Article 26 of the Saudi Antiquities Law
المادة 26 من نظام الآثار والمتاحف والتراث العمراني
Fixed and movable submerged antiquities, whether discovered or not, in the maritime areas under the Kingdom's sovereignty or legal jurisdiction are State property.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
تعد الآثار الغارقة الثابتـة والمنقولة، المكتشفة وغير المكتشفة، في المناطق البحرية الخاضعة لسيادة المملكة أو ولايتها القانونية؛ ملكاً للدولة.
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 26 explained in plain English
This article settles the ownership of submerged antiquities.
- What the rule covers: fixed and movable submerged antiquities.
- Discovered and undiscovered: the rule does not depend on the antiquity having been discovered; what has not yet been discovered is also State property.
- The area: the maritime areas under the Kingdom's sovereignty or legal jurisdiction.
- The rule: they are State property.
This is consistent with the definition of antiquities in Article 1, which includes objects submerged in the maritime areas under the Kingdom's sovereignty or legal jurisdiction.
In practice, a diver or fisherman who finds an old shipwreck or an archaeological piece underwater does not acquire ownership of it by finding it. Article 27 sets out what the finder must do: leave the antiquity in place without harming or changing it and notify the Commission or the nearest government authority immediately, and if he retrieves a piece by chance, he must report it and hand it over within a week of retrieving it.
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 contentGeneral Practice lawyers: ask a specialist about your case
Describe your situation briefly and we'll suggest a lawyer who specialises in this law
General Practice lawyers
Lawyers who handle this kind of case
Abdullah Al-Saleh Law Office for Law and Legal Consultancy
Frequently asked questions about Article 26 of the Saudi Antiquities Law
Who owns the submerged antiquities in the sea?
Fixed and movable submerged antiquities in the maritime areas under the Kingdom's sovereignty or legal jurisdiction are State property.
Does State ownership include antiquities not yet discovered?
Yes. The rule covers submerged antiquities, both discovered and undiscovered.
More articles on Underwater Antiquities
- Article 27
Whoever discovers an underwater archaeological site, shipwreck or archaeological piece must leave it in place and report immediately, and whoever retrieves a piece by chance must report it and hand it over within a week.
1- على كل من يكتشف موقعاً أثرياً تحت الماء، أو حطاماً لسفن، أو قطعة أثرية منقولة؛ أن يتركها في مكانها، وألّا يلحق بها أي ضرر أو تغيير، وأن يبلغ الهيئة أو أقرب س
- Article 28
If submerged antiquities, or antiquities retrieved from the maritime areas under the Kingdom's sovereignty or jurisdiction, face dangers threatening their safety or survival, the Commission must take the measures needed to preserve them.
إذا تعرضت الآثار الغارقة أو المنتشلة من المناطق البحرية الخاضعة لسيادة المملكة أو ولايتها القانونية، لأخطار تهدد سلامتها أو بقاءها؛ فعلى الهيئة اتخاذ التدابير ا
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.