Saudi Arabia: New Female Footballer Regulations Approved

Gulf News (United Arab Emirates), 15 July 2021: According to local newspaper reports, Saudi Arabia’s Football Association has announced it has approved new female footballer regulations.

The new regulations amend existing regulations.

The amendments will allow a Saudi women’s football league and women’s teams to be created.

They protect the rights of female professional footballers who want to have children during their playing careers.

They include conditions agreed on by FIFA, FIFPRO and other stakeholders. They state female players will be treated the same as men, but they will be entitled to maternity leave during the contract’s term.

They will be paid at least two thirds of the contracted salary unless the local rules or collective agreements provide more favourable terms.

A contract will not be able to state a female player must not be pregnant or get pregnant during its their contractual term.

Their contract may not be suspended during their maternity leave, or deprive them of a maternity rights in general.

It is not clear how long the minimum maternity leave will be nor how long it will last before and after a child is born.

The number of professional players is also not clear and whether amateur players will be allowed to be admitted.

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Saudi Arabia: Banks Should Appoint Anti-commercial Cover-up Official

Saudi Gazette, 14 July 2021: Saudi Arabia’s Central Bank has announced banks should appoint an anti-commercial cover-up official.

They will be responsible for monitoring and reporting suspected cases.

They also have to report the suspected cases to the Director of the Department of Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorist Financing.

A Circular to this effect has been issued.

They should have the relevant expertise and competence in tackling commercial cover-up, money laundering and terrorist financing and in drafting policies and procedures necessary to tackle cover-ups and report these cases.

The policies and procedures include developing technical systems to detect suspected cover-ups as well as creating and developing scenarios for account control to tackle cover-ups.

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Saudi Arabia: Foreign Lawyers to be Allowed to Plead in Courts

Gulf News (United Arab Emirates), 7 July 2021: According to local newspaper reports, Saudi Arabia’s Cabinet has approved a Decision to allow foreign lawyers to plead in courts.

They will have to be licensed in the Kingdom and be basic members of the Saudi Bar Association.

They must have a degree from a Sharia college or a Bachelor of Law from one of the Kingdom’s universities or an equivalent of any of these degrees obtained from abroad, or a post-graduate diploma of legal studies from the Institute of Public Administration. They must also have at least three years of practical legal experience. This period may be reduced to one year for an individual who holds a Master’s degree in Sharia or in law, or an equivalent, or a post-graduate diploma in law for Sharia college graduates. This requirement will not apply to a holder of a doctorate in these specialist fields. They must be of good conduct and not under interdiction and must not have been subjected to any hadd or Qur’anic prescribed punishment or any other sentence in connection with a crime which impugns integrity, except where a minimum of five years has passed since the sentence was issued. Finally, they must be residents of the Kingdom.

They will be able to represent third parties before courts of law, the Board of Grievances and other committees set up by laws, decrees and decisions to consider the cases falling within their respective jurisdictions.

They can also provide consultancy services based on Sharia principles and the rule of law.

The Cabinet Decision has amended a requirement in the Saudi Code of Law Practice for lawyers to be a Saudi to practice law in order to be able to plead before courts.

Previously, law firms could only outsource foreign lawyers as legal advisors.

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