Article 21 of the Saudi Civil Retirement Law
المادة 21 من نظام التقاعد المدني
The pension of an employee who dies or is dismissed for total disability arising from work is settled on four-fifths of his last monthly salary, and injuries on the way to and from work count as work injuries.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
يسوى معاش الموظف المتوفى أو المفصول بسبب عجزه عن العمل بصورة قطيعة إذا كانت الوفاة أو العجز ناشئين عن العمل وفي أثناء أدائه على أساس (4/5) أربعة أخماس المرتب الشهري الأخير وتعتبر من الإصابات أثناء العمل تلك التي تحدث أثناء ذهاب الموظف إلى محل أو منطقة عمله أو عودته منه وبغرض أداء عمله.
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 21 explained in plain English
This Article gives a higher pension when death or disability is due to work.
Conditions for its application:
- The employee has died, or was dismissed because of total inability to work.
- The death or disability arose from work and during its performance.
Amount of the pension: four-fifths (4/5) of the last monthly salary, that is, 80% of it.
Commuting injuries: Injuries that occur while the employee is going to or returning from his place or area of work are counted as injuries during work, for the purpose of performing his work. The condition is that the going or returning is for the purpose of performing the work.
Relationship to Article 20: Article 20 is the general rule for the pension of a deceased employee or one dismissed for total disability, making it 40% of the last salary or the pension for the period of service, whichever is greater. This Article concerns cases arising from work and makes the pension four-fifths of the salary. So proving that the death or disability arose from work makes a big difference to the pension.
The Article does not state how it is to be proved that the injury arose from work. If you have a dispute about how an injury is characterized, it is best to consult a lawyer who specializes in retirement and administrative matters.
Practical example
Fahd, an employee in a government body in Riyadh, was in a traffic accident while heading in the morning to his workplace to do his work, and was dismissed from service because of total inability to work. His injury counts as a work injury, so his pension is settled on four-fifths of his last monthly salary; if his salary was SAR 10,000, his pension is SAR 8,000.
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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Frequently asked questions about Article 21 of the Saudi Civil Retirement Law
What is an employee's pension if he dies because of work?
It is settled on four-fifths of his last monthly salary if the death arose from work and during its performance.
Is an accident on the way to work considered a work injury?
Yes. Injuries that occur while the employee is going to or returning from his workplace, for the purpose of performing his work, count as work injuries.
What is the difference between this Article and Article 20?
Article 20 makes the pension 40% of the salary or the service pension, whichever is greater, whereas this Article makes it four-fifths of the salary if the death or disability arose from work.
More articles on Disability and In-Service Death Pension
- Article 12
The Agency may refer anyone under fifty who receives a disability pension to a medical examination, suspends the pension if he refuses, and resettles his case if refusal continues or recovery is shown.
يجوز للمصلحة أن تعرض في أي وقت أي شخص لم يكمل الخمسين من العمر ويتناول - وفقًا لهذا النظام أو أي نظام تقاعد سابق - معاشًا بسبب عجزه عن العمل على من تعينه من الأ
- Article 20
The pension of an employee who dies or is dismissed for total disability is settled on 40% of his last monthly salary or the pension for his counted service under Article 19, whichever is greater.
يسوى معاش الموظف المتوفى أو المفصول من الخدمة بسبب عجزه عن العمل بصورة قطعية على أساس (40%) من مرتبه الشهري الأخير أو على أساس المعاش المستحق عن مدة خدمته المحس
The texts are reproduced from the official website of the Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers for reference; where they differ, the officially published Arabic text prevails. This content is not legal advice.