Citizen's Account Program (Saudi Arabia)

{{Short description|Government cash transfer program}}

{{more citations needed|date=May 2018}}

The Citizen's Account Program in Saudi Arabia is a cash transfer program that started in December 2017. The program is adopted and implemented by The Ministry of Labor and Social Development.{{Cite web|url=http://www.arabnews.com/node/1208256/saudi-arabia|title='Citizen Account Programme' to help Saudis face economic changes|date=2017-12-13|website=Arab News|language=en|access-date=2019-02-10}} Through the programme, citizens in Saudi Arabia get monthly payments from the state. Saudi Arabia is doing many reforms to reduce the country's dependency on oil revenues, but many of these reforms have overburdened some citizens. The Citizen's Account, which is a form of basic income, is designed to balance this up, to avoid burdening lower income families which would otherwise occur despite higher prices for oil, fuel and energy. This financial support comes as a response to the increase the costs of electricity and petrol as well as the imposing of VAT on many products.{{Cite web|url=http://www.arabnews.com/node/1208256/saudi-arabia|title='Citizen Account Program' to help Saudis face economic changes|date=2017-12-13|website=Arab News|language=en|access-date=2019-02-10}}

In December 2017, immediately before the programme began, more than 3.7 million households had registered, representing 13 million people, or more than half the population.{{Cite news|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-12-12/saudi-arabia-set-to-begin-cash-transfers-for-poorer-citizens|title=Saudi Arabia Will Give Cash to Poorer Citizens Hit by Austerity|last1=Nereim|first1=Vivian|date=2017-12-12|work=Bloomberg.com|access-date=2018-06-16|last2=Carey|first2=Glen|language=en}} {{As of|2013}}, between 1/5 and 1/3 of Saudi residents are estimated to be non-citizens.[https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/saudi-arabia/ Saudi Arabia]. The World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency.The Economist magazine lists an estimated nine million: {{cite news|title=Go home, but who will replace you?|newspaper=The Economist|date=16 November 2013|url=https://www.economist.com/news/middle-east-and-africa/21589871-saudi-edict-limit-reliance-foreign-workers-fraught}} out of a population of 30 million: {{cite news|title=Saudi Arabia No satisfaction|newspaper=The Economist|date=1 February 2014 |url=https://www.economist.com/news/middle-east-and-africa/21595480-despite-their-immense-wealth-saudis-are-not-happy-no-satisfaction}}{{cite web|author=جريدة الرياض |url=http://www.alriyadh.com/2010/08/05/article549461.html |title=جريدة الرياض : سكان المملكة 27 مليوناً بينهم 8 ملايين مقيم |publisher=Alriyadh.com}}

As of March 2021, the programme has officially paid out over £400,000,000.