Government doctors, dentists to get ‘rare specialty allowance’
The Minister of Health, Dr. Ahmed Abdulwahab Al-Awadhi, has issued a new decision setting clear rules for granting the “rare specialty allowance” to doctors and dentists working in the government sector.
The decision replaces an older provision in the Civil Service Council’s 2010 resolution, introducing updated terms to ensure fair and targeted disbursement, reports Al-Rai daily.
Under the new rules, doctors and dentists can receive the allowance if they meet specific conditions. They must hold a doctoral degree or its equivalent in one of the rare specialties listed in the attached table, or a subspecialty certificate after the main board qualification.
The number of eligible doctors will be determined based on the actual needs shown in the table, and positions must be available and officially approved. Doctors must also be actively practicing their specialization in the designated work location to continue receiving the allowance.
The decision also cancels a previous clause that allowed some doctors without a rare specialty qualification to receive the allowance if they had worked as Senior Registrars for a year in a rare specialty center.
Regarding dual employment, the new rules state that the rare specialty allowance and related increases will be stopped if a doctor works in both the public and private sectors. Payments will resume once the doctor returns to full-time government service, subject to the availability of a vacancy and approval by the technical committee and the Minister of Health.
A special technical committee will be formed by the Ministry’s Undersecretary to assess eligibility, monitor performance, and review the need for rare specialties every three years. The committee can recommend removing any specialty from the rare list if no longer needed and stop the allowance for doctors who no longer qualify.
The rare specialty allowance will officially start being paid from the 2026–2027 budget year, with doctors’ work locations reviewed and adjusted to match available vacancies.
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