This section reviews Saudi Arabia's efforts to support citizens at various stages of their lives to ensure a dignified life. These efforts can be achieved through the integration of social welfare systems. One of its services is to provide orphans, juveniles, and elderly care. This section also highlights the support and preventive funding programs for job seekers, social support and funding programs, financing for persons with disabilities, marriage subsidy for orphans, social and family funding, housing support programs, support programs in the coronavirus pandemic, retirement, social insurance services, and family protection services.
Social Welfare System
The social protection system has been developed along carefully thought-out strategies for a healthy and empowered society, built on the efforts of the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (HRSD) to stabilize citizens, improve their quality of life, address risks to them, and sustain their support at an economic, Social, and psychological level. Saudi Arabia is also interested in developing preventive programs to strengthen the support of individuals and society in all its segments to meet their various needs. It has also developed care and rehabilitation programs for those in need of permanent assistance to achieve stable, balanced and equal community building. For more details.
Beneficiaries of the social welfare program:
- Widows
- Divorced Women
- Persons with disabilities
- Elderly
- Orphans
- Anonymous Descent
- Unemployed
- Poor and needy
- Affected by disasters and pandemics
Social Services
To protect the rights of children in general and orphans in particular, and to ensure their welfare, the Children's and Orphans' System has been established to ensure that the Directorate-General for the Welfare of Orphans and those who govern them develop the necessary policies for their care and inclusion in education and rehabilitation through shelters, and to pursue their care within foster or friendly families.
The Department of Juvenile Welfare oversees several social rehabilitation and rehabilitation homes for delinquents or those at risk of delinquency and steers them in the right way. It also provides training and educational programs that enhance the functioning of the system, as well as recreational, social, and artistic programs.
To empower older people in Saudi Arabia and improve their quality of life by involving them in society and providing them with voluntary contributions that transmit their experiences and knowledge to other generations, providing them with comprehensive care (health, social, psychological) through social welfare homes, providing financial assistance through the Social Security Agency, and providing them to compensatory devices such as medical family, chairs, headphones, etc.
The Anti-Begging Department was established to reduce Saudi beggars and lay the foundations for proper reform and guidance, by directing disabled people to social care homes, patients to specialized hospitals, and providing financial assistance from social security or charitable associations to those physically in need after studying their situation. Children apply the regulations of the homes of education to ensure a healthy social upbringing for them.
To ensure the empowerment of persons with disabilities and to raise their level of independence and effectiveness within their communities, the HRSD has ensured the provision of appropriate employment and education opportunities and has provided facilities to assist in achieving progress and success in employing various medical, social, psychological, educational, and professional services. Its initiatives include:
- Home Social Rehabilitation Care Program for Disabled, Elderly and Bedridden.
- Public transport fare reduction cards and traffic facilities.
- Exemption from payment of visa fees to persons with disabilities. For more details you can visit this page.
Social Protection Programs for Job Seekers
Payment of unemployment benefits (SAND)
With the support of the HRSD, the applicant's program is responsible for caring for the Saudi worker and his family during the period of his unemployment for circumstances beyond his control. The program works to bridge the transition gap between two jobs by providing a minimum income to provide him and his family with a decent living and to provide the necessary training and help him in the search for other jobs.
The job search subsidy program is designed to support job seekers through providing a declining cash benefit starting at 2000 riyals and lasting 15 months. The program covers a variety of training and employment alternatives to assist recipients in finding work.
The program targets job seekers who enter the labor market during the first two years of finishing their education or training, as well as those who have been out of the labor market for longer than two years.
Doroob is a national e-training platform. It is one of the initiatives of the Human Resources Development Fund (HRDF) "Goal" which seeks to develop and upgrade the skills of the national forces of males and females and to acquire the functional skills that support their access to and stability in the appropriate job according to the requirements of the Saudi labor market.
It is an on-the-job training program for Saudi graduates from local and overseas universities. It aims to train them in government institutions and privileged companies in the private sector, so that they can acquire the necessary expertise and skills to prepare them and prepare them to participate in the labor market.
