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Professionalism and Professional Standards for Doctors in Saudi Arabia

Professionalism course for doctors in Saudi Arabia covering licence scope, SCFHS renewal, malpractice insurance, supervising residents and social media. Ends with a certificate and reflective account.

  • 3hours of learning
  • 11sections
  • 20final questions
  • 80%pass mark
  • Online and self-paced, on any device
  • Reflective account template
  • Knowledge checks in every section
  • Certificate the day you pass

Written for practice in Saudi ArabiaUpdated 2 November 2026

Which of these is your situation?

At a glance

Who it is for
Physicians registered with SCFHS and licensed by MOH, from residents to consultants, Saudi and expatriate, in government and private practice
Laws and codes
Law of Practicing Healthcare Professions (M/59, 1426H) and its Executive Regulations; SCFHS Code of Ethics for Healthcare Practitioners; SCFHS classification and re-registration rules; MOH Seha licensing guide; Personal Data Protection Law
Complaint routes covered
937, facility review, investigation under Article 40, the Committee for Violations of the Law, the Sharia Health Panel and appeal to the Board of Grievances
Format
Online and self-paced in 11 sections and 30 lessons, with Saudi hospital and clinic cases, a knowledge check after each section and a guided action plan
Assessment
A 20-question scenario-based final assessment after the section checks; pass mark 80%
Certificate
Dated certificate of completion with the course title, study hours and a unique certificate ID
Best taken with
Medical Liability and Malpractice Course Under Saudi Law if insurance and liability are your main concern; Ethics and Ethical Standards for Doctors in Saudi Arabia for the consent and confidentiality side of physician conduct
Learning time
3 hours of learning, self-paced online on any device, with 12 months of access. Your progress is saved to your account.
Price
SAR 279 for one course. Savings apply automatically in the cart when you buy several.

In short

A physician in the Kingdom is judged on conduct as well as clinical skill. The Law of Practicing Healthcare Professions and its Executive Regulations set binding limits on licence scope, certificates, referral payments and self-promotion. The SCFHS Code of Ethics for Healthcare Practitioners sets wider standards towards patients, colleagues and the profession, and SCFHS rules decide classification, registration and the 60 CPD hours doctors need at re-registration. Many concerns that reach 937, a head of department or MOH begin with something ordinary: a lapsed registration, a clinic owner asking for work outside your specialty, an unreliable night on call, a ward video, a trainee left without support. This course covers the standards behind those situations in eleven sections, shows how a concern travels from the facility to a committee or panel, and ends with a structured reflection and action plan you can keep as evidence.

What you will learn

  • Keep your practice within your SCFHS classification, MOH licence and facility privileges.
  • Plan SCFHS re-registration, CPD and MOH licence renewal so nothing lapses.
  • Meet the Art. 41 malpractice insurance duty and review your cover.
  • Communicate, hand over and raise concerns safely in multinational teams.
  • Supervise residents and teach on patients ethically.
  • Apply the Law and SCFHS Code to conflicts of interest, social media and patient images.

Course overview

Most concerns about doctors in Saudi Arabia are about conduct rather than knowledge: work outside the classified specialty, a lapsed SCFHS registration, starting before a Seha licence transfer is complete, an unreliable night on call, a referral commission or a video filmed on the ward. This course works through each of these against the Law of Practicing Healthcare Professions, its Executive Regulations and the SCFHS Code of Ethics, with realistic cases from Saudi hospitals and clinics.

It is written for general practitioners, residents, registrars, specialists and consultants, Saudi and expatriate, in government and private practice. Eleven sections cover licence scope, registration and CPD, malpractice insurance, honest documents, teamwork, supervision, workplace conduct, fatigue and health, and online conduct, each with a knowledge check, followed by a 20-question scenario assessment and a guided action plan.

Who this course is for

SCFHS-registered, MOH-licensed physicians at all grades.

Physicians
  • Doctors new to practice in Saudi Arabia

    Classification, registration, the Seha licence and facility privileges are separate steps, and skills gained abroad do not widen any of them. The course explains each step and what happens when one lapses.

  • Doctors whose scope or licence has been questioned

    A manager, auditor or licensing officer has asked whether your work matches your classification, licence or insurance. You need the exact rules, a clear account and evidence of what you now check.

  • Consultants and specialists who supervise

    You carry part of the risk for residents you cannot see. The course covers graduated supervision, being easy to call, teaching on patients and the joint liability of institutions for trainees.

  • Residents, registrars and Saudi Board trainees

    You are a licensed practitioner while still being supervised. Calling early, keeping truthful logbooks and holding your own registration and cover current are your duties now.

  • Doctors facing a facility review or committee

    A complaint, incident pattern or online post has led to a review, an investigation or referral. The course sets out the standards each body applies and a way to show insight and change.

  • Physicians preparing for SCFHS re-registration

    You want structured, assessed learning on professional standards, a certificate and a reflection for your portfolio, together with a clear plan for the 60-hour CPD requirement.

