In force
Saudi Social Security Law
نظام الضمان الاجتماعي
The Social Security Law was approved by Royal Decree No. M/32 dated 4/4/1442 AH. This page presents the official Arabic text of each article with plain-English explanations.
- Articles
- 26
- In force
- 26
- Amended
- 0
- Issued
- 4/4/1442 AH
Issued by: مرسوم ملكي رقم (م/32) وتاريخ 1442/4/4هـ. · قرار مجلس الوزراء رقم (211) وتاريخ 1442/4/2هـ.
Each article shows the official Arabic text, which is the only legally binding version, followed by our plain-English explanation.
Browse Social Security Law by topic
Social Security Definitions and Objectives6 articlesApplying for Social Security6 articlesSocial Security Eligibility Conditions5 articlesCalculating the Social Security Pension3 articlesSuspending the Social Security Pension1 articleRehabilitation and Employment of Beneficiaries3 articlesSocial Security Penalties2 articlesGrievances Against Social Security Decisions1 article
Articles of the Saudi Social Security Law
الباب الأول: التعريفات والأهدافArticles 1–2
- Article 1The article defines the key terms of the Social Security Law, such as breadwinner, dependent, family, independent person, pension, calculated income, and rehabilitation.
- Article 2The article sets out the Social Security Law's objectives: addressing poverty, guaranteeing a minimum income, social protection, rehabilitation toward financial independence, and help in crises.
الباب الثاني: التقديم وتحديد الاحتياجArticles 3–8
- Article 3The article requires the pension application to be submitted to the competent department of the Ministry with supporting data and documents, and leaves the procedural details and documents to the Implementing Regulations.
- Article 4The article treats submitting a pension application as the applicant's consent to the Ministry obtaining information relating to it from government or private bodies.
- Article 5The article assigns the Ministry to collect data on the situations of independent persons and families and examine them to estimate entitlement, from applications and the data of government bodies, associations, civil institutions, and others.
- Article 6The article requires the Ministry to notify the applicant within 20 days of submission of its decision to accept the application under the entitlement criteria or to reject it with reasons.
- Article 7The original applicant and the beneficiary must notify the Ministry within 15 days of any change in their circumstances that affects entitlement to the pension or its amount.
- Article 8The article requires the Ministry to follow up regularly on the beneficiary's situation to verify continued entitlement to the pension and the correctness of its amount, and refers its regulation to the Regulations.
الباب الثالث: آلية الاحتساب والاستحقاقArticles 9–17
- Article 9The article sets four conditions for entitlement to the pension: Saudi nationality and permanent residence, calculated income below the minimum, the wealth criteria, and compliance with the Ministry's requirements.
- Article 10The article excepts specific categories from the nationality requirement, including a non-Saudi woman married to a Saudi and a non-Saudi widow or divorcee with Saudi children.
- Article 11The article bars any beneficiary other than the breadwinner from being in more than one family, as the Implementing Regulations specify.
- Article 12The article provides that each family of a breadwinner with several families is independent with its own pension, and that a family member studying outside the family's city does not affect its entitlement.
- Article 13The article lets the family choose another qualified breadwinner if, under the Regulations' mechanism, the breadwinner is shown to lack capacity or to be incapacitated by an illness that makes it hard to manage the pension.
- Article 14The article shows that the pension is calculated by subtracting calculated income from the calculated minimum for the pension, with an increase for each additional dependent not exceeding the basic minimum.
- Article 15The article makes the basic minimum for calculating the pension set by a Council of Ministers decision, on the Ministry's proposal in agreement with the Ministries of Finance and of Economy and Planning.
- Article 16The article provides that payment of the pension to the beneficiary begins from the month following the decision accepting his application.
- Article 17The article lists eight cases in which payment of the pension stops, including failure of an entitlement condition, incorrect data, delay in updating data, waiver, and death.
الباب الرابع: الفئات والتأهيلArticles 18–19
- Article 18The article requires the Ministry, on accepting an application, to classify the beneficiary as not able to be rehabilitated, able to be rehabilitated, or able to work, based on his health, physical, and social situation.
- Article 19The article assigns the Ministry, in cooperation with the Human Resources Development Fund and the relevant bodies, to prepare rehabilitation plans, provide job search services, and follow up on beneficiaries.
الباب الخامس: العقوباتArticles 20–21
- Article 20The article punishes a breadwinner who does not spend the pension on his dependents, and anyone who gets social security money without right, with a fine or imprisonment or both, along with repayment of the money.
- Article 21The article makes the Public Prosecution the body competent to investigate and prosecute crimes under the Social Security Law before the competent court.
الباب السادس: أحكام عامةArticles 22–26
- Article 22The article governs the grievance committee formed by the Minister to hear grievances over delayed responses, rejection of an application, stopping of the pension, and repayment demands, with a further grievance before the Administrative Court.
- Article 23The article specifies the resources of social security: zakat funds collected by the State, the subsidy approved from the State treasury, and zakat, alms, endowment revenues, donations, and gifts provided to it.
- Article 24The article obliges the Minister to issue the Implementing Regulations of the Social Security Law within 120 days of publication of the Law in the Official Gazette, and they apply from the date the Law takes effect.
- Article 25The article provides that this Law replaces the Social Security Law issued by Royal Decree No. M/45 dated 7/7/1427 AH and repeals any provisions that conflict with it.
- Article 26The article provides that the Social Security Law applies after 120 days from the date of its publication in the Official Gazette.