Article 1 of the Rules on Saudi Children Abroad
المادة 1 من الضوابط الخاصة بوضع الأطفال السعوديين في الخارج من أب سعودي وأم غير سعودية
Item one requires a Saudi father to regularize the status of, and support, his children abroad born to a non-Saudi mother, and sets what the mother does if he denies them or disowns them.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
1 - في حال اعتراف الأب بأولاده :
يلزم الأب بتصحيح أوضاعهم وفقا للتعليمات المنظمة لذلك، وفي حال عدم تمكنه من الصرف عليهم فيحالون إلى الجمعية الخيرية لرعاية الأسر السعودية في الخارج أو غيرها من الجمعيات المماثلة ؛ لدراسة أوضاعهم ، ليخصص لهم مبلغ شهري يصرف من الجمعية ، يحدد وفقا للحالة المعيشية في البلد الذي يقيمون فيه.
2 - في حال إنكار الأب أولاده أو تنكره لهم :
فإذا كان لدى الأم وثائق مصدقة تثبت زواجها من مواطن سعودي ، ونتج من هذا الزواج أولاد والأب ينكرهم ؛ فلها التقدم إلى الجهة المختصة في بلدها، أو الممثلية السعودية في ذلك البلد بطلب تصحيح وضع الأولاد وفقا لما لديها من وثائق ومستندات ، وتتم الكتابة عن ذلك إلى وزارة الخارجية ، ومن ثم تكتب الوزارة لإمارة المنطقة المقيم فيها الزوج إن كان مكان إقامته معلوما ، فإن كان غير معلوم ؛ فيكتب إلى وزارة الداخلية لأخذ إفادته عن صحة ادعاء الزوجة ، وإن كان متوفى أو تعذر العثور عليه ؛ تؤخذ إفادة أحد أقاربه من الدرجة الأولى في ذلك .
وعند ورود الإفادة متضمنة إنكار الأب - أو من يقوم مقامه - نسب الأولاد إليه ، فتبلغ الأم بذلك عبر القنوات نفسها ، فإن أصرت على أنهم أولاده ؛ فلها إقامة دعوى قضائية لإثبات نسبهم إليه، وعند ثبوت النسب ؛ يُلزم الأب - أو من يقوم مقامه - بتنفيذ الأحكام الصادرة في حقه ، وتصحيح أوضاع أولاده نظاما ، ودفع جميع ما صُرف عليهم من نفقة وذلك وفقا لضوابط تنفيذ الأحكام الأجنبية.
وإذا تنكر الأب لأولاده الثابت نسبهم إليه ، سواء أكان هذا راجعا إلى نواح مادية ، أم اجتماعية ، أم نظامية ، أم غيرها ؛ فيلزم بتصحيح أوضاعهم نظاما ، وصرف نفقاتهم . وإن كان عاجزا عن صرف النفقة ؛ تسجل الأسرة لدى الجمعية الخيرية لرعاية الأسر السعودية في الخارج أو غيرها من الجمعيات المماثلة لتتولى الصرف عليهم وفقا لنظامها.
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 1 explained in plain English
Item "First" of these Rules addresses the status of children born to a Saudi father and a non-Saudi mother who live outside the Kingdom, and distinguishes three cases:
- If the father acknowledges his children: he is required to regularize their status in accordance with the instructions governing it. If he is unable to support them, they are referred to the Charitable Society for the Care of Saudi Families Abroad or a similar society to study their situation, and the society allocates them a monthly amount set according to the standard of living in the country where they reside.
- If the father denies his children: if the mother has certified documents proving her marriage to a Saudi citizen and that she bore children by him, she may apply to the competent authority in her country or to the Saudi mission there for the regularization of the children's status. The application is written up to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which then writes to the emirate of the region where the husband lives if his whereabouts are known, or to the Ministry of Interior if they are not, to take his statement. If he is deceased or cannot be found, the statement of one of his first-degree relatives is taken. If the statement denies the lineage, the mother is informed through the same channels, and if she persists she may file a lawsuit to establish lineage. Once it is established, the father or whoever stands in his place is required to carry out the judgments, regularize the children's status, and pay everything spent on them as maintenance, in accordance with the rules for enforcing foreign judgments.
- If the father disowns children whose lineage to him is established: whatever the reason, whether financial, social, legal or otherwise, he is required to regularize their status and support them. If he is unable to pay maintenance, the family is registered with the society so that it takes over spending on them under its regulations.
Item "Second" completes this provision by providing that the society's role comes after the role of the Saudi missions abroad. A woman facing one of these cases may consult a lawyer who specializes in personal status cases.
Practical example
A non-Saudi woman living in her own country married a Saudi citizen and bore him two children, and then he cut off contact with them and denied their lineage. She holds a certified marriage contract, so she applies to the Saudi mission in her country for the regularization of the children's status, and the application is sent to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and then to the emirate of the region where the husband lives to take his statement. If he denies it, the woman is informed and may file a lawsuit to establish lineage; if it is established, the father is required to regularize their status and pay what was spent on them as maintenance.
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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Frequently asked questions about Article 1 of the Rules on Saudi Children Abroad
What can a foreign mother do if a Saudi father denies his children?
If she has certified documents proving the marriage, she may apply to the competent authority in her country or to the Saudi mission for regularization of the children's status, and if the father persists in denying them she may file a lawsuit to establish lineage.
Who supports the children if the Saudi father cannot afford their maintenance?
They are referred, or the family is registered, with the Charitable Society for the Care of Saudi Families Abroad or a similar society, which allocates a monthly amount according to the standard of living in the country where they reside.
Is the father required to pay what was spent on his children once lineage is established?
Yes. Once lineage is established, the father or whoever stands in his place is required to pay everything spent on them as maintenance, in accordance with the rules for enforcing foreign judgments.
What if the father is deceased or cannot be found?
The statement of one of his first-degree relatives is taken on the truth of the wife's claim.
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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.