Article 34 of the Saudi Civil Retirement Law
المادة 34 من نظام التقاعد المدني
The article relies on the birth certificate or the civil registry to determine the age of the retiree or beneficiary, and treats birth as the start of the seventh month of the Hijri year if the day and month are not specified.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
يعتمد في تقرير سن المتقاعد أو المستحق على شهادة الميلاد أو على ما هو مسجل في حفيظة النفوس، وفي حالة عدم تحديد الميلاد باليوم والشهر فيعتبر الميلاد في اليوم الأول من الشهر السابع من السنة الهجرية التي ولد فيها.
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 34 explained in plain English
This article answers an important practical question: how is the age of a retiree or beneficiary determined? This matters a great deal, because many provisions of the Law depend on age.
Source for determining age: the age of the retiree or beneficiary is determined on the basis of:
- the birth certificate, or
- what is recorded in the civil registry (hafeezat al-nufus).
If the day and month of birth are not specified: birth is taken to be on the first day of the seventh month of the Hijri year in which the person was born. If only the year is recorded, age is counted from the first of Rajab of that year.
The article covers both the "retiree" and the "beneficiary", that is, the employee whose service has ended and the person who has been granted a pension because of their relationship to the pensioner, as defined in Article 1.
This article follows Article 33, the transitional provision on prior service shares for contract employees, and precedes Article 35, which explains that entitlement to the pension begins for the retiree on the day after the end of service, and for the beneficiaries on the day after the death.
Anyone whose documents differ on their date of birth can consult a lawyer specializing in retirement and administrative cases.
Practical example
Nasser's year of birth was recorded in the civil registry as 1405 AH, without the day and month. His birth is taken to be on the first day of the seventh month (Rajab) of 1405 AH when his age is determined.
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 34 of the Saudi Civil Retirement Law
What document is used to determine a retiree's age?
The birth certificate or what is recorded in the civil registry is relied on.
How is my age determined if only the year of birth is recorded?
If the birth is not specified by day and month, it is taken to be on the first day of the seventh month of the Hijri year in which the person was born.
Does the rule also apply to beneficiaries?
Yes, the article provides for determining the age of the retiree or the beneficiary.
More articles on Retirement Age and Extension of Service
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.