King Salman issues a directive to pay more than SR1.7 billion to the beneficiaries of social security The directive was announced by the Minister of Labor and Social Development JEDDAH: King Salman issued a directive to pay more than SR1.7 billion ($0.45 billion) to the beneficiaries of social security on the occasion of Eid Al-Fitr. This was announced by Minister of Labor and Social Development Ahmed bin Suleiman Al-Rajhi, who thanked the king for his directive, which will help beneficiaries in meeting their needs during Eid Al-Fitr, and said that the directive reflects the care given by the king to the beneficiaries of social security. Eligible beneficiaries of the social security program include widows, orphans, deserted family members, and people with temporary or permanent debilitating health conditions and disabilities. The program aims to protect Saudi households from the direct and indirect impacts of economic reforms, compensating for an increase in prices as subsidies on electricity and petrol are cut, and value-added tax (VAT) is applied to goods.