The Ministry of Health will determine which transgender patients are eligible for gender reassignment surgery (GRS), said a recent ministry circular.
Decisions will be made according to the recommendations of a specialized medical team after referral to both the health and justice ministers if there are family disputes over the matter.
“The cases that require medical procedures will be carried out only after consent of both parties,” said the circular.
A committee comprising members of the health sector, the Saudi Jurisprudence Society and the Health and Justice Ministries was recently formed to study the issue of such surgeries at any age.
Authorities such as the Health Ministry and Council of Health Services must be notified in these cases.
In addition, a national registry will be established through the introduction of a single official form and health practitioners dealing with these patients in both the private and public health sectors should be notified of pending surgeries.
Medical and clinical tests will then be conducted, after which a report will be issued and reviewed by three consultants in different specialties for individual recommendation.
Transgender surgery procedure set forth
