Article 37 of the Saudi Antiquities Law
المادة 37 من نظام الآثار والمتاحف والتراث العمراني
The Authority may acquire any movable antiquity by purchase or exchange, under the conditions set by the regulations.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
للهيئة أن تمتلك - بالشراء أو التبادل - أي أثر منقول، وذلك طبقاً للشروط التي تحددها اللوائح.
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 37 explained in plain English
This article gives the Authority the power to acquire movable antiquities in specified ways.
- What may be acquired: any movable antiquity.
- The two methods of acquisition:
- Purchase.
- Exchange.
- The control: this is done under the conditions set by the regulations.
The rule is permissive ("the Authority may"), meaning it is a power of the Authority and not an obligation; the text does not suggest that the Authority must buy any antiquity offered to it. The article also does not say how the price is determined or what the terms of exchange are, but refers these to the regulations.
This article follows Article 36, which does not permit acquiring any movable antiquity without carrying proof that its ownership is lawful and makes the holder responsible for preserving it; a lawfully owned movable antiquity may therefore be the subject of a purchase or exchange with the Authority under the conditions set by the regulations. Article 38 also permits trading in movable antiquities whose holder proves lawful ownership, after obtaining a license from the Authority.
Anyone who owns a registered movable antiquity and wishes to offer it to the Authority for sale can look at the conditions set by the regulations. If they need to assess their rights in the transaction, they would be wise to consult a lawyer who specializes in antiquities and urban heritage law.
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 37 of the Saudi Antiquities Law
Does the Authority buy artifacts from individuals?
The Authority may acquire any movable antiquity by purchase or exchange, under the conditions set by the regulations.
Is the Authority obliged to buy an antiquity offered to it?
The text makes acquisition a power of the Authority and does not oblige it to buy.
More articles on Possessing and Trading Antiquities
- Article 15
Auctions for selling movable antiquities and folk heritage pieces may not be organized except under a license from the Commission.
لا يجوز تنظيم مزادات بيع الآثار المنقولة وقطع التراث الشعبي، إلا بترخيص من الهيئة.
- 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.
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.