duties. To do so it should:

1. Identify training needs.
2. Deliver training that is free for the workers concerned, in language and vocabulary they understand, during working hours where possible and by competent people.
3. Document both the content and the attendees.

The emergency section adds information for all workers on protection in emergencies and appropriate training at all levels, such as regular drills on emergency procedures. At the intermediate level, contractors' staff must also be informed of the site's risks and trained before they start.

High-risk occupations. The NCOSH Regulation on Organising Work in High-Risk Occupations (2025) lists activities such as work at height, confined spaces, lifting, electrical work, hot work, chemicals and work in explosive atmospheres. The employer must direct workers to the training and medical examinations needed for the licence, include hazard-specific content in its training programmes and must not assign anyone without a valid licence. Workers must obtain the training and licence before starting.

First aid. Establishments with 50 or more workers need a full-time first aider with certified qualifications (Ministerial Decision No. 1/400 of 1428 AH).

A practical training plan

Common mistakes

• English-only inductions. Posted instructions must be in Arabic, English as a minimum second language and the workers' own languages; inductions should follow the same rule.
• Charging workers for training or PPE. Article 122 forbids charging for protection, and the regulation requires free training.
• No records. Inspectors ask for training records; undocumented training is hard to prove.

Related on excodex

• Occupational safety and health in Saudi Arabia: law, authorities and employer duties
• Is a written risk assessment mandatory in Saudi Arabia, and how often must it be reviewed?
• OSH competence and training: needs, induction and effectiveness

Standards and further reading

• Labor Law Articles 122 to 125: hrsd.gov.sa
• OSH Management Regulation, Ministerial Decision No. 161238 of 10/8/1439 AH: ncosh.gov.sa
• NCOSH Regulation on Organising Work in High-Risk Occupations (2025): ncosh.gov.sa
• MHRSD violations and penalties table, Ministerial Decision No. 112377 of 21/8/1447 AH (9 February 2026): hrsd.gov.sa
• Türkiye: Regulation on the Procedures and Principles of OSH Training of Employees (Çalışanların İş Sağlığı ve Güvenliği Eğitimlerinin Usul ve Esasları Hakkında Yönetmelik), Official Gazette 2 April 2026, Articles 13 and 14.

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.