The concerns this course addresses

Working outside your specialty or privileges

Art. 9 of the Law stops a physician working outside their specialty except in an emergency, and Art. 2 ties practice to the licence. The pressure is usually practical: a short-staffed list, a clinic owner with patients already booked, or a skill learned abroad that your Saudi classification does not record. MOH cited Arts. 2, 10 and 13 when it suspended an expatriate practitioner for four months in April 2024. Facility privileges can narrow the limit further than classification alone.

Law Arts. 2, 8, 9 and 27; MOH release April 2024; SCFHS classification requirements

Licence, registration and honest credentials

Practising without an MOH licence is prohibited by Art. 2, and the licence depends on current SCFHS registration. Registration lasts two years, a late fine applies once 31 days have passed, and a transfer between facilities must be in force before you see patients. Classification also rests on verified documents, so rounded-up experience or a stretched job title can resurface later. Concerns often surface when Seha rejects an application and exposes a lapse.

Law Arts. 2 and 14; Regs. 3-4 and 3-5; SCFHS re-registration and classification requirements

Malpractice insurance missing or too low

Art. 41 makes cooperative malpractice insurance compulsory for physicians in government and private practice. You pay the premium, your employer must check the cover, and the certificate is needed to license or renew. If cover is missing or too low, the institution pays and may recover the amount from you. Problems tend to follow a change of grade, specialty or employer, when a policy bought earlier is renewed automatically and nobody reads the schedule.

Law Art. 41; Arts. 26 and 27

Reliability, handover and tiredness

The SCFHS Code asks for solidarity and respect towards colleagues, replies to consultation requests and care of your own capacity to work. Concerns usually show up as a pattern in incident reports: slow replies on call, a misheard verbal order, a pending result lost at handover, or a decision made at the end of a double shift. Art. 27 lists failing to consult when needed among its examples of malpractice, so reviewers read the whole pattern.

SCFHS Code Ch. 4 and Ch. 5; Law Art. 27

Supervising or being supervised as a resident

Art. 27 lists poor supervision among the examples of malpractice, and Art. 41 makes institutions jointly liable for trainees. A consultant who discourages night calls, signs off procedures not seen or leaves a first-year resident with a task beyond their level shares the risk. Chapter 8 of the Code adds that patients should know who is involved and may decline teaching. Residents have their own duties: call early and keep truthful logbooks.

Law Arts. 27 and 41; SCFHS Code Ch. 8 and Ch. 9

Company benefits, adverts and ward clips

Art. 12 bars commissions for steering patients and benefits from drug or device companies, and Art. 10 restricts self-promotion, whether done by you or through others. Art. 5 and Reg. 3-5 require written consent and facility approval before procedures are photographed or published. MOH has acted on ward clips and unsupported product claims, and invites the public to report them through 937. A clinic advert naming you can become your problem too.

Law Arts. 5, 10, 12 and 29; Regs. 3-5 and 9-1; SCFHS Code Ch. 10; MOH releases 2024-2026

Detailed course outline

11 sections · 30 lessons · 39 knowledge-check questions · 3 hours of learning

Eleven sections move from the framework and your licence limits, through registration, insurance and CPD, to teamwork, supervision, conduct, health and online behaviour, and finish with your own plan. Each section closes with a knowledge check.

  1. 1What professionalism means for a doctor in Saudi Arabia3 lessons · 4 checks

    Professionalism as observable behaviour, who judges it, how the Law and the SCFHS Code overlap, and how a concern travels from 937 or an incident report to a committee, with outcomes from no action to cancellation.

    • 1.1
      Professionalism as everyday behaviour, not a sloganWhy professionalism matters as much as clinical skill · Who judges your professionalism
    • 1.2
      The legal and ethical framework for Saudi physiciansThe Law of Practicing Healthcare Professions · The SCFHS Code of Ethics for Healthcare Practitioners
    • 1.3
      How professional concerns arise and where they leadWhere concerns come from · What a formal process looks like
    • Section 1 knowledge check4 scenario questions with feedback on every answer
  2. 2Working within your SCFHS classification and MOH licence3 lessons · 4 checks

    How SCFHS classification, registration, the MOH licence in Seha and facility privileges set your limits, Art. 9 on work outside your specialty, and the emergency exception under Arts. 8 and 9.

    • 2.1
      Classification, registration and your professional degreeTwo steps at SCFHS · Why verification is part of professionalism
    • 2.2
      Your MOH licence, Seha and your facility's roleThe licence conditions · How Seha works for practitioners
    • 2.3
      Practising outside your specialty: the rule and the emergency exceptionWhat “outside your specialty” means in practice · The emergency exception
    • Section 2 knowledge check4 scenario questions with feedback on every answer
  3. 3Registration, renewal and honest credentials3 lessons · 4 checks

    The two-year registration cycle, renewal window, late fine and CPD check; honest credentials and certificates; and records, prescriptions, dated corrections and the risk of sharing a login.

