{"id":7192,"date":"2026-10-05T12:41:07","date_gmt":"2026-10-05T09:41:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/marriage-annulment-faskh-saudi-arabia\/"},"modified":"2026-10-11T15:11:38","modified_gmt":"2026-10-11T12:11:38","slug":"marriage-annulment-faskh-saudi-arabia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/en\/marriage-annulment-faskh-saudi-arabia\/","title":{"rendered":"Marriage Annulment (Faskh) in Saudi Arabia: Grounds and Khula"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>.usus-tbl{border-collapse:collapse;width:100%;max-width:760px;margin:12px 0 20px;font-size:15px}.usus-tbl th{background:#f4eff9;color:#2A124A;font-weight:700;text-align:right;padding:9px 12px;border-bottom:2px solid #C9A227}.usus-tbl td{padding:9px 12px;border-bottom:1px solid #e5ddec;vertical-align:top}<\/style>\n<div dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<p>If a wife is being harmed by continuing the marriage and the husband will not divorce her, she has two main routes: <strong>khula<\/strong> (\u062e\u0644\u0639), in return for compensation she pays, or <strong>annulment of the marriage contract<\/strong> (faskh, \u0641\u0633\u062e \u0639\u0642\u062f \u0627\u0644\u0632\u0648\u0627\u062c) by a judge&#8217;s ruling, for a reason the law allows and, in principle, without compensation. The difference between them in financial rights is significant. Here we explain what faskh is, its grounds, how the claim is filed, and what you need to prove.<\/p>\n<h2>Faskh, khula and divorce<\/h2>\n<table class=\"usus-tbl\">\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th><\/th>\n<th>Divorce (talaq)<\/th>\n<th>Khula<\/th>\n<th>Faskh (annulment)<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Who brings it about<\/td>\n<td>The husband<\/td>\n<td>By agreement or by ruling, in return for compensation from the wife<\/td>\n<td>The judge, at the request of either spouse, on a legal ground<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Does the wife pay compensation?<\/td>\n<td>No<\/td>\n<td>Yes, usually the dowry (mahr) or whatever is agreed<\/td>\n<td>Not in principle<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Must harm be proven?<\/td>\n<td>No<\/td>\n<td>Not wishing to continue the marriage is enough<\/td>\n<td>Yes, the ground must be proven<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<figure class=\"usus-ig usus-ig-7192-1\"><img class=\"wp-image-7934\" src=\"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/usus-7192-1.webp\" width=\"1200\" height=\"896\" alt=\"Faskh, khula and divorce \u2014 Marriage Annulment (Faskh) in Saudi Arabia (Usus Law Firm infographic)\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/usus-7192-1.webp 1200w, https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/usus-7192-1-768x573.webp 768w, https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/usus-7192-1-640x478.webp 640w, https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/usus-7192-1-400x300.webp 400w, https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/usus-7192-1-367x274.webp 367w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/figure>\n<p>Read <a href=\"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/en\/khula-saudi-arabia-conditions-steps\/\">Khula: conditions and steps<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>Grounds for annulment of marriage<\/h2>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/en\/saudi-personal-status-law\/\">Personal Status Law<\/a> sets out grounds on which faskh may be requested, including:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Harm that makes continued married life impossible, such as abuse or humiliation.<\/li>\n<li>Failure to provide financial support (nafaqa), whether or not the husband is able to, as detailed in the law.<\/li>\n<li>Absence, desertion or imprisonment for a period set by the law.<\/li>\n<li>A defect or illness that prevents the purposes of marriage being fulfilled or harms the other spouse.<\/li>\n<li>Breach of a condition stipulated in the marriage contract.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><em>Each ground has its own conditions and periods in the law, so check the current official text or consult a lawyer before filing the claim.<\/em><\/p>\n<h2>How is a faskh claim filed?<\/h2>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Identify the ground<\/strong> your claim rests on, since faskh requires a proven ground.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Gather evidence:<\/strong> medical reports, witnesses, messages, or anything that proves absence or failure to provide support.