Article 2 of the Saudi Civil Aviation Law
المادة 2 من نظام الطيران المدني · الفصل الثاني: سيادة المملكة وسلطاتها
The article provides that the Kingdom has complete and exclusive sovereignty over the airspace within its territory.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
للمملكة السيادة الكاملة والمطلقة على الفضاء الجوي داخل إقليمها.
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 2 explained in plain English
This article is one of the most important principles of the Civil Aviation Law, providing that the Kingdom has complete and exclusive sovereignty over the airspace within its territory.
To understand the scope of this sovereignty, one refers to the definition of territory in Article 1, which is the land territory and territorial waters under the Kingdom's sovereignty and the airspace above them. Air sovereignty therefore extends over both land and territorial waters.
The practical meaning of complete and exclusive sovereignty is:
- that the Kingdom is the decision-maker in regulating the use of its airspace;
- that aviation activity in this space is subject to its laws.
For this reason Article 3 follows to specify what the provisions of the law apply to, including civil aviation activities and operations within the Kingdom's territory, civil airports and air transport facilities, civil aircraft registered in the Kingdom, and state aircraft other than military ones.
This article itself does not state the conditions for foreign aircraft to transit or land, as these are regulated by other provisions of the law and the treaties the Kingdom has approved. This article is the foundation on which the regulatory powers in the rest of the law rest.
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 2 of the Saudi Civil Aviation Law
Does Saudi Arabia have sovereignty over its airspace?
Yes. The article provides that the Kingdom has complete and exclusive sovereignty over the airspace within its territory.
Does air sovereignty include the airspace over the sea?
The law defines territory as the land territory and territorial waters under the Kingdom's sovereignty and the airspace above them.
More articles on Scope of the Civil Aviation Law and Airspace Sovereignty
- Article 3
The article defines the scope of the Civil Aviation Law: civil activities and airports in the Kingdom, aircraft registered in it, non-military state aircraft, and foreign aircraft on conditions.
تسري أحكام هذا النظام على الآتي: 1 - أنشطة وعمليات الطيران المدني داخل إقليم المملكة . 2- المطارات المدنية ومرافق النقل الجوي وتأمين سلامة الطيران وأمن الطيران
- Article 4
The Chicago Convention, its annexes and the other international civil aviation treaties the Kingdom has approved are an integral part of the Civil Aviation Law.
تعد أحكام معاهدة شيكاغو وملاحقها وسائر المعاهدات الدولية للطيران المدني الأخرى التي وافقت المملكة عليها جزءا مكملا لهذا النظام.
- Article 5
The Authority is the body responsible for all civil aviation affairs in the Kingdom, including the wired and wireless communications services for flight safety and orderly air traffic.
الهيئة هي السلطة المسؤولة عن جميع شؤون الطيران المدني في المملكة بما في ذلك القيام بجميع خدمات الاتصالات السلكية واللاسلكية المتعلقة بتأمين سلامة الطيران وانتظا
- Article 80
The article applies the international technical regulations and standards in the Chicago Convention and its annexes, as adopted by the Kingdom, to aircraft airworthiness, to achieve the highest safety levels with regard to the environment.
مع مراعاة الأحكام الواردة في هذا الفصل تطبق الأنظمة والمقاييس الفنية الدولية الواردة في معاهدة شيكاغو وملاحقها التي اعتمدتها المملكة لتحقيق أعلى مستويات السلامة
- Article 98
The article sets the scope of the air operations part: Saudi aircraft operators, Saudi operators using foreign aircraft, and foreign operators inside the territory, as well as the people they employ and those on board.
مع مراعاة أحكام المادة (الثالثة) من هذا النظام تطبق الأحكام الواردة في هذا الباب على الآتي: 1 - العمليات الجوية التي يقوم بها مشغل طائرة مدنية مسجلة في المملكة
- Article 99
The operator of a civil aircraft registered in the Kingdom engaged in air transport or aerial work must observe the Law's provisions wherever the aircraft is, unless they conflict with the laws of the States where it operates.
مع مراعاة أحكام المادة (الرابعة) من هذا النظام؛ يجب على مشغل أي طائرة مدنية مسجلة في المملكة وتعمل في النقل الجوي أو الأشغال الجوية أن يراعي في تشغيلها أينما كا
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.