Article 24 of the Saudi Civil Retirement Law
المادة 24 من نظام التقاعد المدني
After a pensioner dies, a pension is fixed for the beneficiaries equal to the full pension if there are three or more, three-quarters if two, and half if one, divided equally among them.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
إذا توفي صاحب المعاش فيقرر للمستحقين عنه معاش بقدر المعاش المستحق له إذا كانوا ثلاثة فأكثر، وبقدر ثلاثة أرباعه إذا كانوا اثنين، وبقدر نصفه إذا كان المستحق واحدًا. ويوزع المعاش على المستحقين بالتساوي.
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 24 explained in plain English
This Article sets out the amount of pension paid to a pensioner's family after his death, which depends on the number of beneficiaries:
- Three or more beneficiaries: a pension equal to the full pension due to the pensioner.
- Two beneficiaries: three-quarters of the pension.
- One beneficiary: half of the pension.
Distribution: The pension is divided among the beneficiaries equally; the Article does not distinguish between male and female or between degrees of kinship in the amount of the share.
"Pensioner" and "beneficiary" are understood as in Article 1: the pensioner is a retiree for whom a pension has been determined, and includes an employee who died and for whom a pension has been determined, and the beneficiary is someone for whom a pension has been determined because of his kinship to the pensioner.
This Article does not specify who the beneficiaries are or their conditions; that is the subject of other Articles of the Law. After it comes Article 24 bis, which explains how a missing pensioner is treated: someone whose disappearance is established by a final court judgment is treated, regarding the rights of the beneficiaries, as someone whose death is established from the date of disappearance stated in the judgment deed.
If you have a dispute about the number of beneficiaries or their shares, it is best to consult a lawyer who specializes in retirement and administrative matters.
Practical example
A retiree whose pension was SAR 6,000 died, leaving only a wife and a son as beneficiaries. Because they are two, three-quarters of the pension is fixed for them, which is SAR 4,500, divided equally between them, so each takes SAR 2,250.
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 24 of the Saudi Civil Retirement Law
How much of a deceased retiree's pension do the heirs receive?
The full pension if there are three or more beneficiaries, three-quarters if there are two, and half if there is one.
How is a deceased person's pension divided among the beneficiaries?
It is divided among the beneficiaries equally.
Does a wife alone take her husband's full pension?
If she is the only beneficiary, half of the pension is fixed for her under this Article.
More articles on Pension of Heirs and Beneficiaries
- Article 24 bisAmended (1442 AH)
A pensioner whose disappearance is established by a final court judgment is treated as deceased for the beneficiaries' rights, and his rights are resettled retroactively if he turns out to be alive.
تتعامل المؤسسة مع صاحب المعاش المفقود وفق الأحكام الآتية: أ- يعامل صاحب المعاش الذي ثبت فقده بحكم قضائي نهائي - فيما يتعلق بالحقوق التقاعدية للمستحقين - معاملة
- Article 25Amended (1442 AH)
The Article lists the beneficiaries of a pensioner, and requires anyone other than the wife, son and daughter to have depended on him for support at his death, leaving the board of directors to set the rules.
المستحقون عن صاحب المعاش هم: الزوج أو الزوجة، والأم والأب، والابن والبنت، وابن وبنت الابن الذي توفي في حياة صاحب المعاش، والأخ والأخت، والجد والجدة. وفيما عدا ا
- Article 26
The pension of male children, sons' children and brothers is cut off at age 21, except for a regular student until 26 or graduation, and a totally disabled person until the disability ends.
يقطع المعاش المستحق للذكور من الأولاد وأولاد الابن والإخوة إذا بلغوا سن الواحدة والعشرين، واستثناء مما تقدم يستمر صرف المعاش بالنسبة إلى هؤلاء المستحقين في الأح
- Article 27
The pension of a wife, daughter, son's daughter and sister is suspended on marriage, and the mother's if she marries someone other than the deceased's father, and it is restored on divorce or widowhood.
اعتبارًا من تاريخ عقد الزواج يوقف معاش الزوجة والبنت وبنت الابن والأخت إذا تزوجن، والأم إذا تزوجت من غير والد المتوفى، ويعاد الاستحقاق لصاحبته إذا طُلقت أو ترمل
- Article 30
When a beneficiary's share lapses or is suspended it becomes the Fund's right and does not pass to the other beneficiaries, but the remaining beneficiaries' share may not fall below 50% of the pension.
إذا سقط أو أوقف نصيب أحد المستحقين لأي سبب كان فلا يؤول إلى باقي المستحقين وإنما يصبح حقًّا للصندوق على أن لا يقل نصيب من بقي منهم في جميع الحالات عن خمسين (50%
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.