Article 10 of the Saudi Elderly Rights and Care Law
المادة 10 من نظام حقوق كبير السن ورعايته
The article obliges the Ministry to provide assistive medical devices and supplies to the needy elderly person free of charge, and to bear their operating and maintenance costs, as the Regulations determine.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
توفر الوزارة لكبير السن المحتاج الأجهزة والمستلزمات الطبية المساعِدة بالمجان، وتتحمل ما يترتب عليها من نفقات التشغيل والصيانة؛ وذلك وفق ما تحدده اللائحة.
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 10 explained in plain English
This article sets a practical benefit for the needy elderly person, as the Ministry, which is the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development, is obliged to do the following:
- Provide assistive medical devices and supplies free of charge.
- Bear the operating and maintenance costs resulting from these devices and supplies.
The obligation does not stop at handing over the device, but extends to the operating and maintenance costs that follow. But the article ends with the phrase "as the Regulations determine", so the types of devices covered, how to request them, and the controls for providing them are all matters set out by the Implementing Regulations, and the text does not state them.
The rule is specific to the needy elderly person, not every elderly person; and the elderly person, under Article 1, is the citizen aged 60 or over. This article follows Article 9, which obliges the caregiver to protect the rights of the needy elderly person in accordance with Sharia and legal requirements, and precedes Article 11, which requires the government body and anyone providing a public service on its behalf to give the elderly person priority in essential services, particularly health and social services.
Anyone who faces a refusal or delay in obtaining these devices can approach the Ministry, or consult a lawyer specializing in administrative cases to find the appropriate route.
Practical example
Umm Saad in Tabuk is 69 years old and needy under the Law's controls, and needs a wheelchair and a blood glucose monitor. Under this article the Ministry provides her with these assistive devices free of charge and bears the cost of operating and maintaining them, under the controls the Regulations set.
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 10 of the Saudi Elderly Rights and Care Law
Does an elderly person get free medical devices?
The Ministry provides the needy elderly person with assistive medical devices and supplies free of charge, as the Regulations determine.
Who pays for maintenance of an needy elderly person's medical devices?
The Ministry bears the operating and maintenance costs that result from these devices and supplies.
Does the rule cover every elderly person?
The text is specific to the needy elderly person, and the Regulations set the controls for benefiting.
More articles on Services and Privileges for the Elderly
- Article 11
The article requires the government body and anyone providing a public service on its behalf to give the elderly person priority in essential services, particularly health and social services, as the Regulations determine.
على الجهة الحكومية ومن يقدم خدمة عامة نيابةً عنها إعطاء كبير السن أولوية في الحصول على الخدمات الأساسية التي تقدمها، وبخاصة الخدمات الصحية والاجتماعية؛ وذلك وفق
- Article 12
Under the article the Ministry grants the elderly person a privilege card to benefit from public services for the necessities of daily life, and the elderly person must be taken into account in procedures and these completed quickly.
تمنح الوزارة كبير السن بطاقة امتياز تمكنه من الاستفادة من الخدمات العامة التي يحتاجها لضروريات حياته اليومية التي تقدمها الجهات الحكومية والخاصة والأهلية لكبير
- Article 13
The article requires the government body and anyone providing a public service on its behalf to give the needy elderly person a discount on its public services, within its powers and as the Regulations determine.
تمنح الجهة الحكومية أو من يقدم خدمة عامة نيابةً عنها لكبير السن المحتاج –في حدود الصلاحيات المخولة لها نظاماً- خصماً على الخدمات العامة التي تقدمها؛ وذلك وفقاً
- Article 20
The article punishes private or non-profit care homes that breach Article 4, and providers of public services that breach Articles 11 and 13, with a fine of up to SAR 100,000, and regulates the review committee, challenges and enforcement.
1- تعاقب دور الرعاية الاجتماعية الخاصة أو الأهلية المخالفة لحكم المادة (الرابعة) من النظام، ومن يقدم خدمة عامة نيابةً عن الجهة الحكومية المخالفة لحكم المادتين (
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.