Article 9 of the Saudi Advertising Boards Rules
المادة 9 من قواعد تنظيم لوحات الدعاية والإعلان
Article 9 obliges the company or establishment carrying out the advertisement to pay the costs of connecting and consuming electric current and any other related costs according to the laws and instructions.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
تلتزم الشركة أو المؤسسة المنفذة للإعلان بدفع تكاليف إيصال واستهلاك التيار الكهربائي وأية تكاليف أخرى ذات علاقة حسب الأنظمة والتعليمات.
This is the official Arabic wording, the only legally binding version. We do not translate the law itself; the explanation below is ours. Official source: Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers
Article 9 explained in plain English
Article 9 states who bears the electricity costs and related costs for advertising and publicity boards, which is the company or establishment carrying out the advertisement.
This obligation covers three kinds of costs:
- The costs of connecting electric current to the board's site.
- The costs of consuming electric current, that is, the operating bills.
- Any other related costs, according to the laws and instructions.
The importance of this article is that Article 1 lists among the types of boards illuminated and self-changing boards, and the illuminated signage boards of commercial shops, all of which need electricity. So the government body leasing the site does not bear these costs under this text.
The article comes within a series of obligations on advertising companies: Article 8 obliges the licensed company to run a proportion of charitable advertisements free of charge, and Article 10 makes the preparation of the sites and the facilities they need, with their maintenance and cleaning, the responsibility of the company or establishment carrying out the advertisement.
The text does not specify in detail what is meant by the other costs, but refers to the laws and instructions. A person who has a dispute with a leasing body about the costs of the site may consult a lawyer specializing in commercial matters and government contracts.
Practical example
An advertising establishment leased a site for a changing digital screen at an intersection in Khobar. Under this article the establishment bears the cost of bringing electricity to the screen and its monthly consumption bills, and any other related costs according to the laws and instructions.
Translated from our Arabic explanation with machine assistance. For guidance only; it does not replace advice from a lawyer on your situation.
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Frequently asked questions about Article 9 of the Saudi Advertising Boards Rules
Who pays the electricity bill for an advertising board?
The company or establishment carrying out the advertisement, which is obliged to pay the costs of connecting and consuming electric current.
Does the advertising company bear costs other than electricity?
Yes. It is bound to pay any other related costs according to the laws and instructions, which the article does not specify in detail.
More articles on Obligations of Advertising Companies
- Article 8
Article 8 obliges the company or establishment licensed for advertising to run a certain proportion of charitable advertisements free of charge, as the Ministry of Media determines in agreement with the relevant body.
تلتزم الشركة أو المؤسسة المرخص لها بالإعلان بتنفيذ نسبة معينة من الإعلانات ذات الهدف الخيري دون مقابل وذلك وفقًا لما تحدده وزارة الإعلام بالاتفاق مع الجهة ذات ا
- Article 10
Article 10 makes preparing advertising sites and the facilities they need, with their maintenance and cleaning, the responsibility of the company or establishment carrying out the advertisement.
تكون مسئولية الشركة أو المؤسسة المنفذة للإعلان تجهيز المواقع وما يلزم لها من منشآت مع صيانتها ونظافتها.
- Article 11
Article 11 obliges the company or establishment carrying out the advertisement to repair boards damaged by traffic accidents or natural factors and remove the debris immediately and within no more than 24 hours.
إذا تعرضت لوحات الدعاية والإعلان لحوادث مرورية أو عوامل طبيعية فعلى الشركة أو المؤسسة المنفذة للإعلان إصلاحها ورفع المخلفات الناتجة عن الحوادث فورًا وخلال مدة ل
- Article 16
Article 16 requires every licensee to observe the requirements of security and safety and not to disfigure natural scenery when placing the advertisement.
يجب على كل مرخص له أن يراعي مقتضيات الأمن والسلامة وعدم تشويه المناظر الطبيعية عند وضع الإعلان.
- Article 17
Article 17 requires every advertising licensee to observe, in applying these Rules, the decisions on encouraging local products and services and advertising them.
يجب على كل مرخص له بالإعلان أن يراعي في تطبيق هذه القواعد القرارات الخاصة بتشجيع المنتجات والخدمات المحلية، والإعلان عنها.
The texts are reproduced from the official website of the Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers for reference; where they differ, the officially published Arabic text prevails. This content is not legal advice.