A.1/1 In addition to the definitions provided by the Law, the following words and expressions, wherever they appear in these Regulations, shall have the meanings assigned to them unless the context requires otherwise:

1. Reproduction Techniques: Every procedure that deals with sex cells or reproductive organs.

2. General Anesthesia: Anesthesia that requires assisted breathing (intubation).

A.2/1 R: Medical reports from centers or units licensed by the Ministry shall be obtained, showing a diagnosis of the case and proving the ability to procreate and the permissibility of medical intervention to treat infertility. No medical intervention shall be performed to treat incurable infertility, such as azoospermia in males or ovarian insufficiency in females.

A.2/2 R: An egg may be collected from a wife who cannot conceive, fertilized with her husband's sperm outside the uterus, and then returned to the uterus again.

A.3/1 The Supervisory Committee shall circulate all the relevant fatwas issued by the Council of Senior Scholars in the Kingdom to the Fertilization, Utero-Fetal and Infertility Treatment Units.

A.3/2 Each Fertilization, Utero-Fetal and Infertility Treatment Unit shall hand over a copy of the fatwa issued by the Council of Senior Scholars in the Kingdom in both Arabic and English to all its employees while keeping a copy of the fatwa at the Unit in a special file for fatwas.

A.3/3 All workers in the Fertilization, Utero-Fetal and Infertility Treatment Units shall read, understand and abide by the fatwas issued by the Council of Senior Scholars in the Kingdom.

A.4/1 It is required to provide proof of subsisting marriage by legal documents before starting treatment. The Unit shall keep a copy of such documents in the case file.

A.4/2 The physician shall stop the fertilization process and immediately refrain from implanting the fertilized egg or transferring the sperm to the wife's uterus if the husband dies - unless there is a written fatwa issued by the Council of Senior Scholars in the Kingdom - or a divorce or dispute has occurred between the spouses. In such cases, the physician shall not fulfill the wish of any or both of them to go on with the fertilization or artificial insemination.

A.4/3 Subject to the exception set out in the previous Article of these Regulations, the physician shall destroy the sperm and eggs, both fertilized and unfertilized, if the husband dies or divorce has taken place.

A.5/1 All necessary precautions, meticulousness and attention shall be taken to ensure that the husband's sperm is not mixed with the sperm of other men, or the wife's eggs are not mixed with those of other women.

A.5/2 No more than three embryos or zygotes shall be returned to the wife's womb in one course of treatment with IVF or ICSI.

A.6/1 The treating physician shall inform the spouses of all medical procedures for their treatment, the risks involved, and the percentage or probability of the success or failure of these procedures. The physician shall hand over to both spouses information booklets related to each stage of treatment.

A.6/2 The spouses shall be informed of the total cost of treatment before starting it.

A.6/3 An explicit written consent shall be obtained from both spouses regarding the method of treatment to which they have been introduced.

A.7/1 Fertilization, Utero-Fetal and Infertility Treatment Units shall ensure that there is no suspicion of mixed sperms and eggs by confirming that the identity and medical record number of both spouses are identical during all stages of treatment.

A.8/1 The transfer of reproductive organs or part thereof is considered a prohibited manipulation of sex cells or genes. This includes interventions on sex cells or genes through micromanipulations that result in modification or change in the genetic characteristics.

A.8/2 An exception to the prohibition set out in the previous article of these Regulations is when the intervention is aimed to treat hereditary or genetic diseases that may affect embryos and can be treated with gene therapy, provided that such an action is approved by the Supervisory Committee before proceeding.

A.8/3 No reproductive organs or any part thereof may be transferred from one person to another without the consent of both parties and the prior approval of the Supervisory Committee.

A.9/1 R. Evidence of the implementation and review of the policies and procedures stating how and when to determine the identity of the patient, embryos and sperm, and who has the authority to do so, shall be submitted, documenting the same during all stages of medical procedures.

A.9/2 R. Evidence of the implementation and review of the process adopted for tracking embryos and sperm during all treatment procedures and in the case of transfer as well shall be provided.

A.9/3 R. Evidence of the regular annual review of the process used for identifying embryos and sperm shall be provided.

A.9/4 R. Reference shall be made to the Supervisory Committee’s Technical Bulletin “Patient and Sample Identification” (Annex No. 2).