Article 32 of the Saudi Agriculture Law
المادة 32 من نظام الزراعة
The Minister or his delegate may suspend any agricultural activity as a precaution when an urgent violation is caught, with referral within 5 days and a review of continued suspension within 10 days.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
للوزير (أو من يفوضه) اتخاذ إجراء احترازي بإيقاف أي نشاط -جزئيًّا أو كليًّا- في حال ضبط أي مخالفة تتطلب إجراء عاجلًا واحترازيًّا؛ وذلك لتفادي وقوع أي ضرر يؤثر في القطاع الزراعي، واتخاذ ما يلزم لإحالة المخالفة إلى المحكمة المختصة أو اللجنة المنصوص عليها في الفقرة (2) من المادة (السادسة والعشرين) من النظام -بحسب الأحوال- خلال (خمسة) أيام من تاريخ الإيقاف؛ على أن تنظر المحكمة أو اللجنة -بحسب الأحوال- خلال مدة لا تتجاوز (عشرة) أيام من تاريخ الإحالة في مدى الحاجة لاستمرار الإيقاف من عدمه؛ وتحدد اللائحة الإجراءات اللازمة لذلك.
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 32 explained in plain English
This article gives the Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture or his delegate the power to take a quick precautionary measure, which is to suspend any activity partially or fully, if a violation requiring urgent and precautionary action is caught, the aim being to avoid harm affecting the agricultural sector.
Because suspension is a temporary measure that precedes deciding the violation, the article set clear time controls:
- The Ministry takes what is necessary to refer the violation to the competent authority within 5 days of the date of suspension.
- The referral is either to the competent court or to the committee provided for in paragraph 2 of Article 26, according to the type of violation. That committee consists of at least three members including a specialist in Sharia or law, and hears violations of the Law, the Implementing Regulations and the license.
- The court or committee considers, within a period not exceeding 10 days of the date of referral, whether continued suspension is needed or it should be lifted.
The article leaves the details of the necessary procedures to the Implementing Regulations. A precautionary suspension therefore does not remain open without oversight, but is subject to review by the deciding body within a short period. Someone whose activity has been suspended and who wants to know their position can consult a lawyer specializing in administrative matters.
Practical example
Ministry inspectors caught a violation at a nursery in Jeddah that they considered could harm the agricultural sector, so the Minister's delegate suspended the nursery's activity partially. The Ministry must refer the violation to the committee or the competent court within 5 days, and the body it is referred to then considers within 10 days whether to continue or lift the suspension.
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 32 of the Saudi Agriculture Law
Can the Ministry suspend a farm before a judgment is issued?
Yes. The Minister or his delegate may suspend any activity partially or fully as a precaution if a violation requiring urgent action is caught, to avoid harm affecting the agricultural sector.
How long does the Ministry have to refer the violation after suspension?
The referral procedures to the competent court or the committee are taken within 5 days of the date of suspension.
When is continued suspension reviewed?
The court or committee considers the need for continued suspension within a period not exceeding 10 days of the date of referral.
Articles this article refers to
More articles on Agriculture Violations and Penalties
- Article 23
The article lists violations of the Law: concealing information or giving it misleadingly to the Ministry or inspectors, obstructing inspectors' work, and violating license conditions and controls.
يعد من مخالفات النظام القيام بأي من الأفعال الآتية: 1- إخفاء معلومات أو بيانات عن الوزارة أو المفتشين، أو تقديمها بشكل مضلل أو غير صحيح. 2- إعاقة عمل المفتشين.
- Article 24
The text regulates Ministry inspectors in catching and investigating violations, the duty to give them access, their powers of stopping, inspection, sampling, custody and closure, and assigning some tasks to companies.
1- يتولى مفتشون -يصدر بتحديدهم قرار من الوزير- مجتمعين أو منفردين ضبط مخالفات أحكام النظام واللائحة، والتحقيق فيها، وإثباتها، وتحدد اللائحة آليات عملهم؛ وذلك دو
- Article 25
A violator of the Law or Implementing Regulations is punished by a fine of up to SAR 15 million, license suspension of up to a year, license cancellation, or facility closure of up to a month; the Minister issues violation tables.
1- دون إخلال بما ورد في المادة (الثامنة والعشرين) من النظام، وأي عقوبة أشد ينص عليها نظام آخر، يعاقب كل من يخالف أي من أحكام النظام أو اللائحة بواحدة -أو أكثر-
- Article 26
The article allows the Ministry to impose a fine of up to SAR 100,000 and a daily fine, establishes committees to decide violations and objections, and allows a grievance before the Administrative Court.
1- دون إخلال بما ورد في الفقرة (2) من هذه المادة، والمادة (الحادية والثلاثين) من النظام، تتولى الوزارة إيقاع عقوبة الغرامة التي لا تزيد على (100.000) مائة ألف ر
- Article 27
The article gives the Article 26 committee power to order the violator to remove the violation, impose a daily fine, double the fine for repeats within 3 years, publish the decision, and request confiscation.
للجنة المشار إليها في المادة (السادسة والعشرين) من النظام ما يأتي: 1- تضمين القرار -الصادر بتحديد العقوبة- النص على إلزام المخالف بإزالة المخالفة. 2- فرض غرامة
- Article 30
Anyone who attempts to violate the Law or Implementing Regulations is punished by no more than half the prescribed penalty, and on repeat by the same penalty prescribed for the violation.
يعاقب من يشرع في مخالفة أي حكم من أحكام النظام أو اللائحة بما لا يتجاوز نصف العقوبة المقرة نظامًا. وفي حال التكرار يعاقب بالعقوبة ذاتها المقررة للمخالفة.
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.