Saudi SAR 500 Monthly Allowance Calculator
Choose your category and enter your monthly income, and optionally your electricity and water use, to see what SAR 500 adds and what the 2027 tariffs take.
Are you covered? How much does it add?
What was announced
On 25 October 2026 (14 Jumada I 1448H) King Salman, on the Crown Prince and Prime Minister's proposal, directed supportive measures for citizens alongside new electricity and water tariffs from 1 January 2027:
- A SAR 500 monthly allowance increase for civil and military employees on civil service scales and operating programmes, retirees, and family members of a deceased insured person or retiree.
- SAR 500 monthly support for families on social security, under its rules.
- A higher Nitaqat threshold for counting a Saudi worker fully: SAR 5,000 and then 6,000, in the private sector.
Payment details
- Retirees: GOSI said it will be paid automatically from 1 January 2027 to pensioners in all schemes, disability pensioners and survivors, with one allowance for anyone with several pensions, split equally among a deceased member's survivors, and not to Saned beneficiaries. Pensions are paid on the 1st of each month.
- Employees and military staff: the press reported a 1 January 2027 start and that it is not added to basic salary, so it is expected with the January salary on the 27th.
- Social security families: no start date, and no word on whether it is per family or per person, as of 3 November 2026.
How much do bills rise in 2027?
Residential electricity rises from 18 and 30 halalas to 21 and 33 halalas per kWh, plus a fixed charge of SAR 70 to 100 by breaker size, and water tiers change with new fixed charges. The table is an estimate including 15% VAT and excluding today's unpublished meter fee:
| Monthly use | Electricity increase | Water increase | Total increase | Left of the 500 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,500 kWh and 20 m³ | 132.25 | 66.42 | 198.67 | 301.33 |
| 2,000 kWh and 30 m³ | 149.50 | 83.67 | 233.17 | 266.83 |
| 3,000 kWh and 30 m³ | 184.00 | 83.67 | 267.67 | 232.33 |
| 4,000 kWh and 45 m³ | 218.50 | 109.54 | 328.04 | 171.96 |
| 6,000 kWh and 60 m³ | 287.50 | 161.29 | 448.79 | 51.21 |
Work out your bills in detail with the 2027 electricity bill calculator and the 2027 water bill calculator.
Examples:
A civil employee earning 9,000: income becomes 9,500 from January 2027, SAR 6,000 more a year, with no change to the pension deduction since the allowance is outside basic pay.
Three survivors of a deceased member: the allowance is split, so each gets SAR 166.67 a month.
A private-sector employee or a Saned beneficiary: not covered.
Frequently asked questions
When will the SAR 500 allowance be paid?
From January 2027. GOSI announced it will be paid automatically to retirees from 1 January 2027, the press reported the same start for military staff, and employees are expected to get it with the January salary. No start date had been announced for social security families as of 3 November 2026.
Who gets the SAR 500 allowance?
Civil and military employees on civil service scales and operating programmes, retirees and disability pensioners in all schemes, and family members of a deceased insured person or retiree. Families on social security get SAR 500 monthly support under its rules.
Is the SAR 500 allowance added to basic salary?
No. The press reported it as a separate allowance not added to basic salary, so no pension is deducted from it and it does not count toward pensions or the annual increment.
Does the SAR 500 allowance cover private-sector employees?
No. It covers state employees, retirees and social security families. In the private sector, the minimum wage for a Saudi to count fully in Nitaqat rises to SAR 5,000 and then 6,000.
Does someone with more than one pension get more than one allowance?
No. GOSI said a person with several pensions gets one allowance, that it is split equally among the survivors of a deceased member, and that it does not cover Saned beneficiaries.
Does the SAR 500 allowance cover higher electricity and water bills?
It depends on use. A household using 2,000 kWh and 30 m³ a month pays about SAR 233 more under the 2027 tariffs, leaving about 267 of the allowance; one using 6,000 kWh and 60 m³ pays about 449 more. Use the calculator for your case.
Sources
- SPA — King Salman directs supportive measures and a SAR 500 allowance (25/10/2026)
- Umm Al-Qura — supportive measures for citizens (26/10/2026)
- Okaz — GOSI: SAR 500 for retirees from 1 January 2027 automatically (25/10/2026)
- Okaz — SAR 500 for civil and military staff (25/10/2026)
- Al Yaum — allowance details and start date (25/10/2026)
- Asharq Al-Awsat — allowance not added to basic salary (26/10/2026)
Figures and formulas on this page were last reviewed on 2026-11-03.