In force Last amended 27/10/1447 AH
Saudi Anti-Money Laundering Law
نظام مكافحة غسل الأموال
The Anti-Money Laundering Law of Saudi Arabia. This page presents the official Arabic text of each article with plain-English explanations for residents and businesses.
- Articles
- 51
- In force
- 51
- Amended
- 7
- Issued
- 5/2/1439 AH
Issued by: مرسوم ملكي رقم (م/20) وتاريخ 1439/2/5هـ · قرار مجلس الوزراء رقم (80) وتاريخ 1439/2/4
Each article shows the official Arabic text, which is the only legally binding version, followed by our plain-English explanation.
Browse Anti-Money Laundering Law by topic
Definitions in the Anti-Money Laundering Law3 articlesThe Money Laundering Offense4 articlesRisk Assessment and Due Diligence5 articlesCorrespondent Relationships and Wire Transfers2 articlesRecord Keeping and Internal Controls3 articlesReporting Suspicious Transactions1 articleGeneral Directorate of Financial Intelligence6 articlesCustoms Declaration of Funds1 articleSupervisory Authorities and Sanctions3 articlesPenalty for Money Laundering5 articlesMitigating the Penalty for Money Laundering2 articlesConfiscating Laundered Funds7 articlesInternational Cooperation and Extradition7 articlesPrecautionary Seizure and Investigation7 articles
Articles of the Saudi Anti-Money Laundering Law
الفصل الأول: التعريفاتArticles 1–1
الفصل الثاني: التجريمArticles 2–4
- Article 2The article lists the acts that make a person guilty of money laundering, including converting or possessing proceeds or hiding their source with knowledge, attempt and participation.
- Article 3The article provides that a legal person is considered to have committed money laundering if it is committed in its name or on its behalf, while criminal liability of the related natural persons remains.
- Article 4The article makes the money laundering offense independent of the predicate offense, and provides that intent, knowledge or purpose is established from the objective and factual circumstances of the case.
الفصل الثالث: التدابير الوقائيةArticles 5–16
- Article 5The article requires financial institutions and designated non-financial businesses and professions to identify, assess, document and continually update their money laundering risks, and to provide reports on them on request.
- Article 6The article prohibits financial institutions from opening or keeping numbered, anonymous or fictitious-name accounts.
- Article 7The article requires financial institutions and designated non-financial businesses and professions to apply due diligence measures to customers according to risk level, with enhanced measures when risk is high.
- Article 8The article requires financial institutions and designated non-financial businesses and professions to determine whether a customer or beneficial owner holds senior public functions, and to apply additional measures to them.
- Article 9The article requires financial institutions to take appropriate measures before entering into correspondent relationships with institutions outside the Kingdom, and bars dealings with a shell bank or anyone who lets it use their accounts.
- Article 10The article requires financial institutions, in wire transfers, to obtain and keep the originator and beneficiary information, and not to execute the transfer if it cannot be obtained.
- Article 11The article requires enhanced due diligence for business relationships and transactions with persons from high-risk countries, and application of the measures set by the Standing Committee for Anti-Money Laundering.
- Article 12The article requires financial institutions and designated non-financial businesses and professions to keep transaction records and due diligence documents for at least ten years, extendable for investigation.
- Article 13The article requires financial institutions and designated non-financial businesses and professions to monitor transactions continuously, scrutinize complex and unusual ones, and keep the examination records for ten years.
- Article 141- على المؤسسات المالية، والأعمال والمهن غير المالية المحددة؛ القيام بالآتي: أ- وضع سياسات وإجراءات وضوابط داخلية لمكافحة غسل الأموال…Amended M/223
- Article 15The article requires financial institutions and designated non-financial businesses and professions, including legal and accounting service providers, to report to the General Department of Financial Intelligence immediately when money laundering is suspected.Amended M/223
- Article 161- يُحظر على المؤسسات المالية، والأعمال والمهن غير المالية المحددة، والمنظمات غير الهادفة إلى الربح، وأي من مديريها أو أعضاء مجالس…Amended M/223
الفصل الرابع: الإدارة العامة للتحريات الماليةArticles 17–22
- Article 17The article sets the General Department of Financial Intelligence as reporting to the Head of State Security, with independence, and as a central body that receives reports, analyzes them and refers results to the competent authorities.
- Article 181- للإدارة العامة للتحريات المالية الحصول مباشرة من مقدم البلاغ على أي معلومة إضافية تعينها على تحليلها، وفي الحالات التي لا تكون فيها…Amended M/223
- Article 19The article lets the General Department of Financial Intelligence refer information and its analysis results to the competent authorities where there are grounds for suspicion, and gives it full authority to exercise its competences independently.
- Article 20The article binds every employee of the General Department of Financial Intelligence and every person answerable to it to keep confidential the information they see in their work, even after their responsibilities end.
- Article 21The article allows the General Department of Financial Intelligence to exchange the information it holds with the competent authorities, and to enter into agreements or memoranda of understanding with them to facilitate exchange and cooperation.
- Article 22The article allows the General Department of Financial Intelligence to exchange information with counterpart foreign bodies and enter into arrangements with them, after obtaining an undertaking to use the information only for the purpose it was requested.
الفصل الخامس: الإقرار الجمركيArticles 23–23
الفصل السادس: الرقابةArticles 24–25
- Article 24The article sets the powers of supervisory authorities in collecting information, examination, risk assessment, issuing instructions, international cooperation, applying fit and proper procedures and keeping statistics.
