Article 38 of the Saudi Civil Service Law
المادة 38 من نظام الخدمة المدنية · الباب الثالث: أحكام عامة وانتقالية
Article 38 provides that the Civil Service Law replaces the Employees Law (Royal Decree No. M/5 dated 1/2/1391 AH) for employees originally subject to it and for those whose own systems the Employees Law supplemented, within the limits those systems provide.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
يحل هذا النظام محل نظام الموظفين الصادر بالمرسوم الملكي رقم م/5 وتاريخ 1 / 2 / 1391 هـ وذلك :
أ - بالنسبة للموظفين الخاضعين بصفة أصلية لهذا النظام.
ب - بالنسبة للموظفين الذين يعتبر النظام المذكور مكملاً للنظم التي تحكم أوضاعهم وذلك في حدود ما تنص عليه تلك النظم.
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 38 explained in plain English
This is a transitional article that sets out the relationship of the Civil Service Law to the law that preceded it, the Employees Law issued by Royal Decree No. M/5 dated 1/2/1391 AH.
It provides that the Civil Service Law replaces the Employees Law, but not absolutely; rather for two categories:
- Employees originally subject to this Law: these are governed by the Civil Service Law instead of the Employees Law.
- Employees for whom the Employees Law supplemented the systems that govern their status: that is, those with special systems for which the Employees Law was referred to in matters those systems did not regulate; here the Civil Service Law replaces it within the limits that those systems provide.
The qualification in the second category is important; the replacement of the Employees Law by the Civil Service Law for this category is tied to what the systems specific to them provide.
This article connects to Article 37 bis, which defines the scope of application of the Civil Service Law to civil employees holding permanent posts in the general budget and excludes the employees of entities with special laws or regulations within the limits they provide.
Anyone who needs to know the effect of this replacement on a particular employment situation may consult a lawyer specializing in administrative and civil service cases.
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 38 of the Saudi Civil Service Law
Which law did the Civil Service Law replace?
It replaced the Employees Law issued by Royal Decree No. M/5 dated 1/2/1391 AH.
Did the Civil Service Law replace the Employees Law for all employees?
It replaced it for employees originally subject to the Civil Service Law, and for those whose own systems the Employees Law supplemented, within the limits those systems provide.
More articles on General Provisions of the Civil Service
- Article 15 bis
The article makes the human resources department in each government body responsible for applying the law and its regulations, requires departments to refer to it, and requires the body to refer to the Ministry on any difficulty it meets.
- أُضيفت هذه المادة وذلك بموجب المرسوم الملكي رقم (م/95) وتاريخ 1439/9/15هـ، لتكون بالنص الآتي: "تتولى إدارة الموارد البشرية في الجهة الحكومية تطبيق أحكام هذا ا
- Article 31
Article 31 allows the Minister to delegate some of his powers under the Civil Service Law to others, without specifying to whom or which powers.
للوزير تفويض بعض صلاحياته المقررة في هذا النظام.
- Article 32
Article 32 gives the head of an independent agency, with respect to his agency's employees, the powers the Minister has with respect to ministry employees.
يكون لرئيس المصلحة المستقلة بالنسبة لموظفي هذه المصلحة من الصلاحيات ما للوزير بالنسبة لموظفي الوزارة.
- Article 37Amended by M/139
Article 37 allows particular posts to be exempted from some provisions of the Civil Service Law, as the Regulation provides and in agreement with the Minister of Finance.
يجوز استثناء وظائف معينة من بعض أحكام هذا النظام وفق ما تنظمه اللائحة، وذلك بالاتفاق مع وزير المالية
- Article 37 bisAmended (1438 AH)
Article 37 bis applies the Civil Service Law to civil employees who hold permanent posts in the state's general budget, excluding employees of entities governed by special laws or regulations, within the limits those provide.
تسري أحكام هذا النظام على جميع الموظفين المدنيين الذين يشغلون وظائف ثابتة في الميزانية العامة للدولة، ويستثنى من تطبيق أحكامه موظفو الجهات الذين تسري في شأنهم أ
- Article 39
Article 39 provides that the Council of Ministers issues the regulations of the Civil Service Law and may authorize the Minister of Civil Service to issue some of them.
يصدر مجلس الوزراء لوائح هذا النظام، وللمجلس تفويض وزير الخدمة المدنية في إصدار بعض منها
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.