Free Saudi Arabia guide: what you can leave, and to whom

Free guide for British expats in Saudi Arabia

Inside the Kingdom a bequest works only up to one third of your estate.

A 17 page guide for British expats in the Kingdom. It covers the 2022 Personal Status Law and its fixed shares, the one third limit on bequests, the 2026 law opening property ownership to non-Saudis, and the UK inheritance tax rules that follow you. Where the position is undocumented, the guide says so plainly rather than guessing.

  • 17 pages
  • Updated August 2026
  • No payment details
  • The Personal Status Law and its fixed shares
  • The one third limit on any bequest
  • Property rules, sponsor steps and account access
  • Why UK inheritance tax still reaches the Kingdom

Twenty minutes of reading that could save your family weeks of guessing.

What happens to your estate

With a valid will

A UK will properly executed is formally valid under the Wills Act 1963 and governs the UK estate through English probate, wherever in the world you die. Inside the Kingdom, Article 190 of the Personal Status Law executes a bequest if it does not exceed one third of the estate, and Article 178 provides that a will is valid whether the legatee is Muslim or non-Muslim. Practitioners describe a foreign will's effect over in-Kingdom assets as limited and discretionary.

Without a will

The fixed shares in Articles 209 to 215 of the Personal Status Law govern. A widow whose husband leaves children takes an eighth, the children take most of the balance with sons at twice a daughter's share, and the deceased's parents may hold fixed portions too. On the UK side, English intestacy decides who inherits the UK estate.

Outside your will entirely

The end of service award is owed to the heirs a Saudi court determines, so it is released through official channels once the heirs' determination exists and generally cannot be redirected by a nomination form. Families should expect Saudi bank accounts to freeze once the bank learns of a death. The 2026 property ownership law says nothing at all about what happens to a non-Saudi's property when the owner dies.

With a valid will

Without a valid will

Assets outside the will

Key facts

  • One third Article 190 of the Personal Status Law executes a bequest if it does not exceed one third of the estate, with any excess taking effect only if the heirs approve it. The other two thirds belong to the fixed-share system.
  • An eighth Under the codified shares, a widow whose husband leaves children takes an eighth of the estate. The assumption that a surviving spouse inherits the lot has no footing in this system.
  • 3 to 6 weeks The British Embassy in Riyadh's bereavement pack estimates that repatriation to the UK usually takes three to six weeks, with the costs falling on the next of kin. That is an estimate rather than a deadline, and it lengthens where a death is treated as suspicious.
  • One third Why it matters. A bequest is executed only up to one third of the estate, and anything beyond it takes effect only if the heirs approve.
  • One eighth Why it matters. A widow whose husband leaves children takes an eighth, so the assumption that a spouse inherits everything has no footing here.
  • 3 to 6 weeks Why it matters. The British Embassy in Riyadh estimates three to six weeks to repatriate someone to the UK, with the costs falling on the next of kin.

What is inside the guide

Wills and estate planning for British expats in Saudi Arabia What Saudi law does with your assets when you die, what a UK will can and cannot do, and the planning that protects your family. Free download · 2026 edition · 17 pages

Common questions

Can I make or register a will inside Saudi Arabia?

No official English source answers that. The Ministry of Justice's Najiz platform offers around 160 e-services covering the judiciary, enforcement and notarisation, and wills are not named among them, and no official source states whether a Saudi notary will attest a will for a non-Muslim resident. The guide does not claim it is possible or impossible, and points you to advice inside the Kingdom if a local will matters to your circumstances.

Can I make or register a will inside Saudi Arabia?

No official English source answers that. The Ministry of Justice's Najiz platform lists around 160 e-services and wills are not named among them, and no official source states whether a Saudi notary will attest a will for a non-Muslim resident. The guide does not claim it is possible or impossible, and points you to advice inside the Kingdom if a local will matters to your circumstances.

Is it really free?

Yes. No payment details, no trial, no catch. The guide shows you how we think before you decide whether to use us for anything.

Will you fill my inbox?

We send the guide, and nothing else unless you tick the box for the email series. Every email in it has an unsubscribe link that works first time.

Is this legal advice?

No. The guide is general information for British expats, written in plain English. Expat Legacy is a will writing service rather than a law firm.

About the author

Jamie Lee, founder of Expat Legacy, has drafted more than 2,000 wills for British expats. He has lived the expat life himself since 2004.

Twenty minutes of reading, or your family working it out alone

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Articles on Saudi Arabia

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