RIYADH, 30 May 2007 — In an unprecedented move, the Women’s Social Insurance Office in Riyadh has begun distributing ATM cards to social insurance beneficiaries in prison, the Ministry of Social Affairs announced yesterday.

Fatimah, a Saudi prisoner in the Women’s Jail in Riyadh, was the first to receive such an ATM card. She will now be able to withdraw the money she is entitled to from an ATM without depending on family members to receive the sum or distribute it according to their discretion.

Female administration members of the program earlier coordinated with the General Directorate of Prisons in the Kingdom as well as the General Administration of Prisons in Riyadh to visit the women’s jail in order to identify prisoners entitled to social insurance.

According to Asma Al-Khamees, head of the Women’s Social Insurance Office in Riyadh, the office was able to identify many prisoners who were in dire need. Approval was given after careful study of applications from the women prisoners. “Many prisoners are divorcees, widows and mothers who are entitled to receive social insurance and who need the money badly,” she explained. She said that during the visit, office staff distributed leaflets to prisoners which explained who was eligible for social insurance.

Al-Khamees also pointed out that the office had registered the names of women prisoners who were eligible for social insurance but who, for a variety of reasons, had never registered with the Social Insurance Program.

“Because of such difficulties, it was necessary that ATM cards and personal identification numbers be given to the women inside the prison,” she said. “All who have been identified as eligible for social insurance will receive their cards in the same manner.”

According to the Ministry of Social Affairs, the total amount of social insurance and pensions paid last month in Saudi Arabia was SR784 million. In all, 468,457 people benefited directly.

Deputy Minister for Social Affairs, Muhammad Al-Uqla, said, “The majority of the money in the social insurance programs comes from Zakah and that is why it is necessary to be extremely cautious in its distribution. We want to make sure that all recipients are entitled to receive it according to Shariah.”

He said that all beneficiaries of social insurance were able to receive their payments from ATM machines as special cards had been distributed to them.

Al-Rajhi Bank earlier renewed its agreement to open bank accounts and provide ATM cards to social insurance beneficiaries in the Kingdom for another three years.