    • 3.1
      Keeping your SCFHS registration valid through Mumaris PlusThe renewal cycle · CPD at re-registration
    • 3.2
      Honest documents, declarations and credentialsWhere honesty is tested · How honest people drift
    • 3.3
      Records, prescriptions and the professional paper trailWhat the Code expects · What the Law adds
    • Section 3 knowledge check4 scenario questions with feedback on every answer
  4. 4Malpractice insurance and accountability for harm2 lessons · 3 checks

    What Art. 41 requires, what a policy schedule should show, how liability arises under Arts. 26 and 27, the Sharia Health Panel, and an honest, humane response to a patient after harm.

    • 4.1
      The compulsory malpractice insurance dutyWhat Art. 41 requires · What insurance covers and what it does not
    • 4.2
      Accountability for harm: liability, panels and honest responseWhen liability arises · The Sharia Health Panel
    • Section 4 knowledge check3 scenario questions with feedback on every answer
  5. 5CPD, the 60-hour requirement and staying competent3 lessons · 4 checks

    Art. 7 and the 60-hour requirement for doctors, how hours from CPD activities registered with SCFHS reach Mumaris Plus, the recognition service, evidence rules, and audit and feedback to keep competence honest.

    • 5.1
      The CPD duty in law and the SCFHS requirement for doctorsThe legal basis · The SCFHS figures
    • 5.2
      Choosing and recording CPD that countsSCFHS-registered activities and recognition · Evidence that meets SCFHS rules
    • 5.3
      Competence beyond CPD: feedback, audit and knowing your limitsEvidence about your own practice
    • Section 5 knowledge check4 scenario questions with feedback on every answer
  6. 6Teamwork in multinational hospitals3 lessons · 3 checks

    Chapter 4 duties to colleagues, consultation requests between specialties, SBAR and structured handover, interpreters, read-back of verbal orders, clinical disagreement and raising a concern about a colleague.

    • 6.1
      Respect and solidarity with colleaguesWhat the Code expects · Consultation requests between specialties
    • 6.2
      Communication, handover and languageStructured communication · Handover · Language · Telephone and verbal orders
    • 6.3
      Disagreement, conflict and raising concerns about colleaguesClinical disagreement · Workplace conflict · Raising a concern about a colleague
    • Section 6 knowledge check3 scenario questions with feedback on every answer
  7. 7Supervising residents and teaching on patients3 lessons · 3 checks

    The legal frame for supervision, graduated oversight, being easy to call, teaching on patients with agreement, students and recordings, and the resident's duties on limits and truthful training records.

    • 7.1
      The supervising doctor's responsibilitiesThe legal frame · Graduated supervision
    • 7.2
      Teaching and learning on patients ethicallyPrinciples · Teaching in outpatient clinics and primary care · Students, observers and recordings
    • 7.3
      Being supervised: the resident's professional dutiesKnowing your limits and calling early · Honesty in training records
    • Section 7 knowledge check3 scenario questions with feedback on every answer
  8. 8Workplace conduct, culture and conflicts of interest3 lessons · 4 checks

    Reliability, respect and non-discrimination, harassment, modesty, chaperones and family involvement in consent, fasting and prayer, and Art. 12 with Chapter 10 on gifts, commissions and private work.

    • 8.1
      Conduct at work: reliability, respect and harassmentReliability · Respect and non-discrimination · Harassment
    • 8.2
      Religious and cultural context, modesty and chaperonesReligious observance · Modesty, gender and chaperones · Family involvement and consent · Fasting, prayer and end of life
    • 8.3
      Private practice, gifts and conflicts of interestWhat the Law prohibits · What the SCFHS Code adds
    • Section 8 knowledge check4 scenario questions with feedback on every answer
  9. 9Fatigue, health and fitness to work2 lessons · 3 checks

    How fatigue causes error, extra shifts and driving home, working across sites, medical fitness as a licence condition, burnout, the risk of self-prescribing and routes to confidential help.

    • 9.1
      Fatigue and patient safetyHow fatigue causes error · Professional responsibility · Driving home and working across sites
    • 9.2
      Your health, fitness to practise and seeking helpHealth and the licence · Burnout and stress
    • Section 9 knowledge check3 scenario questions with feedback on every answer
  10. 10Social media, advertising and public statements3 lessons · 4 checks

    Art. 10 and Chapter 10 on self-promotion and titles, facility marketing that names you, the photography rule under Art. 5, MOH enforcement cases, messaging apps and calm replies to online criticism.

    • 10.1
      The legal limits on self-promotion and advertisingThe Law and Executive Regulations · The SCFHS Code · Facility marketing that names you
    • 10.2
      Patient privacy online and the photography ruleThe rules · What MOH has done
    • 10.3
      Safe habits for doctors onlinePractical rules · Messaging apps · Online criticism and advice requests · Health information for the public
    • Section 10 knowledge check4 scenario questions with feedback on every answer
  11. 11Reflection and professional action planning2 lessons · 3 checks

    A structured self-review across every area of the course, a reflective model, and a short action plan with dates, measures and the evidence you will keep.

