Article 97 bis of the Saudi Officers Service Law
المادة 97 مكرر من نظام خدمة الضباط · الفصل الثالث: الإجازة المرضية
The article allows the Minister by decision to grant an officer who wishes to accompany his wife sent abroad to study, or a dependent, study accompaniment leave for the period of accompaniment, without pay and not counted for retirement and promotion.
Text of the added article (Arabic)
This article was added to the law by Royal Decree No. M/28 dated 26/3/1442 AH.
إجازة المرافقة الدراسية: يجوز بقرار من الوزير منح الضابط الذي يرغب في مرافقة زوجته المبتعثة للدراسة في الخارج أو أحد ممن يعولهم شرعاً إجازة مرافقة دراسية، وذلك بقدر مدة المرافقة، على أن تكون دون راتب وألا تحتسب المدة لأغراض التقاعد والترقية
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 97 bis explained in plain English
This article regulates an officer's study accompaniment leave, which was added by Royal Decree No. (M/28) dated 26/3/1442 AH. Its provisions are:
- The beneficiary: an officer who wishes to accompany his wife sent abroad to study, or one of those he legally supports.
- The authority: by decision of the Minister.
- Duration: for the length of the accompaniment.
- Salary: without pay.
- Effect on service: the period is not counted for retirement and promotion.
The practical meaning is that this leave allows the officer to accompany the scholarship student for the whole period of accompaniment, with two clear effects set by the text: no salary is paid to him during it, and its period is not counted for retirement or for promotion.
Note that the scholarship meant is for study abroad, and that the person accompanied is either the wife or one of those the officer legally supports. The grant is permissive, in the word "may", and depends on the Minister's decision, who under Article 2 is the Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General.
The article does not state the application procedures or the documents required. An officer who is thinking of requesting this leave and wants to assess its effect on his career may consult a lawyer specializing in administrative cases and military service matters.
Practical example
The wife of Captain Majed obtained a scholarship to study for a doctorate abroad for four years. The Minister may by decision grant him study accompaniment leave for the same period, without pay, and the four years are not counted in his retirement or promotion.
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 97 bis of the Saudi Officers Service Law
Is an officer entitled to accompany his wife who is sent abroad on a scholarship?
The Minister may by decision grant him study accompaniment leave for the length of the accompaniment.
Is study accompaniment leave counted toward an officer's retirement?
No. It is without pay and the period is not counted for retirement and promotion.
Amendment history
Royal Decree No. M/28 — 26/3/1442 AH
Official amendment text (Arabic)
- إضافة مادة برقم (97 مكرر ) وذلك بموجب المرسوم الملكي رقم (م/28) وتاريخ 1442/3/26هـ، لتكون بالنص الآتي: "إجازة المرافقة الدراسية: يجوز بقرار من الوزير منح الضابط الذي يرغب في مرافقة زوجته المبتعثة للدراسة في الخارج أو أحد ممن يعولهم شرعاً إجازة مرافقة دراسية، وذلك بقدر مدة المرافقة، على أن تكون دون راتب وألا تحتسب المدة لأغراض التقاعد والترقية".
More articles on Officer Leave
- Article 87Amended by M/28
The Article lists the types of officers' leave: ordinary, casual, field, exceptional, sick and study-accompaniment leave.
الإجازات هي: اعتيادية، عرضية، ميدانية، استثنائية، مرضية، مرافقة دراسية
- Article 88
The Article gives an officer ordinary leave of 45 days a year, the first after one year from appointment with 15 days allowed after six months, and permits combining leave subject to a limit of 90 days taken in a year.
1- يستحق الضابط إجازة اعتيادية مدتها خمسة وأربعون يوماً في السنة ويمنح الضابط أولى إجازاته بعد مضي سنة من بدء تعيينه، على أنه يمكن أن يحصل على مدة خمسة عشر يوما
- Article 89
The article states who grants ordinary leave to officers: the Minister for leave outside the Kingdom, who may delegate this to the Chief of the General Staff, and heads of bodies, commanders and directors for leave inside it, with the Officers Affairs Department notified.
تعطى الإجازات الاعتيادية للضباط على الوجه الآتي : 1- خارج المملكة بموافقة الوزير ويجوز للوزير تخويل هذه الصلاحية لرئيس هيئة الأركان العامة. 2- داخل المملكة من ق
- Article 90
The article allows whoever has power to grant leave to shorten, postpone or cut it for service reasons, and compensates an officer whose leave is cut before he has taken two-thirds of it for his travel and his family's return, with the remainder preserved in both cases.
يجوز لمن يملك سلطة إعطاء الإجازة تقصيرها أو تأجيلها أو قطعها لأسباب تقتضيها ظروف الخدمة في القوات المسلحة ، وإذا اقتضت الظروف قطع إجازة الضابط الاعتيادية ولم يك
- Article 91
The article gives an officer on ordinary leave the right to a half-fare round-trip ticket for himself, his wife and his children on Saudi Arabian Airlines, within its network inside and outside the Kingdom, once a year.
يحق للضابط الذي يتمتع بإجازة اعتيادية أن يحصل على تذكرة إركاب مرجعاً بنصف الأجرة له ولزوجته وأولاده على طائرة مؤسسة الخطوط الجوية العربية السعودية وفي حدود ما ت
- Article 92
The article gives an officer casual leave of up to ten days a year for emergency reasons, granted as under Article 89, and the right to it lapses at the end of the year.
الإجازة العرضية 1- يمنح الضابط إجازة عرضية لمدة لا تزيد على عشرة أيام في السنة لأسباب طارئة وتمنح هذه الإجازة طبقاً لما هو محدد بالمادة (89). 2- يسقط الحق بهذه
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.