Article 16 of the Saudi Voluntary Service Law
المادة 16 من نظام العمل التطوعي
The article requires the beneficiary body to consider volunteers' grievances, verify them and take what is needed in response.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
على الجهة المستفيدة النظر في تظلمات المتطوعين، والتحقق منها، واتخاذ ما يلزم حيالها.
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 16 explained in plain English
This article gives the volunteer a means of objection within the body he volunteers with, as it obliges the beneficiary body to do three things regarding volunteers' grievances:
- Consider them, so a grievance may not be ignored.
- Verify them, that is, examine what the volunteer claims and make sure it is correct.
- Take what is needed in response, according to what the verification concludes.
The article does not set the form of the grievance, a period for deciding it, or the internal body competent to consider it. These details are for the beneficiary body and the mechanisms issued to apply the Law; Article 17 provides that the National Committee for Voluntary Service issues the mechanisms needed to apply the Law.
The article gains its importance from its link to the rights the Law gives the volunteer: if the volunteer believes the body has breached one of his rights in Article 10, such as training, treatment or the volunteering and experience certificate, or objects to the ending of his work under Article 14, or to a step the body took under Article 11 to ensure his compliance, he may submit a grievance to the beneficiary body, which must consider and verify it.
Someone who finds no solution to his grievance and wants to know the options available to him can consult a general practice lawyer.
Practical example
An association in Taif did not give the volunteer Haifa a volunteering and experience certificate after her program ended. She may submit a grievance to the association, which must consider it, verify it and take what is needed in response.
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 16 of the Saudi Voluntary Service Law
To whom does a volunteer submit a grievance?
To the beneficiary body he volunteers with, which must consider his grievance, verify it and take what is needed.
Is there a period for replying to a volunteer's grievance?
The article does not set a period for deciding the grievance.
More articles on Beneficiary Bodies and Volunteer Teams
- Article 7
The article requires the beneficiary body to do everything that activates voluntary work, in particular receiving volunteering applications, recruiting volunteers, designing programs, training volunteers and following up their performance.
تلتزم الجهة المستفيدة -وفقاً لأحكام النظام- بكل ما من شأنه تفعيل العمل التطوعي، وبالأخص القيام بالمهمات الآتية: 1- استقبال طلبات الراغبين في العمل التطوعي، ودرا
- Article 8
The article allows volunteers to carry out voluntary work through a volunteer team, provided it is registered and approved by the beneficiary body.
يجوز للمتطوعين ممارسة العمل التطوعي عن طريق تشكيل فريق تطوعي، بعد تسجيله واعتماده لدى الجهة المستفيدة.
- Article 9
The article requires a register to be created in the beneficiary body called the register of volunteers and volunteer teams, recording the names of volunteers, their volunteering hours and the work they performed.
يُنشأ في الجهة المستفيدة سجل يسمى (سجل المتطوعين والفرق التطوعية)، تقيد فيه أسماء المتطوعين وعدد ساعات التطوع والأعمال التطوعية التي قاموا بها لدى الجهة.
- Article 13
The article allows the beneficiary body to honor volunteers annually on national or international occasions, and its head to give the volunteer whatever moral incentives he sees fit.
للجهة المستفيدة تكريم المتطوعين سنويًّا في المناسبات الوطنية أو الدولية، ولرئيس الجهة المستفيدة منح المتطوع ما يراه مناسباً من حوافز معنوية.
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.