Article 20 of the Saudi Antiquities Law
المادة 20 من نظام الآثار والمتاحف والتراث العمراني
The article creates the Antiquities, Museums and Urban Heritage Fund to spend on protecting antiquities, building museums and supporting the private sector, and sets its resources from revenues, compensation and donations.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
1- ينشأ في الهيئة صندوق يسمى (صندوق الآثار والمتاحف والتراث العمراني)؛ للإنفاق منه على حماية الآثار، والتراث العمراني، والمحافظة عليها، وصيانتها، وعرضها، وتوظيفها بصفة دائمة، وكذلك لإنشاء متاحف جديدة، ودعم المتاحف التي تحمل شعار "متحف سعودي"، ودعم جهود القطاع الخاص من أفراد ومؤسسات وجمعيات أهلية؛ بما يسهم في تحقيق الأهداف والغايات المنصوص عليها في هذا النظام.
2 - تتكون الموارد المالية للصندوق مما يأتي:
أ - ما يخصص للصندوق من إيرادات المشروعات التي تديرها الهيئة.
ب - مبالغ التعويضات التي يحكم بها مقابل إحداث أضرار بالآثار ومواقع التراث العمراني.
ج - المساعدات، والتبرعات، والمنح، والهبات، والأوقاف التي تقدم إلى الصندوق من الأفراد، والمؤسسات العامة والخاصة، والهيئات الأهلية الوطنية والعربية والإقليمية والدولية، التي يوافق عليها المجلس، وبما لا يتعارض مع النصوص النظامية.
3 - تحدد اللوائح القواعد والتعليمات المتعلقة بأموال الصندوق، وإدارتها، وإيداعها، وأوجه إنفاقها، واستثمارها.
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 creates the Antiquities, Museums and Urban Heritage Fund within the Commission.
Paragraph (1) - uses of the money:
- Protecting, preserving, maintaining, displaying and permanently employing antiquities and urban heritage.
- Establishing new museums.
- Supporting museums that carry the "Saudi Museum" emblem.
- Supporting the efforts of the private sector, including individuals, institutions and civil associations, in a way that serves the aims of the Law.
Paragraph (2) - resources:
- What is allocated to it from the revenues of projects the Commission manages.
- The amounts of compensation awarded for damage to antiquities and urban heritage sites.
- Aid, donations, grants, gifts and endowments given by individuals, institutions and national, Arab, regional and international bodies, that the Council approves and that do not conflict with statutory provisions.
Paragraph (3): the regulations set the rules for the Fund's money and its management, deposit, spending and investment.
In practice, individuals and civil associations are among the bodies that the Fund's support may cover, and Article 21 provides that associations specialized in antiquities, heritage and museums benefit from its support. The article does not state the conditions for obtaining support and leaves the spending rules to the regulations.
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 20 of the Saudi Antiquities Law
What is the Antiquities, Museums and Urban Heritage Fund?
A fund established in the Commission to spend on protecting, preserving, maintaining and displaying antiquities and urban heritage, establishing museums, and supporting museums with the Saudi Museum emblem and the efforts of the private sector.
Can one donate to the Antiquities Fund?
Its resources include donations, grants, gifts and endowments that the Council approves, to the extent they do not conflict with statutory provisions.
Where does compensation for damaging antiquities go?
The Fund's resources include amounts of compensation awarded for damage to antiquities and urban heritage sites.
More articles on Investing in Archaeological Sites and the Antiquities Fund
- Article 14
The Authority, in coordination with the relevant bodies, sets the rules for investing in antiquities and urban heritage sites.
تضع الهيئة - بالتنسيق مع الجهات المعنية - قواعد استثمار مواقع الآثار والتراث العمراني.
- Article 18
The article requires whoever owns or controls a registered antiquity or urban heritage site to preserve it, requires a Commission license to invest in or operate it, obliges the investor to maintain it, and allows a charge for visits.
1- على الشخص الذي يقع في ملكيته أو تحت سلطته أثر أو موقع تراث عمراني مسجل في سجل الآثار، أو التراث العمراني؛ المحافظة عليه. 2 - لا يجوز استثمار الأثر وموقع التر
- Article 19
Anyone occupying an archaeological, historical, folk heritage or urban heritage site must allow the Authority's competent employees to enter in order to view and study it in accordance with statutory procedures.
على كل شخص يشغل موقعاً أثرياً، أو تاريخياً، أو موقع تراث شعبي، أو عمراني؛ أن يسمح لموظفي الهيئة المختصين بالدخول؛ للاطلاع عليه ودراسته وفقاً للإجراءات النظامية.
- Article 21
The Commission, under existing laws, encourages the creation of associations specialized in antiquities, heritage and museums, and these associations may benefit from the support of the Antiquities, Museums and Urban Heritage Fund.
تشجع الهيئة - وفقاً للأنظمة القائمة - إنشاء جمعيات متخصصة في مجال الآثار والتراث والمتاحف، ويكون لهذه الجمعيات الاستفادة من دعم صندوق الآثار والمتاحف والتراث ال
- Article 52
The article refers to the regulations the mechanism for contributing to the costs of maintaining, repairing and restoring a classified urban heritage building or site if its owner is unable to do so.
تبين اللوائح آلية المساهمة في تكاليف صيانة مبنى أو موقع التراث العمراني المصنف وإصلاحه وترميمه، إذا عجز مالكه عن القيام بذلك.
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.