Article 11 of the Saudi Voluntary Service Law
المادة 11 من نظام العمل التطوعي
The article sets out the volunteer's duties: ethics and honesty, following the beneficiary body's rules, safeguarding property, safety, keeping secrets and not speaking to the media without permission.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
يلتزم المتطوع بما يأتي:
1- التحلي بالأخلاق والآداب التي يتطلبها العمل التطوعي الذي اختاره.
2- إنجاز العمل التطوعي بأمانة ونزاهة وفق مقتضيات العمل التطوعي ومبادئه وأهدافه، والأنظمة واللوائح والتعليمات ذات الصلة بمجال تطوعه.
3- اتباع الأنظمة والتعليمات والضوابط الخاصة بالجهة المستفيدة من عمله التطوعي.
4- المحافظة على العهد المسلمة إليه بجميع أشكالها، وإعادتها إلى الجهة المستفيدة.
5- مراعاة وسائل السلامة وحماية العاملين في العمل التطوعي، إذا كان العمل ذا طبيعة ميدانية، وذلك بالتنسيق مع الجهة المستفيدة.
6- عدم إفشاء أي سر يتعلق بعمله التطوعي أثناء عمله، أو بعد تركه.
7- عدم الإدلاء أو التصريح بأي معلومة لأي وسيلة إعلامية دون الحصول على إذن من رئيس الجهة المستفيدة، وللجهة المستفيدة اتخاذ الإجراءات اللازمة لضمان التزام المتطوع بمقتضيات العمل التطوعي ومبادئه.
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
This article matches the volunteer's rights in Article 10 with a list of duties he must observe:
- The ethics and manners that the voluntary work he chose requires.
- Honesty and integrity in completing the work, in line with the requirements, principles and objectives of voluntary work, and the laws, regulations and instructions relating to his field of volunteering.
- Following the beneficiary body's rules, instructions and controls.
- Safeguarding the custody delivered to him in all its forms, and returning it to the beneficiary body, such as the devices and tools he received for his work.
- Observing safety measures and protecting workers, if the work is field work, in coordination with the beneficiary body.
- Not disclosing secrets relating to his voluntary work, during his work and after leaving it.
- Not making statements to the media of any information without the permission of the head of the beneficiary body.
The final paragraph allows the beneficiary body to take the steps needed to ensure the volunteer's compliance with the requirements and principles of voluntary work, without the article specifying the type of these steps.
Note that the safety duty is limited to field work, that the duty of confidentiality extends after the volunteering ends, and that the bar on statements to the media is lifted by the permission of the head of the body. Someone who faces action from the body he volunteers with for breaching these duties can consult a general practice lawyer.
Practical example
Majed volunteered in a health campaign organized by a beneficiary body in Jeddah, and a journalist asked him for a statement about the campaign. He may not give any information without the permission of the head of the body, he must return the tools he received after the campaign ends, and he must not disclose the work's secrets even after leaving it.
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 Voluntary Service Law
May a volunteer speak to the media?
No. He may not make a statement of any information to any media outlet without the permission of the head of the beneficiary body.
Does the duty to keep secrets continue after volunteering ends?
Yes. The text bars disclosing any secret relating to the voluntary work during the work or after leaving it.
What can the body do if a volunteer breaches his duties?
The beneficiary body may take the steps needed to ensure his compliance with the requirements and principles of voluntary work; the article does not specify the type of these steps.
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.