Article 2 of the Saudi Law of Commercial Data
المادة 2 من نظام البيانات التجارية
The article requires a commercial datum to be written in Arabic at least and be true in all respects, whether placed on the product, shop, packaging, invoice or advertisement.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
يجب أن يكون البيان التجاري مكتوبا باللغة العربية على الأقل، ومطابقا للحقيقة من جميع الوجوه، سواء أكان موضوعا على المنتجات ذاتها أم على المحال، أو المخازن، أو على عناوينها، أو الأغلفة، أو الفواتير، أو أوراق الخطابات، أو وسائل الإعلان أو غير ذلك مما يستعمل في عرض البضائع على الجمهور.
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 sets two basic conditions for every commercial datum within the meaning given in Article 1:
- Arabic at least: the datum must be written in Arabic. This does not prevent adding other languages alongside it, but it is not enough for it to be in a foreign language alone.
- Conformity to the truth in all respects: the datum must be entirely correct, and may not contain incorrect information about the weight, price, origin, components or anything else.
These two conditions apply wherever the datum is placed, as the article lists many places, including:
- The products themselves.
- Shops, warehouses and their addresses.
- Packaging.
- Invoices and letterheads.
- Means of advertising.
- Anything else used in presenting goods to the public.
The article is thus not limited to the label on the product but includes the advertisement, the invoice and the shop sign. Article 3 applies this rule to a special case, the mention of medals and awards. Article 4 also bars placing the seller's name on imported products without a clear statement of their country of manufacture, which is another form of the requirement that the datum conform to the truth.
A trader who wants to review his product labels or advertisements to make sure they comply with the Law can consult a lawyer who specializes in commercial cases.
Practical example
Majed imported electrical appliances whose packaging data is written in English only, and placed an advertisement in his shop in Jeddah stating a capacity for the appliance that differs from its real capacity. Under this article the datum must be written in Arabic at least and be true, whether on the packaging or in the advertisement.
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 Law of Commercial Data
Must product data be in Arabic?
Yes. The commercial datum must be written in Arabic at least.
Does the Law cover advertisements and invoices?
Yes. The requirement of Arabic and conformity to the truth applies to the datum whether placed on products, shops, packaging, invoices, letterheads, means of advertising or anything else used in presenting goods to the public.
May data be written in another language alongside Arabic?
The article requires Arabic "at least", and does not prevent adding another language alongside it.
More articles on Requirements for Commercial Data
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.