Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Orders Measures to Support Citizens and Ease Burdens from Electricity and Water Tariff Adjustments

- SAR 500 monthly support for eligible categories... and raising the minimum salary required to fully count Saudi nationals in “Nitaqat” bands to SAR 5,000

His Majesty King Salman bin Abdulaziz, in accordance with a proposal by Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman, has directed the implementation of a package of measures to support citizens and alleviate the financial burdens resulting from the adjustment of electricity and water consumption tariffs, scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2027.

The Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported that these directives coincided with announcements by Saudi Electricity Company and the National Water Company regarding adjustments to consumption tariffs. The measures include a monthly allowance increase of SAR 500 for civilian and military employees subject to civil service scales and employment program provisions, as well as for retirees and family members of deceased subscribers or retirees covered under the social insurance system.

The measures also provide a monthly support of SAR 500 to families benefiting from social security, in accordance with established mechanisms and regulations, aiming to mitigate the financial impact of the electricity and water tariff adjustments.

The measures extend to Saudi workers in private sector establishments by raising the minimum salary required for a Saudi employee to be fully counted toward the localization quotas in the “Nitaqat” program to SAR 5,000. Implementation will begin six months after the effective date of the measure.

The minimum salary threshold is scheduled to be raised again to SAR 6,000 after 12 months from the start of the first increase, a step aimed at enhancing wage levels and supporting the sustainability of citizen employment in the private sector.