Article 9 of the Saudi Elderly Rights and Care Law
المادة 9 من نظام حقوق كبير السن ورعايته
The article obliges the caregiver to protect the rights of the needy elderly person in accordance with Sharia and legal requirements.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
يحمي العائل حقوق كبير السن المحتاج وفقًا للمقتضى الشرعي والنظامي.
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 9 explained in plain English
The role of the caregiver is not limited to providing money or housing; this article also makes them a protector of the rights of the needy elderly person, and ties this protection to two references: the Sharia requirement and the legal requirement.
To understand the scope of this duty, refer to the definitions in Article 1:
- The caregiver: the person who cares for the needy elderly person and safeguards their rights.
- The rights of the elderly person: all the rights they have under Sharia or the laws, including their financial, physical, social and moral rights.
- Care of the needy elderly person: providing their essential needs of housing, food, clothing, and health, physical, psychological, social and recreational care.
So the protection covers the financial, physical, social and moral sides together, not just one. The article itself does not list specific acts, but sets a general duty to be understood in light of Sharia rules and the laws.
This article follows Article 8, which provides that the Ministry pays what helps the caregiver if they cannot afford the care of the needy elderly person and no one in the family can support them, and precedes Article 10, which obliges the Ministry to provide assistive medical devices and supplies to the needy elderly person free of charge. Anyone wanting to know the consequences of a caregiver failing in their duties in a particular case should consult a lawyer specializing in personal status cases and the rights of the elderly.
Practical example
Noura in Riyadh takes care of her needy 74-year-old mother. Under this article it is not enough for her to provide housing and food; she must protect her mother's financial, physical, social and moral rights as the Sharia rules and the laws require.
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 9 of the Saudi Elderly Rights and Care Law
What is the caregiver's duty toward the elderly person?
The caregiver must protect the rights of the needy elderly person in accordance with Sharia and legal requirements.
Which rights does the caregiver protect?
Article 1 defines the rights of the elderly person as all the rights they have under Sharia or the laws, including their financial, physical, social and moral rights.
Is the caregiver's role limited to maintenance?
No, the caregiver as defined is the person who cares for the needy elderly person and safeguards their rights, and Article 9 obliges them to protect those rights.
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 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
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.