Article 138 of the Saudi Officers Service Law
المادة 138 من نظام خدمة الضباط · الفصل الأول: لجنة الضباط العليا
The article allows an officer petitioning to return to service or have his seniority restored to be notified of the committee's recommendation within two months, and treats his request as rejected if not notified of its decision within three months.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
عند التماس الضابط إعادته للخدمة أو رد أقدميته يجوز إخطاره بتوصية لجنة الضباط خلال شهرين من تاريخ تقديم الطلب وعند عدم إخطاره بقرار اللجنة خلال ثلاثة شهور من تاريخ ورود الطلب إلى اللجنة يعتبر طلبه مرفوضاً.
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 138 explained in plain English
This article regulates two specific requests an officer may submit:
- A petition to be returned to service.
- A petition to have his seniority restored.
The article sets two periods:
- Two months from the date the request is submitted: the officer may be notified of the officers' committee's recommendation within it. The wording is permissive.
- 3 months from the date the request reaches the committee: if the officer is not notified of the committee's decision within it, his request is treated as rejected.
Note the different starting points: the first period runs from the date the request is submitted, and the second from the date the request reaches the committee.
The most important thing in the article is the provision on implied rejection: the committee's silence for 3 months means the request is rejected, so an officer should not interpret the absence of a reply as acceptance.
This is connected to Article 137, which prohibits dispensing with an officer's services as a disciplinary measure or passing him over for promotion when his turn comes except in accordance with the provisions of the Law. The article does not deal with what the officer may do after an implied rejection.
To assess the position of a particular officer, it is advisable to consult a lawyer specializing in administrative cases.
Practical example
A former first lieutenant in Riyadh submitted a request to be returned to service, and 3 months passed from the date his request reached the committee without his being notified of its decision. Under this article his request is treated as rejected.
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 138 of the Saudi Officers Service Law
What does it mean if there is no reply to an officer's request to return to service?
If the officer is not notified of the committee's decision within three months of the date the request reaches it, his request is treated as rejected.
When is the officer notified of the committee's recommendation?
He may be notified of the recommendation within two months of the date the request is submitted.
Does the provision cover a request to restore seniority?
Yes. The article covers both the petition to return to service and the petition to restore seniority.
More articles on Supreme and Branch Officers Committees
- 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 39
The Article provides that officers of all ranks are transferred outside their arm or specialty on the recommendation of the Higher Officers Committee.
يجري نقل الضباط على اختلاف رتبهم خارج السلاح أوالاختصاص بتوصية من لجنة الضباط العليا.
- Article 40Amended (1409 AH)
The Article provides that transfer and confirmation of officers within each force is on the recommendation of the Higher Officers Committee for the rank of lieutenant colonel and above, and by decision of the force commander for major and below.
يجري نقل واثبات الضباط داخل كل قوة بالقوات المسلحة على الوجه الآتي: 1- من رتبة مقدم فما فوق بتوصية من لجنة الضباط العليا. 2- من رتبة رائد فما دون بقرار من قائد
- Article 51
The Article provides that, absent another provision, transfer, appointment, confirmation, attachment and loan under Chapters One and Two of Part Five are by decision of the Minister on the recommendation of the Higher Officers Committee.
فيما لم يرد به نص آخر فإن النقل والتعيين والإثبات والإلحاق والإعارة المنصوص عليها بالفصل الأول والثاني من الباب الخامس من هذا النظَام يتم بقرار من الوزير بناءً
- Article 125
The article lists the matters the Senior Officers Committee considers and makes recommendations on, including appointment, discharge, promotion from major to brigadier general, transfer, secondment and retirement.
تنظر لجنة الضباط العليا وتوصي بالمسائل الآتية : أ- بدء تعيين الضباط بالقوات المسلحة. ب- الاستغناء عن الخدمة والإعادة إليها. ج- منح الأوسمة. د- اختيار أعضاء البع
- Article 126
The article requires the Senior Officers Committee to meet when called by its chairman at least once every fifteen days, with meetings valid when more than half its members attend, including the chairman.
تجتمع اللجنة العليا بدعوة من رئيسها ، ويجب أن تنعقد مرة واحدة كل خمسة عشر يوماً على الأقل وتكون اجتماعاتها نظَامية عند حضور أكثر من نصف أعضائها من بينهم الرئيس.
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.