Article 2 of the Saudi Military Retirement Law

This is the definitions article. It fixes the meanings of the basic words wherever they appear in the Law, unless the text expressly states otherwise or the context indicates otherwise. The most important are:

• The Minister: the Minister of Interior, the Minister of Defense, the Minister of the National Guard, the Head of General Intelligence, and the Head of State Security, each in respect of the military apparatus he manages.
• Military forces: the armed forces attached to the Ministry of Defense and Aviation, the internal security forces, the National Guard forces, and the military apparatus attached to General Intelligence.
• Military person: any person subject primarily to the officers' service and enlisted personnel service laws, and the term includes officers, non-commissioned officers and soldiers. An officer is anyone who holds a military rank under the officers' service law, and an enlisted person is anyone whose rank is below the rank of officer.
• Retiree: a military person whose service has ended and who has therefore become entitled to a retirement pension or award.
• Pensioner: a retiree for whom a pension has been determined, and the term includes a military person whose service ended by death. The beneficiary is the person for whom a pension has been determined under the Law.
• Salary: the salary fixed for the military person under the salary scale to which he is subject, and it does not include raises, allowances or compensations.
• Pension: an amount paid monthly. The award: a lump sum paid once in place of the pension.
• The Authority: the Pensions Authority. The Fund: the Military Retirement Fund.

The most important of these definitions in practice is that of "salary", because it excludes allowances, raises and compensations. Article 3 uses this concept in deducting 9% of the military person's salary, with the Government paying the equivalent of 13% of it to the Authority for the account of the Fund.