    • 11.1
      Reviewing your professional practiceA structured self-review · Using a reflective model
    • 11.2
      Your personal professionalism action planWriting goals that work · Evidence · Building the plan
    • Section 11 knowledge check3 scenario questions with feedback on every answer
  12. Final assessment: 20 scenario-based questions, 80% to passthen your certificate

Knowledge checks, final assessment and certificate

Knowledge checks

39questions across the sections

  • A short check at the end of every section
  • Feedback that explains why each answer is right or wrong
  • Use them to find gaps before the final assessment

Final assessment

20scenario-based questions

  • Pass mark 80%: 16 correct out of 20
  • Tests whether you can apply the rules, not recall a page
  • Not passed yet? Review the sections and retake it

What the final scenarios test

  • Starting shifts before a licence transfer is complete
  • Renewal timing, CPD recognition and void liability waivers
  • Sick leave requests that the assessment does not support
  • Teaching consent, chaperones and self-promotion online

Certificate of completion

A dated certificate of completion for your learning portfolio. It records the course, the hours of learning and your result; SCFHS decides how any learning counts towards your registration.

  • Your name, the course title and the hours of learning
  • Completion date and a unique certificate ID that can be verified
  • Ready to download as a PDF as soon as you complete the course

How practitioners use it

  • A dated record of focused learning on professional standards, placed beside your written reflection when a head of department or medical affairs office asks what you have done since a concern.
  • Material for your malpractice insurer or lawyer when they prepare a reply to a facility review, an MOH investigation or a committee.
  • An entry for your CPD portfolio before re-registration, with notes on what you changed; SCFHS decides how any learning counts.
  • A starting point for supervision or mentoring meetings about workload, teamwork and online conduct.

Your reflective account template

The course includes a structured reflective account template: guided prompts to record what you learned, how you will apply it and how the change will show in your practice. It gives you written evidence of insight after a concern, and a ready record for your CPD portfolio.

Section 11 guides a structured self-review of your professional practice using a reflective model, then a personal action plan with goals, evidence and dates.

Write it in your own words and leave out anything that could identify a patient, a colleague or a case. If you have an open complaint or case, talk to your adviser before reflecting on it in writing.

From licence conditions to daily conduct: how Saudi rules make professionalism enforceable

In many health systems professionalism is judged through appraisal and reputation. In Saudi Arabia a good part of it is written into conditions that are checked repeatedly. Art. 2 of the Law of Practicing Healthcare Professions makes practice without an MOH licence unlawful, and the licence depends on a recognised qualification, internship, medical fitness, SCFHS registration and no conviction for a crime against honour or trust. SCFHS registers practitioners for two years and checks CPD hours at renewal, while the facility applies for, renews and transfers your licence in Seha, which pulls in SCFHS data. A gap in one record therefore appears in another.

Duties then attach to the licence. Art. 9 forbids work outside your specialty except in emergencies, and Art. 8 requires emergency care and transfer where you cannot treat. Art. 27 lists examples of malpractice that include poor supervision and failing to consult when needed, and Art. 41 requires malpractice cover. A separate group of prohibited acts, in Arts. 10, 12, 13 and 14, covers self-promotion, referral commissions, unlicensed premises and false sick leave, with fines of up to SAR 50,000 under Art. 29 for most of them.

The SCFHS Code of Ethics for Healthcare Practitioners fills the space between those rules. Chapter 4 deals with colleagues, Chapter 5 with duties to yourself, Chapter 8 with teaching on patients, Chapter 9 with documentation and Chapter 10 with money, gifts and advertising. MOH calls the Code a Health Practitioner Ethics Guide and has said that photographing patients in breach of it can lead to licence cancellation, so it is applied in enforcement and not only taught.

Facility policy and your contract sit beneath both. They set rosters, clinical privileges, conduct and escalation, and they are usually the first place a concern is examined. The layers overlap on purpose. A ward video engages Art. 5 and Reg. 3-5, the Code's rule on patient images, the confidentiality duty in Art. 21 and, because health data is sensitive data, the Personal Data Protection Law. MOH has also cited the Anti-Cybercrime Law in social media cases. One act can therefore be reviewed under several headings at once.

Investigators tend to read behaviour as a pattern. They ask which duty applied, what the record shows, whether your credentials matched the work, and what you have done since. A doctor who can name the article, explain why it exists and show a dated change in practice gives a reader a reason to treat the risk as dealt with. The English text MOH publishes is a translation, so check the Arabic wording with medical affairs when a particular article matters to your case.

Responding to a concern about your professional conduct

A concern about scope, reliability or online conduct can feel personal, but reviewers mostly want a clear account and evidence of change. These steps keep your reply factual and complete.

  1. Take advice and note every deadline

    Contact your insurer, medical affairs office or a lawyer before writing. Record the date of any letter, ask early for more time if needed, and do not alter or add to old records.

    In the course: Section 4 covers notifying your insurer; Section 1 explains who handles each type of concern.

  2. Pin down the exact standard

    Identify the licence condition, article, Code chapter or facility policy that applied, and read it in full rather than relying on a colleague's summary.

