Article 55 of the Saudi Anti-Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances Law

المادة 55 من نظام مكافحة المخدرات والمؤثرات العقلية

The article revokes the license to manage an establishment licensed to trade in narcotics if its licensed or responsible manager commits an Article 3 offense, and allows barring him from the profession and closing the premises.

Official text (Arabic)

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

1- يلغى الترخيص الخاص بإدارة المنشأة المرخص لها بالاتجار في المواد المخدرة أو المؤثرات العقلية لأغراض طبية أو علمية، إذا كان الجاني هو المرخص له بإدارتها أو المدير المسئول عن إدارتها وارتكب أحد الأفعال الجرمية المنصوص عليها في المادة الثالثة من هذا النظام.

2- يجوز حرمان المحكوم عليه من ممارسة المهنة مدة لا تزيد على عقوبة السجن المحكوم بها. كما يجوز الحكم بإغلاق المحل مؤقتا مدة لا تزيد على سنة، أو إغلاقه نهائيا في حالة تكرار وقوع أحد الأفعال الجرمية المنصوص عليها في المادة (الثالثة) من هذا النظام.

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 55 explained in plain English

This article deals with the professional consequences of the offense for establishments licensed to trade in narcotics or psychotropic substances for medical or scientific purposes, and for those who manage them.

Paragraph 1: revocation of the license (mandatory)

The license to manage the establishment is revoked if two things come together:

the offender is the person licensed to manage it or the manager responsible for managing it,
and he commits one of the criminal acts in Article 3, such as smuggling, bringing in, possessing, selling or using outside the licensed cases, laundering funds obtained from offenses under the Law, or participating in or attempting any of these.

Paragraph 2: discretionary penalties

The convicted person may be barred from practicing the profession for a period not exceeding the prison sentence imposed.
The court may order the temporary closure of the premises for a period not exceeding one year.
Or its permanent closure if any of the criminal acts in Article 3 is repeated.

The first paragraph is mandatory ("is revoked"), while the second is discretionary ("may").

This article comes after Article 54, which allows the competent court to order a precautionary attachment on the funds of drug smugglers and traffickers until the case is decided, and before Article 56, which bars a Saudi convicted of an Article 3 act from traveling for a period equal to his prison term, of at least two years, after his imprisonment ends, and provides for deporting a non-Saudi after the sentence is carried out.

Anyone who manages a pharmacy or scientific establishment and faces such measures can consult a lawyer specialized in criminal cases and health regulations.

Practical example

A pharmacist manages a medicine warehouse in Riyadh licensed to trade in narcotic medicines for medical purposes, and is then convicted of selling some of them outside the licensed cases. His license to manage the establishment is revoked under paragraph 1 of Article 55, and he may be barred from practicing the profession for a period not exceeding his prison term, and the premises may be temporarily closed for up to one year.

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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