Article 78 of the Saudi Counter-Terrorism Crimes and Financing Law
المادة 78 من نظام مكافحة جرائم الإرهاب وتمويله · الفصل الثامن: الإدارة العامة للتحريات المالية
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.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
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 مسؤولياته.
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 78 explained in plain English
This Article imposes a duty of confidentiality on those working with the General Directorate of Financial Intelligence, in order to protect the reports and sensitive information it receives.
Who is covered:
- Every employee working in the General Directorate of Financial Intelligence.
- Any person answerable to it, even if not one of its employees.
Scope of confidentiality: the information the person learns within the scope of performing his duties.
Duration of the obligation: it does not end when the work ends, but continues even after his responsibilities end, for example if he resigns, retires or is transferred to another body.
The Article follows Article 77, which gives the Directorate broad powers to obtain information from reporting parties, supervisory authorities and competent authorities, so it was logical for these powers to be matched by a strict duty of confidentiality. It is followed by Article 79, which regulates the Directorate's referral of information and the results of its analysis to the competent authority.
The Article itself does not specify a penalty for breaching confidentiality, so anyone facing liability in this regard would do well to consult a lawyer specializing in criminal cases.
Practical example
A former employee of the General Directorate of Financial Intelligence moved to a private company, and a colleague asked him about reports he saw in his previous job. He remains bound by confidentiality and may not disclose them, because the obligation continues after his responsibilities end.
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 78 of the Saudi Counter-Terrorism Crimes and Financing Law
Does a Financial Intelligence employee remain bound by confidentiality after leaving the job?
Yes. The Article provides that the duty of confidentiality continues even after his responsibilities end.
Does the obligation cover people who are not employees?
Yes. It covers any person answerable to the General Directorate of Financial Intelligence.
What information is covered by confidentiality?
The information the person learns within the scope of performing his duties.
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 77
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.
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
- 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.