Article 8 of the Saudi Private Health Institutions Law
المادة 8 من نظام المؤسسات الصحية الخاصة
A private health institution may not employ doctors, other health practitioners or pharmacists until they hold a license from the Ministry to practice the profession.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
لا يجوز للمؤسسة الصحية الخاصة تشغيل الأطباء أو غيرهم من الممارسين الصحيين والصيادلة إلا بعد حصولهم على ترخيص من الوزارة بمزاولة المهنة.
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 8 explained in plain English
This article places a direct restriction on employing health staff in private institutions.
The rule: a private health institution may not employ:
- Doctors,
- or other health practitioners,
- or pharmacists,
until they hold a license from the Ministry to practice the profession. The Ministry, under Article 1, is the Ministry of Health.
Notes on the text:
- The obligation is directed at the institution, which is responsible for verifying the licensing of those it employs.
- The license must come before employment, so a practitioner may not be put to work while awaiting his license.
- The phrase "other health practitioners" makes the rule cover categories other than doctors and pharmacists, such as nursing and technical staff, to the extent they are health practitioners.
The article does not address the conditions for obtaining a license to practice or its duration; these are governed by other laws and regulations.
It is preceded by Article 7, which binds the institution to the prices approved by the Ministry and to transparency about costs, and followed by Article 9, which sets the minimum number of hospital beds.
A facility facing action for employing an unlicensed practitioner would do well to consult a lawyer who specializes in administrative cases.
Practical example
A medical complex in Jeddah contracted with a pediatrician who had just arrived in the Kingdom and whose license to practice had not yet been issued. The complex may not have him see patients before he obtains a license from the Ministry of Health.
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 8 of the Saudi Private Health Institutions Law
May a clinic hire a doctor before he has a license to practice?
No, a private health institution may not employ doctors, other health practitioners or pharmacists until they obtain a license from the Ministry.
Does the rule cover nurses and technicians?
The article covers doctors, other health practitioners and pharmacists, so it covers anyone who counts as a health practitioner.
More articles on Medical Staff in Private Institutions
- Article 10
A hospital must provide the necessary number of resident doctors, specialists, consultants, pharmacists, technicians, nurses and supporting health staff according to its capacity and classification grade, under the Regulations' standards.
يلتزم المستشفى بتوفير العدد اللازم من الأطباء المقيمين، والاخصائيين، والاستشاريين، والصيادلة، والفنيين، والممرضين، والعمالة الصحية المساندة، وغيرها من الخدمات ا
- Article 14
Licensing a general or specialized medical complex requires at least a consultant in each licensed main specialty and a nurse for each clinic; in remote areas set by the Ministry the consultants may be reduced to one or specialists may suffice.
يشترط للترخيص لأي من المجمع الطبي العام والمجمع الطبي المتخصص أن يتوافر فيه- على الأقل- استشاري في كل من التخصصات الرئيسة المرخص بها، وأن يخصص ممرض أو ممرضة على
- Article 15
Laboratory, radiology center, day-surgery center and supporting health services, of any type, must be provided by licensed specialists in the profession, and the Regulations set the conditions, qualifications and work procedures.
يقدم خدمات المختبر مركز الأشعة ومركز جراحة اليوم الواحد والخدمات الصحية المساندة أيًّا كان نوعها؛ متخصصون في المهنة مرخص لهم بذلك، وتحدد اللائحة التنفيذية شروط
- Article 26
A private health institution must explain the provisions of the Labor Law, the procedures manual, the job description and related laws in force in the Kingdom to anyone it wants to contract with, before contracting.
يجب على كل مؤسسة صحية خاصة أن توضح أحكام نظام العمل والعمال لمن تريد التعاقد معه، وكذلك دليل الإجراءات والوصف الوظيفي والأنظمة ذات العلاقة المعمول بها في المملك
- Article 27
A private health institution must enable health practitioners to attend continuing medical education programs in their specialty, inside or outside the Kingdom, as the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties determines.
تلتزم المؤسسة الصحية الخاصة بتمكين الممارسين الصحيين من حضور برامج التعليم الطبي المستمر في مجال تخصصهم، سواء داخل المملكة أو خارجها، وفقًا لما تحدده الهيئة الس
- Article 28
All hospitals must have a medical library and subscribe to suitable scientific periodicals in their specialty; other health institutions must provide the basic scientific periodicals related to their specialty.
تلتزم جميع المستشفيات بإيجاد مكتبة طبية داخلها، كما تلتزم بالاشتراك في الدوريات العلمية المناسبة في مجال تخصصها. أما المؤسسات الصحية الأخرى فعليها توفير الدوريا
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.