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Last updated: September 2026. Has your employer reported you for huroob? You have 60 days to act.
After day 60 the door closes. You cannot move to a new employer, and you cannot leave on a final exit.
Those 60 days are counted differently depending on your job:
- They start the day the report is filed. For house workers, the day you stopped work.
- To move employer you need 1 year in Saudi Arabia, or 2 years if you have a house job.
- After day 60 you cannot move or leave, and your Iqama cannot be renewed.
What huroob means now
Huroob is still the word everyone uses. The government’s own systems still use it too. Musaned calls it a run-away report.
The official name changed on 23 October 2022. The Ministry of Human Resources (MHRSD) now calls it انقطاع العامل عن العمل. It means the worker stopped coming to work.
It happens in two stages. Only the second one is really bad.
- First 60 days. You are marked منقطع عن العمل, stopped work. You still have ways out.
- After 60 days. You are marked متغيب عن العمل, absent from work. This blocks almost everything.
When your employer is allowed to file one
Not whenever they like. Article 80 of the Labour Law sets the rules.
- You missed more than 30 days in a contract year, or 15 days in a row.
- They must warn you in writing first, after 20 days away.
- They must let you explain your side before firing you.
- Your work permit must have 60 days or more left.
- You must have no signed contract on Qiwa.
Never got that warning? Then the report is weak, and the law says so.
You are told by SMS. So are they.
Your 60 days do not start when you find out. If your phone number on file is old, the time runs out without you knowing. So check. Do not wait.
How to check your status
On the MHRSD website, free, no account
This is the fastest way. You do not need an Absher account.
The form, shown here in translation. The real one is in Arabic.
- Open the MHRSD worker inquiry.
- Fill in one number: رقم الحدود (border), رقم الإقامة (Iqama) or رقم الجواز (passport).
- Pick your country from الجنسية.
- Copy the letters into رمز التحقق.
- Press استعلام to search.
The page has English and Urdu buttons, but the form stays in Arabic. The boxes above are in the order you will see them.
On Absher
Sign in at absher.sa. Then My Services, Inquiries, General Administration of Expatriate Affairs.
Absher is also where a final exit is issued. Their helpline is 920020405, open all day.
On Qiwa
Qiwa is your employer’s side. It is where the report was filed.
You sign in to Qiwa Individuals to accept a move to a new employer. There is no cancel button. For company jobs, MHRSD says it cannot be undone.
You cannot do any of this on Tawakkalna, whatever other guides say.
What your result means
- On the job. You are fine. No report has been filed.
- Stopped work. A report is filed. Your 60 days are running. Act now.
- Absent from work. Your 60 days are gone. See below.
- No record found. Check the numbers again, then try a different one.
- The wrong country also shows nothing. It does not warn you.
What you can do in the 60 days
- Move to a new employer. You need 1 year in Saudi Arabia. Your new employer applies on Qiwa. You accept it there.
- House workers cannot move for their first 2 years.
- Final exit. With a company job you can request this yourself on Absher. You do not need your employer. Most people do not know this.
- Fight the report. See below.
Leaving for good? The flight is part of the deadline.
Book inside your 60 days, not on the last day. Compare one-way flights out of Saudi Arabia on Wego. Prices from Riyadh and Jeddah jump in the last few days.
What happens after 60 days
You are marked absent from work. Your records come off your employer’s file.
You then lose both easy ways out. No move, and no final exit.
Your Iqama cannot be renewed either. A work problem becomes a problem with your right to stay.
Normally your employer pays to send you home. Not if you are marked absent and were reported in time. That is why they file.
Deported people are banned from returning. How long is set by a Ministry of Interior rule that is not public. Be careful of any article giving you an exact number of years.
The one way back
On 18 September 2025 MHRSD opened a scheme. A new employer can hire you through Qiwa without your old employer agreeing.
You need 1 full year in Saudi Arabia. Your new employer pays any unpaid permit fees. No end date was announced, so call 19911 first.
House workers had the same scheme on Musaned. By its own dates it ended around 11 May 2026. Nothing new has been announced, though the page is still up. Ask, do not count on it.
If the report is wrong
Start with the warning. They must warn you in writing before firing you for absence, and let you explain.
If you never got one, say so, and put it in writing. It can bring down the whole report.
Company job
Use the free Friendly Settlement service. File it on the MHRSD website or at a labour office, in Arabic, English or Urdu.
- You have 12 months from the day the job ended.
- If they cannot settle it, it goes to the labour court in 21 working days.
- Bring your contract, and anything showing you were never warned.
- If your employer keeps missing meetings, you may be moved without them agreeing.
Do not wait 12 months. File inside the 60 days, while you can still move or leave.
House job
Friendly Settlement does not cover you. Go to the house worker committees instead.
They must try to settle it in 4 working days, then send it to court. It is all in Arabic, so bring someone who can translate.
Fines
Most numbers you read about this are made up. These are the real ones, from the official list of 20 August 2026.
- Company job: SAR 500, if you are absent three times in a year with no good reason.
- House job: up to SAR 2,000, or a ban on working here, or both. You pay your own flight home.
- Employer lying to the ministry: SAR 1,000 to 3,000 per worker, by company size.
- Employer of house workers: SAR 1,500 per worker they keep reporting.
- Most the law allows: SAR 100,000 and the company shut down.
You may see SAR 10,000 and six months in prison quoted. It is in no official list we could find, so we left it out.
Common questions
Can I check my huroob status without an Absher account?
Yes. The MHRSD worker inquiry is free and you do not need to log in. Enter your border, Iqama or passport number, your country, and the code shown on screen.
Do I need both my border number and my Iqama number?
No, one is enough. If one shows nothing, try another before you decide there is no record.
Is there a fee to check?
No. These government checks are free.
How long do I have once a report is filed?
60 days. They start the day it was filed, or the day you stopped work if you have a house job. After that you cannot move employer, and you cannot leave.
Can my employer cancel the report?
If you have a company job, no. MHRSD says it cannot be undone once your records are removed. For house jobs, Musaned does have a cancel button, with no time limit published.
Can I leave Saudi Arabia with a huroob status?
Inside the 60 days, yes. With a company job you can request your own final exit on Absher. After 60 days you need the special scheme or a case at the labour office.
Will a huroob record stop me renewing my Iqama?
Yes. Nobody marked absent from work can renew or get an Iqama. It is usually the first problem people notice.
Can I come back to Saudi Arabia later?
The ban length is set by a Ministry of Interior rule that is not public, so nobody can honestly give you a number of years. Fix the status before it turns into deportation.
Sources
- MHRSD, Procedural Guide for ending the contractual relationship of workers without an electronically documented work contract, 23 October 2022
- MHRSD, update to the controls and procedures for a worker’s discontinuation of work, 23 October 2022
- Saudi Labour Law, Articles 80, 229 and 234, as published by MHRSD
- Domestic Workers Regulation, Articles 29 and 30
- MHRSD, Rules and Procedures Regulating the Settlement of Disputes for Domestic Workers, June 2026
- MHRSD, Violations and Penalties Applicable to the Support Labor Sector, 20 August 2026
- MHRSD, initiative to regularise the status of absent workers, 18 September 2025
- MHRSD, Friendly Settlement for Labour Disputes service page
- Directory of Services Provided to Expatriates 2024, MHRSD