<\/li>\n<li><strong>File the claim through Najiz<\/strong> (the Ministry of Justice e-services platform) before the <a href=\"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/en\/personal-status-court-saudi-arabia\/\">Personal Status Court<\/a>, and request, alongside the faskh, what concerns the children, such as custody and support.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Reconciliation:<\/strong> the claim usually goes through an attempt at reconciliation before it is decided.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<figure class=\"usus-ig usus-ig-7192-2\"><img class=\"wp-image-7935\" src=\"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/usus-7192-2.webp\" width=\"1080\" height=\"1152\" alt=\"How is a faskh claim filed? \u2014 Marriage Annulment (Faskh) in Saudi Arabia (Usus Law Firm infographic)\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/usus-7192-2.webp 1080w, https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/usus-7192-2-768x819.webp 768w, https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/usus-7192-2-640x683.webp 640w, https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/usus-7192-2-400x427.webp 400w, https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/usus-7192-2-367x391.webp 367w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1080px) 100vw, 1080px\" \/><\/figure>\n<p>Proceedings are in Arabic, so documents and messages in other languages will need an Arabic translation. Our team can advise you in English.<\/p>\n<h2>Documents to prepare for a faskh claim<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>The marriage contract or a copy, and both parties&#8217; IDs.<\/li>\n<li>Proof of the ground: medical reports, messages, witnesses, or proof of absence or non-maintenance.<\/li>\n<li>Children&#8217;s birth records, since custody and maintenance are usually claimed in the same case.<\/li>\n<li>A statement of the dowry paid and deferred.<\/li>\n<li>Any earlier reconciliation attempts or reports related to harm.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Having these ready before filing shortens the hearings considerably.<\/p>\n<h2>Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n<h3>If I cannot prove harm, will I lose the case?<\/h3>\n<p>A faskh claim may be rejected if the ground is not proven, and khula remains available. That is why the best route for your situation should be assessed before filing.<\/p>\n<h3>Do I keep my dowry in a faskh?<\/h3>\n<p>The general rule in faskh for harm is that the wife does not have to return the dowry, unlike khula, with details depending on the ground and what the judgment decides.<\/p>\n<h3>Who gets custody of the children after faskh?<\/h3>\n<p>Custody is decided according to the child&#8217;s best interests. Read <a href=\"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/en\/child-custody-maintenance-saudi-arabia\/\">Custody and child support after divorce<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>Considering faskh or khula?<\/h2>\n<p>A female lawyer from the <strong>Usus Law Firm<\/strong> team handles women&#8217;s and family cases in complete confidence, as part of our <a href=\"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/en\/service\/personal-status-cases\/\">personal status cases<\/a> practice, in <a href=\"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/en\/lawyer-in-riyadh\/\">Riyadh<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/en\/lawyer-in-tabuk\/\">Tabuk<\/a>. Read about <a href=\"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/en\/female-lawyer-saudi-arabia\/\">Usus&#8217;s women lawyers<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-size:12.5px;color:#6a6178;border-top:1px solid #e6ddd0;padding-top:10px;margin-top:16px\"><em>This article is general legal information and is not a substitute for advice on your specific case. Court proceedings in Saudi Arabia are in Arabic; the official Arabic text of each law prevails.<\/em><\/p>\n<div class=\"usus-qbox\">\n<h2>Request a quick consultation<\/h2>\n<p>Leave your name and mobile number, and a lawyer from our Riyadh or Tabuk office will call you during working hours. We advise in English.