Article 9 of the Saudi Officers Service Law
المادة 9 من نظام خدمة الضباط · الفصل الأول: الأقدمية
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.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
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 الكلية الواحدة. ثم من تقرر لجنة الضباط أسبقيته ويدخل في حساب الأقدمية واعتبارها أية أقدمية خاصة اكتسبها الضابط.
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 9 explained in plain English
This article governs officers' seniority lists, and its provisions are:
- The lists: general lists of officers' seniority are prepared for each force of the Armed Forces.
- Ratification: they are ratified by the Chief of the General Staff.
The following order is observed in ranking seniority:
- The date the rank was granted first.
- Then the graduation grade from the same college.
- Then whomever the Officers Committee decides takes precedence.
Any special seniority the officer has acquired is included in the calculation and taken into account.
In practical terms, someone who obtained the rank before another comes ahead of him on the list. If two are equal in the date the rank was granted, the graduation grade is considered if they are from the same college. If that does not settle the order, the Officers Committee decides who takes precedence. Special seniority that the officer acquires under the provisions of the Law is also added in the calculation.
Anyone who believes his place on the seniority list is incorrect may consult a lawyer specializing in administrative cases and military service matters.
Practical example
Second Lieutenants Fahd and Saad graduated from the same college and were granted the rank on the same date, and Fahd's graduation grade was higher. Fahd therefore comes ahead of Saad on the seniority list, because the graduation grade from the same college is the second criterion after the date the rank was granted.
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 9 of the Saudi Officers Service Law
How is officers' seniority ranked?
By the date the rank was granted, then the graduation grade from the same college, then whomever the Officers Committee decides takes precedence, with any special seniority the officer has acquired included.
Who ratifies officers' seniority lists?
The Chief of the General Staff ratifies them, and they are prepared for each force of the Armed Forces.
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 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 13
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.
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
- 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.