Who Should Pay for Employee Family Health Insurance? CHI Clarifies

In Saudi Arabia, private sector employers are required to cover health insurance for their employees and certain family members. This rule applies to both Saudi and non-Saudi employees working in private companies.

The employer must pay for health insurance for the employee’s spouse, male children up to age 25, and unmarried, unemployed daughters. This means the company—not the employee—is responsible for these family members’ health insurance costs.

The Saudi Council of Health Insurance (CHI) recently provided clarification on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) in response to a user’s question about family health insurance. The user asked, “Is the company required to provide family health insurance for me?” Addressing this query, CHI responded, “The employer in the private sector is obligated to provide mandatory coverage for all Saudi and non-Saudi employees and their family members covered under the system. This includes spouses, male children up to the age of 25, and unmarried, unemployed daughters.”

This mandatory health insurance coverage ensures that employees’ close family members can access medical care without needing to purchase separate insurance plans.