Article 15 of the Saudi Competition Law
المادة 15 من نظام المنافسة
The article gives employees designated by the Board judicial police status and the right to enter establishments, inspect their documents and prove violations by all means, in addition to investigation and prosecution.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
يتولى موظفون يحددهم المجلس ما يأتي:
1- إجراء التقصي والبحث وجمع الاستدلالات وضبط ما يقع من مخالفات لأحكام النظام، وتكون لهم صفة الضبطية القضائية، ولهم الحق في دخول مواقع المنشآت ومكاتبها وفروعها في أوقات العمل المعتادة، والاطلاع على دفاترها ومستنداتها، وأخذ نسخ منها بموجب محاضر يوقعها الموظفون وتابع المنشأة الموجود لحظة الضبط. ولهم الإثبات في قضايا المنافسة بجميع طرق الإثبات، بما في ذلك: البيانات الإلكترونية والصادرة من الحاسب الآلي، وتسجيلات الــهاتف، ومـــراسلات جهاز الفاكس، والبريد الإلكتروني، وتحدد اللائحة اختصاصاتهم وقواعد عملهم.
2- إجراء التحقيق والمساءلة اللازمة، والادعاء العام، عند نظر مخالفات أحكام النظام.
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 15 explained in plain English
This article specifies the employees assigned to apply the Law in the field. They are employees designated by the Board, and they carry out two tasks:
First: inquiry and enforcement
- Carrying out inquiry, research and evidence gathering and detecting violations of the Law, and they have the capacity of judicial police officers.
- Entering the sites, offices and branches of establishments during normal working hours.
- Inspecting their books and documents and taking copies of them under records signed by the employees and the establishment's representative present at the time of the enforcement.
- Proving competition cases by all means of proof, including electronic data and computer-generated data, telephone recordings, fax correspondence and email.
- The Regulations determine their jurisdictions and working rules.
Second: investigation and prosecution
Carrying out the necessary investigation and questioning, and public prosecution, when hearing violations of the provisions of the Law.
These measures come after a decision of the Board, or a decision of the Chairman or the Governor in urgent cases, under Article 14. Article 16 prohibits any establishment from preventing an enforcement officer or investigator from performing their task, withholding information, giving misleading information, or hiding or destroying documents.
Note that the text restricted entry to normal working hours, and restricted taking copies to drawing up a record signed by both sides. An establishment that is subject to an enforcement visit would do well to use a lawyer specialized in competition and commercial cases.
Practical example
The Authority's employees visited the office of a distribution company in Khobar during working hours, viewed email correspondence between sales managers and their competitors, and took copies of it under a record signed by the employees and the official present in the office. These messages can be used as evidence in the competition case.
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 15 of the Saudi Competition Law
Are the competition authority's employees entitled to enter a company's premises?
Yes. The employees designated by the Board may enter the sites, offices and branches of establishments during normal working hours and inspect their books and documents.
Are emails and messages accepted as proof of competition violations?
Yes. The employees may prove cases by all means of proof, including electronic data, telephone recordings, fax correspondence and email.
How are copies of documents taken during an inspection?
Under records signed by the employees and the establishment's representative present at the time of the enforcement.
More articles on Investigating Competition Violations
- Article 14
The article places the reasoned decision on inquiry, investigation, initiating a criminal case or closing a file on competition violations with the Board, and lets the Chairman or Governor act in urgent cases.
1- يصدر المجلس قراره بالموافقة على اتخاذ إجراءات التقصي والبحث وجمع الاستدلالات بالنسبة إلى الشكاوى والمبادرات المتعلقة بمخالفة أحكام النظام، والتحقيق فيها، وتح
- Article 16
The article prohibits establishments from obstructing enforcement officers or investigators, withholding information, misleading them, or hiding or destroying documents, and lets the Authority call on security bodies.
1- يحظر على أي منشأة منع مأمور الضبط أو المحقق من أداء مهمة مكلف بها وفق الصلاحيات المخولة له بموجب النظام، أو حجب معلومات عنه، أو الإدلاء بمعلومات مضللة، أو إخ
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.