    In the course: Sections 2, 3 and 8 to 10 set out the rules on scope, credentials, conduct and online behaviour.

  3. Check your own dates and credentials

    Compare your registration, licence and insurance expiry dates, and your classification, with the work you were doing. Fix any gap straight away and keep proof.

    In the course: Sections 2, 3 and 4 show where each date comes from.

  4. Write a short factual account

    Say what happened, your role and what you did, without blaming others. Acknowledge the effect on patients or colleagues and avoid naming people unnecessarily.

    In the course: Section 3 covers records and honesty; Section 4 covers an honest response after harm.

  5. Show what has changed

    List specific changes, with start dates and how they are checked: a renewal sheet, a handover tool, a corrected profile, a supervision agreement, a reflective note.

    In the course: Section 11 helps you write actions with dates and the evidence you will keep.

This page is general information, not legal advice. Before you reply to your facility, MOH, the Violations Committee or the Sharia Health Panel, speak to your malpractice insurer, your facility's medical affairs office or a lawyer.

How structured learning fits a concern about conduct

  • It links behaviour to its source

    Instead of saying you will be more careful, you can name the article or Code chapter involved and explain what it protects. That reads as understanding rather than apology.

  • It checks your credentials against your work

    Reviewing classification, licence, registration and insurance together shows whether the concern is isolated or a sign that your records and practice have drifted apart.

  • It matches the remedy to the cause

    A lapse in knowledge, a pressure on rosters and a weak system call for different responses. The course helps you choose learning, supervision or a process change that fits.

  • It ends in a dated plan

    The final section produces actions with dates and evidence, which you can review with a mentor or head of department at three and six months.

Remediation evidence that carries weight

Carries weight

  • A reflection in your own words naming the duty that applied, why it exists and who was affected
  • A dated renewal sheet showing registration, licence and insurance expiry dates, checked at set intervals
  • Your insurance schedule matched to your current grade, specialty and employer
  • A short audit of your handovers, certificates or notes over a stated period
  • Notes from supervision or mentoring meetings where the concern was discussed
  • A corrected profile, advert or logbook with before-and-after copies
  • Feedback from a head of department or charge nurse describing changed practice over time

Carries little weight

  • A certificate with no link to the concern
  • Statements that you have never had a problem before
  • Long quotations from the Law with no application to your case
  • Arguing that managers, owners or rosters made you do it
  • Saying colleagues in the department behave the same way
  • Promises to be more careful with no named change
  • A reflection that could describe any doctor in any complaint

A remediation plan, phase by phase

  1. Weeks 1-2

    Advice, dates and facts

    • Speak to your insurer, medical affairs office or a lawyer and note every deadline.
    • Write a private chronology from the record, not from memory alone.
    • Check your registration, licence and insurance dates against the work you were doing.

  2. Weeks 2-6

    Learn the standard and reflect

    • Complete the course and mark the sections that match your concern.
    • Draft a reflective account using the What, So what, Now what pattern.
    • Review the draft with your adviser before it goes to anyone else.

  3. Weeks 6-12

    Change practice and keep proof

    • Put the main change in place, such as a renewal sheet or structured handover.
    • Ask a senior colleague with no stake in the matter to review your work monthly.
    • Keep dated examples of the change in use.

  4. Months 3-12

    Sustain and review

    • Add one professionalism goal with a measure to your CPD plan.
    • Recheck all expiry dates every quarter.
    • Update your reflection at six months with what worked and what did not.

Writing your reflective statement

  1. Set out the event

    State what happened, when, your role and the outcome, leaving out names and file numbers.

    Example only: As a family physician in Dammam, I moved from a polyclinic to a hospital post and began clinics while my malpractice cover had lapsed during the move.

  2. Name the pressures behind your choices

    Say what was competing for your attention and which assumptions you made at the time.

    Example only: I was settling into a new department, assumed the old arrangement had carried over and expected human resources to chase the certificate.

  3. Identify the standard that applied

    Cite the article, Code chapter or policy and explain in a sentence why it exists.

    Example only: Art. 41 makes cover compulsory for physicians and requires the certificate for licensing, so the duty to hold it sits with me as well as my employer.

  4. Acknowledge who was affected

    Describe the effect on patients, colleagues and the service, without minimising it.

    Example only: For three weeks my patients were seen by a doctor whose cover could not be shown, and my head of department had to explain the gap to the licensing office.

  5. Say what you learned

    Be specific about what you did not know or had stopped checking.

    Example only: I tracked my registration date but never my insurance date, and I had not realised that a change of employer calls for a fresh look at the schedule.

  6. Describe the changes and how they are checked

    List each change, when it started and who or what checks it.

    Example only: I keep one renewal sheet for registration, licence and cover, review it each quarter, and send any new schedule to medical affairs within a week of a job change.

The example sentences describe an invented case and show structure only. Your own account has to be honest and based on your record.

A weak and a strong response, side by side

Illustrative case. A consultant physician in a private hospital in Al Khobar learns that the hospital's online adverts call her the leading specialist in a treatment outside her classification. A reader reports the advert through 937 and the hospital asks for her account.

