Saudi citizenship not a prerequisite for social insurance pension for three categories

RIYADH — The executive regulations of the Social Insurance Law, approved by Minister of Human Resources and Social Development Ahmed Al-Rajhi, have given an exemption to three categories from the nationality requirement to get a pension.

According to the official Umm Al-Qura newspaper, the first category includes the wife of a Saudi citizen or his divorcee or widow who have Saudi children with a condition that the woman and her children should have permanent residency status in the Kingdom, and that the woman has a valid residence permit (iqama) and proof to substantiate this.

The second category includes children of a Saudi widow or divorcee from her non-Saudi husband with a condition that the children shall have their permanent residence in the Kingdom and the woman’s marriage to a non-Saudi husband is proven by an official document. The children must have a valid residency permit also, the Al-Eqtisadiah newspaper reported.

The third category includes non-Saudis with disabilities or orphans or widows with orphans who have mobility cards, provided that the cards are valid, with proof to substantiate their disability.

According to the regulation, which came into force from the date of its publication on Sunday, a permanent non-Saudi resident in the above categories can take advantage of the social insurance pension in the event of fulfilling the eligibility conditions.

The permanent residency status for the eligibility of the pension will be considered for someone whose period of stay outside the Kingdom does not exceed three consecutive months or three intermittent months during the previous year of the pension payment date.