Article 13 of the Saudi Officers Service Law
المادة 13 من نظام خدمة الضباط · الفصل الثاني: ملفات الضباط وتقارير الكفاءة
The article sets the schedule for officers' efficiency reports, and postpones the promotion of an officer under investigation or trial until the final judgment, restoring his seniority if he is acquitted.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
يخضع الضباط لتقارير الكفاءة التالية :-
أ- يعد تقرير كفاءة كل ستة أشهر لكل ملازم تحت الاختبار.
ب- يعد تقرير كفاءة كل سنة من رتبة ملازم أول إلى رتبة عميد.
ج- يعد تقرير كفاءة للضباط العاملين خارج المملكة من قبل الجهات التي يعملون بها.
د- ترفع التقارير السنوية خلال الشهر الأول من كل عام.
هـ- إذا كان الضابط رهن التحقيق أو المحاكمة عند إعداد تقرير كفاءته السنوي فيشار إلى ذلك في تقريره وتؤجل ترقيته حتى صدور الحكم النهائي فإذا كان الحكم النهائي بالبراءة ترد أقدميته إلى تاريخ استحقاقه مع زملائه.
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 13 explained in plain English
This article governs the efficiency reports to which officers are subject, in five paragraphs:
- (a) A second lieutenant on probation: an efficiency report is prepared for him every six months.
- (b) First lieutenant to brigadier: an efficiency report is prepared every year.
- (c) Those working outside the Kingdom: their report is prepared by the bodies in which they work.
- (d) Submission date: the annual reports are submitted within the first month of each year.
- (e) An officer under investigation or trial: if he is so when his annual report is prepared, this is noted in his report, and his promotion is postponed until the final judgment is issued.
Paragraph (e) protects the officer from lasting harm if he is proven innocent; it provides that if the final judgment is an acquittal, his seniority is restored to the date he became entitled to it along with his colleagues. The postponement in that case does not cost him his position among his colleagues if he is acquitted.
Note that the article does not mention a periodic report for the ranks of major general and above, as paragraph (b) stops at the rank of brigadier. The text also ties the restoration of seniority specifically to a judgment of acquittal, and does not address the case of a judgment other than acquittal.
Anyone whose promotion has been postponed because of an investigation or trial may consult a lawyer specializing in administrative cases and military service matters.
Practical example
Major Abdullah was under investigation when his annual report was prepared, so this was noted in his report and his promotion to lieutenant colonel was postponed while his colleagues were promoted. A few months later the final judgment acquitted him, so his seniority is restored to the date on which he became entitled to promotion along with his colleagues.
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 13 of the Saudi Officers Service Law
How often is an officer's efficiency report prepared?
Every six months for a second lieutenant on probation, and every year for officers from the rank of first lieutenant to the rank of brigadier.
Is an officer's promotion delayed if he is under investigation?
Yes. If he is under investigation or trial when his annual report is prepared, his promotion is postponed until the final judgment is issued.
What happens to an officer's seniority if he is acquitted?
If the final judgment is an acquittal, his seniority is restored to the date he became entitled to it along with his colleagues.
More articles on Officer Seniority and Efficiency Reports
- Article 7
For graduates of colleges and institutes under paragraphs (b) and (c) of Article 6, the article counts study years beyond three as seniority, and requires paragraph (c) graduates to pass a military course to continue.
بالنسبة للمتخرج من الكليات والمعاهد المنصوص عليها في الفقرتين (ب،ج) من المادة السادسة إذا كانت سنوات الدراسة المقررة للكلية أو المعهد تزيد على ثلاث سنوات فتحتسب
- Article 9
The article provides for general seniority lists of officers for each force, ratified by the Chief of the General Staff, ordered by date of rank grant, then graduation grade, then what the Officers Committee decides.
توضع كشوفات عامة بأقدمية الضباط لكل قوة من القوات المسلحة تصدق من قبل رئيس هيئة الأركان العامة. ويراعى في ترتيب الأقدمية تاريخ منح الرتبة ثم درجة التخرج من الكل
- Article 10
The article provides that the seniority of an officer appointed to a rank above second lieutenant is counted from the date his appointment begins, and if it equals the date his colleagues were promoted to that rank, he is placed last among them on the seniority list.
إذا عين الضباط برتبة أعلى من رتبة ملازم فتعتبر أقدميته في تلك الرتبة وفقاً لتاريخ بدء تعيينه وإذا تساوى تاريخ تعيينه مع تاريخ ترقية بعض زملائه لهذه الرتبة وضع ف
- Article 12
The article provides that the Officers Affairs Department opens a service file and a confidential file for each officer on appointment, and the Supreme Officers Committee issues regulations governing the files and the preparation of efficiency reports.
تفتح إدارة شئون الضباط لكل ضابط عند تعيينه ملفين ويسمى أحدهما ملف الخدمة وتوضع فيه كل الأوراق والبيانات المتعلقة بخدمة الضابط. ويسمى الثاني الملف السري وتودع في
- Article 14
The article requires the officer to be informed of the content of an unsatisfactory report and to sign that he has seen it, gives him the right to object to the Officers Committee through his superior within two weeks, and makes the Committee's recommendations final once ratified.
يبلغ الضابط من قبل قائده الذي كتب عنه تقريراً غير مرض بمضمون ذلك التقرير ويوقع بالاطلاع وله الحق في تقديم اعتراضه على كل أو بعض ما ورد بالتقرير إلى لجنة الضباط
- Article 135
The article requires officers' committees to base their recommendations on the reports and information deposited in the officer's file.
تبني لجان الضباط توصياتها على ضوء التقارير والمعلومات المودعة في ملف الضابط.
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.