Over 133,000 labour cases handled in Saudi Arabia in 2024

Riyadh Receives the Largest Share with 43,920 Cases

Cairo: Saudi courts received 133,432 labor cases in 2024, which were heard across 291,515 sessions, according to official figures.

Riyadh topped the regions with 43,920 cases, followed by Mecca with 31,637 and the Eastern Province with 21,424, according to data from the Ministry of Justice, reported by Saudi news portal Akhbaar24.

The Asir region in the southwest filed 10,348 cases, followed by the holy city of Medina with 7,657 cases.

At the lower end of the scale were Jazan in the southwest with 1,074 cases, the Northern Borders with 645, and Al Baha in the southwest with 148.

Last month, the Saudi Ministry of Justice reported that courts issued more than 130,000 rulings in labor cases last year, marking a 21% increase from the previous year.

Saudi Arabia, home to a population of 35.3 million, also has a large expatriate workforce.

In recent years, Saudi labor tribunals have kept pace with major developments in the kingdom’s job market by fast-tracking decisions on related disputes.

A mechanism has been introduced to help settle disputes amicably between employees and employers, ensuring a stable relationship between the parties.

Efforts to reach an amicable settlement are the first phase of handling labor disputes. During this phase, mediation attempts are made to bring both sides closer to a compromise.

If mediation fails, the dispute is referred to a labor court within 21 days of the first settlement session.

In 2018, Saudi Arabia introduced new labor courts to expedite litigation and improve the delivery of justice, as part of the country's major reforms.