Saudi Arabia: The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (HRSD) announced Jan. 13, that Article No. 41 on the COVID-19 pandemic, which was introduced to the Labor Law, is no longer effective.

According to Argaam’s data, the article was introduced in April 2020 to the executive regulations of the Labor Law, in order to improve and protect the contractual relationship between employees and employers amid the COVID-19 outbreak.

The article states that, in the event that the state decides to take actions or precautionary measures that would require reducing working hours, the employer shall be required to agree with the employee within six months after such actions and measures become in effect, on either of the following:

- Reducing the employee’s wage, in proportion with the number of actual working hours;

- Giving the employee a leave that will be deducted from annual leave balances;

- Giving the employees an exceptional leave, as stipulated in Article No. 116 of the Labor Law.