Cremation in Saudi Arabia: Why It's Banned and What Non-Muslims Can Do Instead

Cremation is illegal in Saudi Arabia. There are no crematoria in the Kingdom, and no exception exists for non-Muslims, diplomatic staff, or any other category. If your family wants cremation, the remains must leave Saudi Arabia first.

This catches many Filipino families off guard, especially when the cost of repatriating a full body runs between USD 5,000 and USD 15,000. Here are the three actual options.

Option 1: Repatriation to the Philippines

This is the most common choice for OFW families. The remains are embalmed at a Ministry of Health-approved mortuary in Saudi Arabia, sealed in a zinc-lined hermetic casket (mandatory for international air cargo under IATA rules), and shipped to the Philippines via air cargo.

Cost: USD 5,000–15,000 all in, covering embalming, casket, air cargo, documentation, and translation fees.

Timeline: Two to three weeks from Riyadh, Jeddah, or Dammam. Longer if the death is under police investigation.

Who pays: For documented OFWs deployed through a Philippine recruitment agency, the employer and the agency are jointly liable under RA 10022. The mandatory compulsory insurance covers actual repatriation costs. For undocumented workers, the DMW AKSYON Fund covers it.

Once the remains arrive in the Philippines, the family can arrange cremation locally if they choose.

Option 2: Local Burial in Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia maintains designated non-Muslim cemeteries in major cities. These are restricted facilities — not all cities have them, and they are not publicly listed.

Known non-Muslim burial sites:

• Riyadh: Government-allocated non-Muslim cemetery; no official fee for the plot or interment
• Jeddah: Non-Muslim cemetery in the Al-Balad district; plot fees of approximately SAR 2,500 (around USD 660) for an adult
• Eastern Province (Dammam/Al-Khobar): Designated non-Muslim section in certain municipal cemeteries

Total cost of local burial: USD 1,150–1,950, including casket, any mortuary preparation, administrative fees, and the cemetery plot.

Process: The sponsor's representative presents the Philippine Embassy's attested No Objection Certificate (NOC) and the hospital's death notification to the local municipal office (Baladiya). The Baladiya allocates the grave plot and coordinates the burial.

The tradeoff: Local burial is far cheaper and faster, but the family cannot easily visit the grave. For some families, this makes repatriation worth every peso despite the cost.

Option 3: Cremation in a Third Country

If cremation is important to the family but full repatriation to the Philippines is too expensive, one alternative is to ship the remains to a third country where cremation is legal and then arrange onward transport.

This is logistically complex and rarely cheaper than direct repatriation to the Philippines. Both the transit country's embassy and the Philippine Embassy must coordinate, and export and import permits are needed. Few families choose this option, but it exists.

Why the Cremation Ban Matters for Planning

The cremation ban has a cascade effect on costs and decisions:

No way to reduce cargo weight. Cremated remains weigh a few kilograms; a full body in a zinc-lined casket with outer crate weighs 150–250 kg. The air cargo charge is weight-based, so the cremation ban directly multiplies shipping costs.

The LOA must be specific. The Letter of Acceptance that the family files with the DFA in the Philippines must state the chosen disposition — repatriation, local burial, or transport to a third country for cremation. Changing this decision after the LOA has been transmitted to the embassy in KSA adds days of delay.

Government mortuaries don't hold remains indefinitely. While government hospital mortuaries in Saudi Arabia don't charge daily fees for deceased expatriates (unlike private mortuaries, which do), extended delays can prolong the process and increase administrative risk.

The Complete Workflow

Choosing between repatriation and local burial is one of the first decisions the family makes after an OFW's death in Saudi Arabia. The Philippines–Saudi bereavement guide walks through the full process for both paths — from the initial Letter of Acceptance through document legalization, exit visas, airport customs, and the benefit claims that can offset or eliminate the cost.