Article 7 of the Saudi Elderly Rights and Care Law
المادة 7 من نظام حقوق كبير السن ورعايته
The article makes the maintenance for the care of a needy elderly person subject to the requirements of Sharia maintenance.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
تكون نفقة رعاية كبير السن المحتاج وفقًا لمقتضيات النفقة الشرعية.
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 7 explained in plain English
After Article 6 set out who bears the support of the needy elderly person, this article sets the reference for the maintenance of their care, which is the requirements of Sharia maintenance.
In practice this means:
- The Law did not set a fixed amount or a specific percentage for the maintenance of an elderly person, but referred this to the provisions of Sharia maintenance.
- The rule is specific to the needy elderly person, not to everyone who has reached 60.
- Care, as defined in Article 1, includes providing essential needs of housing, food, clothing, and health, physical, psychological, social and recreational care.
Under Article 6, the duty of support falls on the husband or wife if willing, and if that is not possible on the father if able and then one of the male children, then one of the male grandchildren, then one of the male brothers, and the competent court determines the caregiver where there is no agreement. If the caregiver is unable to provide the maintenance and no one in the family is able to provide support, Article 8 provides that the Ministry pays what helps with this, as the Regulations determine.
The article does not detail how maintenance is assessed, so anyone who needs to claim it or have it assessed in a particular case should consult a lawyer specializing in personal status cases and the rights of the elderly.
Practical example
Two sons in Jeddah disagreed over how much to spend on their needy 75-year-old father. This article does not set a figure, but makes the maintenance for his care subject to the requirements of Sharia maintenance, so its assessment is referred to the provisions of Sharia maintenance and not to an amount set by the Law.
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 7 of the Saudi Elderly Rights and Care Law
How is the maintenance for a needy elderly person's care determined?
It is in accordance with the requirements of Sharia maintenance, and the article did not set an amount or percentage.
Who must pay for the care of an elderly person?
The order of the caregiver is set in Article 6, starting with the husband or wife if willing, then the father if able and then one of the male children, then the male grandchildren, then the male brothers.
What if the caregiver cannot afford the maintenance?
Under Article 8, if the caregiver is unable and no one in the family is able to provide support, the Ministry pays what helps them, as the Regulations determine.
More articles on Support and Maintenance of the Elderly
- Article 1
The article defines the key terms of the Elderly Rights and Care Law, chiefly that an elderly person is any citizen aged 60 or over.
يقصد بالألفاظ والعبارات الآتية -أينما وردت في هذا النظام- المعاني المبينة أمام كل منها: 1- النظام: نظام حقوق كبير السن ورعايته. 2- اللائحة: اللائحة التنفيذية لل
- Article 3
The 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.
لكبير السن حق العيش مع أسرته، وعليها إيواؤه ورعايته، وتكون المسؤولية في ذلك على أفراد الأسرة وفقًا للتسلسل المنصوص عليه في المادة (السادسة) من النظام.
- Article 5
The 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.
لأغراض تطبيق أحكام النظام، يعد كبير السن محتاجًا إذا كان غير قادر على أن يؤمّن لنفسه ضروريات الحياة كليًّا أو جزئيًّا نتيجة لقصور في قدراته المالية أو البدنية أ
- Article 6
The 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.
تكون إعالة كبير السن المحتاج على الزوج أو الزوجة إن رغبت، فإن تعذر ذلك فعلى أبيه إذا كان قادرًا ثم أحد أولاده الذكور، فإن تعذر ذلك فعلى أحد أحفاده الذكور، فإن ت
- Article 8
The 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.
إذا عجز العائل عن توفير نفقة رعاية كبير السن المحتاج، ولم يكن في أسرته من هو قادر على إعالته؛ فيصرف له من الوزارة ما يساعده على ذلك، وذلك وفقًا لما تحدده اللائح
- Article 9
The article obliges the caregiver to protect the rights of the needy elderly person in accordance with Sharia and legal requirements.
يحمي العائل حقوق كبير السن المحتاج وفقًا للمقتضى الشرعي والنظامي.
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.