Article 1 of the Saudi Employee Discipline Law

This article is the definitions article. It fixes the meaning of words that recur throughout the Law, so whenever one of these terms appears in the Law it is understood in the sense set here.

The most important things the article defines:

• Public employee: anyone who works for the State or for a body with public legal personality in a civil job, in any capacity, whether the work is permanent or temporary.
• Public job: civil tasks and powers performed by the employee for a public service, in which he is subject to the superior authority in the administrative organization.
• Disciplinary violation: any act or omission by the employee that involves departing from his duties, or committing the job prohibitions provided for by law, or that affects the honor and dignity of the job.
• Penalty: any administrative penalty provided for in the Law.
• Suspension from duty: temporarily stopping the employee from performing the tasks of his job.
• Closing the investigation: an administrative order issued by the investigating authority not to complete it if it sees no ground to proceed.

The article also defines the Minister as the minister responsible for the affairs of his ministry or the head of the independent body, as the case may be; the Authority as the Oversight and Anti-Corruption Authority; the Committee as the committee for considering violations; and the Regulations as the Implementing Regulations of the Law.

These definitions are understood together with Article 2, which explains that the Law aims to protect the public job, ensure the regular functioning of the public service and the employee's proper performance of his work.