Article 17 of the Saudi Communications and Information Technology Law
المادة 17 من نظام الاتصالات وتقنية المعلومات · الفصل الخامس: استخدام العقارات
The article gives infrastructure service providers an equal right to access public and private real estate to provide services, provided the owner knows and consents and within the limits of need.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
يتمتع جميع مقدمي الخدمة ذوي البنية التحتية بحق متساوٍ في الوصول إلى العقارات العامة والخاصة لغرض توفير خدمات الاتصالات أو تقنية المعلومات، على أن يكون الوصول لتلك العقارات بعلم وموافقة مالك العقار -أو من في حكمه- وفي حدود الحاجة لتوفير تلك الخدمات.
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 17 explained in plain English
This article addresses a practical question: do telecom companies have the right to enter buildings to provide service?
The rule: All infrastructure service providers (under Article 1, those licensed to establish, own or operate infrastructure) have an equal right to access public and private real estate for the purpose of providing communications or information technology services.
Restrictions:
- Access must be with the knowledge and consent of the property owner or the person in the owner's position.
- Access must be within the limits of need for providing those services.
The word "equal" means that this right belongs to all infrastructure service providers alike, while access remains conditional on the owner's knowledge and consent.
Article 18 follows to set out the details: when an operator needs to install equipment or establish or maintain networks, it agrees with the owner, and if they do not agree it may apply to the Authority to consider expropriation under the relevant legal provisions. If the installation is to serve a person residing in the property, the owner may not impose a financial charge or refuse entry except for justified and lawful reasons, and either party may turn to the Authority. The operator must restore the property to its condition.
Anyone in a dispute with an operator over their property should consult a lawyer specializing in real estate cases or communications law.
Practical example
A telecom company asked the owner of a building in Khobar for entry to run a fiber-optic network. It has the right to access the property with the owner's knowledge and consent and within the limits of what it needs to provide the service, and another infrastructure company has the same right on an equal footing.
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 17 of the Saudi Communications and Information Technology Law
Can a telecom company enter my property without my permission?
No. The article requires access to be with the knowledge and consent of the property owner or the person in the owner's position, and within the limits of need for providing the services.
Can the owner allow one telecom company and refuse another?
The article states that all infrastructure service providers have an equal right to access public and private real estate, but requires access to be with the owner's knowledge and consent. It does not expressly address an owner consenting to one operator and not another.
What if the owner refuses to allow the network to be installed?
Article 18 explains that the operator must agree with the owner, and if they do not agree it may apply to the Authority to consider expropriation under the relevant legal provisions.
More articles on Laying Telecom Networks in Real Estate
- Article 18
The article regulates the agreement between an infrastructure provider and a property owner for installing networks, and bars the owner from imposing a charge or refusing entry to serve a resident except for justified and lawful reasons.
1- يتفق مقدم الخدمة ذو البنية التحتية مع مالك العقار -أو من في حكمه- عند حاجته إلى تركيب أي أجهزة، أو إنشاء شبكات اتصالات أو صيانتها داخل العقارات العامة أو الخ
- Article 19
The article refers to the Implementing Regulations the provisions on establishing, operating and maintaining public communications networks, and on infrastructure providers sharing cable-laying sites.
دون إخلال بما تقضي به الأنظمة ذات العلاقة بحماية المواقع التي لها أهمية خاصة، تبين اللائحة الأحكام المتعلقة بإنشاء وتشغيل وصيانة شبكات الاتصالات العامة، وأحكام
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.