Article 12 of the Saudi Rules on Expatriate Violators
المادة 12 من قواعد التعامل مع الوافدين من مخالفي الأنظمة
Article 12 allows anyone against whom a passports committee issues an administrative decision to file a grievance with the Minister of Interior within no more than thirty working days of being notified of or learning of the decision.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
يجوز لمن صدر في حقه قرار إداري من اللجان المشار إليها في البند (الحادي عشر) من هذه القواعد ؛ التظلم لدى وزير الداخلية خلال مدة لا تتجاوز ثلاثين يوماً عمل من تاريخ تبليغه أو علمه بالقرار.
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
Article 12 gives an important right to anyone against whom a decision is issued by the committees competent for violations, which is the right to file a grievance.
- Who may file a grievance: Anyone against whom an administrative decision is issued by the committees referred to in Article 11, which are the committees formed in the General Directorate of Passports and its branches, or the committees formed in the Ministry of Interior if the jurisdiction has been transferred to them.
- The body the grievance is submitted to: The Minister of Interior.
- The period: Not exceeding thirty working days.
- Start of the period: From the date the person is notified of the decision, or the date he learns of it.
Note that the period is counted in working days, not calendar days, and that its start is tied to notification or knowledge of the decision. It is important to watch this period, because the text makes a grievance permitted within it.
This covers the decisions these committees issue on the violations in the rules, which the Minister of Interior or his delegate approves under Article 11. Article 13 authorizes the Minister of Interior to issue the executive decisions needed to apply the rules. The article does not set the form of the grievance or the period for deciding it. Anyone against whom a decision has been issued and who wishes to file a grievance would do well to consult a specialist lawyer in residency laws and administrative cases before the period ends.
Practical example
A decision was issued against the owner of an establishment in Abha by a passports committee in a violation relating to his labor, and he was notified of it on Sunday. Under this article, he may file a grievance with the Minister of Interior within a period not exceeding thirty working days from the date of his notification.
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 Rules on Expatriate Violators
How long is the period to file a grievance against a passports committee decision?
Not exceeding thirty working days from the date of being notified of the decision or learning of it.
Who do I submit the grievance against a residency violation decision to?
The grievance is submitted to the Minister of Interior.
Is the grievance period counted in ordinary days?
No. The text counts it in working days: thirty working days.
Articles this article refers to
More articles on Penalties for Violating Residence and Labor Rules
- Article 4
Article 4 requires the sponsor of a visitor to report immediately if the visitor overstays or is absent from departure after the stay period ends, and treats failure to report as concealment on his part.
على المستقدم للزائر إبلاغ الجهة المختصة في حالة تأخر أو تغيب الوافد عن المغادرة بعد انتهاء المدة المحددة لإقامته مباشرة، ويعد عدم الإبلاغ تستراً من المستقدم .
- Article 7
Article 7 provides that anyone proved to have employed violators, let his workers work for themselves or for others, or used other people's workers is deprived of recruitment for up to five years.
يُحرم من الاستقدام لغرض العمل أو الزيارة لمدة لا تزيد على خمس سنوات ؛ كل من ثبت عليه تشغيل الوافدين المخالفين للأنظمة، أو ترك عماله يعملون لحسابهم الخاص أو لدى
- Article 10
Article 10 provides that the Ministry of Interior applies to the violators mentioned in Articles 1, 3 and 4 the penalties in Articles (4) and (5) of the Regulation of the Treatment of Arrivals to the Kingdom.
تطبق وزارة الداخلية على المخالفين المشار إليهم في البنود (الأول) و (الثالث) و (الرابع) من هذه القواعد العقوبات المنصوص عليها في المادتين (4) و (5) من تنظيم معام
- Article 11
Article 11 assigns the examination of violations of the rules to committees in the General Directorate of Passports and its branches, with decisions approved by the Minister of Interior or his delegate, and allows the jurisdiction to be transferred.
تتولى اللجان المشكلة في المديرية العامة للجوازات وفروعها النظر في المخالفات الواردة هذه القواعد، ويعتمد قراراتها سمو وزير الداخلية أو من يفوضه، ويجوز بقرار من و
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.