Resignation and final settlement checklist: Qatar, UAE and Saudi Arabia
Before you hand in your notice, know what you are owed and when. This checklist covers the notice period, gratuity, unused leave, the payment deadline, your documents and flight home, and where to complain, with the article of each labour law.
Short answer: your final settlement should include unpaid salary, end-of-service gratuity, pay for unused leave and any other dues in your contract. The employer must pay within 14 days in the UAE and within one week in Saudi Arabia (two weeks if you resigned). Check the figures with our calculators before you sign anything.
Before you resign
- Read your contract for the notice period, any non-compete clause and any extra benefits beyond the law.
- Work out your notice. Qatar: 1 month with 2 years' service or less, 2 months above that (Art. 49). UAE: as in the contract, 30 to 90 days (Art. 43). Saudi Arabia: at least 30 days if you end an indefinite contract (Art. 75). The notice period calculator gives your last working day.
- Give notice in writing and keep a dated copy or email.
- Check your gratuity, especially in Saudi Arabia, where resigning before 10 years reduces the award. A few more months can move you into a higher band.
- Check your leave balance with the annual leave calculator.
- UAE: check your unemployment insurance (ILOE) is paid up. Unpaid premiums can be taken from your gratuity, and resignation does not give a claim (see the ILOE calculator).
What the settlement must include
| Item | Qatar | UAE | Saudi Arabia |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gratuity | At least 3 weeks' basic wage per year, after 1 year (Art. 54) | 21 days' basic wage per year for 5 years, 30 days after; after 1 year; capped at 2 years' wage (Art. 51) | Half a month's wage per year for 5 years, a month after (Art. 84); reduced on resignation (Art. 85) |
| Unused leave | Paid on basic wage (Arts. 79 and 81) | Paid on basic wage (Art. 29) | Paid on actual wage (Art. 111) |
| Last salary | Days worked up to the last working day, plus any overtime and allowances due | ||
| Calculator | Qatar gratuity | UAE gratuity | Saudi award |
The employer may deduct amounts you owe, such as a loan or salary advance; ask for each deduction in writing. Saudi Art. 88 allows the employer to deduct the worker's debts from the dues.
Payment deadlines
- UAE: "within (14) fourteen days from the end date of the contract term", the employer pays the wages and all other entitlements (Decree-Law 33/2021, Art. 53).
- Saudi Arabia: within one week at most when service ends; within two weeks at most when the worker ended the contract (Labor Law, Art. 88).
- Qatar: see the note below.
Not verified (Qatar): we could not open the official text of Qatar's Labour Law No. 14 of 2004 (Al Meezan, the Ministry of Labour and the ILO copy refused automated reading). In an English translation, Art. 67 says the employer pays the wages and other dues when the contract ends, Art. 53 requires a free service certificate, and Art. 57 makes the employer pay for the worker's return. Ask the Ministry of Labour to confirm the deadline that applies to you.
Documents, certificate and flight home
- Experience or service certificate, free. UAE Art. 13 (on request, at the end of the contract, without fees); Saudi Art. 64 (on request, free of charge).
- Your documents back. UAE Art. 13 bans withholding a worker's official documents; Saudi Art. 64 requires the return of documents you deposited.
- Flight home. UAE Art. 13: the employer pays repatriation unless you join another employer or the contract ended through your fault. Saudi Art. 40: the employer pays the return ticket, and the iqama, work permit and exit fees.
- Visa or residence. UAE: once your residence is cancelled you have a grace period to leave or change status; see the overstay fine calculator. Qatar: the Ministry of Labour says exit permits were cancelled in 2018 and workers can change jobs without employer consent.
- Final settlement statement. Ask for a written breakdown and check it before signing any release.
Worked example: 4 years, same dates in each country
Service from 1 November 2022 to 31 October 2026 (4 years), resignation, figures from our calculators:
| Qatar, basic QAR 8,000 | UAE, basic AED 10,000 | Saudi, wage SAR 10,000 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gratuity | QAR 22,415.34 | AED 28,019.18 | SAR 6,671.23 (one third of 20,013.70) |
| Why | 266.67 a day × 21 days × 4.003 years | 333.33 a day × 21 days × 4.003 years | Resigned with 2 to 5 years: a third of the award |
Add unpaid salary and unused leave. For example, 8 unused days on a UAE basic wage of AED 10,000 add 8 × 10,000 ÷ 30 = AED 2,666.67.
If you are not paid
- UAE: file a labour complaint with MOHRE (website, app, or call 600590000). If it is not settled within 14 days, it goes to court; MOHRE can decide claims under AED 50,000 itself (u.ae labour disputes). A claim cannot be heard more than one year after the right became due (Art. 54).
- Saudi Arabia: request amicable settlement of a labour dispute on HRSD's labour e-services (free; helpline 19911). If there is no settlement, the case goes to the labour court.
- Qatar: complain to the Ministry of Labour's Labour Relations Department. If it is not settled within a week, it goes to a Labour Dispute Settlement Committee, which decides within three weeks.
Common mistakes
- Signing a "full and final" release before checking the numbers.
- Resigning in Saudi Arabia just before a band. Two, five and ten years change the share you receive.
- Using the total salary for UAE or Qatar gratuity. Both use the basic wage.
- Leaving the UAE after the grace period. Overstay fines start the day after it ends.