Article 28 of the Saudi Communications and Information Technology Law

This article identifies the body that hears violations and imposes penalties, and the route for objecting to its decisions.

1- Establishing the Committee: The Board forms one or more committees to hear violations of the law, the Implementing Regulations and regulatory decisions, and to impose the penalties in Article 27, namely a fine of not more than SAR 25 million, suspension of service, deprivation of a license and blocking of a digital content platform.

2- Formation:

• Three members, one of whom is the chair, and an alternate member.
• They are named by a decision of the Board on the nomination of the Authority's Governor, and the decision sets their remuneration.
• Membership lasts 4 years and is renewable.

3- Qualifications: Members must have legal and technical qualifications in communications and information technology, and the chair must have legal qualifications.

4- Procedures and appeal: The Committee hears violations under the rules and procedures set by the Board, and its decision may be appealed before the Administrative Court within 30 days of the violator being notified of it.

The deadline matters: it runs from notification, and missing it may harm the violator's right to object. Article 29 follows to regulate the grievance against the Authority's own decisions before the Minister, which is different from the Committee's decisions. Anyone subject to a Committee decision should consult a lawyer specializing in administrative cases without delay.