Article 39 of the Saudi Anti-Money Laundering Law
المادة 39 من نظام مكافحة غسل الأموال · الفصل التاسع: التعاون الدولي
The 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.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
للسلطات المختصة -بناءً على طلب من محكمة أو سلطة مختصة في دولة أخرى تربطها بالمملكة اتفاقية سارية أو تبعاً لمبدأ المعاملة بالمثل- أن تُقدم المساعدة في التحقيقات والادعاءات والإجراءات المرتبطة بغسل الأموال والجرائم الأصلية بما في ذلك -على سبيل المثال لا الحصر- المساعدة في تعقّب الأموال أو المتحصلات أو الوسائط المرتبطة بجريمة غسل الأموال أو الجريمة الأصلية والتحفظ عليها ومصادرتها واستردادها أو التسليم المراقب وفق الأنظمة المعمول بها في المملكة، على أن تبين اللائحة أنواع المساعدة الإضافية التي يمكن تقديمها، والشروط التي يجب أن تلبيها الدولة الطالبة، والإجراءات التي يجب تطبيقها.
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 39 explained in plain English
This article regulates the assistance the Kingdom may provide to another state in investigations, prosecutions and proceedings connected with money laundering and predicate offenses. Under Article 1, a predicate offense is the offense from which the funds arose, whether committed inside or outside the Kingdom under the conditions in the definition.
Conditions for providing assistance:
- There is a request from a court or competent authority in another state.
- That state is bound to the Kingdom by a valid agreement, or it is by the principle of reciprocity.
Forms of assistance mentioned by way of example, not exhaustively:
- Tracing funds, proceeds or instrumentalities connected to the money laundering offense or the predicate offense.
- Freezing them.
- Confiscating and recovering them.
- Controlled delivery.
All of this takes place under the laws in force in the Kingdom, not under the laws of the requesting state.
What the article left to the regulations: The Implementing Regulations set out the additional types of assistance that may be provided, the conditions the requesting state must meet, and the procedures to be applied; the article does not detail these matters.
This article complements Article 38 on exchanging information with counterpart foreign bodies, and Article 40, which allows final foreign confiscation judgments to be recognized and enforced. Anyone connected with funds that are sought to be traced or frozen at a foreign request would do well to consult a lawyer who specializes in criminal or international cases.
Practical example
A court in a country bound to the Kingdom by a valid agreement is investigating a money laundering case, and suspects that part of the proceeds was moved into a property in Jeddah. It may ask the competent Saudi authorities to help trace and freeze these funds, and the authorities consider the request under the laws in force in the Kingdom.
Translated from our Arabic explanation with machine assistance. For guidance only; it does not replace advice from a lawyer on your situation.
How we write and review contentA question about Article 39 of 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
Criminal Law lawyers: ask a specialist about your case
Describe your situation briefly and we'll suggest a lawyer who specialises in this law
Criminal Law lawyers
Lawyers who handle this kind of case
شركة امتداد النظام للمحاماة والاستشارات المهنية
- Labour & Employment Law
- Criminal Law
- Criminal Law
- Commercial & Corporate Law
Frequently asked questions about Article 39 of the Saudi Anti-Money Laundering Law
Does Saudi Arabia help other countries trace laundered money?
Yes. The competent authorities may provide assistance at the request of a court or competent authority in another state bound to the Kingdom by a valid agreement or under the principle of reciprocity.
What types of assistance are possible?
The article mentions, by way of example, tracing funds, proceeds and instrumentalities, freezing, confiscating and recovering them, and controlled delivery, and the Implementing Regulations set out additional types.
Under which laws is the assistance carried out?
Under the laws in force in the Kingdom.
More articles on International Cooperation and Extradition
- Article 22
The 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.
1- للإدارة العامة للتحريات المالية أن تتبادل مع أي جهة أجنبية نظيرة أو تطلب منها أي معلومة متصلة بعملها، ولها أن تُبرم -وفقاً للإجراءات النظامية- مع أي جهة أجنب
- Article 37
The 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.
إذا حكم بمصادرة الأموال أو المتحصلات أو الوسائط المستخدمة أو التي اتجهت النية لاستخدامها أو استردادها وفقاً لأحكام النظام وكانت غير واجبة الإتلاف، فللسلطة المخت
- Article 38
The 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.
يجوز للسلطات المختصة إصدار الطلبات إلى الجهات الأجنبية النظيرة وتبادل المعلومات معها والقيام بالتحريات نيابةً عنها في الدول التي تربطها بالمملكة اتفاقيات سارية،
- Article 40
The 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.
يجوز للسلطات المختصة الاعتراف والتنفيذ لأي حكم قضائي نهائي ينص على مصادرة الأموال أو المتحصلات أو الوسائط المتعلقة بجرائم غسل الأموال أو الجريمة الأصلية، يصدر م
- Article 41
The 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.
يجوز تسلم المتهم أو المحكوم عليه في جريمة غسل الأموال من دولة أخرى وتسليمه إليها، على أن يكون التسليم إعمالاً لاتفاقية سارية بين المملكة والدولة الطالبة، أو بنا
- Article 42
The 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.
تقوم اللجنة الدائمة لطلبات المساعدة القانونية المتبادلة بتلقي طلبات المساعدة القانونية المتبادلة المتعلقة بجرائم غسل الأموال والجرائم الأصلية المرتبطة بها.
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.