An academy established by the Human Resources Development Fund (HRDF) in 1440H with the aim of preparing and developing the national future leadership of the private sector's unisex staff and taking over the leadership of institutions in Saudi Arabia. This is in pursuit of Saudi Vision 2030.
Domains Program
It is a program to incentivize enterprises to localize jobs. Its basic idea is to classify entities with 10 or more workers into four domains. (Red/Yellow/Green/Platinum) according to their localization ratio, so that the lowest-localized entities are in the red and yellow ranges, while the highest-localized entities are classified in the green and platinum scales, and the entity's evaluation is made without comparison of its settlement performance to other entities in the same category.
Occupational Resettlement Initiative
It is an initiative that supports the upgrading of job resettlement ratios. The initiative aims to localize occupations based on the number of job seekers who qualify for the profession in case of sufficient jobs to cover them partially or fully in which the occupational resettlement factor is calculated through a specific equation and as a result the percentage of occupational resettlement is extracted in the entity of the target labor offices, When the enterprise has applied for a service from the HRSD, the percentage of such settlement in the entity of the target labor offices is required to be higher or equal to the presumed percentage of the settlement. Target professions are updated and added to service occupations through ministerial decisions in specific and sequentially considered ratios.
Preventive support and funding programs
Support for productive families
A program that regulates the functioning of productive families and their economic self-sufficiency and improves their livelihoods by providing interest-free loans through the Social Development Bank such as obtaining family loans to encourage them to engage in business and occupations themselves. For the Regulation on the Employment of Productive Families.
Citizen's Account Program (Needy and Neediest)
A program was established to protect Saudi families from the expected direct and indirect impact of various economic reforms, which may cause additional burden to certain segments of society, by redirecting the Government's benefits to those eligible to them in such a way as to lead to rational consumption, and to ensure that the amounts reach their beneficiaries directly. You can also register in the Citizen Account Program and inquire about your eligibility status in the Citizen Account Program.
Social Support and Financing Programs
Social benefits
Financial social allowances shall be paid to subsidize families based on the care of one or more persons with disabilities, orphans, or persons under their control whose care has been entrusted to the Ministry's Department of Welfare and Social Development, namely:
- Families of persons with disabilities
- Orphaned families
- End of the sponsorship period
- Marriage
- Provision and equipping of disabled persons' chairs
Security pension
amount to be paid to beneficiaries under the provisions of the Social Security System and paid monthly to:
- Orphans
- Old age (60 years) and over
- Incapacitated to work is always incapacitated for any health reason
- Incapacitated to work temporarily for any health reason
- Women without a breadwinner
- Unreliable Family
You can also apply on for the security pension service via the link.
Marriage allowance for orphans
In order to enable orphans with special circumstances and those who govern them, the Marriage Allowance Service has been launched for orphans to facilitate marriage and reduce the burden by providing a one-time subsidy. You can apply for the online Orphan Marriage Subsidy Service via the link.
Social and Family Finance
- Marriage support: granted to young people who are in marriage and whose monthly income is less than SAR 12,500 (≈ 3332$)
- Refurbishment financing: It is granted to those who need to rebuild their homes or need repairs
- Self-employment financing: Self-employment financing is granted to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of self-employed people and to increase the productivity, skills and experience of their work
- AHIL finance: granted to families with family responsibilities at rates exceeding their financial capacity
- Kanaf Funding: is granted to widows and divorcees who need new costs and burdens of life
Residential Support Programs
Supporting Housing Programs and Platforms
Affordable housing: is interested in providing adequate housing based on the principle of family’s utilization most in need of social security beneficiaries and those in their governance in cooperation with the non-profit sector and the private sector represented in social responsibility programs.
Development Housing: One of the initiatives of the Ministry of Housing and seeks to provide housing units for the neediest families in the community, who are under the auspices of the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development "Social Security" and have a completed request in the Housing Support Portal "Housing".
Housing units for the neediest families are provided through various options, including:
- The ministry's housing units are available in all regions of the kingdom
- Construction and construction of new housing units
- Direct purchase of suitable and available housing units
In order to ensure that families' needs are met expeditiously, partnership agreements have been concluded with some 300 NGOs in all governorates of the Kingdom. They are responsible for communicating, visiting families, and assisting them in determining the appropriate housing for the family, following up on the delivery, management and operation of housing units.
