Article 30 of the Saudi Civil Retirement Law
المادة 30 من نظام التقاعد المدني
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.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
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%) في المائة من معاش صاحب المعاش فإذا قل عن هذا القدر فيكمل للباقين بقدره ويعاد توزيعه عليهم بعدد رؤوسهم، فإذا عاد نصيب المستحق الموقوف فيعاد توزيع المعاش على المستحقين الموجودين كما لو لم يوقف ذلك النصيب.
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 30 explained in plain English
This Article answers a common question: if a beneficiary's share is cut off or suspended, is it added to the shares of the others?
The rule: If a beneficiary's share lapses or is suspended for any reason, it does not pass to the remaining beneficiaries; instead it becomes the Fund's right.
The minimum: The share of those who remain among the beneficiaries may not, in any case, fall below 50% of the pensioner's pension. If it falls below that, it is completed for the remaining beneficiaries by the amount of the shortfall and redistributed among them per head.
Return of the suspended share: If the suspended beneficiary's share returns, the pension is redistributed among the existing beneficiaries as if that share had not been suspended.
The phrase "for any reason" means the rule covers all causes of lapse or suspension, without the Article listing them.
This Article follows Article 29, which prevents receiving more than one pension and pays the larger one. It is followed by Article 31, which regulates the case of a pensioner who returns to service in a post covered by the Law.
If you believe your share has fallen below the prescribed minimum, you may consult a lawyer who specializes in retirement and administrative matters.
Practical example
A deceased pensioner's pension was SAR 8,000, and four children are entitled through him. The shares of three of them were suspended for different reasons, so only one remains. The shares of the three do not pass to him but become the Fund's right, yet his share may not fall below 50% of the pension, which is SAR 4,000, so it is completed for him up to that amount.
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 30 of the Saudi Civil Retirement Law
If one heir's pension is cut off, is it distributed to the others?
No. It does not pass to the remaining beneficiaries but becomes the Fund's right.
Is there a minimum share for the remaining beneficiaries?
Yes. The share of those who remain may not in any case fall below 50% of the pensioner's pension; if it does, it is completed for them and distributed per head.
What happens if the suspended share returns?
The pension is redistributed among the existing beneficiaries as if that share had not been suspended.
More articles on Pension of Heirs and Beneficiaries
- Article 24
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.
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 واحدً
- 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
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.