{"id":9584,"date":"2026-10-25T23:21:16","date_gmt":"2026-10-25T20:21:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/personal-status-law-implementing-regulation-saudi-arabia\/"},"modified":"2026-10-25T23:24:10","modified_gmt":"2026-10-25T20:24:10","slug":"personal-status-law-implementing-regulation-saudi-arabia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/en\/personal-status-law-implementing-regulation-saudi-arabia\/","title":{"rendered":"Implementing Regulation of the Saudi Personal Status Law: Key Rules by Article"},"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>The <strong>Implementing Regulation of the Personal Status Law<\/strong> was issued by Royal Order No. 59641 dated 17\/8\/1446H, published on 22\/8\/1446H, and is in force. Its 41 articles detail the Law on marriage under eighteen, marriage by remote means, the absent guardian and adhl (a guardian blocking marriage), dowry, housing for a child in custody, annulment, custody and visitation. Here is a summary with article numbers, from the Ministry of Justice legal portal.<\/p>\n<h2>Summary table<\/h2>\n<table class=\"usus-tbl\">\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Topic<\/th>\n<th>Rule<\/th>\n<th>Article<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Marriage under 18<\/td>\n<td>Court permission: request by the person, guardian or mother; the person&#8217;s explicit consent in court; a medical report plus psychological and social reports<\/td>\n<td>3<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Remote marriage<\/td>\n<td>Offer and acceptance by technical means count as one session<\/td>\n<td>5<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Adhl<\/td>\n<td>No suitor needed to prove it; a relative or the Ministry of Human Resources may file; it extends to the guardian&#8217;s other wards<\/td>\n<td>11\u201315<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Dowry<\/td>\n<td>The dowry written in the contract is the agreed dowry; the fair dowry follows female relatives on both sides<\/td>\n<td>17\u201318<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Child housing<\/td>\n<td>No housing maintenance if the custodian or child lives in owned or allocated housing, or suitable housing is provided<\/td>\n<td>19\u201320<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Child maintenance<\/td>\n<td>A son is not able to earn before 18, provided his studies continue normally<\/td>\n<td>24<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Annulment<\/td>\n<td>The wife may seek annulment if she fears not fulfilling marital rights and the husband refuses divorce or khul&#8217;, returning the dowry<\/td>\n<td>28<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Custody<\/td>\n<td>A child under two stays with the mother even if she remarries a man unrelated to the child<\/td>\n<td>33<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Custody document<\/td>\n<td>Online requests for custody, visitation or child maintenance produce a document that becomes enforceable once approved by the court<\/td>\n<td>38<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<figure class=\"usus-ig usus-ig-9584-1\"><img class=\"wp-image-9595\" src=\"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/usus-9584-1.webp\" width=\"1200\" height=\"1516\" alt=\"Summary table \u2014 Implementing Regulation of the Saudi Personal Status Law (Usus Law Firm infographic)\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/usus-9584-1.webp 1200w, https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/usus-9584-1-768x970.webp 768w, https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/usus-9584-1-640x809.webp 640w, https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/usus-9584-1-400x505.webp 400w, https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/usus-9584-1-367x464.webp 367w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/figure>\n<h2>Arbitrators in marital discord<\/h2>\n<p>If arbitrators cannot reconcile the spouses they recommend separation without compensation if the husband caused it all, against the full dowry received if the wife caused it all, against compensation in proportion to each side&#8217;s share, or against half the dowry if the cause is unknown, taking the length of the marriage into account (Article 30).<\/p>\n<h2>The custodian&#8217;s powers<\/h2>\n<p>The custodian handles the child&#8217;s affairs with public and private bodies, including the child&#8217;s digital platforms, receives benefits paid to the child, and keeps the child&#8217;s documents (Article 32).<\/p>\n<h2>Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n<h3>When was the regulation issued?<\/h3>\n<p>By Royal Order No. 59641 dated 17\/8\/1446H, published on 22\/8\/1446H.<\/p>\n<h3>Can someone under 18 marry in Saudi Arabia?<\/h3>\n<p>Only with court permission and the conditions in Article 3: a request by the person, guardian or mother, explicit consent in court, and medical, psychological and social reports.<\/p>\n<h3>Is the online custody document enforceable?<\/h3>\n<p>Yes, once approved by the court (Article 38).<\/p>\n<p>Usus Law Firm handles family and personal status cases. See our <a href=\"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/en\/family-lawyer-riyadh\/\">family lawyer in Riyadh<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/en\/lawyer-in-tabuk\/\">Tabuk office<\/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\/9584#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=\"wpcf7-6ae245d64c11a-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=\"wpcf7-6ae245d64c11a-field\" class=\"hp-message\">Please leave this field empty.<\/label><input id=\"wpcf7-6ae245d64c11a-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>The Implementing Regulation of the Personal Status Law was issued by Royal Order No. 59641 dated 17\/8\/1446H, published on 22\/8\/1446H, and is in force. Its 41 articles detail the Law on marriage under eighteen, marriage by remote means, the absent guardian and adhl (a guardian blocking marriage), dowry, housing for a child in custody, annulment, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9588,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[91,81],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9584","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-family-law","category-saudi-laws-explained"],"acf":[],"featured_image_src":{"landsacpe":["https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/usus-cover-9584-1140x445.jpg?wsr",1140,445,true],"list":["https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/usus-cover-9584-463x348.jpg?wsr",463,348,true],"medium":["https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/usus-cover-9584-300x169.jpg?wsr",300,169,true],"full":["https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/usus-cover-9584.jpg?wsr",1200,675,false]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9584","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=9584"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9584\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9597,"href":"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9584\/revisions\/9597"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9588"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9584"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9584"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9584"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}