Article 55 of the Saudi Enlisted Personnel Service Law
المادة 55 من نظام خدمة الأفراد · الفصل الثالث عشر: إنهاء الخدمة
The article requires the enlisted member to continue performing his duties until he is notified of the decision accepting the end of his service, and bars acceptance of his request if he has been referred to a military trial until after the trial ends.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
على الفرد ان يستمر في أداء واجباته الى أن يبلغ بالقرار الصادر بقبول انهاء خدماته ولا يقبل طلب الفرد إذا كان محالا لمحاكمه عسكريه الابعد انتهاء محاكمته.
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 55 explained in plain English
This article completes the provisions on the request to end service with two rules:
First: continuing to work. The member must continue performing his duties until he is notified of the decision accepting the end of his service. Submitting the request does not end the service, and does not permit the member to stay away from work while awaiting a reply. What counts is his being notified of the decision of acceptance, not merely its being issued.
Second: one referred to a military trial. The member's request to end his service is not accepted if he is referred to a military trial, except after his trial ends. This means the member cannot escape a military trial by requesting to leave the service; the request is not accepted while the trial is pending.
The practical effect of the first rule is important; a member who leaves his work after submitting the request and before being notified of acceptance has breached this obligation. The article does not set a particular period for deciding on the request.
Anyone who has submitted a request to end his service and faces a delay in the reply, or who has been referred to a trial and wants to know his position, may consult a lawyer specializing in administrative cases and military service matters.
Practical example
Corporal Walid submitted a request to end his service and then stopped attending, believing that his service ended when he submitted the request. This breaches the article, because he must continue performing his duties until he is notified of the decision accepting the end of his service. If he were referred to a military trial, his request would not be accepted until after the trial ends.
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 55 of the Saudi Enlisted Personnel Service Law
Must a military member keep attending after submitting a request to end his service?
Yes. He must continue performing his duties until he is notified of the decision accepting the end of his service.
Is a request to end service accepted during a military trial?
The member's request is not accepted if he has been referred to a military trial, except after his trial ends.
More articles on Ending Personnel Service and Reinstatement
- Article 7
The article obliges an enlisted person to remain in service for four years after his appointment; after that his service may be ended at his request unless the circumstances of military work require him to stay.
يلزم الفرد بعد تعيينه البقاء في الخدمة لمدة أربع سنوات ويجوز بعدها انهاء خدمته بناء على طلبه ما لم تقضى ظروف العمل العسكري ببقائه.
- Article 54
The article allows an enlisted member, without prejudice to Articles 6 and 7, to request the end of his service by a written request to his direct superior stating his wish to leave the service, and the Minister may accept or refuse it.
بدون اخلال بما ورد في المادتين 7,6 للفرد ان يطلب انهاء خدمته عن طريق طلب مكتوب يتقدمه الى مرجعه المباشر يبدى فيه رغبته في ترك الخدمة العسكرية وللوزير قبول طلبه
- Article 57
The article permits re-enlistment of a member when needed if he is at least two years under retirement age and meets the conditions of Article 4 except age, with a limit for those dismissed for absence.
أ- تجوز إعادة الفرد للخدمة إذا دعت الحاجة إلى ذلك وكانت سنه تقل عن سن الإحالة على التقاعد بسنتين على الأقل. ب- يجب أن تتوفر في الفرد المعاد للخدمة الشروط الوارد
- Article 66
The article permits the Minister, by decision, in war and emergency, not to be bound by one or more paragraphs of Articles 56, 57 and 58 of the Law.
يجوز بقرار من الوزير في حالة الحرب والطوارئ عدم التقيد بفقرة أو أكثر كما جاء في المواد (58،57،56) من هذا النظام.
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.