Article 203 of the Saudi Personal Status Law
المادة 203 من نظام الأحوال الشخصية · الفصل الأول: أحكام عامة للتركة والإرث
The article provides that there is no inheritance between people who died at the same time or when it is not known which of them died first.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
لا توارث بين الموتى إذا كان موتهم في وقت واحد، أو لم يعلم المتقدم وفاةً منهم.
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 203 explained in plain English
This article deals with a case that recurs in accidents: more than one person dies, with a cause of inheritance between them, such as a father and his son in a traffic accident or a fire.
The rule: there is no inheritance between them in two cases:
- If they died at the same time.
- If it is not known which of them died first, that is, it is not known who died earlier.
The result is that none of these dead inherits from another, so the estate of each is divided without treating the other as one of his heirs.
This article comes within the general provisions on the estate and inheritance, and is linked to the following:
- Article 202, which provides that there is no inheritance between people of different religions, subject to the provisions on wills in the Law, particularly Article 178.
- Article 204, which explains that inheritance is by fixed share, by residuary share, by both, or by blood relationship.
If a dispute arises over the order of deaths, it is advisable to consult a lawyer specialized in personal status matters.
Practical example
A father and his son died in a traffic accident on the Riyadh road, and it is not known which of them died first. The father does not inherit from his son and the son does not inherit from his father, so the estate of each is divided without treating the other as one of his heirs.
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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Active contributorFrequently asked questions about Article 203 of the Saudi Personal Status Law
If a father and his son die in one accident, does either inherit from the other?
There is no inheritance between the dead if they died at the same time or if it is not known which of them died first.
What if it is known who died first?
The article bars inheritance if death was at the same time or it is not known who died first, so if the order is known, this case does not apply.
More articles on Inheritance and Heirs' Shares
- Article 164
Being missing ends when the missing person is established to be alive or dead, or when a court judgment treats him as deceased.
ينتهي الفقد في أي من الحالتين الآتيتين: 1- إذا تحققت حياة المفقود أو وفاته. 2- إذا صدر حكم قضائي باعتبار المفقود متوفى.
- Article 166
The court rules that a missing person is deceased at an interested person's request if evidence of death exists; otherwise after 4 years from notification if his death is not likely, or one year from disappearance if it is likely.
تحكم المحكمة -بناءً على طلب من ذي مصلحة- بوفاة المفقود إذا قام الدليل على وفاته. وفيما عدا ذلك، على المحكمة ألا تحكم بوفاته إلا بعد مضي المدة المقررة بحسب الظرو
- Article 167
The date of the ruling that a missing person is deceased is treated as his date of death, unless his true date of death is established later.
يعد تاريخ صدور الحكم بوفاة المفقود تاريخاً لوفاته، ما لم يثبت تاريخ وفاته الحقيقي لاحقاً.
- Article 168
If a missing person is ruled deceased and then appears alive, he recovers his property that still exists in kind from the heirs, and his wife returns to his marriage unless she married another man who consummated the marriage.
يترتب على صدور الحكم باعتبار المفقود متوفى ثم ظهوره حيًّا، ما يأتي: 1- أن يرجع المفقود بالموجود عيناً من ماله على الورثة. 2- أن تعود زوجة المفقود إلى عصمته ما ل
- Article 171
A will is carried out from the testator's estate after paying the costs of preparing the deceased for burial and settling his debts, subject to Article 190 of the Law.
مع مراعاة ما تقضي به المادة (التسعون بعد المائة) من هذا النظام، تنفذ الوصية من تركة الموصي، بعد إخراج نفقات تجهيز الميت وأداء ديونه.
- Article 179
A will in favor of an heir is not carried out unless the other heirs approve it after the death, it is carried out in the share of those who approve, and the beneficiary's status as heir is judged at the time of the testator's death.
1- لا وصية لوارث إلا إذا أجازها بعد الوفاة باقي الورثة، فإن أجازها بعضهم فتنفذ في نصيبهم. 2- المعتبر بكون الموصى له وارثاً هو وقت وفاة الموصي.
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.