Saudi court awards Egyptian wife SR150 million in inheritance dispute over late Jeddah millionaire

Dubai:  A Saudi appeals court has ruled that an Egyptian woman is entitled to a share of her late husband’s estate worth more than 150 million riyals (around 1.8 billion Egyptian pounds), concluding a high-profile inheritance dispute involving a Saudi businessman.

The Jeddah Personal Status Court of Appeal ordered the woman’s inclusion in the official deed of heirs after determining that her marriage to the deceased remained legally valid at the time of his death, Okaz Arabic daily reported.

The dispute arose following the death of the Saudi millionaire, who had been married to the Egyptian woman for approximately 25 years. After his death, she sought recognition of her inheritance rights.

Other heirs argued that the couple had divorced in the mid-1990s, presenting a divorce document issued outside Saudi Arabia and maintaining that the marital relationship had ended decades earlier.

The wife, her daughter and their legal representative contended that the divorce document was insufficient proof of termination, citing continued cohabitation, official civil records, renewed residency permits and witness testimony indicating that the marriage persisted until the businessman’s death.

The appeals court examined documentary evidence and testimony, applying established rules of proof in personal status cases. It found that official records continued to describe the claimant as the lawful wife and held that legal certainty could not be overturned by doubt.

In its final ruling, the court ordered her formal addition to the inheritance deed and instructed relevant authorities to enforce the judgment through all legal means, including compulsory measures if necessary.