Article 19 of the Saudi Rights of Persons with Disabilities Law

This article establishes the right of persons with disabilities to obtain social development lending services, and sets the qualities of the programs through which these services are provided:

• Facilitated programs: that is, programs whose conditions and procedures are easy to the extent that suits them.
• Programs designed for them: that is, directed specifically at them, not merely general programs they are permitted to enter.

These services may be obtained:

1. Individually: the person with a disability applies alone.
2. Collectively: the person applies together with others, as a group.

The article does not name the body that provides these loans, does not set their amounts, conditions or repayment periods, and does not expressly refer to the Regulations. It establishes the right and the type of programs, and the details are left to the bodies concerned with social development lending programs.

This article complements Article 18, which establishes the right of persons with disabilities to banking, financing and insurance services without discrimination: Article 18 prevents discrimination in financial services generally, while this article establishes lending programs dedicated to them. It is followed by Article 20 on taking their requirements into account in housing projects.

Anyone who wants to apply for a lending program and faces an obstacle can consult a lawyer specializing in the rights of persons with disabilities or in administrative cases.