Article 19 of the Saudi AIDS Prevention Law
المادة 19 من نظام الوقاية من متلازمة العوز المناعي المكتسب الإيدز وحقوق المصابين وواجباتهم
The article provides that an infected person doing work in which it is feared they may infect others is moved to the nearest suitable work, and refers the work prohibited to the infected and its procedures to the Implementing Regulations.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
إذا كان المصاب يقوم بعمل يخشى معه أن يعدي غيره, فينقل إلى أقرب عمل مناسب. وتحدد اللائحة الأعمال المحظورة على المصابين والإجراءات الواجب اتباعها في هذا الشأن.
This is the official Arabic wording, the only legally binding version. We do not translate the law itself; the explanation below is ours. Official source: Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers
Article 19 explained in plain English
This article deals with a special case: an infected person doing work in which it is feared they may infect others.
The rule: the infected person is moved to the nearest suitable work.
Elements of the rule:
- The condition: the work they do must be of a kind in which it is feared they may infect others. If it is not, this article has no application.
- The effect: moving, not dismissal. The article does not permit ending the infected person's employment; it provides for moving them.
- Nature of the new work: "the nearest suitable work," that is, suitable work as close as possible to their original work.
What the article refers to the Implementing Regulations:
- Specifying the work prohibited to infected persons.
- The procedures to be followed in this regard.
The article does not itself list the prohibited work, so it can be known only by referring to the Regulations.
Relation to other articles: the solution this article offers for the fear of infection is moving to suitable work. It is also connected to Article 18, which binds the infected person to preventive guidance and not to deliberately transmit infection to others.
A person who considers that they were not moved to suitable work may consult a lawyer who specializes in health regulations.
Practical example
An employee living with AIDS works in a task that the competent body considers carries a fear of infecting others. Under the article, the employee is not dismissed but moved to the nearest suitable work, following the procedures set by the Implementing Regulations.
Translated from our Arabic explanation with machine assistance. For guidance only; it does not replace advice from a lawyer on your situation.
How we write and review contentGeneral Practice lawyers: ask a specialist about your case
Describe your situation briefly and we'll suggest a lawyer who specialises in this law
General Practice lawyers
Lawyers who handle this kind of case
Abdullah Al-Saleh Law Office for Law and Legal Consultancy
khobar Notary
Frequently asked questions about Article 19 of the Saudi AIDS Prevention Law
What happens if an infected person's work may transmit infection?
The article provides for moving them to the nearest suitable work.
What work is prohibited for people living with AIDS?
The article refers the specification of work prohibited to the infected, and the procedures to be followed, to the Implementing Regulations.
More articles on Duties of Infected Persons and Medical Isolation
- Article 12
The article provides that resident persons living with AIDS who have no outstanding claims are deported, after their rights are settled, immediately to their own countries or any country they choose, and their cases are considered urgently.
يتم ترحيل المقيمين المصابين بفيروس الإيدز وغير المطالبين بحقوقٍ خاصة- بعد تصفية حقوقهم- إلى بلدانهم فوراً أو أي بلد آخر يختارونه، وتنظر حالات المصابين بهذا المر
- Article 14
The article allows isolating a person living with the disease or restricting their residence in a health facility on the recommendation of the competent physician if their condition requires, obliges them not to transmit infection, and requires isolating an infected convict from other prisoners.
يعزل المصاب أو تحدد إقامته في منشأة صحية - بناًء على توصية من الطبيب المختص- إذا كانت حالته توجب ذلك، وعليه الالتزام بعدم نقل العدوى إلى غيره. وإذا كان المصاب م
- Article 18
The article binds a person living with AIDS to follow the preventive guidance set by the health bodies and not to deliberately transmit infection to others.
على المصاب أن يلتزم بالإرشادات الوقائية التي تقررها الجهات الصحية, وعليه الالتزام بعدم تعمد نقل العدوى إلى غيره.
The texts are reproduced from the official website of the Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers for reference; where they differ, the officially published Arabic text prevails. This content is not legal advice.