Article 18 of the Saudi GCC Insurance Protection Extension Law
المادة 18 من النظام الموحد لمد الحماية التأمينية لمواطني دول مجلس التعاون لدول الخليج العربية العاملين في غير دولهم في أي دولة عضو في المجلس · الباب الخامس: أحكام ختامية
The article provides that the entitlements of the employee or worker, or of those entitled through him, are settled under the provisions in force in the retirement or insurance law of the home state.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
تسوى مستحقات الموظف / العامل أو المستحقين عنه طبقا للأحكام السارية بهذا الشأن في قانون / نظام التقاعد المدني / التأمينات الاجتماعية في الدولة موطن الموظف / العامل .
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 18 explained in plain English
This article identifies the law that governs the settlement of entitlements.
The rule: the entitlements of the employee or worker, or of those entitled through him, are settled under the provisions in force in the civil retirement or social insurance law of the home state.
Who benefits?
- The employee or worker himself.
- Those entitled through him, as in the case of death.
What does the law of the home state govern? The "settlement of entitlements" generally. The method of calculating the pension or compensation and the conditions for entitlement to it follow the law of the home state, not the law of the state in which he worked.
This is consistent with Article 17, which applies the home state's provisions to the case of a missing employee, and with Article 19, which provides that all the provisions of the home state's law apply to the employee in respect of matters on which the Law has no specific provision and to the extent they do not conflict with its provisions.
In practical terms, a GCC national who wants to know what he is entitled to for his service in another GCC state refers to the retirement or insurance law of his own state. This article states no amounts or conditions; it refers to that law.
To apply this to a specific case, it is advisable to consult a lawyer who specializes in social insurance and retirement laws.
Practical example
A Kuwaiti national worked for twenty years for a government body in Riyadh, and then his service ended. His retirement entitlements are settled under the retirement law of Kuwait, his home state.
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 18 of the Saudi GCC Insurance Protection Extension Law
Under which law are the entitlements of a GCC employee working in another state calculated?
Under the provisions in force in the civil retirement or social insurance law of his home state.
Does the article cover the entitlements of heirs?
Yes. It covers the entitlements of the employee or worker or of those entitled through him.
More articles on Pensions and Disability and Death Entitlements
- Article 16
The employer notifies the workplace state's body of an employee's disability, sickness or death; that body completes the medical reports and sends them to the home state's body for its committees, ahead of settling entitlements.
في حالة عجز أو مرض أو وفاة الموظف / العامل يلتزم صاحب العمل بإخطار جهاز التقاعد المدني / التأمينات الاجتماعية في الدولة مقر العمل بذلك، والتي يقع عليها عبء استك
- Article 17
The article applies the home state's retirement or insurance rules to the case of a missing employee or worker, with the missing status established under the procedures of the state of the workplace.
تطبق بشأن فقد الموظف / العامل الأحكام والضوابط المعمول بها في قانون / نظام التقاعد المدني / التأمينات الاجتماعية في الدولة موطن العامل، ويتم إثبات هذه الحالة وف
- Article 19
The article applies all the provisions of the home state's retirement or insurance law to the employee or worker on matters with no specific provision in the Law, to the extent they do not conflict with it.
تسري على الموظف / العامل كافة الأحكام الواردة في قانون / نظام التقاعد المدني / التأمينات الاجتماعية في الدولة موطن الموظف / العامل ، وذلك فيما لم يرد بشأنه نص خ
- Article 21
The article provides that the Law does not affect any rights or benefits guaranteed by the laws of the state of the workplace to employees or workers, unless those laws provide otherwise.
لا يمس هذا النظام أية حقوق أو مزايا تكفلها القوانين / الأنظمة السارية في الدولة مقر العمل للموظفين / للعمال، ما لم تنص تلك القوانين / الأنظمة على خلاف ذلك .
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.