Article 18 of the Saudi E-Commerce Law
المادة 18 من نظام التجارة الإلكترونية
The article sets the penalties for violating the E-Commerce Law or its regulations: a warning, a fine up to SAR 1,000,000, suspension of activity, and blocking of the online store, without prejudice to a harsher penalty.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
مع عدم الاخلال بأي عقوبة أشد ينص عليها نظام آخر، يعاقب كل من يخالف أيًّا من أحكام النظام أو اللائحة بواحدة أو أكثر من العقوبات الآتية:
أ- الإنذار.
ب- غرامة لا تزيد على (1.000.000) مليون ريال.
ج- إيقاف مزاولة التجارة الإلكترونية مؤقتًا أو دائمًا.
د- حجب المحل الإلكتروني -بالتنسيق مع الجهة المختصة- جزئيًّا أو كليًّا، مؤقتًا أو دائمًا.
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 18 explained in plain English
This is the law's penalties article. Anyone who violates any provision of the law or the Implementing Regulations is punished with one or more of the following penalties:
- A warning.
- A fine not exceeding SAR 1,000,000; this is the maximum, and the article sets no minimum.
- Suspension of e-commerce activity, temporarily or permanently.
- Blocking of the online store in coordination with the competent authority, partly or fully, temporarily or permanently.
More than one penalty may be combined for the same violation, such as a fine together with blocking.
A harsher penalty: The article opens with the phrase "without prejudice to any harsher penalty provided for in another law", meaning that if the same act is punishable under another law with a harsher penalty, this article does not prevent that penalty from being applied.
Who imposes the penalty? Article 19 explains that the Minister forms one or more committees to consider violations and impose these penalties, and in choosing the penalty the seriousness of the violation, its repetition, the size of the service provider's activity and the harm caused to others are taken into account.
Blocking as a penalty here differs from the urgent blocking in Article 17, which the Minister or a delegate decides in urgent and necessary cases until the violation is remedied or decided.
Anyone who has had a penalty imposed or faces a violation can consult a lawyer who specializes in commercial or administrative cases.
Practical example
An online store in Riyadh repeatedly violated the provisions of the law, so its violation was referred to the committee. Under the article, one or more penalties may be imposed on it, such as a fine not exceeding SAR 1,000,000 together with a temporary suspension of e-commerce activity, and the committee takes into account in choosing them the seriousness of the violation, its repetition, the size of the store's activity and the harm.
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 18 of the Saudi E-Commerce Law
What is the penalty for violating the E-Commerce Law?
One or more of: a warning, a fine not exceeding SAR 1,000,000, suspension of e-commerce activity temporarily or permanently, and blocking of the online store partly or fully, temporarily or permanently.
What is the maximum fine under the E-Commerce Law?
The fine may not exceed SAR 1,000,000, without prejudice to any harsher penalty provided for in another law.
Can more than one penalty be combined?
Yes. The article provides for punishment with one or more of the listed penalties.
More articles on E-Commerce Violations
- Article 12
The Article allows the Ministry to require a service provider who violated the electronic advertisement provisions to remove the violation or withdraw the advertisement within one day of being notified, without prejudice to penalties.
مع عدم الإخلال بإيقاع العقوبات الواردة في المادة (الثامنة عشرة) من النظام، إذا ثبت أن موفر الخدمة خالف أيًّا من أحكام الفقرة (2) من المادة (العاشرة) أو المادة (
- Article 17
The article allows the Minister or a delegate to block a violating online store, partly or fully, in urgent cases, with the violation referred to the committee within 3 days and decided within 10 days.
إذا خالف موفر الخدمة أيًّا من أحكام النظام أو اللائحة، فللوزير -أو من ينيبه- أن يتخذ في الحالات العاجلة والضرورية قراراً بحجب المحل الإلكتروني -بالتنسيق مع الجه
- Article 19
The article provides for one or more committees formed by the Minister to consider violations and impose penalties, and covers their composition, how they decide and the criteria for choosing a penalty.
1- تكوّن بقرار من الوزير لجنة (أو أكثر) تتولى النظر في مخالفات أحكام النظام أو اللائحة وتوقيع العقوبات المنصوص عليها في المادة (الثامنة عشرة) من النظام، على ألا
- Article 20
The article allows anyone against whom a decision was issued under the E-Commerce Law to object to it before the administrative court under the Law of Procedure before the Board of Grievances.
يجوز لمن صدر ضده أي قرار بناءً على النظام الاعتراض عليه أمام المحكمة الإدارية وفقاً لأحكام نظام المرافعات أمام ديوان المظالم.
- Article 21
The article allows a penalty decision to include publishing its operative part at the violator's expense in a local newspaper or other suitable means, after the decision becomes final or the judgment acquires finality.
يجوز تضمين القرار الصادر بتحديد العقوبة النص على نشر منطوقه على نفقة المخالف في صحيفة (أو أكثر) من الصحف المحلية التي تصدر في محل إقامته، أو في أي وسيلة أخرى من
- Article 22
The article provides that the competent court decides disputes arising from applying the E-Commerce Law, including claims for compensation.
تتولى المحكمة المختصة الفصل في المنازعات، بما في ذلك دعاوى المطالبة بالتعويض الناشئة عن تطبيق أحكام النظام
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.