Article 15 of the Saudi Civil Retirement Law

المادة 15 من نظام التقاعد المدني

An employee is retired by operation of law on reaching sixty, his service may be extended to sixty-five only by Council of Ministers decision, ministers and judges are excepted, and exceptionally beyond sixty-five by royal decree.

Official text (Arabic)

This article has not been amended since the law was issued.

يحال الموظف على التقاعد حتمًا عند بلوغه الستين من العمر، ويجوز بقرار من مجلس الوزراء مد خدمته حتى بلوغه سن الخامسة والستين فقط، ويستثنى من ذلك الوزراء والقضاة. وفي الحالات الاستثنائية يجوز تمديد مدة الخدمة بعد سن الخامسة والستين بمرسوم ملكي.

This is the official Arabic wording, the only legally binding version. We do not translate the law itself; the explanation below is ours. Official source: Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers

Article 15 explained in plain English

This Article sets the statutory retirement age for the civil employee and the cases in which service may be extended.

The rule: The employee is retired necessarily on reaching sixty years of age; retirement here is mandatory and does not depend on the employee's request.
Extension to 65: His service may be extended, by decision of the Council of Ministers, only until he reaches the age of sixty-five.
The exception: The text excepts ministers and judges from this, and the text does not state the alternative rule that applies to them.
After 65: In exceptional cases, the period of service may be extended after the age of sixty-five by royal decree.

Retirement at sixty occurs by operation of the Law, whereas extension can only be by the instrument the Article specifies: a Council of Ministers decision up to 65, and a royal decree beyond that in exceptional cases.

This Article does not speak of the amount of the pension; its entitlement and calculation are regulated by other Articles of the Law. If you have a question about your particular position on extension or retirement, it is best to consult a lawyer who specializes in retirement and administrative matters.

Practical example

Abdullah is an employee in a government body who has reached the age of sixty. He is retired necessarily, unless a Council of Ministers decision is issued to extend his service, in which case the extension may not go beyond his reaching sixty-five except, in an exceptional case, by royal decree.

Translated from our Arabic explanation with machine assistance. For guidance only; it does not replace advice from a lawyer on your situation.

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