Article 165 of the Saudi Civil Aviation Law
المادة 165 من نظام الطيران المدني · الباب الثاني عشر: العقوبات والجزاءات
Anyone who operates an aircraft, company, agency or air operations without the required license, permit or authorization, or continues after it is suspended, withdrawn or canceled, is punished by up to one year's imprisonment and a fine of up to SAR 100,000, or either.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
يُعاقب بالحبس مدة لا تزيد على سنة وبغرامة لا تزيد على مائة ألف ريال أو بإحدى هاتين العقوبتين، كل من قام بتشغيل أي طائرة أو شركة أو وكالة أو بأي عمليات جوية تخضع لأحكام هذا النظام دون الحصول على الترخيص أو التصريح أو الإجازة اللازمة من الهيئة، أو استمر في التشغيل بعد وقف هذا الترخيص أو التصريح أو الإجازة أو سحبها أو إلغائها.
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 165 explained in plain English
This article sets the penalty for someone who carries on an aviation activity without the legal permission.
The penalty:
- imprisonment for a period not exceeding one year;
- and a fine not exceeding SAR 100,000;
- or either of these two penalties.
The punishable acts:
- Operating any aircraft, company, agency or any air operations subject to the provisions of the Law, without obtaining the required license, permit or authorization from the Authority;
- continuing to operate after that license, permit or authorization has been suspended, withdrawn or canceled.
So the penalty is not limited to someone who never obtained the license; it also covers someone who obtained it and then continued after it was suspended, withdrawn or canceled.
Broad scope: The phrase "any aircraft, company, agency or any air operations" covers airlines, cargo agencies, services and other activities subject to the Law.
Relation to neighboring articles: It follows Article 164, which allows the Authority to prevent, stop or remove violations at the violator's expense without prejudice to penalties, and precedes Article 166, which imposes heavier penalties for acts endangering aviation safety. Anyone facing an accusation of operating without a license may consult a lawyer specializing in criminal and administrative cases.
Practical example
The Authority withdrew the license of a small charter aviation company in Jeddah, but it continued to carry out flights for its customers. The person responsible may be punished by imprisonment for not more than one year and a fine of not more than SAR 100,000, or either.
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 165 of the Saudi Civil Aviation Law
What is the penalty for operating an aircraft without a license in Saudi Arabia?
Imprisonment for not more than one year and a fine of not more than SAR 100,000, or either of these two penalties.
Is someone who kept working after their license was withdrawn punished?
Yes. The penalty covers anyone who continued operating after the license, permit or authorization was suspended, withdrawn or canceled.
More articles on Aviation Security Offenses and Penalties
- Article 14
Unauthorized persons may not interfere with or obstruct the flight crew during flight, and no one may tamper with the aircraft or endanger its safety, its crew or its passengers.
يحظر على أي شخص غير مخول رسميا أن يتدخل في أعمال أي عضو من أعضاء هيئة القيادة أو يعوقه عن عمله أثناء فترة الطيران ، كما يحظر على أي شخص العبث بأي جزء من أجزاء ا
- Article 19
The owner or operator of an aircraft registered in the Kingdom may not offer or sell alcohol, narcotics or prohibited items on board; arrivals may not possess them, and no aircraft may carry them into the Kingdom.
1 - يحظر على مالك أي طائرة مسجلة في المملكة، أو مشغلها أن يقدم أو يبيع لأي شخص على متنها أي مشروبات كحولية ، أو مواد مخدرة ، أو أي مواد محظور دخولها إلى المملكة
- Article 105
The article prohibits anyone from boarding an aircraft if they show signs of intoxication or drug use.
يحظر على أي شخص ركوب الطائرة إذا كانت تبدو عليه علامات السكر أو المخدر.
- Article 106
The article prohibits piloting an aircraft or working as a crew member while under the influence of an intoxicant, drug or impairing medication, and prohibits taking any of them throughout the period of work.
يحظر على أي شخص أن يقود طائرة أو أن يعمل كأحد أفراد طاقمها ما دام تحت تأثير مسكر أو مخدر أو دواء يؤدي إلى إضعاف مقدرته على القيام بواجباته على الوجه الأكمل، وفي
- Article 153
The provisions of the international treaties and conventions the Kingdom has approved, and the laws applied in the Kingdom, apply to crimes and acts committed against the security and safety of civil aviation and aircraft.
تطبق على الجرائم والأفعال التي ترتكب ضد أمن وسلامة الطيران المدني والطائرات؛ أحكام المعاهدات والاتفاقيات الدولية بهذا الشأن التي وافقت عليها المملكة وأحكام الأن
- Article 154
The article specifies the acts that are crimes against aviation security, such as violence on board an aircraft, destroying it, giving false information, seizing it, assaults at airports, assaulting crew, harassment and theft.
1- يُعد مرتبكًا لجريمة أي شخص يشرع في ارتكاب أو يرتكب عمدا ودون حق مشروع فعلا من الأفعال الآتية أو يشارك شخصا آخر يشرع أو يرتكب هذا الفعل: أ - أن يقوم بعمل من أ
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.