Article 215 of the Saudi Personal Status Law
المادة 215 من نظام الأحوال الشخصية · الفصل الثاني: ميراث أصحاب الفروض
A daughter inherits one-half if alone and two-thirds if there are two or more where the deceased has no son; with a son she shares the remainder as residuary, the male receiving twice the female's share.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
1- ترث البنت (النصف) إذا كانت واحدة، و(الثلثين) إن كانتا اثنتين -فأكثر- إذا لم يوجد ابن للميت.
2- ترث البنت إذا كانت واحدة -فأكثر- الباقي مع ابن الميت تعصيباً بالغير، للذكر مثل حظ الأنثيين.
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 215 explained in plain English
This article sets out the share of the daughter in the estate of her father or mother. Her share depends on whether the deceased has a son or not.
First: if the deceased has no son, the daughters inherit by fixed share:
- A single daughter inherits one-half.
- Two or more daughters inherit two-thirds between them.
Second: if the deceased has a son, the daughter or daughters do not inherit by fixed share. Instead they inherit together with the son the remainder as residuaries through another, meaning what is left after the heirs entitled to fixed shares, and it is divided among them so that the male receives twice the share of a female, so the son takes double the daughter's share.
Being a residuary through another means that the daughter would not have inherited as a residuary on her own, but became a residuary because her brother is present with her.
The daughter's share also affects other heirs. Article 216 gives the son's daughter one-sixth where there is a daughter who inherits one-half as a fixed share and the deceased has no son's son of the same degree, and it also requires that the deceased have no heir descendant higher than her for her to inherit one-half or two-thirds. The preceding Article 214 deals with the grandmother's inheritance.
Where there are several heirs and a dispute over the division, it is advisable to consult a lawyer specializing in personal status matters.
Practical example
A man died in Riyadh leaving a son and two daughters, with no other heir. The two daughters do not inherit by fixed share because the son is present. Instead the estate is divided among them as residuary, the male receiving twice the share of a female, so the son takes one-half of the estate and each daughter takes one-quarter.
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 215 of the Saudi Personal Status Law
How much does an only daughter inherit from her father?
A single daughter inherits one-half as a fixed share if the deceased has no son.
How much do daughters inherit if they have no brother?
If there are two or more daughters and the deceased has no son, they inherit two-thirds between them.
How does a daughter inherit if she has a brother?
With the deceased's son, the daughter inherits the remainder as a residuary through another, the male receiving twice the share of a female.
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.