Article 77 of the Saudi Counter-Terrorism Crimes and Financing Law
المادة 77 من نظام مكافحة جرائم الإرهاب وتمويله · الفصل الثامن: الإدارة العامة للتحريات المالية
The Article authorizes the General Directorate of Financial Intelligence to obtain additional information from the reporting party, to request information through the supervisory authority where there is no report, and to obtain information held by the competent authorities.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
1- للإدارة العامة للتحريات المالية الحصول مباشرة من مقدم البلاغ على أي معلومة إضافية تعينها على تحليلها، وفي الحالات التي لا تكون فيها المؤسسات المالية قد قدمت بلاغاً بموجب المادة (السبعين) من النظام أو إذا رغبت الإدارة العامة للتحريات المالية في الحصول على معلومات لا علاقة لها ببلاغ تلقته؛ فإنها تطلب المعلومات من خلال الجهة الرقابية المختصّة، وعلى المؤسسات المالية تقديم ما يُطلب منها بصورة عاجلة.
2- للإدارة العامة للتحريات المالية الحصول على أي معلومة مالية أو إدارية أو قانونية أو أي معلومة ذات صلة، تجمعها أو تحتفظ بها السلطات المختصة -أو من ينوب عنها- وفقاً للأحكام المقررة نظاماً، وترى أنها ضرورية لأداء مهماتها.
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 77 explained in plain English
This Article explains how the General Directorate of Financial Intelligence obtains the information it needs to perform the role described in Article 76. It has two paragraphs:
Paragraph 1: Information from reporting entities
- The Directorate may obtain directly from the reporting party any additional information that helps it in its analysis.
- Where financial institutions have not submitted a report under Article 70, or the Directorate wishes to obtain information unrelated to a report it has received, it requests the information through the competent supervisory authority.
- Financial institutions must provide what is requested of them urgently.
The paragraph is consistent with Article 70, which obliges reporting entities to respond to everything the Directorate requests by way of additional information.
Paragraph 2: Information held by authorities
The Directorate may obtain any financial, administrative, legal or related information that the competent authorities, or those acting on their behalf, collect or hold in accordance with the provisions established by law, whenever the Directorate considers it necessary for performing its tasks.
It is followed by Article 78, which obliges the Directorate's employees to keep confidential what they learn, even after their responsibilities end.
For dealing with information requests and their limits, one may consult a lawyer specializing in banking compliance and counter-terrorism financing.
Practical example
The General Directorate of Financial Intelligence received a report from a bank in Jeddah about a customer, and asked the bank directly for additional statements. It also wanted information from a finance company that had submitted no report, so it requested it through the competent supervisory authority, and the company must provide it urgently.
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 77 of the Saudi Counter-Terrorism Crimes and Financing Law
Can Financial Intelligence request information from a bank directly?
Yes, directly from the reporting party. But if the financial institution has not submitted a report, or the information is unrelated to a report, the Directorate requests it through the competent supervisory authority.
Must a financial institution respond quickly?
Yes. Financial institutions must provide what is requested of them urgently.
Can the Directorate obtain information from government bodies?
Yes. It may obtain any financial, administrative or legal information that the competent authorities collect or hold, whenever it considers it necessary for its tasks.
Articles this article refers to
More articles on Supervision and Financial Intelligence
- Article 76
The Article provides that the General Directorate of Financial Intelligence is a central national agency with sufficient operational independence that receives and analyzes reports linked to terrorism financing and refers the results to the competent authorities.
تتمتع الإدارة العامة للتحريات المالية -بوصفها جهازاً مركزياً وطنياً- باستقلالية عملية كافية, وتعمل على تلقي البلاغات والمعلومات والتقارير المرتبطة بجريمة تمويل
- Article 78
The Article obliges every employee of the General Directorate of Financial Intelligence, or anyone answerable to it, to keep confidential the information they learn in performing their duties, even after their responsibilities end.
على كل موظف يعمل في الإدارة العامة للتحريات المالية، أو أي شخص مسؤول أمامها، الالتزام بسرية المعلومات التي يطلع عليها ضمن نطاق أداء واجباته حتى بعد انتهاء مسؤول
- Article 79
The Article allows the General Directorate of Financial Intelligence to refer information and the results of its analysis to the competent authority when it assesses that there is suspicion of terrorism financing, and affirms its freedom and independence of decision in doing so.
للإدارة العامة للتحريات المالية -من تلقاء نفسها أو عند الطلب- إحالة المعلومات ونتائج تحليلها إلى الجهة المختصة عندما تقدر بأن هناك أسباباً للاشتباه بأنّ معاملة
- Article 80
The Article allows the General Directorate of Financial Intelligence to exchange the information it holds with the competent authority.
للإدارة العامة للتحريات المالية أن تتبادل مع الجهة المختصّة المعلومات التي تحتفظ بها.
- Article 81
The Article allows the General Directorate of Financial Intelligence to exchange information with counterpart foreign bodies and conclude agreements with them, on condition that the foreign body undertakes to use the information only for the purpose requested.
1- للإدارة العامة للتحريات المالية أن تتبادل مع أي جهة أجنبية نظيرة أو تطلب منها أي معلومة متصلة بعملها، ولها أن تُبرم - وفقاً للإجراءات النظامية- مع أي جهة أجن
- Article 82
The Article sets out the powers of the supervisory authorities in collecting information, on-site and off-site examination, risk assessment, issuing instructions, international cooperation, integrity and suitability procedures, and keeping statistics.
تتخذ الجهات الرقابية في سبيل أدائها لمهماتها ما يأتي: 1- جمع المعلومات والبيانات من المؤسسات المالية، والأعمال والمهن غير المالية المحددة، والمنظمات غير الهادفة
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.