RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has begun enforcing a new maternity insurance policy from July 1, under which women employed in the public and private sectors will receive an allowance equal to three months’ average salary during maternity leave.
According to Saudi media, the royal decree approving the social insurance policy was issued on July 2, 2024. The General Organization for Social Insurance (GOSI) had earlier announced that women who began employment after July 3, 2024, and were not previously covered under the insurance scheme, will be eligible for the maternity allowance.
The benefit applies equally to Saudi and non-Saudi female workers who started their jobs after the given date.
As per the policy conditions, the maternity allowance will be paid from the date of childbirth for a period of three months and will be equivalent to 100 percent of the employee’s monthly salary. A one-month extension is possible in cases where the newborn is ill or disabled.
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According to the report, the purpose of this allowance is to protect the rights of both employers and employees, ensuring that neither party bears the full burden and that female workers are not placed under additional stress.
Three key conditions have been outlined for eligibility:
The woman must be currently employed.
She must have been part of the insurance scheme for at least 12 months.
There must be a minimum six-month duration between joining the scheme and the childbirth.
Under the policy, all medical files related to childbirth will be directly sent to the insurance authority by the Ministry of Health, with notifications shared with both the employee and employer.
Importantly, no physical or digital application is required to receive the allowance.