<\/p>\n\n<div class=\"wpcf7 no-js\" id=\"wpcf7-f6963-o1\" lang=\"en-US\" dir=\"ltr\" data-wpcf7-id=\"6963\">\n<div class=\"screen-reader-response\"><p role=\"status\" aria-live=\"polite\" aria-atomic=\"true\"><\/p> <ul><\/ul><\/div>\n<form action=\"\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7192#wpcf7-f6963-o1\" method=\"post\" class=\"wpcf7-form init\" aria-label=\"Contact form\" novalidate=\"novalidate\" data-status=\"init\">\n<fieldset class=\"hidden-fields-container\"><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"_wpcf7\" value=\"6963\" \/><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"_wpcf7_version\" value=\"6.2.2\" \/><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"_wpcf7_locale\" value=\"en_US\" \/><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"_wpcf7_unit_tag\" value=\"wpcf7-f6963-o1\" \/><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"_wpcf7_container_post\" value=\"0\" \/><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"_wpcf7_posted_data_hash\" value=\"\" \/>\n<\/fieldset>\n<span id=\"wpcf7-6acbeaa1f046c-wrapper\" class=\"wpcf7-form-control-wrap cf7apps-honeypot-wrap honeypot-qf-wrap\" style=\"position:absolute;width:1px;height:1px;padding:0;margin:-1px;overflow:hidden;clip:rect(0,0,0,0);white-space:nowrap;border:0;\"><label for=\"wpcf7-6acbeaa1f046c-field\" class=\"hp-message\">Please leave this field empty.<\/label><input id=\"wpcf7-6acbeaa1f046c-field\"  class=\"wpcf7-form-control wpcf7-text\" type=\"text\" name=\"honeypot-qf\" value=\"\" autocomplete=\"new-password\" tabindex=\"1000\" data-cf7apps-tabindex=\"1000\" \/><\/span>\n<div class=\"usus-qf\">\n<div class=\"f\"><label for=\"q-name\">Name<\/label><span class=\"wpcf7-form-control-wrap\" data-name=\"q-name\"><input size=\"40\" maxlength=\"400\" class=\"wpcf7-form-control wpcf7-text wpcf7-validates-as-required\" id=\"q-name\" autocomplete=\"name\" aria-required=\"true\" aria-invalid=\"false\" placeholder=\"Your name\" value=\"\" type=\"text\" name=\"q-name\" \/><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"f\"><label for=\"q-phone\">Mobile<\/label><span class=\"wpcf7-form-control-wrap\" data-name=\"q-phone\"><input size=\"40\" maxlength=\"400\" class=\"wpcf7-form-control wpcf7-tel wpcf7-validates-as-required wpcf7-text wpcf7-validates-as-tel\" id=\"q-phone\" autocomplete=\"tel\" aria-required=\"true\" aria-invalid=\"false\" placeholder=\"05xxxxxxxx\" value=\"\" type=\"tel\" name=\"q-phone\" \/><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"f\"><label for=\"q-city\">City<\/label><span class=\"wpcf7-form-control-wrap\" data-name=\"q-city\"><select class=\"wpcf7-form-control wpcf7-select wpcf7-validates-as-required\" id=\"q-city\" aria-required=\"true\" aria-invalid=\"false\" name=\"q-city\"><option value=\"Riyadh\">Riyadh<\/option><option value=\"Tabuk\">Tabuk<\/option><option value=\"Other city\">Other city<\/option><\/select><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"f w\"><label for=\"q-msg\">Your case in brief (optional)<\/label><span class=\"wpcf7-form-control-wrap\" data-name=\"q-msg\"><textarea cols=\"40\" rows=\"2\" maxlength=\"600\" class=\"wpcf7-form-control wpcf7-textarea\" id=\"q-msg\" aria-invalid=\"false\" placeholder=\"One or two lines are enough\" name=\"q-msg\"><\/textarea><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"s\"><input class=\"wpcf7-form-control wpcf7-submit has-spinner\" type=\"submit\" value=\"Request a call from a lawyer\" \/><\/div>\n<\/div><div class=\"wpcf7-response-output\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/div>\n<\/form>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>If a wife is being harmed by continuing the marriage and the husband will not divorce her, she has two main routes: khula (\u062e\u0644\u0639), in return for compensation she pays, or annulment of the marriage contract (faskh, \u0641\u0633\u062e \u0639\u0642\u062f \u0627\u0644\u0632\u0648\u0627\u062c) by a judge&#8217;s ruling, for a reason the law allows and, in principle, without compensation. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8287,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[91],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7192","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-family-law"],"acf":[],"featured_image_src":{"landsacpe":["https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/usus-cover-7192-1140x445.jpg?wsr",1140,445,true],"list":["https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/usus-cover-7192-463x348.jpg?wsr",463,348,true],"medium":["https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/usus-cover-7192-300x169.jpg?wsr",300,169,true],"full":["https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/usus-cover-7192.jpg?wsr",1200,675,false]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7192","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7192"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7192\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7936,"href":"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7192\/revisions\/7936"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8287"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7192"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7192"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7192"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}