Wednesday, 22nd of July 2026
Saudi Arabia’s fashion industry is growing fast. The legal framework governing it is finally taking shape.
The Saudi Fashion Commission has published five standardized agreement templates for work relationships in the industry, marking a remarkable step toward formalizing the industry’s legal foundation.
These guidelines outline five types of work relationship agreements between:
- a designer and an agent
- a designer and a model
- a model and a fashion agent
- an agent and the guardian of a minor model
- a designer and the guardian of a minor model
By addressing each professional relationship separately, the Commission recognizes the industry’s complexity and the need for tailored solutions.
The intellectual property clause varies across the five agreements, tailored to each relationship. Key differences include ownership of photographs and videos produced under contract and the distinction between personal and commercial use. Ownership of the resulting photographs and videos vests in the designer in the three templates to which the designer is a party, and in the model in the two templates concluded between the agent and the model side, the adult model, or the guardian of a minor model. In each case, this is a contractual default that yields to written agreement to the contrary, not a statutory allocation. Any use beyond the agreed terms requires written consent from the relevant party. For minor models, consent must be obtained from the guardian.
Two agreements- the designer-model agreement and the designer guardian of a minor model agreement- carry two further clauses on the photographs and videos produced during the work. The first requires the parties to choose between a fixed usage period running from the date of production and an indefinite usage period and prohibits either party from editing or reusing the material for any purpose other than the one agreed without the other’s prior written consent. The second clause provides that commercial use outside the scope of the agreement, such as selling the images or placing them in a third party’s marketing or advertising campaign, requires the prior written approval of both parties and a separate signed agreement setting out the allocation of revenue. In the absence of such an agreement, commercial use outside the original scope is not permitted. The model, or the guardian, also keeps the right to claim a share of any revenue proportionate to the value of the model’s contribution unless the parties expressly agree otherwise.
The guidelines include clear protection terms for child models. Two of the five agreements govern child models’ working arrangements with their agents and designers, requiring that guardians be the formal parties in all professional and legal matters. The agreement templates prohibit assigning children to tasks that conflict with public decency, pose physical or psychological risks, or are inappropriate for their age. The agent guardian agreement requires direct supervision by the guardian or a delegate throughout performance of the work; the designer guardian agreement requires a responsible chaperone while the child is working. The duty to provide a safe, age-appropriate environment falls on the agent in the first agreement and on the designer in the second. The designer must also obtain the guardian’s written approval before using a child’s image outside the defined work period or beyond the agreed scope, and before any travel or participation in events outside the local area.
The two child agreements do not stand alone; the agent-guardian agreement refers the parties to Chapter Ten of the Saudi Labor Law on the employment of minors. While the Labor Law generally prohibits the employment of children below the age of 15, it permits limited work by younger minors under specific conditions relating to their health, safety, and education. The designer-guardian agreement applies the Child Protection Law and prohibits any form of exploitation of, or discrimination against, the child. The designer-guardian form is also the most protective on money and liability: fees earned by the child model are paid through the guardian or into a bank account in the child’s name; no direct financial obligation may be placed on the child, with obligations resting on the designer and the guardian; and the designer must compensate physical, psychological, or moral harm caused by negligence, mismanagement, or breach of the safety rules.
Another agreement that includes health, safety, and insurance provisions is the designer-model agreement. The agreement requires designers to provide a safe working environment and to compensate the model for any direct physical injury or material damage resulting from the designer’s negligence, whether by covering treatment or repairing costs or through agreed compensation. The parties, in writing, can also determine how emergency or unforeseen work-related expenses will be allocated or covered through insurance where available.
Each agreement also establishes an operational and legal framework. Disputes escalate through three tiers: direct negotiation; referral to a neutral mediator or arbitrator agreed between the parties; and, failing that, Saudi law and the jurisdiction of the Saudi courts — with an express option for the parties to agree in writing to arbitrate instead, under the arbitration rules in force in the Kingdom. Each agreement also carves out force majeure, for which neither party is liable, and preserves accrued rights to the extent performed before the event. The agreements distinguish between fixed-term or project-based work and open-ended work. Project-based obligations terminate automatically on expiry of the term or completion of the defined work, while open-ended arrangements run until either party gives the written notice the parties have specified. During that notice period, the parties must complete work in progress or agree on a mechanism that avoids prejudice to accrued obligations. What none of the templates contain is a general survival clause: confidentiality, intellectual property, and non-compete obligations are nowhere expressly stated to outlive termination, a point parties may wish to address when adapting the templates.
One practical feature runs through all five forms: several commercially significant terms are intentionally left blank for the parties to complete. These include the notice period, the payment window following invoicing, the agent’s commission or flat fee, and the duration of permitted image use. The parties must ensure that these provisions are completed before executing the agreement. The templates are drafted and executed in Arabic in two original counterparts, a practical point for international brands and agencies entering the Saudi market.
The templates also contain several exclusivity and conflict-of-interest provisions. The designer-model and designer-guardian agreements include non-compete undertakings restricting competing engagements during the agreed period, while the model-agent and agent-guardian agreements establish exclusive representation by limiting the appointment of other agents or representation outside the agreed scope. The designer-agent agreement similarly requires agents to avoid conflicts of interest. As with other commercial terms, the duration of these restrictions is left for the parties to specify.
These guidelines represent a significant step towards standardizing contractual relationships within Saudi Arabia’s fashion industry. By addressing issues such as IP, commercial arrangements, health and safety, and dispute resolution mechanisms, the Fashion Commission has provided parties with a structured contractual framework that can be adapted to suit the needs of individual engagements. As industry continues to grow, these templates are likely to contribute to greater legal certainty and consistency across the sector.
Written by: Sara Eissa
With contributions by: Mohammed Jomoa Kadasa
Intellectual Property Company