One of the most notable changes in the new Social Insurance Law is that it doesn't stop at raising the contribution rate — it also gradually raises the statutory pension eligibility age toward 65, but not all at once for everyone. The Royal Decree itself (not the executive regulation) contains a precise transition table determining when and to what degree this change applies to you.
📜 The Basic Rule: Those Under 29 Go Directly to 65
Clause (Fifth) of the Royal Decree accompanying the Law clearly defines the first category:
"A subscriber who has not reached the age of (twenty-nine) Gregorian years at the date the Law takes effect shall have a statutory pension eligibility age of (sixty-five) Gregorian years."
In other words: if you were under 29 years old when the new Law took effect (26/12/1445H), your statutory pension eligibility age is now a full 65 years — no exception, no gradual table.
📊 A Transition Table for Those 29 and Older
If you were 29 or older when the Law took effect, the Decree gives you a transition table that gradually reduces the required age — the older you were at the time, the smaller the increase imposed on you. Here are verified examples from the official table attached to the Decree:
- Age 29 to under 30 at effective date: your new statutory age = 64 years and 8 months.
- Age 31 to under 32: your new statutory age = a full 64 years.
- Age 40 to under 41: your new statutory age = a full 61 years.
- Age 43 to under 44: your new statutory age = a full 60 years.
The official table attached to the Decree contains more than 20 consecutive age brackets, in which the statutory age gradually decreases (by roughly 4 months for each additional year of age) the older you were when the Law took effect. The examples above are verified reference points from the table, not the complete table. To find your exact figure within your specific age bracket, check directly with the General Organization for Social Insurance or use Sanad to help you determine it.
⏱️ When Can You Retire Early Despite This Increase?
As we explained in our article on the pension formula, if your contribution period reaches 360 months (30 years) or more, you are entitled to receive your pension before reaching your new statutory age — up to a maximum of 120 months (10 years) beforehand — if you stop work subject to the Law.
✅ What Should You Do to Precisely Know Your Statutory Age?
- Calculate your exact age by the Gregorian calendar on 26/12/1445H (the Law's effective date).
- If you were under 29 at that time, your statutory age is 65 — no debate.
- If you were 29 or older, check with the General Organization for Social Insurance to find your exact figure from the full transition table.
- If your contribution period is approaching 30 years, look into the early-retirement option available to you.
- Use Sanad to understand how this change affects your retirement plan.
- Royal Decree No. M/273 dated 26/12/1445H — Clause (Fifth) and its attached table