The Council of Ministers, chaired by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz,may God protect him, during its session yesterday, Tuesday, on the Personal Status Law after completing the statutory procedures for its review. The law will enter into force 90 days after its publication in the Official Gazette.

The Personal Status Law addresses the provisions governing family relations, including «engagement, marriage, and dowry; the rights of spouses and their separation; alimony; child custody; paternity, wills, inheritance, guardianship, and custody,» with the aim of preserving the stability of the family as the fundamental unit of society, and to regulate the discretionary authority of the judiciary, thereby enhancing the stability of judicial rulings and limiting discrepancies in rulings, in addition to framing relationships among family members, protecting their rights, and expediting the resolution of family disputes.

The law, which addresses several issues, affirms a woman’s right to maintenance from her husband regardless of her financial status, even if she is wealthy, while the state is responsible for the maintenance of children of unknown paternity unless someone volunteers to provide it. Maintenance includes «food, housing, clothing, basic necessities, and whatever is determined by the relevant regulations.» It also requires the documentation of personal status matters, including divorce and reconciliation, within a specified timeframe, and provides for fair compensation to the wife in cases where documentation is not provided, as specified by the system.