Article 12 of the Saudi Elderly Rights and Care Law
المادة 12 من نظام حقوق كبير السن ورعايته
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.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
تمنح الوزارة كبير السن بطاقة امتياز تمكنه من الاستفادة من الخدمات العامة التي يحتاجها لضروريات حياته اليومية التي تقدمها الجهات الحكومية والخاصة والأهلية لكبير السن، وعليها مراعاة كبير السن في جميع الإجراءات التي تتخذ في شأنه والإسراع في إنجازها، ومراعاة حاجاته العقلية، والنفسية، والجسدية.
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 12 explained in plain English
This article sets a practical tool to make the elderly person's life easier, the privilege card, and contains two provisions:
- Granting the card: the Ministry grants the elderly person a privilege card that enables them to benefit from the public services they need for the necessities of their daily life, which government, private and non-profit bodies provide to the elderly person.
- Taking them into account in procedures: the elderly person must be taken into account in all procedures taken concerning them, and these must be completed quickly, taking into account their mental, psychological and physical needs.
The card, according to the text, is for the elderly person, that is, the citizen aged 60 or over under Article 1, and the text did not qualify it with the description "needy". The article does not specify the form of the card, how to obtain it, or the list of benefits it provides; these are details the text does not contain.
This article comes between 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, and Article 13, which gives the needy elderly person a discount on public services within the body's powers and as the Regulations determine. Anyone wanting to know how to obtain the card should refer to the Ministry, and anyone who faces a legal problem can consult a lawyer specializing in personal status cases and the rights of the elderly.
Practical example
Abdulrahman, 64, who lives in Abha, obtained a privilege card from the Ministry. When he approaches a body providing a service he needs in his daily life, the card enables him to benefit from it, and the body must take him into account in procedures and complete his transaction quickly.
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 12 of the Saudi Elderly Rights and Care Law
Who grants the elderly privilege card?
The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development grants it to the elderly person.
What is the privilege card for?
It enables the elderly person to benefit from the public services they need for the necessities of their daily life, which government, private and non-profit bodies provide to the elderly person.
Must elderly people's transactions be completed quickly?
The article provides that the elderly person must be taken into account in all procedures taken concerning them and these completed quickly, taking into account their mental, psychological and physical needs.
More articles on Services and Privileges for the Elderly
- Article 10
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.
توفر الوزارة لكبير السن المحتاج الأجهزة والمستلزمات الطبية المساعِدة بالمجان، وتتحمل ما يترتب عليها من نفقات التشغيل والصيانة؛ وذلك وفق ما تحدده اللائحة.
- 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 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.