Article 20 of the Saudi Private Health Institutions Law

This article sets the penalty for opening a private health institution without a license, without prejudice to any harsher penalty in another law.

First: closure and ban: closure of the institution, and being barred from obtaining a license for a period of not less than six months and not more than two years from the date of closure.

Second: the fine, by type of institution:

• Supporting health service centers: from SAR 10,000 to SAR 30,000.
• Laboratories, radiology centers and ambulance transport centers: from SAR 30,000 to SAR 100,000.
• Clinics, medical complexes and day-surgery centers: from SAR 50,000 to SAR 150,000.
• Hospitals of all categories: from SAR 100,000 to SAR 300,000.

Notes:

• The text says "shall be punished by the following penalties", so the closure and ban come together with the fine set for the type of institution.
• Each fine has a minimum and a maximum, and the competent authority determines the amount between them.
• The person addressed is "anyone who opened" the institution without a license, and the text does not limit it to the owner.

It is preceded by Article 19, which sets the cases of expiry of the license, among them its period ending without a renewal request, which shows the importance of keeping track of the license's validity. It is followed by Article 21, which punishes violations of the other provisions of the Law, apart from the violations stated in this article, by a fine of SAR 10,000 to SAR 100,000, or closure for no more than 60 days, or withdrawal of the license.

Anyone against whom a penalty of this kind has been issued would do well to consult a lawyer who specializes in administrative cases without delay to look into the available grievance routes.