Article 180 of the Saudi Personal Status Law

المادة 180 من نظام الأحوال الشخصية · الفصل الثاني: أركان الوصية وشروطها

The article lists the cases in which a will is valid: for a specified existing person or a known unborn child, for a category, for a legal person whose rules allow acceptance, for a mosque or waqf, and for charitable purposes.

Official text (Arabic)

This article has not been amended since the law was issued.

مع مراعاة ما تقضي به الأحكام النظامية ذات العلاقة، تصح الوصية في الحالات الآتية:

1- إذا كانت لمعين موجود وقت الوصية أو حملاً علم وجوده.

2- إذا كانت لفئة محصورة، أو غير محصورة.

3- إذا كانت لشخص اعتباري تجيز الأحكام المنظمة له قبول الوصايا.

4- إذا كانت لمسجد أو وقف.

5- إذا كانت مطلقة لله تعالى، أو لوجوه البر، وتصرف جميعها في وجوه البر.

وفي جميع الأحوال تخضع الوصايا وقبولها إذا كان الموصى له خارج المملكة، للأحكام المنظمة لذلك.

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 180 explained in plain English

This article sets out the parties and persons in whose favor a will is valid, and begins with the phrase "subject to what the relevant legal provisions provide". There are five cases:

For a specified person who exists at the time of the will, or for an unborn child whose existence is known.
For a category, limited or unlimited.
For a legal person whose governing provisions allow it to accept wills.
For a mosque or a waqf.
Absolute, for God Almighty or for charitable purposes, all of which is spent on charitable purposes.

The article adds a general rule: if the beneficiary is outside the Kingdom, wills and their acceptance are subject to the provisions governing that, and the article does not give the details of those provisions.

It is followed by Article 181, which explains when a will becomes binding depending on the beneficiary: a will for a specified natural person and for a limited category becomes binding on acceptance after the testator's death; for a minor, on acceptance by his guardian; for charitable purposes or an unlimited category, on the testator's death without acceptance; for a legal person, after approval by the one who has the right to accept it; for a mosque, after approval by the supervising body; and for a waqf, after approval by its administrator.

It is preceded by Article 179, which provides that there is no will in favor of an heir except with the approval of the other heirs after the death. To know what applies in a particular case, it is advisable to consult a lawyer specialized in personal status matters.

Practical example

A man left part of his property to a mosque in his neighborhood, and another part to a registered charity. Both wills are valid under this article, but according to Article 181 the will for the mosque does not become binding until the supervising body approves, and the will for the charity does not become binding until the one who has the right to accept it approves.

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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