Article 21 of the Saudi Civil Aviation Law
المادة 21 من نظام الطيران المدني · الفصل الأول: سياسات النقل الجوي وتنفيذها
Mail and parcels may not be carried by aircraft to or from the Kingdom except under the established postal procedures and the postal treaties the Kingdom has approved, and only after being received under those procedures.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
1- لا يجوز نقل أي رسائل أو طرود بريدية بالطائرات من المملكة وإليها إلا وفقا للإجراءات البريدية المقررة في المملكة وأحكام المعاهدات الدولية المتعلقة بالبريد التي وافقت عليها المملكة.
2- لا يجوز نقل أي رسائل أو طرود بريدية بالطائرات ما لم يكن قد تم تسلمها وفقا للإجراءات البريدية المقررة في المملكة.
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 21 explained in plain English
This article regulates the carriage of mail by aircraft, and has two paragraphs:
- Mail to and from the Kingdom: no letters or postal parcels may be carried by aircraft to or from the Kingdom except in accordance with both of the following:
- The postal procedures established in the Kingdom.
- The provisions of the international postal treaties the Kingdom has approved.
- The condition of receipt: no letters or postal parcels may be carried by aircraft unless they have been received in accordance with the postal procedures established in the Kingdom. This paragraph is worded in absolute terms, so its wording is not limited to flights to and from the Kingdom.
The purpose is to ensure that mail carried by air passes through the lawful channels, so that an aircraft does not carry postal items that have not been received under the established procedures.
The article does not state what these postal procedures are or which body handles them, so refer to the relevant postal laws. This article comes after Article 20 on air transport rights and before Article 22 on aviation fees and charges.
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 21 of the Saudi Civil Aviation Law
Can an airline carry postal parcels directly from customers?
No. No letters or postal parcels may be carried by aircraft unless they have been received in accordance with the postal procedures established in the Kingdom.
What rules govern air mail to and from Saudi Arabia?
The postal procedures established in the Kingdom and the provisions of the international postal treaties the Kingdom has approved.
More articles on Flight Permits and Aircraft Inspection
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The Authority may inspect aircraft, prevent them from flying and seize their documents to monitor compliance with the Civil Aviation Law; the Implementing Regulations set the procedures.
مع عدم الإخلال بما تقرره الأنظمة الأخرى والمعاهدات الدولية؛ فإن للهيئة الحق في تفتيش الطائرات ومنعها من الطيران أو حجز أي وثائق تتعلق بها لمراقبة تنفيذ أحكام هذ
- Article 7
Customs, security, passport, and health and agricultural quarantine personnel and any other competent body may inspect aircraft, persons and cargo within their jurisdiction, in the presence of a representative of the Authority.
لموظفي الجمارك والأمن والجوازات والحجر الصحي والزراعي وأي جهة مختصة أخرى الحق في تفتيش الطائرات ، أو أي شخص، أو حمولة على متنها وفقا لاختصاصاتها المقررة لها بمو
- Article 8
Passengers, crew members and consignors of goods must follow the residence, passport, customs, and health and agricultural quarantine rules when entering, staying in and leaving the Kingdom.
على الركاب وأعضاء الطاقم ومرسلي البضائع عند دخول المملكة والإقامة فيها والخروج منها اتباع الأنظمة والتعليمات والبيانات المتعلقة بالإقامة وجوازات السفر والجمارك
- Article 9
No aircraft may operate in the Kingdom's territory without a license or permit issued by the Authority; it is personal and cannot be assigned to others, and the Implementing Regulations set its conditions.
للهيئة صلاحية إصدار التراخيص والتصاريح للطائرات ، ولا يجوز لأي طائرة أن تعمل في إقليم المملكة إلا بموجب ترخيص أو تصريح تصدره الهيئة، ويعد الترخيص أو التصريح شخص
- Article 10
The article sets the requirements for an aircraft operating in the Kingdom: registration, a valid airworthiness certificate, markings, equipment, crew licenses and insurance, with possible exemptions for test and training aircraft except insurance.
1 - يجب أن تتوافر في الطائرة التي تعمل في إقليم المملكة ، الشروط الآتية: أ - أن تكون مسجلة في الدولة التابعة لها أو مسجلة وفقا لقواعد التسجيل الدولي أو المشترك.
- Article 11
No aircraft operating in the Kingdom may be fitted with radio equipment without approval of the state of registration, and it may only be used for air navigation purposes by the flight crew.
لا يجوز تجهيز أي طائرة تعمل في إقليم المملكة بأي أجهزة لاسلكية ما لم يكن لديها موافقة بذلك من السلطات المختصة في الدولة المسجلة فيها أو سلطة تسجيل العلامة العام
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.