Article 7 of the Saudi Antiquities Law
المادة 7 من نظام الآثار والمتاحف والتراث العمراني
The Commission decides what is an antiquity or urban heritage and what must be registered, and registration means the State recognizes the antiquity's importance and preserves, maintains and displays it.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
تتولى الهيئة تقرير أثرية الآثار والتراث العمراني وتحديد ما يجب تسجيله منها، ويترتب على تسجيل أثرٍ ما إقرار الدولة بأهميته الوطنية أو التاريخية أو الثقافية أو الفنية، والمحافظة عليه، وصيانته، وعرضه وفقاً لأحكام هذا النظام ولوائحه.
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 7 explained in plain English
This article identifies the body that decides whether something is an antiquity and what follows from registering it.
First - the Commission's jurisdiction:
- Deciding the antiquity status of antiquities and urban heritage, that is, determining whether something is an antiquity or urban heritage.
- Determining what must be registered of them.
Second - effects of registration: registering an antiquity results in:
- The State's recognition of its national, historical, cultural or artistic importance.
- Its preservation.
- Its maintenance.
- Its display.
All of this is under the provisions of the Law and its regulations.
This provision is linked to the definition of antiquities in Article 1, which requires that an antiquity be not less than 100 years old and allows the Commission to treat more recent things as antiquities. The antiquities register itself and its contents are regulated by Article 8. In practice, registration means the State officially recognizes the antiquity's value and takes on preserving, maintaining and displaying it.
Anyone who owns a building that may be registered and wants to know the obligations that follow should consider consulting a lawyer specializing in antiquities and urban heritage laws.
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 7 of the Saudi Antiquities Law
Who decides that a building or site is an antiquity?
The Commission decides the antiquity status of antiquities and urban heritage and determines what must be registered.
What does registering an antiquity mean?
It results in the State's recognition of its national, historical, cultural or artistic importance, and its preservation, maintenance and display, under the Law and its regulations.
More articles on Registering and Classifying Antiquities
- Article 2
All fixed and movable antiquities in the Kingdom and its maritime areas are public property of the State except for stated exceptions, and the owner of a movable antiquity must present it to the Commission for registration within two years of the Law taking effect.
تعد جميع الآثار الثابتة والمنقولة الموجودة في المملكة، أو في المناطق البحرية الخاضعة لسيادتها، أو ولايتها القانونية من الأملاك العامة للدولة، ويستثنى من ذلك ما
- Article 8
The Commission keeps an antiquities register covering fixed and movable antiquities, historic sites and folk heritage sites and pieces, and the President may cancel registration in whole or in part.
1 - تضع الهيئة سجلاً يسمى (سجل الآثار) تسجل فيه جميع الآثار، ويشمل ما يأتي: أ - الآثار الثابتة، والمنقولة. ب - المواقع التاريخية، ومواقع التراث الشعبي، بحسب تصن
- Article 25
Historic sites and folk heritage sites are classified into categories (A), (B) and (C) according to their importance, and the protection rules for archaeological sites apply to them.
1 - يكون تصنيف المواقع التاريخية ومواقع التراث الشعبي على النحو الآتي: الفئة (أ) المواقع ذات الأهمية العالية. الفئة (ب) المواقع ذات الأهمية المتوسطة. الفئة (ج)
- Article 34
Heritage artifacts are classified in the antiquities register into categories A, B and C; classified ones receive the protection given to movable antiquities, and the Authority helps document them and supports research.
1 - يكون تصنيف قطع التراث الشعبي في سجل الآثار على النحو الآتي: الفئة (أ) القطع ذات الأهمية العالية. الفئة (ب) القطع ذات الأهمية المتوسطة. الفئة (ج) القطع ذات ا
- Article 45
The Authority creates the urban heritage register and classifies its buildings and sites into categories A, B and C; classification covers the building, its fittings and surrounding urban and natural areas, and registration may be cancelled.
1 - تضع الهيئة سجلاً يسمى (سجل التراث العمراني)؛ تسجل فيه جميع مواقع ومباني التراث العمراني ومناطقه، وتكون درجات التصنيف على النحو الآتي: الفئة (أ) المباني والم
- Article 62
The Authority may register in the antiquities register those museum exhibits that meet the specifications of national antiquities, and the museum may not sell them or take them out of the Kingdom except with the Authority's approval.
للهيئة تسجيل ما تنطبق عليه مواصفات قطع الآثار الوطنية من معروضات المتاحف في سجل الآثار، ولا يجوز للمتحف بيع هذه القطع، أو إخراجها خارج المملكة إلا بعد موافقة ال
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.