Article 26 of the Saudi Civil Defense Law

This article sets an important control on how civil defense measures and operations are carried out, aiming to reconcile the need to meet the danger with protecting the rights of the owners of buildings and facilities.

The text contains two duties:

• Not affecting the sanctity of buildings and facilities as far as possible: the rule is to respect the sanctity of buildings, which is interfered with only to the extent necessity requires. The phrase "as far as possible" means this duty is tied to what is feasible, as the nature of the operation may require interfering with the building.
• Limiting damage to the narrowest bounds: if damage must be caused, such as opening a door or breaking a window during rescue or firefighting, it must be limited to the necessary minimum.

The text is in mandatory form ("must"), so it is an obligation on those carrying out civil defense operations, not mere guidance.

This article is linked to Article 25, which requires ministries, government agencies, persons with public legal personality, and private institutions designated by a decision of the Minister of the Interior, to appoint or assign someone responsible for safety and industrial security work in them. It is also related to Article 27, which subjects non-military civil defense personnel in cases of war, emergencies and disasters to the military service rules as regards discipline and penalties.

The article itself does not state what follows from breaching this duty or how damage is compensated; someone whose building is damaged during civil defense operations can consult a lawyer specializing in administrative matters.