Like most of the Middle East, Saudi Arabia has a highly dynamic economy with several industries. In recent years, the oil-rich Emirate state has shifted its focus from natural resources to other sectors, rapidly changing the workforce demographics and the ecosystem.
Today, workforce management across industries in Saudi Arabia requires robust, reliable, and technologically sound tools. Among these, the need for advanced time attendance systems has never been more pressing.
Driven by its Vision 2030 initiative, Saudi Arabia is undertaking large-scale projects that further drive labourers’ employment across sectors. There is increasing pressure on labour-intensive industries like construction and manufacturing to optimise their operations and maximise productivity.
Traditional methods, such as manual time cards or essential attendance punching machines, are prone to errors, time-consuming to process, and vulnerable to time theft. Also, with the rise of remote work and distributed teams, tracking attendance accurately has become more complex than ever.
A new generation of time attendance software solutions has emerged to address these challenges. In this blog, we explore the top time and attendance systems for small businesses and large enterprises in Saudi Arabia for the year 2025.
Table of Contents
What is Time and Attendance Tracking?
Time and attendance tracking accurately and systematically records and monitors employees’ start and finish work hours, including breaks, overtime, and time off. While attendance machines like punching timeclocks have long been used, modern time attendance software goes beyond simple clock-ins and clock-outs, offering comprehensive solutions for workforce management.
Compared to an attendance punching machine, these systems typically use various data collection methods, such as facial clocking, biometric scanners, mobile apps, or computer logins.
The benefits of using time and attendance tracking software include:
- Accuracy: It eliminates manual errors associated with traditional timekeeping methods.
- Efficiency: Automated time and attendance recording simplifies the process, making time-consuming administrative tasks related to attendance management faster.
- Compliance: Modern systems help ensure adherence to labour laws and company policies.
- Cost Savings: With improved accuracy, it reduces payroll errors and prevents time theft.
- Enhanced Employee Experience: Offers transparency and self-service options for employees.
These are why implementing a robust time attendance system is necessary for businesses in Saudi Arabia in 2025 to streamline operations, improve compliance, and gain valuable insights into workforce dynamics.
Top 5 Time and Attendance Software for Employees in 2025
If you want to choose from the best attendance tracking systems in 2025, here are our top 5 picks for helping businesses in Saudi Arabia. Our time and attendance software selection stands out for its innovative features and suitability for the Saudi Arabian market.
Here are the top 5 contenders:
- Truein: 4.8/5
- MENA HR: 4.6/5
- Bayzat: 4.5/5
- ZKTeco: 4.4/5
- Sage HR: 4.3/5
Truein
Truein has rapidly captured a significant market segment as a leading time attendance software solution. It is well-suited for the Saudi Arabian market with its innovative approach to attendance tracking leveraging advanced facial recognition time clock technology. As a cloud-based time and attendance system, it can expand with the growing needs of a business.
Key Features
- Face Scanning Attendance System: Truein’s advanced facial recognition technology is its core feature. As a facial clocking system, it eliminates the need for traditional attendance punching machines. Providing a touchless, hygienic, and fool-proof method of tracking attendance empowers employers and employees alike.
- Multi-location Support: Its GPS-enabled geofencing capabilities make it perfect for businesses with multiple sites across Saudi Arabia. Truein allows for centralised management of attendance across various locations.
- Mobile App: Truein’s mobile application enables distributed workers to clock in and out, supporting the growing trend of flexible work arrangements in Saudi Arabia. It also serves as a self-service portal for employees to handle their personal information and employment-related data.
- Geofencing: This feature ensures that employees can only mark their attendance when they are within a specified geographical area, preventing fraudulent check-ins. It is a much-needed feature for the construction and manufacturing industries.
- Overtime Management: One of the key features of Truein is that it automatically calculates overtime based on predefined rules. It helps businesses comply with Saudi labour laws regarding work hours and compensation.
- Leave Management: Businesses can use Truein’s integrated leave management system to streamline requesting, approving, and tracking employee time off.
- Real-time Notifications: Managers and workers receive instant alerts about late check-ins, early check-outs, or absent employees, allowing prompt action.
- Customisable Reports: Truein can generate various customisable reports that provide insights into attendance patterns, helping businesses make data-driven decisions.
- Integration Capabilities: The software easily integrates with popular payroll and HR systems, streamlining workforce management.
- Compliance Tools: Truein offers 70+ policy templates that businesses can customize according to their goals and local jurisdictions to stay compliant with Saudi labour laws.
Best Suited For
Truein has features that make it well-suited for businesses of all sizes across industries. Also, its geofencing and real-time attendance capabilities are well-suited for companies with distributed and contractual workforces. It’s an excellent choice for:
- Construction companies managing workers across multiple sites
- Facility Management Workers
- Healthcare organisations with shift-based staff
- Manufacturing units requiring precise attendance tracking of workers
The scalability and flexibility of Truein make it an ideal solution for small and large enterprises in Saudi Arabia.
