We have already discussed about the death formalities of expats in Saudi Arabia. Now this article briefs about the death compensation procedures that is followed in Saudi Arabia. This article is explicitly written for the persons whose family members have died in Saudi Arabia and desire to claim for any of the following

End of Services benefits (or)

Work Injury compensation from the sponsor or from the GOSI (or) from the sponsor

Blood money from the individual who is accused of the death of the deceased person.

Usually in the event of death, the sponsor deposits the ‘End of services benefits’ to the Ministry of labor prior to burying or the repatriation of the deceased to his home country. The Ministry of labor transports the ‘End of services benefits’to your home country’s embassy located in Riyadh and from there it send to the home country and then to the deceased’s legal heirs. But if the sponsor is not providing the ‘End of services benefits’ to the deceased’s legal heirs then they need to file a case against him in the Saudi Labor courts.

What is meant by Blood Money?

It is a Islamic rule if someone dies because of you, intentionally or accidentally then you need to face the outcome that may lead to death penalty. You can be saved from the executioner’s sword, if you are ready to pay money to the deceased’s family ( provided, the deceased’s family should be ready to accept the money). This money is called as blood money. As per the Saudi Government’s recent calculations the blood money (diya) is fixed at SR 300,000 for the accidental cases and SR 400,000 for the murder cases. It’s real value is equal to one hundred camels. If you are unable to pay the blood money, then you will be executed.

Procedures for death compensation

Contact your country’s office in Embassy

If any of your family members dies in Saudi Arabia, then you need to immediately contact your country’s embassy in Saudi Arabia. The procedure will be easy if you are living in Saudi Arabia. On the other hand, if you happened to reside in your own country then you need to contact the office of the Ministry of Foreign affairs in your home country. They will guide you on the procedures that need to be adopted. It is very much you need to first contact them and then perform the other procedures.

Legal Heirs certificate

The deceased person’s legal heirs need to provide a legal heirs certificate to the Saudi Embassy or Consulate located in your home country. The legal heir certificate will be issued by a Statuatory authority of your home country for instance by a district magistrate or a by a Civil Judge. All the deceased’s legal heirs and their relationship with him must be listed in the certificate. If some of the legal heirs happens to be child or minor then his guardian and the relationship with him must be mentioned in the certificate. If the legal heir happens to be a spouse( wife) then the certificate must include the year of marriage . This certificate should be attested by the State’s home department, MOFA ( Ministry of Foreign Affairs) and the Saudi Embassy.

Power of Attorney

The next procedure is the power of attorney which entitles a person to carry out the court proceedings on behalf of the legal heirs. If you live in Saudi Arabia, then as a legal heir you can assign any of your family member or your country’s Embassy. It is highly recommended that you assign your home country’s embassy to carry out the proceedings in court. Each embassy has a chamber of lawyers to perform these type of duties.

The legal heirs will sign the power of attorney in the name of the home country’s embassy located in Saudi Arabia. In the event of kids or minors, the child’s guardian will sign the power of attorney. The Saudi Court has prescribed a format for the Power of Attorney. Ensure that you are not deviating or changing even a single word from the standard format.

The power of attorney format can be obtained from your embassy located in Riyadh. The power of attorney must be authorized by the state’s home department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) & the Saudi Embassy.

Documents attestation

The power of attorney and the legal heirs’ certificate must be translated into Arabic & English language and both the documents (original as well as translated) and three different authorities in your country must attest these documents.

• The first authority you need to get attestation is from the provincial or the local government of the state in which you reside.
• Then you need to get attestation from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of your country.
• Then you must get attestation from the Saudi Embassy located in your country.

Documents submission

When the requisite authorities attest both the above mentioned documents then you must submit them to your Embassy in Saudi Arabia. Then the authorized embassy will handle the procedures for claiming the dues or the blood money.

Vital Shariat rules

In Islam, non Muslim legal heirs are not permitted to obtain anything from the Muslim deceased person’s inheritance; even it is end of service benefits or blood money. The Government of Saudi Arabia will not discharge any funds. Even if the legal heir embraces Islam subsequent to the deceased person‘s death he will not be provided any portion of his bequest.

Address of Indian embassy in Saudi Arabia

B-1, Diplomatic Quarter,

PO Box 94387, Riyadh 11693,

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Working Hours

9.00 AM to 5.30 PM (Sunday to Thursday)

Tel. Nos.: 011-4884144/ 4884691 / 4884692/ 4884252 Fax No. : 011-4884750

Address of Saudi Embassy located in India

Embassy of Saudi Arabia - New Delhi

No: 2, Paschimi Marg, Vasant Vihar, New Delhi, Delhi 110057

Phone Number 00911143244444

Fax Number00911126144244 – 0091114163223

Mission HeadMr. Saud bin Mohammed Al-Saty - Ambassador of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques in New Delhi

Country Code0091/11

[email protected]

Work HoursFrom 9:00 a.m to 4:00 p.m

WeekendSaturday and SundayTime DifferenceThe timing of the Kingdom + 2:30 hours

Nationals Head Phone No 00911143244430

Nationals Head Phone No 200919899221188