In force
Saudi Elderly Rights and Care Law
نظام حقوق كبير السن ورعايته
The Elderly Rights and Care Law of Saudi Arabia. This page presents the official Arabic text of each article with plain-English explanations for residents and businesses.
- Articles
- 23
- In force
- 23
- Amended
- 0
- Issued
- 3/6/1443 AH
Issued by: مرسوم ملكي رقم (م/47) وتاريخ 1443/6/3هـ · قرار مجلس الوزراء رقم (292) وتاريخ 1443/6/1هـ
Each article shows the official Arabic text, which is the only legally binding version, followed by our plain-English explanation.
Browse Elderly Rights and Care Law by topic
Definition and Rights of the Elderly3 articlesSupport and Maintenance of the Elderly7 articlesElderly Care Homes3 articlesServices and Privileges for the Elderly5 articlesGuardianship over an Elderly Person and His Property1 articlePenalty for Mistreating the Elderly5 articlesFinal Provisions and Entry into Force3 articles
Articles of the Saudi Elderly Rights and Care Law
- Article 1The article defines the key terms of the Elderly Rights and Care Law, chiefly that an elderly person is any citizen aged 60 or over.
- Article 2The article sets the goals that the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development works to achieve, in coordination with the relevant bodies, to serve the elderly and protect their rights.
- Article 3The article recognizes the elderly person's right to live with their family, and requires the family to house and care for them in the order set out in Article 6.
- Article 4The article prevents social care homes from housing an elderly person except with their consent, by court judgment, or in cases endangering their life or safety under the Regulations' controls.
- Article 5The article treats an elderly person as needy if they are wholly or partly unable to secure the necessities of life because of a shortfall in their financial, physical, psychological or mental capacities.
- Article 6The article sets the order of family members who must support the needy elderly person, allows the elderly person to choose their caregiver, and gives the court the power to determine the caregiver where there is a dispute.
- Article 7The article makes the maintenance for the care of a needy elderly person subject to the requirements of Sharia maintenance.
- Article 8The article provides that the Ministry pays what helps a caregiver who cannot afford the care of a needy elderly person where no one in the family is able to support them, as the Regulations determine.
- Article 9The article obliges the caregiver to protect the rights of the needy elderly person in accordance with Sharia and legal requirements.
- Article 10The article obliges the Ministry to provide assistive medical devices and supplies to the needy elderly person free of charge, and to bear their operating and maintenance costs, as the Regulations determine.
- Article 11The article requires the government body and anyone providing a public service on its behalf to give the elderly person priority in essential services, particularly health and social services, as the Regulations determine.
- Article 12Under the article the Ministry grants the elderly person a privilege card to benefit from public services for the necessities of daily life, and the elderly person must be taken into account in procedures and these completed quickly.
- Article 13The article requires the government body and anyone providing a public service on its behalf to give the needy elderly person a discount on its public services, within its powers and as the Regulations determine.
- Article 14The article gives the Ministry guardianship over the person of an elderly person who lacks or has diminished capacity if a court establishes they have no guardian or that the guardian neglected their rights, and gives property guardianship to the guardianship authority.
- Article 15The article prohibits the caregiver from dealing with the elderly person's property without their consent or intentionally failing to protect their rights and care, and prohibits anyone entrusted with authority over their property from intentionally mismanaging it.
- Article 16The article punishes breach of Articles 3 and 15 with imprisonment of up to one year or a fine of up to SAR 500,000 or both, excludes the caregiver if the father or wife, and allows doubling for repeat offense.
- Article 17The article applies the harsher penalty if any of the acts prohibited in Article 15 constitutes a crime under other laws.
- Article 18The article allows the competent court to impose an alternative penalty to those in Article 16, provided that it is in service of the elderly.
- Article 19The article assigns the Public Prosecution to investigate violations of Articles 3 and 15 of the Law and to bring the case before the competent court.
- Article 20The article punishes private or non-profit care homes that breach Article 4, and providers of public services that breach Articles 11 and 13, with a fine of up to SAR 100,000, and regulates the review committee, challenges and enforcement.
- Article 21The article provides that the Law's provisions do not affect other legal obligations of the relevant bodies, nor any better protection for the elderly in another law or an international agreement to which the Kingdom is a party.
- Article 22The article requires the Minister to issue the Implementing Regulations of the Law within 90 days of its publication in the Official Gazette, and they take effect from the date the Law takes effect.
- Article 23The Elderly Rights and Care Law takes effect 90 days after its publication in the Official Gazette.