“Get centralized and foolproof Time & Attendance for your organization”
Book a Free Demo Now
MENA HR
MENA HR is a comprehensive human resource management system with robust time and attendance tracking features. Developed with the unique requirements of the Middle Eastern market in mind, MENA HR offers a suite of tools that allow employers to take care of HR admin tasks and attendance needs simultaneously.
A simple app with a user-friendly interface and integration capabilities is another popular choice among Saudi businesses looking for an all-in-one HR and attendance software.
Key Features
- Biometric and card-based attendance tracking options
- Integrated leave management system and attendance tracking
- Shift scheduling and rotation management tools
- Overtime calculation and management
- Mobile app for remote check-ins and leave requests
Bayzat
Bayzat is a cloud-based HR platform that is also available as an attendance system. The simplicity of operation and scalability make it popular among businesses in the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia.
While mainly implemented for its wide range of HR services, its time and attendance module stands out for its simplicity and effectiveness. However, Bayzat’s application is recommended for small- to medium-sized businesses looking for an easy-to-implement attendance system.
Key Features
- Web and mobile-based clock-in/out options
- Automated timesheet generation
- GPS-based attendance tracking for remote workers
- Integration with most payroll processing software
- Customisable attendance policies to match company rules
ZKTeco
Mostly recognised for its time and attendance machine and related hardware, ZKTeco has introduced its hardware-software integrated solutions in the time and attendance segment. The brand is already recognised for its reliable attendance machines in Saudi Arabia; it stands out from other solutions because it offers hardware and software solutions.
ZKTeco provides a range of options, from basic time attendance machines to advanced face-scanning attendance systems, providing a complete attendance management solution.
Key Features
- A wide range of biometric devices, including fingerprint and facial recognition
- Time attendance software compatible with various devices
- Access control integration for enhanced security
- Multilingual support, including Arabic
- Customisable reports and analytics
Sage HR
Sage HR, formerly known as CakeHR, is a global HR software solution provider that is gradually making significant inroads in Saudi Arabia. While not a standalone attendance tracker, it offers a modern, intuitive time attendance system as part of its broader HR management platform.
Sage HR is more suitable for enterprises looking for a scalable solution than small and medium-sized businesses.
Key Features
- User-friendly app interface
- Mobile app for self-service for on-the-go time tracking
- Absence and leave management integration
- Customisable workflows for time-off requests
- Comprehensive reporting and analytics tools
Factors to Consider When Choosing a Time and Attendance Software
With several time and attendance systems to choose from in Saudi Arabia in 2025, your choice should be made considering these factors:
Scalability for Business Growth
Your business will grow with time; your time and attendance solution should be flexible and scalable to accommodate your growing business needs. Consider a system that can handle increasing employees, multiple locations, and more complex attendance rules. Additionally, look for software that offers flexible pricing models and the ability to add features as your needs evolve.
Ease of Use and Adoption
The best attendance system is one that employees and managers can easily use. Solutions like Truein that offer a user-friendly interface, intuitive mobile application, and straightforward processes for clocking in and out are essential. Apart from that, only go with vendors who provide training and support for your staff to ensure smooth adoption across your organisation.
Cost-Effectiveness and ROI
While it’s true that price shouldn’t be the only factor in picking the best time and attendance solution, it’s essential to consider the total cost of ownership. It includes the cost of initial setup, monthly fees, and any hardware costs. Assess your requirements and evaluate the potential return on investment by considering how the software can save time, reduce errors, and improve productivity.
Integration with Payroll and HR Software
Choose a time attendance system that integrates seamlessly with your existing payroll and HR software to maximise efficiency. You don’t want to be stuck with a system that can’t share attendance data with other systems. Such integration is necessary to automate wage calculations, reduce data entry errors, and provide a more comprehensive view of your workforce management.
Apart from these factors, it also considers features to comply with local regulations regarding work hours, overtime, and leave policies. Furthermore, security features to protect sensitive employee information, such as robust data encryption and access control measures, are necessary.
Conclusion
A robust time and attendance system for businesses in Saudi Arabia can improve productivity and automate workforce management. Several options are available, from advanced facial recognition time clocks to cloud-based mobile solutions. In 2025, the top 5 time and attendance solutions in Saudi Arabia are Truein, MENA HR, Bayzat, ZKTeco, and Sage HR.
Each of these systems brings their unique strengths to the table. Whether you’re looking for a cost-effective time clock software for small business or a comprehensive employee attendance system for your enterprise.
Choose software that aligns with your business needs and complies with local labour laws. Implementing or upgrading your attendance tracking system should come after you’ve thoroughly evaluated your options, considering the factors we’ve discussed – scalability, ease of use, cost-effectiveness, and integration capabilities.
