Article 20 of the Saudi Anti-Money Laundering Law

المادة 20 من نظام مكافحة غسل الأموال · الفصل الرابع: الإدارة العامة للتحريات المالية

The 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.

Official text (Arabic)

This article has not been amended since the law was issued.

على كل موظف يعمل في الإدارة العامة للتحريات المالية، أو أي شخص مسؤول أمامها، الالتزام بسرية المعلومات التي يطلع عليها ضمن نطاق أداء واجباته حتى بعد انتهاء مسؤولياته.

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 20 explained in plain English

This article places a duty of confidentiality on those who handle sensitive information within the General Department of Financial Intelligence, the body that receives and analyzes reports and information relating to money laundering.

Who is covered by the duty?

Every employee who works in the General Department of Financial Intelligence.
Every person answerable to it, even if not an employee of it.

What is its scope? It covers the information a person sees in the course of performing their duties.

When does it end? It does not end when the work ends; it expressly states that it continues even after their responsibilities end, so someone who has left work at the Department remains bound not to disclose what they saw.

The importance of this provision is that the Department receives precise financial and personal information about customers and transactions that may in the end not be shown to be connected to any crime, and under Article 19 it has the power to refer information and its analysis results to the competent authorities where there are grounds for suspicion. Confidentiality therefore protects the owners of the information and protects the integrity of the inquiries at the same time.

The Department exchanges information with the competent authorities under Article 21, an exchange the law regulates. This article does not state a penalty for breaching confidentiality. Anyone who believes their information has been disclosed can consult a lawyer who specializes in criminal cases.

Practical example

Majed worked as an analyst at the General Department of Financial Intelligence and saw reports concerning bank customers, and then moved to a job in the private sector. Majed remains bound to keep confidential what he saw during his work, and may not disclose it to his new employer or anyone else.

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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