The Saudi Council of Ministers approved today details of the Citizen’s Account (CA) policy and confirmed that the first payment will be made to eligible Saudi households on December 21, 2017.

The Citizen’s Account is a national cash transfer program that was first announced by the Government in December 2016 and opened for registration in February 2017.  It aims to increase the efficiency of government benefits distribution by targeting potentially vulnerable socioeconomic tiers in society.

Most importantly, it eases the direct and indirect impact on low and medium income households resulting from the ongoing economic and subsidy reforms, such as the gasoline price adjustment, the electricity tariffs adjustment, and the value added tax (VAT) on all food and beverage items.  These efforts also encourage sensible consumption of the Kingdom’s natural resources and products mentioned.

The amount for eligible Saudi households will differ depending on three main factors: the total income of the household, number of dependents in that household and their age.  The amount will be reviewed on a quarterly basis to ensure appropriate and adequate support for eligible Saudi households.