Article 14 of the Saudi Military Retirement Law
المادة 14 من نظام التقاعد العسكري
Age is determined by birth certificate or civil status record; if the day of birth is unknown, age runs from the first day of the seventh month of the Hijri year of birth.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
يعتمد في تقدير السن على شهادة الميلاد أو حفيظة النفوس، وإذا كان يوم الميلاد مجهولًا فيحسب العمر من اليوم الأول من الشهر السابع للعام الهجري الذي ولد فيه..
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 14 explained in plain English
This article sets out how age is determined for the purposes of the Military Retirement Law. This matters because the retirement age is linked to rank, and referral dates are calculated on that basis.
The rule: age is determined from one of two documents:
- the birth certificate, or
- the civil status record (hafizat al-nufus).
If the day of birth is unknown: age is counted from the first day of the seventh month of the Hijri year in which the person was born. That is, the year is known but the day is not, so the day is assumed to be the first of Rajab of that Hijri year.
This article follows Article 13, which in certain cases allows a military member to be kept on after reaching the age set for retirement, such as keeping an officer for two years, extendable to four, and extending a medical officer's service up to ten years provided he does not exceed 65. All these provisions depend on knowing the member's age accurately, and this article explains how it is known.
Note that the text deals with the case where the day of birth is unknown, and does not address the case where the year of birth itself is unknown. Someone whose birth details differ in a way that affects his retirement date may contact his military authority, or consult a lawyer who specializes in administrative cases.
Practical example
The civil status record of Private Saeed states that he was born in 1400 AH, with no day or month. Under this article, his age is counted from the first day of the seventh month (Rajab) of 1400 AH.
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 14 of the Saudi Military Retirement Law
How is a military member's age calculated for retirement purposes?
Age is determined from the birth certificate or the civil status record.
What if the day of birth is unknown?
Age is counted from the first day of the seventh month of the Hijri year in which the military member was born.
More articles on Retirement Age
- Article 11
The article sets the age at which officers are retired by rank, with a lower age for pilots, and the age at which enlisted personnel are retired by rank, with the rank of general and above retired by royal order.
أ ) يحال الضابط إلى التقاعد إذا بلغ السن الآتي بيانها: الرتبةفى القوات المسلحة عدا الطيارينالطيارون ملازم وملازم أول4442 نقيب4846 رائد5048 مقدم5250 عقيد5452 عمي
- Article 12
The article allows the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, on the Minister's request, to suspend the application of Article 11 on retirement age for specific periods.
يجوز بأمر من القائد الأعلى للقوات المسلحة بناء على طلب الوزير وقف العمل بأحكام المادة (11) لفترة أو فترات معينة..
- Article 13Amended (1423 AH)
An officer may be kept on after retirement age for two years, extendable to four; a medical officer for up to ten years but not past 65; a technical person for five years, extendable by five.
أ ) يجوز إبقاء الضابط في الخدمة بعد بلوغه السن المحددة للإحالة إلى التقاعد لمدة سنتين إذا كان بقاؤه ضروريًّا لصالح العمل، ويتم ذلك بقرار من الوزير بناء على توصي
- Article 32
The Chief of the General Staff may keep a retiree on for up to two months to hand over his custody, with an award equal to his salary and allowances; the period is not counted and the pension runs from the referral date.
يجوز لرئيس هيئة الأركان العامة إبقاء المحال إلى التقاعد مدة لا تتجاوز شهرين لتسليم ما بعهدته، وفي هذه الحالة تصرف له مكافأة عن هذه المدة تعادل راتبه الذي كان يت
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.