Article 35 of the Saudi Enlisted Personnel Service Law
المادة 35 من نظام خدمة الأفراد · الفصل الثامن: العلاج
The article provides for treating a member outside the Kingdom at his body's expense if the medical committee decides treatment inside it is not possible, and allows the Minister in urgent cases to permit this without the committee's report.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
إذا قررت اللجنة الطبية تعذر علاج الفرد داخل المملكة فيعالج خارجها على نفقة الجهة التابع لها وفقاً لما تحدده اللائحة التنفيذية.
واستثناء من ذلك يجوز بقرار من الوزير في الحالات المرضية المستعجلة أن يعالج خارجها دون اشتراط تقرير اللجنة الطبية.
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 35 explained in plain English
This article regulates the treatment of the member outside the Kingdom, and contains a rule and an exception:
The rule: if the medical committee decides that the member's treatment is not possible inside the Kingdom, he is treated outside it at the expense of the body to which he belongs, as the Implementing Regulations specify. So the normal gateway to treatment abroad is the medical committee's decision that it is not possible.
The exception: in urgent medical cases the member may be treated outside the Kingdom by decision of the Minister without requiring the medical committee's report. The purpose is that the committee's procedures should not delay treating a case that cannot wait.
The following can be noted:
- The article speaks of the member and does not mention his family members in this provision.
- The details, such as the places where he is treated and the companion's expenses, are a matter for the Implementing Regulations and are not stated in the text.
- The exception is permissive, in the word "may", so it is a power of the Minister.
Anyone whose request for treatment abroad has been refused and who believes his condition requires it may consult a lawyer specialized in administrative matters and military service affairs.
Practical example
Private First Class Mazen contracted a rare illness, and the medical committee decided that his treatment inside the Kingdom is not possible, so he is treated abroad at his body's expense under the Implementing Regulations. If his condition were so urgent that it could not wait for the committee, the Minister may decide his treatment abroad directly.
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 35 of the Saudi Enlisted Personnel Service Law
When is a military member treated outside the Kingdom?
If the medical committee decides that his treatment inside the Kingdom is not possible, he is treated outside it at the expense of the body to which he belongs under the Implementing Regulations.
Can treatment abroad take place without the medical committee's report?
Yes, by decision of the Minister in urgent medical cases.
More articles on Medical Treatment for Military Personnel and Their Families
- Article 33
The article provides for the treatment of a member and the family members he supports under Sharia in military or government hospitals inside the Kingdom at the Government's expense.
يعالج الفرد وافراد عائلته الذين يعولهم شرعا بالمستشفيات العسكرية أو الحكومية داخل المملكة على نفقة الحكومة.
- Article 34
The article provides for a monthly treatment allowance for members working abroad under the Regulations, and treatment of a seconded or scholarship member and his dependent family outside the Kingdom at the Government's expense on approved medical documents, excluding cosmetic operations.
أ- يصرف بدل علاج شهري للأفراد الذين يعملون بالخارج وفق الأحكام التي تقررها اللائحة التنفيذية. ب- يعالج الفرد المنتدب والمبتعث خارج المملكة وكذلك أفراد عائلته ال
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.