Housing for the elderly
Social welfare homes
The aim of these homes is to accommodate and care for every male or female citizen who has reached 60 years of age and is unable to carry out their own affairs. Their family and relatives do not have the means to do so, as well as to care for the sick and elderly who are without a breadwinner and are referred from hospitals provided, they are free of communicable and mental diseases. Through these homes, the government provides shelter care, which includes social, medical, and psychological care. Its activities include cultural, professional, recreational, and sporting activities. These programs and activities are supervised by a functional body comprising all specializations to carry out the services entrusted to it to serve the residents of the house.
Conditions for admission of the elderly to the home
-
A Saudi national
- He or she is 60 years of age and over and is unable to work or perform his or her own affairs. A person under 60 years of age may be admitted if social research proves the need to be covered by the home's services
- A medical examination must prove that it is free of communicable, infectious, psychological, or mental diseases that constitute a threat to the patient's safety or a danger to the other inmates
- The absence of a family, or its inability to provide the elderly with the services required
Elderly Nursing Home List:
Nursing home Phone Number Addresses:
| Agency |
City |
Communicate |
| Social Care Home |
Al Gove |
(+966) 0146246401 |
| Social Care Home |
Jazan |
(+966) 017 321 2978 |
| Social Care Home |
Medina |
W.A.Alhazemi@mlsd.gov.sa |
| Social Care Home |
Riyadh |
(+966) 011 207 5144 |
| Social Care Home |
Taif |
(+966) 012 732 5030 |
| Social Care Home |
Abha |
(+966) 017 224 4859 |
| Social Care Home |
Anizah |
(+966) 016 354 9316 |
| Social Care Home |
Mecca |
(+966) 012 544 9922 |
Support Programs in the Coronavirus Pandemic (COVID-19)
Retirement and Social Insurance
Saudi Arabia has promulgated a number of pension regulations aimed at protecting the rights of retirees and their family beneficiaries and granting them an insurance umbrella to achieve a decent and stable standard of living.
Workers’ Injury and Illness Compensation
The employer or his deputies shall report the injury by accessing the Online Insurance Website in the form of a new injury. The employer shall pack the required data and then refer the victim to the medical agency contracting with Social Insurance.
Non-occupational disability
A worker shall be entitled to a non-occupational disability pension under the following conditions:
- The disability situation occurs before the participant reaches the age of 60 and is at the helm of the regulated work.
- Have at least 12 continuous months or 18 intermittent months' contribution.
- The state of disability shall be established by the competent medical committees within a maximum of 18 months from the date of expiration of the period of participation.
This service allows to report a work injury that occurred to one of the participants of the designated treatment agency or the relevant insurance office
Payment of occupational disability benefits
This service allows the application for payment of occupational disability benefits
Payment of non-occupational disability benefits
This service allows you to apply for non-occupational disability benefits
Payment of compensation for a worker's death
This service enables beneficiaries to request heir’s benefits
Family Protection
Is the body concerned with protection from domestic violence in any form of physical, psychological, sexual or threatening exploitation or ill-treatment committed by a person against another person, thereby exceeding the limits of his or her property under his or her jurisdiction, authority or responsibility because of his or her family relationship, maintenance relationship, sponsorship, guardianship or subsistence. For more details about the General Department of Family Protection
Family protection services or submission of a communication:
The ministry contributes to the upgrading of protection systems and their machinery and works to raise awareness among members of society about the abuse and its consequences and to address behavioral phenomena in society. You can also see the Integrated Family Violence Induction Manual and its forms and measurement of its severity of maternity, child, and newborn's compensation
Child Benefit
Towards establishing a comprehensive social protection system that includes all kinds of society, many aspects of government support for children exist. It is important to note that the Saudi Arabia adopts the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and provides financial support and essential services to improve their lives and well-being.
Saudi Arabia is also one of the first countries to join the child protection system. It works hard to implement this agreement's provisions and achieve children's rights. These include children's rights to life, health, education, psychological and social care, and cultural entertainment.
