Article 3 of the Saudi Anti-Begging Law
المادة 3 من نظام مكافحة التسول
The article provides for referring a professional beggar to the authority competent to investigate violations of the Law, so legal procedures can be taken against them.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
يحال ممتهن التسول إلى الجهة المختصة بالتحقيق في مخالفات النظام؛ لاتخاذ الاجراءات النظامية اللازمة في حقه.
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 3 explained in plain English
This article moves the person who makes a profession of begging from the arrest stage to the investigation stage. After the Ministry of Interior arrests beggars under Article 2, the professional beggar is referred to the authority competent to investigate violations of the Law, which takes the necessary legal procedures against them.
To understand who falls under the article, one must go back to Article 1, which defines a professional beggar as anyone arrested for the second time or more while begging. The article speaks expressly about referral in the case of professional begging, and does not itself say what happens to someone arrested for the first time.
This provision is linked to Article 4:
- Article 4 requires the Ministry to establish a database of beggars jointly with the Ministry of Interior, in which every begging case that is arrested is recorded, in order to establish the state of professional begging; in other words, this database is what shows that a person has been arrested before.
Anyone referred to investigation in this matter would do well to consult a lawyer specializing in criminal cases to learn their rights during the investigation stage.
Practical example
A man was arrested begging in front of a mosque in Riyadh, and the beggars database showed that he had previously been arrested for the same reason. He is therefore treated as a professional beggar and is referred to the authority competent to investigate, so that the legal procedures can be taken against him.
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 3 of the Saudi Anti-Begging Law
Is every beggar referred to investigation?
The article provides for referring the professional beggar, meaning someone arrested for the second time or more, and does not itself address the position of someone arrested for the first time.
How is it established that a person is a professional beggar?
Article 4 provides for a beggars database in which every begging case that is arrested is recorded, in order to establish the state of professional begging.
More articles on Arresting Beggars and Investigation
- Article 2
The article prohibits begging in all its forms regardless of justification, and makes arresting beggars the responsibility of the Ministry of Interior.
1- يُحظر التسول بصوره وأشكاله كافة، مهما كانت مسوغاته. 2- تختص وزارة الداخلية بالقبض على المتسولين.
- Article 8
The article gives the Public Prosecution responsibility for investigating violations of the Anti-Begging Law and bringing the case before the competent court.
تتولى النيابة العامة التحقيق في المخالفات الواردة في النظام، وإقامة الدعوى أمام المحكمة المختصة.
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.