Article 182 of the Saudi Personal Status Law

المادة 182 من نظام الأحوال الشخصية · الفصل الثاني: أركان الوصية وشروطها

The article gives the beneficiary with full legal capacity, and whoever represents a minor, a legal person, a mosque or a waqf, the right to reject the will in whole or in part under set rules.

Official text (Arabic)

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

1- للموصى له كامل الأهلية رد الوصية أو بعضها بعد وفاة الموصي.

2- لولي القاصر رد الوصية أو بعضها بإذن المحكمة.

3- للشخص الاعتباري، رد الوصية أو بعضها ممن يملك حق ردها وفقاً للأحكام المنظمة لذلك.

4- إذا كانت لمسجد فللجهة المشرفة رد الوصية أو بعضها، وإذا كانت لوقف فلناظره.

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 182 explained in plain English

A will is not imposed on the beneficiary, so this article explains who may reject the will or part of it:

The beneficiary with full legal capacity: he may reject the will in whole or in part, provided this is after the testator's death.
A minor: his guardian rejects the will on his behalf, but only on condition of obtaining the court's permission.
A legal person: the will or part of it is rejected by whoever has the right to reject it under the provisions governing that.
A mosque: the body supervising it rejects the will, and for a waqf its administrator rejects it.

This article corresponds to Article 181, which explains how a will becomes binding by acceptance or approval for each kind of beneficiary. Article 183 also provides that acceptance or rejection need not be immediately on the testator's death, and allows anyone with a right in the inheritance, the will or its execution to ask that the beneficiary be put on notice if he has not shown acceptance or rejection.

Note that the text allows partial rejection, so the beneficiary may accept part and reject the rest. To know the effects of rejection in a particular case, it is advisable to consult a lawyer specialized in personal status matters.

Practical example

A man left his friend's adult son a plot of land and a car. After the testator's death, the beneficiary wanted the land and not the car, so he may reject the bequest of the car alone. If the beneficiary were a minor, his guardian could not reject the will on his behalf except with the court's permission.

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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