Accordingly, Saudi Arabia prioritizes children in its development efforts and strives to provide them with the necessary support and care. Saudi Arabia adopts a comprehensive policy to improve children's lives and provide them with essential services, helping them to achieve their full potential and growth.
Therefore, Saudi Arabia has paid great attention to supporting the child and providing the appropriate environment for his proper growth and development. Its efforts in this field have been fruitful in several initiatives and programs, among them are:
It is a national program established by Saudi Arabia to protect Saudi families from the direct, indirect, and expected impact of various economic reforms through the provision of cash transfers deposited directly in the accounts of the beneficiary citizens monthly. The program is now being launched to realize that the Government of Saudi Arabia cannot afford the reforms alone, especially for those with low incomes.
You can submit a request for monthly support for your child - or for other dependents - to be deposited monthly, knowing that the minimum child support limit is 400 SAR (≈106$) per month according to the policy issued by the Citizen Account program (The mentioned amount is variable and not fixed according to the systematic study of the program). Also can find out the criteria and calculation mechanism by clicking here.
To collocate the exact amount of support before applying, you can visit the Estimated Calculator and insert the required information to know the amount of support for your children and family. You can check the eligibility result after you submit the application and follow the steps in FAQ.
- Verify the information of the independent applicant or the family by electronically linking with the relevant authorities.
- Visiting the residence after completing and validating the initial information submitted on the system.
- Studying the case based on the information provided.
- Inform the applicant of the decision to accept or reject the application, stating the reason, within 20 days of applying.
Takaful Charity Foundation
Takaful Charity Foundation was established to support financially disadvantaged students in Saudi public schools to continue and succeed in receiving proper education.
Takaful works to achieve its educational objectives using best practices in charity activities and attracting effective partnerships to guarantee sustainable support and efforts toward its strategic goals.
Takaful relies on accurate information and utilizes leading technologies to run its business. Information technology and integration with several government data sources are used to identify students eligible to receive Takaful support. Takaful serves over 180,000 students in about 20,000 schools spanning all areas of Saudi Arabia.
With these constant and continuous efforts, Saudi Arabia is enabling its capabilities to provide a safe and healthy environment for children, improve their lives and support them in various fields, to build a healthy and developed society. These initiatives and programs also aim to provide financial support to children, improve their lives, and enable them to obtain essential services that meet their needs.
Maternity Leave and Salaries for Working Women
- Working women have the right to apply for maternity pay by applying for sick leave service on a track platform.
- If a working woman does not have full maternity leave rights, apply to the Grievance Service to file a complaint or complaint.
- Working women have the right to maternity leave for the four weeks preceding the probable date of birth, and the six weeks following it. The likely date of delivery shall be determined by the establishment doctor or by a certified medical certificate from a health authority. Women's employment is prohibited during the six weeks immediately following the situation.
- The employer must pay to the working woman during her break on maternity leave the equivalent of half her wage If she has one year or more's service with the employer, the wage is full if she has three years' service and more on the day of the start of the leave and is not paid during its regular annual leave if it has benefited in the same year from full-paid maternity leave; Half of her annual leave wages are paid to her if she benefited in the same year from half-paid maternity leave.
- The employer shall provide medical care to working women during pregnancy and childbirth.
- A woman worker who returns to work after maternity leave is entitled to take a period or breaks not exceeding one hour per day for the purpose of breastfeeding her child, in addition to the rest periods granted to all workers. This period or periods of actual working hours are calculated and do not entail a reduction in the wage.
- A working woman whose husband dies is entitled to leave on full pay for a period not less than fifteen days from the date of death.
Mobile Applications for Social Protection
To discover the key government applications for the Social Protection, please click here.
Regulations on Family Protection
Important Links
- Development and Social Welfare Services
- Laws and Regulations
- e-Consultations
- Co-Creation
- e-services rating
- Social Development Budget
- Development and welfare regulations and laws
- Open Data - Development and Social Welfare
- Frequently Asked Questions on Development and Social Welfare
- Registration in alerts and updates in development and social welfare