"Golden Handshake" for Teachers in Saudi Arabia: What the New Faris Benefit Means — and Who Actually Qualifies

Reports circulating this week say Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Education has added the “Golden Handshake” (المصافحة الذهبية) benefit for teachers and administrative staff through its Faris HR system. Social posts about it drew hundreds of thousands of views within hours — here’s what it actually means, and just as importantly, who it does not apply to.

⚠️ Honest scope note: As of publishing, this is based on widely-shared news reports (@SaudiNews50) — we have not seen an official Ministry press release with final eligibility terms. Treat specifics below as indicative until confirmed officially.

Update (November 2026): The programme itself was approved by the Council of Ministers on 31 December 2024 for government employees under the civil-service scales (Okaz). On 29 August 2026 the Faris system clarified that the option appearing in an employee’s account does not mean everyone can apply or will receive the incentive. It is reserved for employees in the approved categories, and those eligible are contacted directly (Sabq).

What is the “Golden Handshake”?

The Golden Handshake is a structured early-retirement / voluntary-separation mechanism: an employee voluntarily ends their service and receives a financial incentive. In the Saudi public-sector programme it is a voluntary resignation in return for a one-off (lump-sum) financial incentive. Reported conditions include:

• Approval of the employing entity
• Options such as transfer, secondment or reskilling must first be exhausted
• Set age bands and years of service, with priority for lower qualifications
• The vacated post is generally abolished, and the beneficiary is not re-employed

It has been used across government entities as part of workforce restructuring aligned with Vision 2030 goals — rebalancing staffing and opening room for younger talent while protecting employees’ rights.

What’s new for teachers

The change: the Ministry of Education added “Golden Handshake” as a reason type in the resignation request in Faris (فارس) — its internal HR self-service platform used by Ministry employees for leave requests, salary certificates, retirement requests, allowances, and similar services (Self-service → Resignation → Resignation request → Reason Type).

The option being visible is not the same as being eligible: Faris says eligible employees are contacted directly. The Ministry has not published a full public list of the targeted categories.

Who qualifies — and who doesn’t

The key point for expat teachers

If you teach at an Indian school, international school, or any private institution, you are not employed by the Ministry of Education — your employer sponsors your iqama, and your benefits are governed by the Saudi Labor Law, not by Faris or ministry HR policies.

That means:

• Your end-of-service benefit remains the standard ESB (End of Service Benefit): half a month’s salary per year for the first 5 years, one month per year thereafter (Article 84). If you resign, you get one-third of it after 2–5 years, two-thirds after 5–10 years and the full amount only after 10+ years (Article 85)
• The Golden Handshake does not change or top up your ESB
• Any voluntary-separation offer at a private school would be negotiated between you and your employer, under labor-law minimums

Use our step-by-step ESB Calculation Guide to check exactly what you’re owed — that calculation, not the Golden Handshake, is what applies to you.

Why this matters even if you’re not covered

Two reasons expat teachers should still pay attention:

1. Market signal: if large numbers of Saudi teachers take voluntary separation, private and international schools may see increased demand for experienced educators — potentially favorable for hiring negotiations.
2. Avoid confusion: viral posts frame this as “a bonus for all teachers.” It isn’t. Don’t let anyone talk you into resigning expecting a golden-handshake payout that your employment category simply isn’t entitled to.

Bottom line

✅ Real development for Ministry-employed (civil-service) teachers — but only those in the approved categories, who are contacted directly. ❌ Not applicable to expat teachers at private/Indian/international schools — your entitlements remain governed by your contract and the Saudi Labor Law ESB rules. ⏳ Full eligibility and amounts have not been published as a public list — verify with the Ministry before acting.

Related guides

• End of Service Benefit (ESB) Calculation Guide
• Jobs & Employment Guide for Expats
• Job Change & Transfer Rules in Saudi Arabia

References

1. @SaudiNews50 — Ministry adds Golden Handshake for teachers via Faris (21 Aug 2026) — Twitter
2. Explainer: Golden Handshake in the Ministry of Education (definition, target groups, benefits) — thread summary
3. Faris system overview — Ministry of Education HR self-services — sites.moe.gov.sa
4. Saudi Labor Law — End of Service Award (Articles 84–85) — hrsd.gov.sa
5. Okaz — programme approved by Council of Ministers (31 Dec 2024) — okaz.com.sa
6. Sabq — Faris clarification (29 Aug 2026) — sabq.org

Disclaimer: informational only, based on sources cited above. Eligibility rules were not officially published at time of writing — confirm with the Ministry of Education or your employer before making decisions.