Article 69 of the Saudi Antiquities Law
المادة 69 من نظام الآثار والمتاحف والتراث العمراني
No museum may carry out any restoration of an item it owns that is registered in the antiquities register except after the Authority's approval, and the regulations set the controls.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
لا يجوز لأي متحف إجراء أي عملية ترميم لقطعة يملكها ومسجلة في سجل الآثار إلا بعد موافقة الهيئة، وتحدد اللوائح ضوابط ذلك.
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 69 explained in plain English
This article restricts restoring registered items in museums.
- Who it addresses: any museum, public or private.
- Items covered: an item that meets two descriptions:
- The museum owns it.
- It is registered in the antiquities register.
- The restricted act: any restoration, small or large.
- The condition: the Authority's approval before restoration.
- The details: the regulations set the controls for this.
The phrase "any restoration" means the restriction is not limited to major restoration; every restoration of a registered item needs approval. The aim is to protect items of archaeological value from restoration work that might change their nature or harm them.
The article does not address unregistered items or items the museum does not own, such as items lent to it, so their position should not be inferred from this text.
This rule follows Article 68, which requires the Authority's approval to stop a museum's activity permanently or for a long period, and precedes Article 70, which does not permit operating museums except with a license from the Authority. The Law thus places several restrictions around museums that safeguard their holdings.
Anyone who runs a museum and has a registered item that needs restoration must first request the Authority's approval and find out about the controls set by 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 69 of the Saudi Antiquities Law
Can a museum restore an antiquity it owns?
If the item is registered in the antiquities register, no restoration of it may be carried out except after the Authority's approval.
Does the restriction include minor restoration?
The text prohibits any restoration of a registered item without the Authority's approval.
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 56
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.
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 العل
- 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
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.