Article 15 of the Saudi Antiquities Law
المادة 15 من نظام الآثار والمتاحف والتراث العمراني
Auctions for selling movable antiquities and folk heritage pieces may not be organized except under a license from the Commission.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
لا يجوز تنظيم مزادات بيع الآثار المنقولة وقطع التراث الشعبي، إلا بترخيص من الهيئة.
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 15 explained in plain English
This article regulates a specific commercial activity: auctions for selling antiquities.
- The rule: auctions for selling movable antiquities and folk heritage pieces may not be organized except under a license from the Commission.
- What it covers: two kinds of pieces:
- Movable antiquities: under Article 1, pieces that are by nature separate from the ground and can be moved, such as sculptures, coins, inscriptions and jewelry.
- Folk heritage pieces: tools that humans made or used in later eras to run their livelihood, such as food, clothing and housing.
The article concerns organizing the auction itself, meaning that anyone who wants to hold an auction to sell these pieces needs a prior license from the Commission. The article does not set the conditions or procedures for the license.
The public auction is one of the main ways antiquities and heritage pieces are traded, which is why the article makes organizing it conditional on the Commission's license; it is not enough for the auction organizer to be licensed for a general commercial activity.
Anyone who wants to organize an auction of old artifacts, or who doubts whether what is being offered counts as antiquities or folk heritage, should consider consulting a lawyer specializing in antiquities and urban heritage laws.
Practical example
An establishment in Riyadh plans to hold an auction of old heritage tools such as copper vessels and daggers. It may not organize this auction until it obtains a license from the Commission.
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 15 of the Saudi Antiquities Law
May an auction to sell antiquities be organized?
Auctions for selling movable antiquities and folk heritage pieces may not be organized except under a license from the Commission.
Does the rule cover folk heritage pieces?
Yes. It covers folk heritage pieces as well as movable antiquities.
More articles on Possessing and Trading Antiquities
- Article 16
The Commission, in coordination with the competent authorities, works to recover national antiquities and helps return foreign antiquities smuggled from and to the Kingdom, under the relevant international agreements.
على الهيئة - بالتنسيق مع الجهات المختصة - أن تعمل على استعادة الآثار الوطنية، وأن تساعد على إعادة الآثار الأجنبية المهربة والمنقولة بطرق غير شرعية من المملكة وإ
- Article 30
The Commission may exchange duplicate movable antiquities, or those with similar specimens, with museums and scientific institutions inside and outside the Kingdom, and lend movable antiquities for display in international museums and exhibitions.
يجوز للهيئة تبادل الآثار المنقولة المكررة، أو التي لها نماذج مع المتاحف والمؤسسات العلمية الداخلية والخارجية، وكذلك إعارة الآثار المنقولة لعرضها في المتاحف والم
- Article 31
The Commission may accept movable antiquities offered to it as a gift or loan, and may keep or display them in the name of the person who offered them.
للهيئة قبول الآثار المنقولة التي تقدم إليها على سبيل الإهداء أو الإعارة، ولها أن تحفظها أو تعرضها باسم مقدمها.
- Article 32
The Commission may leave a movable antiquity discovered by chance in its discoverer's possession after registering it, and the discoverer may not dispose of it without the Commission's approval.
للهيئة ترك الأثر المنقول المكتشف عن طريق الصدفة في حيازة مكتشفه بعد تسجيله، ولا يجوز لمكتشفه التصرف فيه دون موافقة الهيئة.
- Article 33
Restoring movable antiquities for commercial purposes may not be practiced except after obtaining a license from the Commission, and the regulations set out the controls for this.
لا تجوز مزاولة نشاط ترميم الآثار المنقولة لأغراض تجارية إلا بعد الحصول على ترخيص من الهيئة، وتبين اللوائح ضوابط ذلك.
- Article 36
No movable antiquity may be acquired without proof of lawful ownership and its presentation to the Authority for registration; the holder is responsible for preserving it and must notify the Authority at once if it is lost, damaged or stolen.
لا يجوز اقتناء أي أثر منقول بأي شكل من أشكال الاقتناء دون حمل ما يثبت شرعية ملكيته، على أن يعرض على الهيئة لتسجيله، ويعد حائز الأثر مسؤولاً عن المحافظة عليه، ول
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.