Article 21 of the Saudi Agriculture Law
المادة 21 من نظام الزراعة
The article requires anyone who discovers an infectious disease, pest or epidemic to report to the Ministry at once, allows declaring quarantine areas and banning movement in them, and the Ministry bears compensation for the consequences of measures.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
1- على كل من يكتشف -من العاملين في القطاع الزراعي أو من غيرهم- وجود أي مرض معدِ أو آفة أو وباء؛ إبلاغ الوزارة مباشرةً فور اكتشافه أو الاشتباه فيه.
2- تتولى الوزارة إعلان مناطق الحجر لمنع انتشار الأمراض أو الآفات أو الأوبئة، بالتنسيق مع وزارة الداخلية، ولها في سبيل ذلك القيام بما يأتي:
أ- منع حركة الأشخاص أو الحيوانات أو وسائل النقل، ومنع نقل أي مادة من مناطق الحجر وإليها.
ب- منع تداول ثروات القطاع الزراعي في مناطق الحجر، ومنع نقلها أو بيعها.
3- تتحمل الوزارة التعويض عن أي تبعات تحدث نتيجة اتخاذ أي تدبير وقائي أو علاجي بشرط التقيد بالتعليمات التي تحددها اللائحة.
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 21 explained in plain English
This article contains three important provisions:
1- Immediate reporting: Anyone who discovers the presence of any infectious disease, pest or epidemic, whether they work in the agricultural sector or not, must report to the Ministry directly upon discovering or suspecting it. The obligation is general and does not require certainty; suspicion is enough.
2- Quarantine areas: The Ministry declares quarantine areas to prevent the spread of diseases, pests or epidemics, in coordination with the Ministry of Interior, and may:
- Ban the movement of persons, animals or means of transport, and ban the transfer of any material from and to quarantine areas.
- Ban the trading of agricultural sector resources in quarantine areas, and their transfer or sale.
3- Compensation: The Ministry bears compensation for any consequences resulting from taking any preventive or treatment measure, provided the instructions set out in the Implementing Regulations are followed.
The condition in paragraph 3 matters in practice: someone harmed by quarantine measures, such as a ban on selling their crop or moving their livestock, is entitled to compensation if they complied with the instructions set out in the Implementing Regulations. The article does not specify the amount of compensation or how it is assessed.
This article is linked to Article 20, which regulates quarantine procedures and centers, and to Article 22, which prohibits moving infected resources without approval.
If you have a specific situation, it is best to consult a lawyer specializing in administrative matters and agricultural laws.
Practical example
A worker on a date palm farm in Al-Qassim discovered signs suspected to be of a serious pest. He must report to the Ministry at once even if he is not sure. If the Ministry declares the area a quarantine area and bans moving offshoots from it, and the farm owner is harmed by that while complying with the instructions, the Ministry bears compensation for those consequences.
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 21 of the Saudi Agriculture Law
Must a suspected agricultural disease be reported?
Yes. Anyone who discovers any infectious disease, pest or epidemic must report to the Ministry directly upon discovering or suspecting it.
What happens in an agricultural quarantine area?
The Ministry may ban the movement of persons, animals or means of transport and the transfer of any material from and to it, and ban the trading, transfer or sale of agricultural sector resources in it.
Do I get compensation because of quarantine measures?
The Ministry bears compensation for any consequences resulting from taking any preventive or treatment measure, provided the instructions set out in the Implementing Regulations are followed.
More articles on Agricultural Quarantine and Epidemic Control
- Article 15
The article requires government bodies and everyone connected with animal resources to cooperate with the Ministry, by providing information, applying measures, reporting diseases and mandatory registration and tagging.
تلتزم الجهات الحكومية المعنية وكل ذي صلة بالثروة الحيوانية أو منتجاتها أو مخلفاتها بالتعاون مع الوزارة بجميع السبل والوسائل الممكنة في سبيل تمكينها من القيام با
- Article 16
The Ministry follows diseases and epidemics affecting agricultural sector resources in other countries, and the Kingdom's representations abroad inform it of the information they have as quickly as possible.
1- تتابع الوزارة الأمراض والأوبئة التي تصيب ثروات القطاع الزراعي في الدول الأخرى. 2- تبلغ ممثليات المملكة في الخارج الوزارة -وفقًا للإجراءات المتبعة وفي أسرع وق
- Article 20
The Ministry regulates quarantine procedures for the agricultural sector and wild organisms to limit diseases, and may establish quarantine centers and operate them directly or through a service provider.
1- تتولى الوزارة تنظيم إجراءات الحجر للقطاع الزراعي وللكائنات الفطرية؛ للحد من دخول الأمراض أو الآفات أو الأوبئة، أو انتشارها، وفقًا للأحكام النظامية ذات الصلة.
- Article 22
The article prohibits moving or trading infected or suspected resources or products without the Ministry's approval, allows taking custody of them, and bars sending samples abroad without approval.
1- يحظر نقل أي من ثروات القطاع الزراعي أو منتجاته المصابة أو المشتبه في إصابتها بأي مرض أو آفة أو وباء، أو تداولها، أو التصرف بها؛ دون موافقة الوزارة. 2- للوزار
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.