Article 8 of the Saudi Elderly Rights and Care Law
المادة 8 من نظام حقوق كبير السن ورعايته
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.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
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 اللائحة.
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 8 explained in plain English
This article deals with a case in which the caregiver is unable to pay the maintenance, and makes the Ministry, which is the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development, a support for them. The text requires two things together for it to apply:
- The caregiver is unable to provide the maintenance for the care of the needy elderly person.
- There is no one in the elderly person's family who is able to support them.
If both conditions are met, the Ministry pays what helps them with this, as the Regulations determine. The article does not state the amount of the help, its form, or the procedures for requesting it, but leaves all of that to the Implementing Regulations.
The rule is understood together with the definitions in Article 1: the caregiver is the person who cares for the needy elderly person and safeguards their rights, and the family includes the father, the husband or wife, and the male children, grandchildren and brothers. It also relates to Article 7, which makes maintenance for the care of a needy elderly person subject to the requirements of Sharia maintenance; the Ministry's support here comes when the caregiver is unable and there is no other able person in the family. It is followed by Article 9, which provides that the caregiver protects the rights of the needy elderly person in accordance with Sharia and legal requirements.
Anyone wanting to know whether this support applies to their situation and how to request it should refer to the Regulations and the Ministry, or consult a lawyer specializing in personal status cases and the rights of the elderly.
Practical example
Khaled in Al-Ahsa supports his needy 80-year-old father, and has lost his job and so become unable to pay for his care; there is no one else in the family able to provide support. In this case the article provides that the Ministry pays what helps him with this, and the amount and procedures of the support are referred to the Implementing Regulations.
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 8 of the Saudi Elderly Rights and Care Law
Does the state support someone who supports a needy elderly person?
Yes, if the caregiver is unable to provide the maintenance and no one in the family is able to provide support, the Ministry pays what helps them, as the Regulations determine.
How much support does the Ministry pay?
The article does not set an amount, and leaves that to the Implementing Regulations.
Is the caregiver's inability alone enough to get the support?
No, the text also requires that there be no one in the elderly person's family who is able to support them.
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 7
The article makes the maintenance for the care of a needy elderly person subject to the requirements of Sharia maintenance.
تكون نفقة رعاية كبير السن المحتاج وفقًا لمقتضيات النفقة الشرعية.
- 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.