In brief: Treat the contract presented in Qiwa as a document to audit, not a final admin click. Compare it with the signed offer, clarify every difference in writing and use the employee response options rather than accepting in the hope that HR will correct matters later. Qiwa’s official employment-contract service lets an employee view and manage contracts; HRSD says the employee may approve, reject or request amendment, and that the contract becomes documented when both parties agree.
This guide is for British nationals joining a Saudi private-sector employer under the general Labour Law. Domestic work, government employment, very short specific-task arrangements and some specialist sectors can follow different rules.
Before the contract arrives: build your comparison file
Save the vacancy, recruiter messages, signed offer, benefits schedule and relocation correspondence as PDFs. Put the terms into one table: employer’s legal name, job title, work location, start date, contract term, probation, basic salary, each allowance, bonus basis, working pattern, leave, flights, insurance, housing, school support and notice. Distinguish guaranteed terms from discretionary policy. If HR says a benefit sits in a handbook, obtain the current handbook and ask whether it forms part of the agreement.
Do not resign from your UK role, ship possessions or move your family solely because a recruiter has described the package. Ask who the Saudi legal employer and sponsor will be, whether the role is in the private sector, and when the Qiwa contract will be available. The name that pays you, the sponsor and the contracting entity should make sense together; a group brand is not necessarily the employing company.
When Qiwa notifies you: verify access and identity
- Enter Qiwa Individuals through the official Qiwa sign-in route, not a link sent by an unknown person.
- Open the employment-contract service and locate the pending document. Menu labels can change, so follow the current on-screen service guide.
- Check your name, nationality and identity details against your passport and, if already issued, your Iqama. Report transliteration or number errors before acceptance.
- Download or capture a complete copy with its status and date. Keep the SMS or email notification as part of your audit trail.
If you cannot see the contract, do not assume it exists. Ask HR for the Qiwa status or reference and use official Qiwa support if the record does not appear. Never share an OTP or allow a recruiter to operate your personal account.
Line-by-line contract checklist
1. Employer, role and place of work
Confirm the legal employer, job title, occupation or profession, reporting location and any mobility wording. A broad relocation clause may permit assignments far from the city you expected. Ask what travel is routine, whether remote or site work is contemplated and who pays temporary accommodation. For a regulated profession, confirm that the recorded occupation is compatible with the work and any licensing process.
2. Dates, duration and probation
Non-Saudi employment is generally documented on a fixed-term basis. Check the commencement date, end date, renewal method and what happens if immigration or mobilisation is delayed. Probation must be expressly recorded. Saudi Labour Law amendments took effect in 2025, so do not rely on an old blog’s limits or assume the offer wording reflects the current law. Ask how absence, training and termination during probation are treated in your specific contract.
3. Pay and benefits
Separate basic salary from housing, transport and other allowances. That split can affect calculations under the contract or law, so “total package” is not enough. Check payment frequency, currency, bank destination and any variable-pay formula. For commission or bonus, record targets, measurement period, approval discretion, payment date and treatment if employment ends mid-cycle.
List benefits promised outside Qiwa—medical cover for dependants, annual flights, temporary housing, shipment, education, car, phone or joining payment—and ask where each commitment is documented. A policy can change; a verbal assurance is difficult to prove. Do not assume an offer automatically overrides the authenticated contract.
4. Time, leave and exit terms
Review normal days and hours, weekly rest, shift or on-call expectations, overtime treatment and any compensatory-leave arrangement. Check annual leave, public holidays and special leave against the current law and employer policy. Then read notice, resignation, early termination, non-compete, confidentiality, repayment and renewal clauses together. Ask for a worked example of any relocation-cost or training repayment clause and whether it reduces over time.
5. Language and additional clauses
Saudi employment records use Arabic, and official law states that Arabic prevails where another language is also used. If you cannot read the Arabic version, obtain an independent translation before agreeing; UK2KSA’s document translation page is a relevant starting point. Check that the English and Arabic texts align on numbers, dates, locations and termination wording.
Accept, reject or request a change
Accept only when the record matches what you are prepared to work under. For a correctable discrepancy, use the available amendment request and state the exact field, current wording and required wording; also email HR so there is a readable record. If the identity of the employer, salary, role or duration is fundamentally wrong, rejection may be more appropriate. Save the reason and confirmation screen either way.
Do not let an artificial “accept now” deadline replace due diligence. Platform response windows and labels can change. Ask HR to resend a corrected contract if necessary and verify the fresh version line by line—do not check only the field you challenged.
After agreement: preserve evidence
- Download the authenticated contract and keep an encrypted cloud copy plus an offline copy.
- Save the final offer, policies, translations, amendment exchanges and relocation approvals.
- Compare your first payslip and bank credit with the contract’s salary components.
- Check that your actual role, location and occupation record remain consistent.
- Record later variations in Qiwa or another properly documented process rather than relying on chat messages.
Important caveats
Qiwa screens and service rules evolve, and the 2023 English Labour Law PDF does not by itself show every 2025 amendment. Read it together with HRSD’s amendment guide and current implementing rules. Entitlements can depend on worker category, contract wording and facts. This guide is practical information, not Saudi legal advice or a statement that UK2KSA is a government authority.
When to get help
Use Qiwa or HRSD support where the contract is missing, the platform will not accept a correction or the employer asks you to accept inaccurate data. Obtain an independent Saudi employment lawyer and a qualified translator before accepting if there is an Arabic/English conflict, an unusual termination or repayment clause, a restrictive covenant, a different sponsor, or substantial benefits kept off-contract. Stop and verify independently if anyone requests your OTP, payment to “release” a contract or access to your account.