Article 56 of the Saudi Antiquities Law
المادة 56 من نظام الآثار والمتاحف والتراث العمراني
Any person may establish a cultural, heritage, scientific or other museum as a cultural or investment project, after obtaining classification and a license from the Authority and the relevant bodies.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
يجوز للشخص إنشاء متحف حضاري، أو تراثي، أو علمي، أو غير ذلك (كمشروع ثقافي، أو استثماري، أو كليهما) وذلك بعد الحصول على تصنيف وترخيص من الهيئة ومن الجهات ذات العلاقة وفقاً للأنظمة، وتبين اللوائح شروط وضوابط التصنيف والترخيص الصادرين 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 56 explained in plain English
This article opens the door to establishing private museums.
- Who may: "a person", which under Article 1 means a public or private natural or legal person.
- Type of museum: cultural, heritage, scientific, or other.
- Nature of the project: cultural, investment, or both.
- The condition: obtaining classification and a license from the Authority and from the relevant bodies under the regulations.
- The details: the regulations set the conditions and controls for the classification and license issued by the Authority.
Note that the text allows the museum to be an investment project aimed at profit, not only a cultural one. The requirement is also dual: classification and a license from the Authority, in addition to what the relevant bodies require under their own regulations.
Under Article 1, a museum is a place where archaeological, artistic, cultural, historical or scientific materials are displayed permanently and which opens its doors to the public at fixed times; anything else is called a "private collection". Article 57 regulates the categories for classifying museums.
Anyone who owns a collection of items and wants to turn it into a museum open to the public would be wise to consult a lawyer who specializes in commercial and corporate matters to determine which licenses are required.
Practical example
Khalid has collected old farming tools and utensils from the Jazan region over the years and wants to open a heritage museum that is open to visitors for an entry fee. He may do so as a cultural and investment project, after obtaining classification and a license from the Authority and the relevant bodies.
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 contentCommercial & Corporate Law lawyers: ask a specialist about your case
Describe your situation briefly and we'll suggest a lawyer who specialises in this law
Commercial & Corporate Law lawyers
Lawyers who handle this kind of case
Ibrahim Al Salem Law Firm
Active contributor
Dr. Ali Al-Rubaie Law Office and Ittihad Al-Asr Legal Company
Frequently asked questions about Article 56 of the Saudi Antiquities Law
Can individuals open a private museum?
Yes. A person may establish a cultural, heritage, scientific or other museum after obtaining classification and a license from the Authority and the relevant bodies.
Can a museum be a for-profit project?
Yes. A museum may be a cultural project, an investment project, or both.
Where do I find the conditions for a museum license?
The regulations set the conditions and controls for the classification and license issued by the Authority.
More articles on Museums and Their Licensing
- Article 20
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.
1- ينشأ في الهيئة صندوق يسمى (صندوق الآثار والمتاحف والتراث العمراني)؛ للإنفاق منه على حماية الآثار، والتراث العمراني، والمحافظة عليها، وصيانتها، وعرضها، وتوظيف
- 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 57
Museums are classified into three categories (A), (B) and (C) according to the level of their displays and the variety of their activities; anything else is a private collection, and the regulations set the classification criteria.
تصنف المتاحف إلى ثلاث فئات: (أ) و(ب) و(ج) تبعاً لمستوى عروضها وتنوع نشاطاتها، وما عدا ذلك يعد (مجموعات خاصة)، وتحدد اللوائح معايير تصنيف المتاحف.
- Article 58
The Authority adopts a "Saudi Museum" logo granted to public and private museums, which passes with the museum if ownership transfers, and the regulations set the provisions on granting, suspending and revoking it.
تعتمد الهيئة شعاراً باسم (متحف سعودي) يمنح للمتاحف العامة والخاصة، وينتقل الشعار مع المتحف إذا انتقلت ملكيته، وتبين اللوائح الأحكام المتعلقة بمنح الشعار، وتعليق
- Article 59
The article requires a museum to preserve, maintain, study and enrich its collections, display them to the widest possible public, carry out cultural and educational activities, and take part in scientific research.
يجب على المتحف القيام بالآتي: 1 - حفظ المجموعات التي يمتلكها، وصيانتها، وترميمها، ودراستها، وإثراؤها. 2 - عرض مجموعاته، وجعلها متاحة لأكبر فئة من الجمهور. 3 - ت
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.