Saudi Arabia has introduced a new health screening mandate that significantly expands requirements for employee fitness examinations, as part of wider efforts to strengthen workplace health and safety.
The Regulation for Occupational Fitness Examinations and Non-Communicable Disease Screening came into force earlier this year and requires employers to provide both physical and psychological examinations for all new hires, as well as for many existing employees.
The regulation is designed to improve overall employee health, reduce occupational health risks and ensure workers are medically and psychologically fit to perform their roles.
Under the new framework, occupational fitness examinations must be carried out before employment begins for all new employees. Employers are also required to arrange examinations during employment in specific situations, including after a work-related accident, when an employee returns from extended sick leave, or when changes occur in the working environment or new equipment is introduced.
Employees in high-risk professions must undergo periodic assessments, with the frequency determined by the nature of their work, while examinations are also required after the end of employment for workers who may have been exposed to hazardous materials.
In addition to standard medical checks, the regulation stipulates that fitness assessments should include psychological evaluations, screening for chronic diseases and, where necessary, additional specialised tests linked to the employee’s occupation. These measures reflect a broader focus on non-communicable diseases and mental wellbeing as part of occupational health management.
The regulation also places new obligations on employers where an employee’s capacity to continue in their current role has declined. In such cases, employers are required to support continued employment by offering alternative duties, facilitating rehabilitation, or making adjustments to working hours and conditions, rather than terminating employment outright.
For employers, the changes mean policies and procedures will need to be reviewed to ensure compliance. The regulation expands existing medical examination requirements for foreign workers, who make up the majority of the private-sector workforce, beyond the pre-employment checks already required as part of the work visa process.
Periodic medical examinations have long applied to certain high-risk occupations, and government data indicates that 32% of private-sector employees underwent such assessments in 2024.
The new mandate signals Saudi Arabia’s intent to embed preventive healthcare more deeply into workplace safety systems, aligning employee wellbeing with broader occupational health and safety objectives.
