Article 17 of the Saudi Anti-Smoking Law
المادة 17 من نظام مكافحة التدخين
The article provides that the penalties in the Anti-Smoking Law do not prevent applying any more severe penalty set by another law.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
لا تخل العقوبات المنصوص عليها في هذا النظام بأي عقوبة أشد ينص عليها نظام آخر .
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 17 explained in plain English
This article sets the relationship of this law's penalties to other laws. The penalties provided for in the Anti-Smoking Law do not affect any more severe penalty set by another law.
In practice this means the fines of this law are not necessarily the end of the matter. If the same act constitutes a violation of another law that provides a more severe penalty, the existence of a penalty in the Anti-Smoking Law does not prevent applying that more severe penalty.
This provision links to two neighboring articles:
- Article 16, which allows anyone penalized under this law to file a grievance before the competent authority within the prescribed statutory period.
- Article 18, which allocates all fines collected under this law to support awareness efforts and encourage civil associations to combat smoking and spread this effort across the Kingdom.
The article does not name the other laws or specify the acts intended, so that depends on the facts of each case and the texts of those laws. It cannot be stated with certainty from this article alone that a particular act carries a penalty under another law. Anyone facing a violation in which several laws may overlap would do well to consult a lawyer specializing in criminal matters.
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 17 of the Saudi Anti-Smoking Law
Are the fines in the smoking law the only penalty?
Not necessarily. The article provides that the penalties of this law do not affect any more severe penalty set by another law.
Does the article identify the other laws?
No. The article does not name any specific laws.
More articles on Smoking Violations and Fines
- Article 12
The article makes government bodies, educational, health, sports, cultural, social and charitable institutions, and private-sector establishments responsible for catching and recording violations of the law and imposing fines.
تتولى الوزارات والمصالح الحكومية والمؤسسات والهيئات العامة وفروعها، والجهات العامة الأخرى في الدولة، والمؤسسات التعليمية والصحية والرياضية والثقافية والاجتماعية
- Article 13
The article punishes anyone who violates the ban on growing or manufacturing tobacco in Article 3 with a fine of SAR 20,000 and removal of the violation at their expense.
يعاقب كل مخالف لأحكام المادة (الثالثة) من هذا النظام بغرامة مالية مقدارها (20.000) عشرون ألف ريال مع إزالة المخالفة على حسابه.
- Article 14
The article punishes anyone who smokes in the places where Article 7 prohibits smoking with a fine of SAR 200.
يعاقب كل من يتعاطى التدخين مخالفاً أحكام المادة (السابعة) من هذا النظام بغرامة مالية مقدارها (200) مائتا ريال.
- Article 15
The article punishes any violation of the law for which no specific penalty is provided with a fine not exceeding SAR 5,000, doubled in case of repeat offense.
فيما لم يرد في شأنه نص خاص بالعقوبة، يعاقب كل من يرتكب أي مخالفة لأي حكم من أحكام هذا النظام بغرامة لا تتجاوز (5000) خمسة آلاف ريال، وتضاعف العقوبة في حالة العَ
- Article 16
The article allows anyone penalized under the Anti-Smoking Law to file a grievance before the competent authority within the prescribed statutory period.
يجوز لمن صدرت ضده عقوبة من العقوبات المنصوص عليها في هذا النظام، التظلم أمام الجهة المختصة، خلال المدة النظامية المقررة.
- Article 18
The article allocates all fines collected under the Anti-Smoking Law to support awareness and encourage civil associations to combat smoking, through a bank account spent according to the Minister of Health's instructions.
تخصص جميع الغرامات المحصلة بموجب أحكام هذا النظام لدعم جهود التوعية وتشجيع الجمعيات الأهلية على مكافحة التدخين ونشرها على مستوى المملكة. وينشأ لهذا الغرض حساب ب
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.