Weak responseStrong response
I did not write the advert and the marketing team never showed it to me. Plenty of doctors are described in similar terms. The treatment is safe and my patients are happy with it. The person who reported it has no medical knowledge. I will ask marketing to be more careful.The advert named me for a treatment my SCFHS classification does not cover, and I had never asked to see the marketing text. Art. 10 restricts self-promotion done through others and bars unearned titles, so I should have checked it. I have asked in writing for the advert to be withdrawn, matched my profile to my classification, and agreed with medical affairs that I will review any material naming me before release. I record each review and will bring the log to my quarterly meeting with my head of department.

Why the second one works: The strong reply accepts a share of responsibility, cites the duty, and describes steps that can be checked. The weak reply blames others, compares itself with other doctors, dismisses the reporter and promises nothing a reader could verify.

Mistakes practitioners make when responding

Blaming human resources or the clinic owner

Facilities handle the paperwork, but you are the one who practises. A reply that moves all responsibility to others suggests the risk remains.

Relying on skills gained elsewhere

Experience in a previous country is not a Saudi classification or a facility privilege, and a short overseas course does not change either.

Writing a long essay on professionalism

Reviewers want facts, the duty involved and dated change, not general views about the profession.

Correcting records after a complaint

Adding text to an old entry looks like concealment. Leave the original and use the facility's process for a dated statement.

Submitting learning with no link to the concern

A pile of unrelated certificates shows time spent, not understanding of the standard in question.

Leaving out dates and measures

A change without a start date and a check is hard for anyone to rely on.

The rules this course works through

References are to the Law of Practicing Healthcare Professions and its Executive Regulations and to the SCFHS Code, as covered in the course.

  • Art. 2

    Licence and registration

    No practice without an MOH licence. The licence needs a recognised qualification, internship, medical fitness and SCFHS registration, and renewal must be applied for at least one month before expiry.

    In the course: Sections 2 and 3 cover Seha, transfers and the SCFHS renewal cycle.

  • Art. 9

    Interest of the patient and scope

    Act in the patient's interest, avoid unnecessary procedures and do not work outside your specialty except in emergencies.

    In the course: Section 2 applies this to rotas, clinic owners and privileges.

  • Art. 41

    Compulsory malpractice insurance

    Cooperative cover is compulsory for physicians and dentists, the certificate is needed to license or renew, and the institution may recover from you where cover is missing or too low.

    In the course: Section 4 explains reading your own schedule.

  • Art. 27

    Examples of malpractice

    Examples include lacking expected skill, poor supervision and failing to consult when needed. Clauses limiting a practitioner's liability are void.

    In the course: Sections 4, 5 and 7 apply it to competence and supervision.

  • Art. 12

    Commissions and company benefits

    No rewards for steering patients and no benefits from drug or device companies; breaches carry fines of up to SAR 50,000 under Art. 29.

    In the course: Section 8 sets this beside Chapter 10 of the Code.

  • Art. 10

    Self-promotion and titles

    No self-advertising except as the Regulations allow, directly or through others, and no unearned titles on signs, cards, prescriptions or adverts.

    In the course: Section 10 includes the MOH cases from 2024 to 2026.

Also relevant: Art. 5 and Reg. 3-5 on photographing procedures; Art. 7 on keeping knowledge current; Art. 8 on emergency care; Arts. 14 and 15 on false sick leave and certificates; Art. 21 on confidentiality; SCFHS Code Ch. 4, 8, 9 and 10; the Personal Data Protection Law.

How this applies in each physician setting

Government hospital wardsRegistrars, specialists and consultants on rota

Night calls, handover of pending results, graduated supervision and honest logbooks are daily tests. Incident reports build a pattern that reviewers read together.

Emergency and acute medicineEmergency departments and admission units

Art. 8 emergency duties sit beside tight limits on work outside your specialty. Extra shifts after a full day raise fatigue risk that you are expected to judge yourself.

Surgery and procedural specialtiesTheatres, endoscopy and day-surgery units

Privileges decide which procedures you may perform independently. New techniques need privileging and proctoring first, and filming theatre work needs written consent and facility approval.

Primary care and private polyclinicsHealth centres and owner-run clinics

Owners may ask for services beyond your classification, and sick leave requests test honesty. Clinic marketing that names you is also your concern under Art. 10.

Training programmesSaudi Board and service posts

Residents must call early, be truthful in logbooks and keep their own registration current. Supervisors must be available and welcome calls.

How a concern about a physician is handled

A concern about professional conduct may start informally or as a formal claim. The stages below describe the usual route under the Law and its Executive Regulations.

  1. Report or claim

    A patient or relative contacts the facility or 937, a colleague files an incident report, a licensing check fails, or a person harmed, their guardian or heirs files a claim with the facility or the regional health affairs director.

  2. Facility review

    Medical affairs or a department head may ask for your account, check credentials and read the record. Ask for the policy that applies and keep your reply factual.