- Article 25The article sets the measures and penalties the supervisory authority may impose on discovering a violation of the law or the regulations, from a warning and a fine up to SAR 5,000,000 to withdrawal of the license.
الفصل السابع: العقوباتArticles 26–32
- Article 26The article sets the basic penalty for money laundering: imprisonment of two to ten years, or a fine not exceeding SAR 5,000,000, or both.
- Article 27The article raises the money laundering penalty to imprisonment of three to fifteen years or a fine up to SAR 7,000,000 or both, if the offense is accompanied by one of seven circumstances.
- Article 28The article bars a Saudi sentenced to imprisonment for money laundering from traveling for a period equal to the sentence, and requires deporting a convicted non-Saudi after the sentence and barring entry except for Hajj or Umrah.Amended M/223
- Article 29The article allows a reduced penalty for a money laundering offender who reports the offense to the authorities before they learn of it, or reports his accomplices, and whose report leads to seizing them or the funds, instrumentalities or proceeds.
- Article 30The article allows reducing the money laundering penalty to imprisonment of one to seven years or a fine up to SAR 3,000,000, for someone who, after the authorities learn of the offense, takes the initiative to provide useful information not obtainable another way.
- Article 31The article punishes a legal person that commits money laundering with a fine up to SAR 50,000,000 and not less than twice the value of the funds, with the possible additional penalties of barring it from its activity, closing its offices or liquidating it.
- Article 32The article allows a money laundering conviction to include publishing a summary of the judgment at the convicted person's expense in a local newspaper or other suitable means, after the judgment becomes final.
الفصل الثامن: المصادرةArticles 33–37
- Article 33The article sets what is confiscated by court judgment on conviction for money laundering or a predicate offense, including funds disproportionate to lawful income, while protecting bona fide third parties and voiding acts that obstruct recovery.Amended M/223
- Article 34The article requires the competent court to order confiscation of funds connected to a money laundering offense without conviction, if the offender cannot be tried because of death, flight, absence or unknown identity.
- Article 35The article provides for confiscating other funds of equal value from the offender if the funds connected to the offense cannot be confiscated, and completing the value of the proceeds from his other funds if the confiscated amount is less.
- Article 36The article provides that confiscated funds revert to the public treasury unless another law provides otherwise, remaining burdened, up to their value, with the lawfully established rights of bona fide third parties.
- Article 37The article allows the competent authority, after a confiscation judgment, to dispose of confiscated funds, proceeds or instrumentalities not required to be destroyed under the law, or share them with states that have valid agreements with the Kingdom.
الفصل التاسع: التعاون الدوليArticles 38–42
- Article 38The article allows the competent authorities to address counterpart foreign bodies, exchange information with them and carry out inquiries on their behalf, under a valid agreement or reciprocity.
- Article 39The article allows the competent authorities, at the request of another state under a valid agreement or reciprocity, to provide assistance in money laundering and predicate offense cases, such as tracing, freezing and confiscating funds.
- Article 40The article allows the competent authorities to recognize and enforce a final foreign court judgment confiscating funds connected to money laundering or a predicate offense, under specified conditions.
- Article 41The article allows receiving and surrendering an accused or convicted person in a money laundering offense under a valid agreement or reciprocity, and provides for trial in the Kingdom if the extradition request is refused.
- Article 42The article provides that the Standing Committee for Mutual Legal Assistance Requests is the body that receives assistance requests relating to money laundering offenses and the related predicate offenses.
الفصل العاشر: أحكام عامةArticles 43–51
- Article 43The article allows the Public Prosecution to request records, documents and information from any person or body, requiring the recipient to comply accurately without delay and not to disclose the request except in specified cases.
- Article 44The article allows the Public Prosecution to order the freezing of funds subject to possible confiscation for a period not exceeding 60 days without prior notice, extendable by court order.
- Article 45The article allows the Public Prosecution to issue a warrant permitting entry into and search of homes, offices and the reporting entity's premises in money laundering and predicate offenses, and permits it without a warrant in necessity.
- Article 46The article allows the Public Prosecution to issue a reasoned order to monitor, record and intercept communications, messages and computer data in money laundering and predicate offenses, without prior warning.
- Article 47The article provides that the competent court decides all the offenses set out in the Anti-Money Laundering Law.
- Article 48The article makes investigation and prosecution before the competent court in the law's offenses the responsibility of the Public Prosecution, and allows it to issue rules and guidance for the bodies under its supervision.
- Article 49The article assigns to criminal investigation officers, each within their jurisdiction, searching, inquiry and collecting evidence in the law's offenses, and criminal and administrative pursuit to identify, trace and freeze proceeds and instrumentalities.
- Article 50The article provides that the head of State Security issues and amends the regulations, in agreement with the Minister of Finance, the Attorney General and the Governor of the Saudi Central Bank.Amended M/223
- Article 51The article provides that this Law replaces the Anti-Money Laundering Law issued by Royal Decree (M/31) dated 11/5/1433 AH, and takes effect the day after its publication in the Official Gazette.
A question about the Saudi Anti-Money Laundering Law?
Describe what happened and specialist lawyers answer. You can write in English.
- Completely free
- Lawyers from the directory answer
- Your name stays hidden
Need a lawyer who knows the Saudi Anti-Money Laundering Law?
Describe your situation briefly and we'll suggest a lawyer who specialises in this law, free and with no commitment.