Article 168 of the Saudi Civil Aviation Law
المادة 168 من نظام الطيران المدني · الباب الثاني عشر: العقوبات والجزاءات
Disruptive passengers who commit the violations in Article 155 are fined from SAR 200 to SAR 1,500, for example for smoking, refusing the seat belt, using banned devices or tampering with safety devices.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
يعاقب كل من قام بأي من المخالفات المنصوص عليها في المادة (الخامسة والخمسين بعد المائة) من هذا النظام بالغرامات المالية التالية:
1 - عدم الامتناع عن التدخين، ثلاثمائة ريال.
2 - استخدام الأجهزة الإلكترونية ذات التحكم عن بعد أو غيرها من الأجهزة المحظور استخدامها على متن الطائرة ، خمسمائة ريال.
3 - رفض الجلوس في المقعد المخصص أو رفض ربط الحزام، مائتا ريال.
4 - عدم اتباع تعليمات وإرشادات السلامة الجوية المعتمدة دوليا، مائتا ريال.
5 - التدخين في دورة المياه، خمسمائة ريال.
6 - العبث بجهاز الكشف عن التدخين أو غير ذلك من الأجهزة المتعلقة بالسلامة الموجودة على متن الطائرة، ألف ريال.
7 - التسبب في تعطيل أو تلف محتويات الطائرة أو أي من أجهزتها، ألف وخمسمائة ريال.
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 168 explained in plain English
This article sets the fines for the violations in Article 155, which are violations committed on board a civil aircraft: smoking or smoking in the lavatory, tampering with the smoke detector or safety devices, operating portable electronic devices when prohibited, and refusing to sit in the assigned seat or fasten the seat belt.
The fines:
- Failing to refrain from smoking: SAR 300.
- Using remote-controlled electronic devices or other devices prohibited on board the aircraft: SAR 500.
- Refusing to sit in the assigned seat or refusing to fasten the seat belt: SAR 200.
- Failing to follow internationally approved air safety instructions and guidance: SAR 200.
- Smoking in the lavatory: SAR 500.
- Tampering with the smoke detector or other safety-related devices on board: SAR 1,000.
- Causing disabling of or damage to the aircraft's contents or any of its equipment: SAR 1,500.
Notes:
- The fines are fixed amounts, not maximums.
- Smoking in the lavatory carries a higher fine than smoking generally (SAR 500 versus SAR 300).
- The list includes two items not expressly stated in Article 155: failing to follow internationally approved safety instructions, and causing disabling of or damage to the aircraft's contents.
This article follows Article 167, which punishes the more serious crimes in Article 154 with imprisonment of up to five years and a fine of up to SAR 500,000, and precedes Article 169, which sets the penalty for violations with no specified penalty. Anyone fined who wishes to object may consult a lawyer specializing in administrative cases.
Practical example
On a flight from Riyadh to Abha, a passenger refused to fasten his seat belt despite the crew's warning, and then smoked in the lavatory. He is fined SAR 200 for refusing to fasten the seat belt, and SAR 500 for smoking in the lavatory.
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 168 of the Saudi Civil Aviation Law
How much is the fine for smoking on a plane in Saudi Arabia?
The fine for failing to refrain from smoking is SAR 300, and for smoking in the lavatory SAR 500.
How much is the fine for refusing to fasten the seat belt on a plane?
The fine for refusing to sit in the assigned seat or refusing to fasten the seat belt is SAR 200.
What is the highest fine for a disruptive passenger under this article?
SAR 1,500, for causing disabling of or damage to the aircraft's contents or any of its equipment.
Articles this article refers to
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.