  3. Investigation

    In a formal case the investigating body takes your statement and prepares a committee report. The Law expects this within 30 days, extendable once by 30 days, and a travel bar of 30 days plus 30 may apply, which you can object to.

  4. Dismissal or referral

    Where evidence is insufficient the investigator may recommend dismissal. Otherwise the case goes to the Sharia Health Panel for compensation, death or loss of an organ or its function, or to the Committee for Violations of the Law for other breaches such as practice outside specialty or advertising.

  5. Hearing and appeal

    Notices are served through your employer, and electronic notices and hearings are allowed. Panel and committee decisions can be appealed to the Board of Grievances within 60 days, and a ministerial suspension within 30 days.

Possible outcomes and what they mean for you

These outcomes come from the Law and MOH releases. Whether any applies depends on the facts, and no course can predict it.

OutcomeWhat it isWhat it means for you
Dismissal or no actionThe evidence is insufficient or the matter is settled within the facility.More likely where the facts are clear and you have already put the issue right.
WarningA disciplinary penalty under Art. 32.Seen where a lapse was real but isolated.
FineUp to SAR 10,000 as discipline (Art. 32); up to SAR 50,000 for breaches of Arts. 10, 12, 13 and listed parts of 14 (Art. 29); up to SAR 20,000 for others (Art. 30).Referral commissions, self-promotion and false sick leave fall in the higher band.
CompensationDiya, arsh or other compensation set by the Sharia Health Panel where harm is proven.Usually met through compulsory malpractice cover or the employer, so your policy matters.
Temporary suspensionThe Minister may suspend where there is evidence of a serious violation and risk to patients (Art. 39).MOH suspended a practitioner for four months in April 2024; appeal lies within 30 days.
Licence cancellationCancellation and removal from the register, with no new application for two years (Art. 32).Without a licence, lawful practice ends, and a licence depends on SCFHS registration.
Criminal or cybercrime penaltiesUp to 6 months' imprisonment and/or SAR 100,000 for offences such as practising without a licence (Art. 28); MOH has also cited the Anti-Cybercrime Law in social media cases.Uncommon, but ward clips have led to referral to the competent authorities.

If someone has asked you to complete learning

A facility, head of department or committee may ask a doctor to complete training on professional standards. If the request names a provider, format or number of hours, only the body that made it can say whether this course fits, so send them the outline, the section count, the assessment details and the study time, and ask for written confirmation before you enrol.

When you finish, you will probably be asked for the certificate and a reflection. Use the account template in Section 11, tie it to the specific concern, and keep a dated copy of everything you send.

Using this course as CPD

SCFHS registration runs for two years and CPD hours are checked at each re-registration. For doctors SCFHS lists 60 hours, and consultants are told to check the figure for their group on the registration requirements page. If the hours are incomplete, SCFHS renews for one year only, a concession usable once from your registration date.

Hours from CPD activities registered with SCFHS in the Kingdom normally reach Mumaris Plus once the provider confirms attendance. This course does not award SCFHS CPD hours. SCFHS decides how any learning counts towards your registration; you can apply through the Recognition of CPD Hours service on Mumaris Plus, which SCFHS lists at SAR 100 with a service time of 30 business days.

Whatever SCFHS decides, keep a short note of what you changed after the course. Section 5 helps you plan hours around your real case mix, and Section 11 turns the learning into dated actions.

SCFHS registration renewal

Written for physicians planning re-registration: it explains the renewal cycle and CPD at re-registration in detail. The certificate records 3 hours; SCFHS decides how it counts, and you can apply for recognition through Mumaris Plus.

A 937 complaint or committee case

Where a concern is about scope, conduct, teamwork or online behaviour, the course helps you show you know the standard and have changed. It does not affect any decision; agree its use with your employer or adviser.

Key terms explained

SCFHS
The Saudi Commission for Health Specialties, which classifies and registers practitioners, sets CPD hours and publishes the Code of Ethics.
Mumaris Plus
The SCFHS portal for classification, registration, re-registration and applications to recognise CPD hours.
Seha
The MOH platform through which your employer applies for, renews and transfers your practising licence.
Classification
The SCFHS decision on your profession, specialty and professional degree, based on verified qualifications and experience.
Re-registration
Renewal of SCFHS registration every two years, with CPD hours checked.
Clinical privileges
The procedures and duties a facility allows you to perform, usually set by a credentialing committee.
Article 41 cover
Cooperative malpractice insurance that the Law makes compulsory for physicians and dentists.
937
The MOH service centre and digital portal that records and follows up complaints and reports.
Sharia Health Panel
The judge-chaired panel that hears compensation claims and cases of death or loss of an organ or its function.

FAQالأسئلة الشائعة

Questions about this course

Will this course give me SCFHS CPD hours?

No. The course does not award SCFHS hours. SCFHS decides how any learning counts towards your CPD. You can submit learning through the Recognition of CPD Hours service on Mumaris Plus, which SCFHS says costs SAR 100 and takes 30 business days, and SCFHS will decide based on relevance to your field.

