Article 17 of the Saudi Civil Service Law
المادة 17 من نظام الخدمة المدنية · الفصل الثالث: الرواتب والعلاوات
The article provides for granting the employee the allowance by moving him to the step immediately following in the same grade under the salary scale, starting from the first day of each fiscal year.
Official text after amendments (Arabic)
Compiled from the original text and every officially published amendment; the amendments are shown in full below for comparison.
يمنح الموظف العلاوة وفق سلم الرواتب الملحق بهذا النظام، وذلك بمنحه الدرجة التالية المباشرة للدرجة التي يشغلها في المرتبة نفسها. ويتم ذلك ابتداءً من أول يوم في كل سنة مالية
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 17 explained in plain English
This article regulates the allowance granted to the employee, and states three things:
- The reference: the allowance is granted under the salary scale attached to this law.
- The method of granting: the employee is given the step immediately following the one he occupies, in the same grade. The allowance is a move from one step to the next within the same grade, not a move to a higher grade.
- The timing: this is done starting from the first day of each fiscal year.
It is important to distinguish the allowance from promotion: under this article the allowance is within the same grade, whereas moving to a higher grade is a promotion, governed by Article 18 as regards the salary of the promoted employee, who is given the salary of the first step in the grade of the post to which he is promoted, provided the increase is not less than the amount of the allowance set for the grade he was in before the promotion.
The article does not state the amount of the allowance in figures; that is found in the salary scale attached to the law. Article 16 also provides that the employee is entitled to his salary from the date he starts work.
Anyone with a dispute over the granting or calculation of his allowance would do well to consult a lawyer specializing in administrative matters and civil service affairs.
Practical example
Hamad occupies the fourth step in the seventh grade at a government body in Al-Ahsa. Under this article he is granted the allowance by being moved to the fifth step in the same seventh grade under the salary scale, starting from the first day of the fiscal year.
Translated from our Arabic explanation with machine assistance. For guidance only; it does not replace advice from a lawyer on your situation.
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Frequently asked questions about Article 17 of the Saudi Civil Service Law
When is the annual allowance granted to a government employee?
Article 17 provides that the allowance is granted starting from the first day of each fiscal year.
How is the allowance calculated?
By giving the employee the step immediately following the one he occupies in the same grade, under the salary scale attached to the law.
Does the allowance move the employee to a higher grade?
No. Under the article the allowance is a move to the next step within the same grade.
Amendment history
Amendment
Official amendment text (Arabic)
تعديل المادة لتكون بالنص الآتي: "يمنح الموظف العلاوة وفق سلم الرواتب الملحق بهذا النظام، وذلك بمنحه الدرجة التالية المباشرة للدرجة التي يشغلها في المرتبة نفسها. ويتم ذلك ابتداءً من أول يوم في كل سنة مالية".
Original text before the amendments (Arabic)
يمنح الموظف العلاوة وفق سلم الرواتب الملحق بهذا النظام وذلك بنقله من الدرجة التي يشغلها إلى الدرجة التالية لها مباشرة في المرتبة نفسها ويتم هذا النقل من أول شهر محرم من كل سنة.
More articles on Employee Salaries and Increments
- Article 16
The article provides that the employee is entitled to his salary from the date he starts work.
يستحق الموظف راتبه اعتباراً من تاريخ مباشرته العمل.
- Article 18Amended (1438 AH)
The article sets the step an employee is placed on when appointed, promoted or returned to service, ensuring a promoted employee's increase is not less than the allowance of his previous grade.
أ - يمنح الموظف المعين راتب أول درجة في مرتبة الوظيفة التي عين عليها، فإذا كان راتبه عند التعيين يساوي راتب هذه الدرجة أو يزيد عليه؛ يمنح راتب أول درجة تتجاوز ر
- Article 19
The article provides for paying half the net basic salary of an employee suspended from duty, held in precautionary detention or detained in private rights, and states when the other half is paid and when what was paid is not recovered.
أ- يصرف للموظف المكفوف اليد ومن في حكمه، أو الموقوف احتياطياً نصف صافي راتبه الأساسي، فإن برّئ أو عوقب بغير الفصل فيصرف له النصف الباقي منه. ولا يستعاد ما صرف ل
- Article 20Amended
Article 20 bars attachment of an employee's salary except by order of the competent authority, caps it at one-third of net monthly salary (excluding alimony debt), and provides basic salary for an employee detained over a government debt.
لا يجوز الحجز على شيء من راتب الموظف إلا بأمر من الجهة المختصة، ولا يجوز أن يتجاوز المقدار المحجوز في الشهر ثلث صافي راتبه الشهري ما عدا دين النفقة، وإذا كان ال
- Article 21
Article 21 links salary to actual work: an employee is not entitled to salary for days and hours in which he does not perform his work, subject to other laws and regulations.
مع مراعاة ما تقضي به الأنظمة واللوائح الأخرى، لا يستحق الموظف راتباً عن الأيام والساعات التي لا يباشر فيها عمله
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.