Article 81 of the Saudi Counter-Terrorism Crimes and Financing Law
المادة 81 من نظام مكافحة جرائم الإرهاب وتمويله · الفصل الثامن: الإدارة العامة للتحريات المالية
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.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
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 أجنبية نظيرة اتفاقاً أو ترتيباً لتسهيل تبادل المعلومات معها.
2- على الإدارة العامة للتحريات المالية عند تقديم معلومات وفقاً للفقرة (1) من هذه المادة إلى جهة أجنبية نظيرة، أن تحصل منها على إقرار أو تعهّد ملائم بأنّ تلك المعلومات لن تُستخدم إلا للغرض الذي طُلبت من أجله، ما لم تحصل هذه الجهة على موافقة الإدارة العامة للتحريات المالية لاستخدام المعلومات لغرض آخر.
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 81 explained in plain English
This Article takes the powers of the General Directorate of Financial Intelligence to the international level. It has two paragraphs:
Paragraph 1: Power to exchange and agree
- The Directorate may exchange with any counterpart foreign body, or request from it, any information related to its work.
- It may also conclude with any counterpart foreign body an agreement or arrangement to facilitate the exchange of information, in accordance with the statutory procedures.
Paragraph 2: Safeguard on use
When providing information to a counterpart foreign body, the Directorate must obtain from it a suitable declaration or undertaking that the information will not be used except for the purpose for which it was requested.
Exception: it may be used for another purpose if the foreign body obtains the approval of the General Directorate of Financial Intelligence.
The Article completes what Article 80 provided, namely that the Directorate may exchange information with the competent authority domestically. It is followed by Article 82, which sets out the tasks of the supervisory authorities, including cooperation and coordination when exchanging supervisory information with counterpart foreign bodies.
The Article does not specify the type or form of the declaration, saying only that it must be suitable.
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 81 of the Saudi Counter-Terrorism Crimes and Financing Law
Does Saudi Arabia share financial information with other countries?
The General Directorate of Financial Intelligence may exchange information related to its work with, or request it from, any counterpart foreign body, and may conclude agreements or arrangements to facilitate this.
May the foreign body use the information for any purpose?
No. It must undertake to use it only for the purpose for which it was requested, unless it obtains the Directorate's approval to use it for another purpose.
Is an agreement required to exchange information?
The Article allows the exchange and allows concluding an agreement or arrangement to facilitate it, without making an agreement a condition of the exchange.
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 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 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.