Article 11 of the Saudi Organ Donation Law
المادة 11 من نظام التبرع بالأعضاء البشرية
The article leaves verifying death for organ donation to the conditions and controls set by the regulations, subject to the law's provisions on transferring organs from deceased persons.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
مع مراعاة ما ورد في النظام في شأن نقل الأعضاء البشرية من المتوفين، يكون التحقق من الوفاة لأجل التبرع بالأعضاء البشرية وفقاً للأوضاع والضوابط التي تحددها اللائحة.
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 11 explained in plain English
Transferring organs from a deceased person depends on one decisive moment: verifying that death has actually occurred. This article provides that this verification, when done for the purpose of organ donation, is carried out in accordance with the conditions and controls set by the Implementing Regulations.
The article begins with the phrase "subject to what is stated in the law on transferring human organs from deceased persons," meaning that the regulations' controls operate within the law's provisions and do not contradict them. One of these provisions is the definition of death in Article 1 as a person's departure from life with certainty according to precise medical criteria, such that return to life is impossible, as a result of the stopping of the heart and lungs or of the brain stem.
The text does not state the procedures themselves, such as the number of doctors or the tests required. These details are left to the regulations and should not be assumed.
The aim is that an organ is not transferred from a person until there is complete certainty of his death, to protect life and reassure families. This article comes after Article 10, which requires respect for the donor's dignity, and both preserve the sanctity of the human being at a delicate stage.
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 11 of the Saudi Organ Donation Law
Who sets how death is verified for donation?
The Implementing Regulations set the conditions and controls for verifying death for the purpose of organ donation.
Does the law recognize brain stem death?
The law defines death as the departure of life with certainty as a result of the stopping of the heart and lungs or of the brain stem, according to precise medical criteria.
More articles on Procedures for Organ Transplant Operations
- Article 5
The article requires organ transfers to take place in a licensed facility in coordination with the Center, with a full psychological, social and medical examination of the donor, who must be informed of all the consequences.
في غير الأحوال المنصوص عليها في المادة (الثامنة) من النظام، لا يجوز إجراء عمليات نقل الأعضاء البشرية إلاّ بعد تحقق ما يأتي: 1- أن تُجرى في المنشآت الصحية المرخص
- Article 6
The article requires a licensed health facility that performs an organ removal from a donor to notify the Saudi Center for Organ Transplantation immediately, so the Center can take the prescribed measures.
تلتزم المنشأة الصحية -المرخص لها وفق المادة (الخامسة عشرة) من النظام- التي تجرى لديها عملية استئصال العضو البشري من المتبرع، بأن تقوم بإبلاغ المركز في شأن ذلك ف
- Article 7
The Saudi Center for Organ Transplantation determines whether a donated organ is suitable for transplant, in coordination with health facilities inside the Kingdom or, when needed, abroad, and may use medical committees.
يتولى المركز -بالتنسيق مع المنشآت الصحية التي يحددها داخل المملكة، أو خارجها عند الحاجة- مهمة تقرير مدى صلاحية العضو البشري المتبرع به المراد زراعته في جسم المت
- Article 9
The article requires the medical team, if it considers it necessary to examine the organ to be donated, to observe the controls set by the regulations and not to conflict with the Sharia rules on research on organs.
إذا رأى الفريق الطبي -المكلف بإجراء الفحص الطبي على المتبرع أو إجراء عمليات نقل العضو البشري- ضرورة إجراء أي فحص على العضو البشري المراد التبرع به؛ فتجب مراعاة
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.