If you searched for “Mudad contract authentication”, here is the short answer: the contract becomes authenticated when the employee approves it in their Qiwa individual account, and the authenticated record is held on Qiwa. Mudad’s main job is payroll and wage protection files; it has also offered a contract service linked to Qiwa, but the approval still happens on Qiwa.
The overlap is real. Both platforms serve employers, both deal with the employee’s wage, and HR teams often use them in the same week. This guide explains what each platform does, the steps to authenticate a contract on Qiwa, why authentication matters, and the errors that most often hold it up.
What contract authentication means
Contract authentication means recording the employment contract electronically on Qiwa, the labor services platform of the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development, with the approval of both parties. A paper contract signed in the office is still an agreement between the two sides, but an authenticated contract is stored on the platform, with its terms visible to the employer and the employee and its status shown clearly.
The contract records the main terms: the job, the wage and its components, the contract type and dates, and the other terms the platform asks for. Both sides see the same version, which removes a common source of disputes: two copies of the “same” contract that say different things.

Qiwa and Mudad: who does what
The simplest way to keep the two apart is to treat the contract and the salary as two separate things.
- Qiwa handles the employment relationship: establishment services, work permits and contracts. The employee approves the contract here, and the authenticated contract is held and viewed here.
- Mudad mainly handles payroll: preparing salaries and submitting the wage protection files that show what each worker was paid. It has also offered a contract service linked to Qiwa, so some employers start contracts there.
The two meet at the wage. The wage written in the authenticated contract on Qiwa, the wage registered with the General Organization for Social Insurance (GOSI), and the wage actually paid and reported through Mudad should match. When they do not, the establishment invites questions and compliance problems. Whichever platform you use to start a contract, the authentication is completed when the worker approves it on Qiwa.
Steps to authenticate a contract on Qiwa
On the employer side
- Log in to Qiwa Business with a user who has permission to manage contracts for the establishment.
- Choose the establishment, then open the contract management service.
- Create a new contract for the employee, or open the existing contract if you need to update it.
- Enter or check the employee’s details, the job title, the wage and its components, the contract type (fixed or indefinite term), the start date and the other terms the form asks for.
- Review every field against the employee’s offer letter, the work permit data and the payroll record, then send the contract to the employee.
On the employee side
- The employee logs in to their Qiwa individual account.
- The employee opens the contract sent by the establishment and reads its terms.
- The employee approves the contract, or rejects it if something is wrong so that the employer can correct it.
- After approval the contract shows as authenticated, and both sides can view it on the platform.
If your establishment starts contracts through Mudad’s contract service instead, follow the steps Mudad shows; the employee’s approval still happens on Qiwa. The platforms’ screens and service names can change, so follow what each one shows on the day. If the employee rejects the contract, the employer corrects it and sends it again. When a contract term changes later, such as a raise or a new job title, the employer updates the contract on Qiwa and the employee approves the update in the same way.
Why authentication matters
- Proof of the agreed terms. An authenticated contract is a record both sides approved, which helps if there is ever a disagreement about the job, the wage or the dates.
- One version of the truth. The employer and the employee see the same contract on the same platform.
- Services that depend on it. A number of labor services rely on the contract data held on Qiwa, so missing or outdated contracts can slow down requests for the establishment or for the worker. Qiwa shows the requirements of each service when you use it.
- Cleaner payroll and compliance. When the contract, the GOSI record and the Mudad payroll file agree, reviews and inspections are simpler.
Data and documents to prepare
Authentication is quick when the data is ready. Before you start, gather:
- The employee’s ID or iqama number and correct personal details.
- The signed offer letter, or the internal approval for the hire or the change.
- The job title, consistent with the occupation recorded for a non-Saudi worker.
- The wage broken down into the components you pay, the same way payroll pays them.
- The contract type, the start date and, for a fixed-term contract, the end date.
- Working hours, leave and any other terms you have agreed.
- Access for the person who will create the contract, with the right permissions on Qiwa Business.
Common errors and how to avoid them
- Treating a wage file as a contract. Uploading a wage file to Mudad does not authenticate a contract. Whether the contract starts on Qiwa or through Mudad’s contract service, it is authenticated when the employee approves it on Qiwa.
- A wage that does not match. If the contract shows one wage, GOSI another and payroll a third, fix the source and update the records until they agree.
- The employee never approves. Many contracts stay pending because the employee did not know a contract was waiting. Ask new staff to check their Qiwa individual account and either approve or raise their questions.
- Approving without reading. Ask employees to read the contract before they approve it. A quick approval followed by a complaint helps no one.
- Not updating after a change. A raise, a promotion or a change of contract type should be reflected in the contract on Qiwa, not only in payroll.
- Wrong contract type or dates. Choosing a fixed term instead of an indefinite one, or entering the wrong start date, affects notice, the end-of-service calculation and other rights later.
- Missing user permissions. If the right person cannot see the service, the establishment’s owner or platform administrator needs to grant access on Qiwa Business.
Frequently asked questions
Can I authenticate an employment contract on Mudad?
How does the employee approve the contract?
What happens if the employee rejects the contract?
Do I need to authenticate the contract again after a raise?
Is a paper contract still valid?
If your establishment has a backlog of pending or outdated contracts, Innovant can help you review the data and plan the clean-up.
Related reading: Final Settlement in Saudi Arabia: What It Includes and When to Pay · Profession Change Fees in Saudi Arabia and How to Change It on Qiwa · Finance Leasing in Saudi Arabia: How It Works and What to Check
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