How many CPD hours do doctors need for SCFHS re-registration?

SCFHS lists 60 hours for doctors at re-registration. Its guidance tells consultants to check the requirement for their group on the registration requirements page, so confirm your own figure on Mumaris Plus. If the hours are incomplete, SCFHS says it renews for one year only, a concession that can be used once.

Does the course cover practising outside my specialty?

Yes. Section 2 explains how SCFHS classification, the MOH licence and facility privileges together set your limits, how Art. 9 of the Law restricts work outside your specialty except in emergencies, and how to respond when a manager or clinic owner asks you to take on work you are not classified for.

Is malpractice insurance really compulsory for every doctor?

Art. 41 of the Law makes cooperative malpractice insurance compulsory for physicians and dentists in both government and private practice. The certificate is needed to license or renew, and if cover is missing or too low the institution pays and can recover the amount from the practitioner. Section 4 explains what this means for you.

I am an expatriate doctor new to Saudi Arabia. Is the course suitable?

Yes. It explains how classification, Mumaris Plus, Seha licensing and malpractice insurance work, and where Saudi expectations may differ from those in the country you trained in, such as gender preferences in examination, family involvement in decisions, advertising limits and the rules on filming patients.

Can I take this course after a complaint or a facility review?

Yes. Many doctors use structured learning and reflection to understand the standard in question and to show what they have changed. If a committee, MOH or your employer has asked for particular training, only that body can say whether this course meets the requirement, so check first. The course supports your response; it cannot decide the outcome.

What does the course say about social media?

Section 10 covers Art. 10 of the Law on self-promotion and unearned titles, the SCFHS Code's rules on advertising and media statements, and the rule against photographing or publishing patients without written consent and facility approval. It uses MOH's published enforcement cases from 2024 to 2026 to show how these rules are applied.

How is the course assessed?

Each of the eleven sections ends with a short knowledge check. To finish, you answer 20 scenario-based questions and need 80% to pass, then complete a guided reflection and action plan that you can keep in your portfolio.

Does the course cover fatigue and working across sites?

Yes. Section 9 covers fatigue and patient safety, your responsibility when tired, driving home after nights, and your own health and fitness to practise.

Does it explain chaperones and modesty during examinations?

Section 8 covers religious and cultural context, modesty, gender and chaperones, family involvement in consent, and practice during fasting and prayer times.

Can I use it to plan my renewal if my registration expires soon?

Section 3 explains the renewal cycle and Section 5 the CPD requirement and how hours reach your record, so you can check what is outstanding. Confirm your own position on Mumaris Plus.

What happens if my SCFHS registration expires while I am still working?

An MOH licence cannot be issued or renewed without valid SCFHS registration, so lawful practice is at risk. SCFHS applies a late fine once 31 days have passed and generally needs a new registration after a year. Ask your medical affairs office what you may do while renewal is finished.

Can I start at a new hospital while my Seha licence transfer is pending?

Practice without an MOH licence is prohibited by Art. 2, so ask to see the transfer in Seha and its start date before seeing patients. Section 2 suggests non-clinical induction in the meantime and shows how to put your concern to the medical director in writing.

Does the course explain how to raise a concern about a colleague?

Yes. Section 6 covers the Code's expectation that you report a colleague whose condition may endanger patients, how to make patients safe first, who to tell, and how to keep to facts you observed.

Does the course say what my malpractice policy should show?

Section 4 lists what to check on your certificate and schedule: insurer, expiry date, limit of cover, the grade and specialty it describes, and how and when to notify a claim. It also explains why a change of grade or employer calls for a review.

How this course is written and kept current

The course draws on the Law of Practicing Healthcare Professions and its Executive Regulations as published by MOH, the SCFHS Code of Ethics, SCFHS classification and re-registration pages, the MOH licensing guide, SDAIA guidance on the PDPL and MOH releases. Anything we could not confirm from a primary source has been left out.

Cases are illustrative and describe no real patients or practitioners. When a law, code or SCFHS requirement changes, the affected lessons and questions are reviewed, and reported errors in legal facts are corrected first.

Page updated 2 November 2026

Our editorial standardsAbout usDisclaimer

Primary sources

The laws, codes and pages this page and the course rely on. Always check the current text with the issuing body.

  1. Law of Practicing Healthcare Professions (MOH English text)moh.gov.sa
  2. Executive Regulations of the Law (MOH, Arabic)moh.gov.sa
  3. SCFHS Code of Ethics for Healthcare Practitionersscfhs.org.sa
  4. SCFHS re-registration requirementsscfhs.org.sa
  5. SCFHS professional classification requirementsscfhs.org.sa
  6. SCFHS Mumaris Plus FAQscfhs.org.sa
  7. MOH healthcare licensing guide (Seha)static.moh.gov.sa
  8. MOH release on a four-month suspension (April 2024)moh.gov.sa
  9. MOH release on social media violations (November 2024)moh.gov.sa
  10. MOH 937 services (my.gov.sa)my.gov.sa

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