Personal Status
Personal status under Saudi law: divorce, khul, custody, maintenance, and documentation through Najiz — general information documented against official sources.
Documented general information on personal-status matters: divorce, khul, custody, maintenance, and documenting family events through Najiz — in plain language, with references to official sources.
These pages explain the general framework before any step; they are not a substitute for consulting a specialist about your own case. Start with the overview guide, then go deeper into your topic.
Tools for this section
- Start hereGuide to the Saudi Personal Status LawA plain-language guide to the Saudi Personal Status Law (Royal Decree M/73 of 2022) and its 2025 Executive Regulations: marriage, divorce, khul, annulment, custody, maintenance, and estates.
- Start hereDivorce Procedure in Saudi Arabia, Step by StepDivorce procedure in Saudi Arabia under Personal Status Law M/73: the husband's Najiz documentation steps, the statutory routes open to the wife — khul, annulment, divorce confirmation — and what follows documentation.
- Start hereCustody After Divorce: How Courts DecideChild custody under Saudi Arabia's Personal Status Law: the statutory order of custodians after separation, custodian conditions, when custody may lapse under Article 128, the mother's remarriage, and travel limits with the child.
- Documenting Divorce on Najiz: Steps and DeadlinesHow to document a divorce or revocation on the Najiz platform: the 15-day deadline under Articles 90 and 92 of the Saudi Personal Status Law, the wife's right to compensation, and the electronic steps.
- Khul Claims: Procedure and What the Court ConsidersKhul under Saudi Arabia's Personal Status Law: the Article 95 definition, when khul is valid without a court judgment, compensation rules, Najiz documentation steps, costs, and alternative routes when spouses do not agree.
- Nafaqa (Maintenance): Types and How Courts Assess ItMaintenance under Saudi Arabia's Personal Status Law: what nafaqa covers, wife and children's maintenance, the court's assessment criteria, interim maintenance, and the rules for requesting an increase or decrease — with no fixed percentages.
Common questions in this section
Does the mother's remarriage automatically end her custody?
No. Article 126 requires that a female custodian not be married to a man who is a stranger to the child, unless the child's best interest requires otherwise. The mother's remarriage is therefore a factor the court weighs against the child's interest, not an automatic ground of lapse. The 2025 Implementing Regulation adds a specific detail for children under two.
Read the full guideDoes a divorce require a court hearing?
Documenting a divorce pronounced by the husband runs electronically through the Najiz divorce documentation service. Contested cases — such as annulment for harm, or divorce confirmation where the husband refuses to document — are examined by the court on the evidence and the facts of each file.
Read the full guideDoes khul require a court judgment to be valid?
No. Under Article 96 of the Personal Status Law, where both spouses have full legal capacity and agree to end the marriage by khul, the khul is valid without a court judgment. Documentation remains mandatory under Article 102, following the regulated procedures.
Read the full guideWhat percentage of the salary is the maintenance?
There is no fixed percentage in the law. The court does not apply a single table to everyone; it assesses maintenance by looking at the condition of the person maintained, the payer's means, and the economic circumstances of time and place, and the assessment remains with the trial judge in each file.
Read the full guide