Okaz, 1 July 2026: Saudi Arabia’s new social insurance system has reduced the categories of family members eligible for a deceased subscriber’s pension to three, compared with six under the current system.
The revised law, applicable to all new entrants to the labour market after 3 July 2024 with no prior subscription periods in civil retirement or social insurance schemes, restricts eligibility to the spouse, children under 21 (extendable to 24 if enrolled in education or vocational training), and dependent parents.
Entitlement for the spouse ends upon remarriage but may resume in cases of divorce or widowhood, provided no pension is already received from another deceased subscriber. Pension distribution depends on the number of beneficiaries: a single beneficiary receives 50% of the pension, while two or more share 75% equally, with shares reallocated if a beneficiary loses eligibility.
By contrast, the current system continues to apply to subscribers with prior contribution periods before 3 July 2024, allowing six categories of family members to claim pensions: spouse, children, parents, grandparents, grandchildren, and siblings.
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