Article 123 of the Saudi Civil Aviation Law

المادة 123 من نظام الطيران المدني · الباب التاسع: البحث والإنقاذ

The article requires the competent authorities to allow persons, vehicles and equipment carrying out search and rescue to enter any prohibited area where the aircraft is or the accident occurred, under the Authority's supervision.

Official text (Arabic)

This article has not been amended since the law was issued.

على السلطات المختصة أن تسمح للأشخاص والآليات والمعدات بما فيها الطائرات والسفن التي تقوم بعمليات البحث والإنقاذ بدخول أي منطقة محظورة إذا كانت الطائرة موجودة في هذه المنطقة أو وقع الحادث فيها ، على أن تجري هذه العمليات تحت إشراف 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 123 explained in plain English

Aviation accidents may occur in areas that are normally prohibited to enter, and this article ensures the prohibition does not hold up rescue operations.

The obligation: The competent authorities must allow entry to any prohibited area by:

persons;
vehicles and equipment, including aircraft and vessels;

carrying out search and rescue operations.

When? If the aircraft is in this area, or the accident occurred in it.

The condition: that these operations are carried out under the Authority's supervision.

The rationale: Time is decisive in rescue operations, and a prohibition imposed on an area for security or other reasons should not stand in the way of saving lives. At the same time, requiring the Authority's supervision ensures entry is organized and coordinated.

The article is worded as an obligation ("the competent authorities must allow"), so permission here is a duty, not a choice, once its conditions are met. The article does not set entry procedures or the permitted duration.

This article follows Article 122, which requires aircraft owners, operators and commanders to carry out the search and rescue operations the Authority requests, and bars any person or body from refusing to give assistance. It is followed by Article 124, which requires the authorities to allow temporary entry into the Kingdom of the persons, equipment and aircraft needed for rescue operations. Anyone with a question about its application may consult a lawyer specializing in civil aviation law.

Practical example

A small civil aircraft crashes inside a prohibited area near the coast. The competent authorities must allow the rescue teams and their aircraft and vessels to enter the area, with the operations carried out under the Authority's supervision.

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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