The retirement applications in several ministries have surged by nearly 25% compared to previous months, particularly after the Eid Al-Fitr holiday. The wave includes employees across ranks — staff, supervisors, department heads, and managers.
Although the applications don’t cite specific reasons, according to Al-Rai, the surge is believed to be driven by growing fears of upcoming changes to the terms of cash leave allowances and end-of-service gratuities. Concerns include limiting the cash leave payout to a 90-day cap and potential reductions in the gratuity calculation, despite no official confirmation yet.
The trend is especially visible in the ministries of Finance and Commerce and Industry, each receiving about 55 retirement requests in the past two weeks. Meanwhile, the Public Institution for Social Security has seen a rise in employee inquiries about retirement eligibility and benefit calculations.
Many workers nearing retirement are reportedly accelerating their decisions to secure current benefits before any policy changes take effect. Early retirement also appeals to some as it avoids the recently tightened attendance regulations, including the requirement for three daily fingerprint scans.
Sources added that applications are spread across departments without sector-specific concentration, and some resignation requests were also submitted — mainly by employees transferring between ministries, not yet eligible for full retirement.
