Article 33 of the Saudi Fertility Units Law

This article sets the general penalty for violations of the Law. It applies to any violation of any provision of the Law or its Implementing Regulations, other than the violations provided for in Article 32, without prejudice to any more severe penalty in other regulations.

One or more of the following may be imposed:

• A warning.
• A fine of not less than SAR 20,000 and not more than SAR 200,000.
• Imprisonment for a period not exceeding two years.
• Revocation of the license to practice the profession.

The Law therefore distinguishes two tiers. The serious violations listed in Article 32 include practicing infertility treatment without a license or at a level other than the licensed level, injecting sperm or embryos into a woman other than the wife or after the marital relationship has ended, transferring zygotes or embryos into another woman's womb, misleading the patient with the intent of extortion or exploitation, genetic interference without the Supervisory Committee's approval, and transplanting reproductive organs. Their penalties are more severe (a fine of SAR 200,000 to 500,000, imprisonment of up to five years or license revocation). Every other violation falls under this article.

Note that this article allows a warning, which does not appear in Article 32. Article 34 follows, allowing the Minister to suspend a license temporarily in certain cases until the violations committee issues its decision. A person accused of a violation may consult a lawyer who specializes in criminal cases and health regulations.