Household Allowance Programme (Citizen’s Account Programme)
Basic Information
Country
Geographic area
Institutions and agencies involved
Programme Details
Programme objectives
To mitigate the impact of the ongoing fiscal and subsidy reforms on the living costs of low- and middle-income households
Programme components
Cash transfers
Coverage
Since its inception in February 2017, the number of households registered has reached
about 3.5 million, with more than 12 million registered individuals, representing more
than half of the Saudi population
Programme expenditure
Over SAR100 billion between its launch 2017 until August 2021. In August 2021 alone, around SAR 1.9 billion was paid out in August 2021, its 45th batch,
Targeting and eligiblity
Targeting methods
All beneficiaries of the cash transfer system under Royal Decree no. M/45 of 2006 (Supplementary Support Programme) will be automatically enrolled in the programme. New registrations: Eligibility verifications will be slowly developed by the government
Targeted areas
Nationwide
Target groups
Low- and middle-income Saudi households; single people who are not living with their family; non-Saudi households are not eligible; all beneficiaries of the Supplementary Support Programme
Eligibility criteria
Saudi nationality; proof of residence in the Kingdom; all household members must be first-degree relatives
Eligibility reassessment (if any)
Beneficiary status must be updated quarterly
Coverage and other information
Amount of benefits
Amounts are calculated based on household size (number of members) and economic well-being (income level); all eligible households will receive the first payment before the government implements the new energy price reforms
The average support for each family stood at SAR 989, with an average of SAR 394 going to independent individuals
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. 2016. Fiscal Balance Programme: Balanced Budget 2020.
Riyadh: Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Accessed 19 September 2017. <http://vision2030.gov.sa/sites/default/files/attachments/BB2020_EN.pdf>
Arab News. 11 August 2021. Citizen Account Program pays SR100bn since launch. Accessed 29 November 2023. <https://www.arabnews.com/node/1909526/saudi-arabia>.
Monitoring and evaluation mechanisms and frequency
MIS: Citizen’s Account registry system: the Saudi government opened an online registration
portal, and participants input and update their information directly (self-declared
information); for profile validation, supporting documents may be required