Article 2 of the Saudi E-Commerce Law
المادة 2 من نظام التجارة الإلكترونية
The Article sets who is subject to the E-Commerce Law: the service provider inside the Kingdom, the practitioner outside it who makes products or services available to consumers inside it, and the consumer.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
تسري أحكام النظام على كلٍّ ممن يأتي:
أ- موفر الخدمة داخل المملكة.
ب- الممارس خارج المملكة الذي يقدم منتجات أو خدمات داخل المملكة من خلال عرضها بطريقة تمكن المستهلك من الوصول إليها.
ج- المستهلك.
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 2 explained in plain English
This Article sets out the scope of the Law, meaning the persons its provisions apply to, who fall into three categories:
- The service provider inside the Kingdom: under the definitions in Article 1, a service provider is the merchant registered in the commercial register or the practitioner not registered in it. Everyone who engages in e-commerce from inside the Kingdom is subject to the Law, whether registered or not.
- The practitioner outside the Kingdom who offers products or services inside the Kingdom, provided he displays them in a way that enables the consumer to access them. The test here is directing the offer to the market inside the Kingdom and making it available to the consumer there, not where the practitioner is located.
- The consumer: anyone who deals in e-commerce wishing to obtain the service provider's products or services, so the provisions that set his rights and what falls on him apply to him.
The text in paragraph (b) mentions specifically the practitioner outside the Kingdom, and does not itself state how the provisions are applied in practice to someone outside the Kingdom; these are application matters the Article does not detail.
This Article is linked to Article 3, which sets the place of business of the service provider for purposes of applying the Law, for example that the merchant's place of business is the address in his commercial register, and the practitioner's is the place he specifies in his e-store unless otherwise proven.
A person who wants to know whether the Law applies to a particular activity they provide from abroad or deal with would do well to consult a lawyer specialized in commercial cases.
Practical example
Sarah lives outside the Kingdom and sells handmade accessories through an online account without a commercial register, displaying her products and shipping them to customers in Riyadh and Jeddah. Because she is a practitioner offering her products inside the Kingdom in a way that enables the consumer to access them, she falls within the scope of the Law under paragraph (b), and those who buy from her are consumers to whom the Law also applies.
Translated from our Arabic explanation with machine assistance. For guidance only; it does not replace advice from a lawyer on your situation.
How we write and review contentA question about Article 2 of E-Commerce Law?
Describe what happened and specialist lawyers answer. You can write in English.
- Completely free
- Lawyers from the directory answer
- Your name stays hidden
Commercial & Corporate Law lawyers: ask a specialist about your case
Describe your situation briefly and we'll suggest a lawyer who specialises in this law
Commercial & Corporate Law lawyers
Lawyers who handle this kind of case
شركة امتداد النظام للمحاماة والاستشارات المهنية
- Labour & Employment Law
- Criminal Law
- Criminal Law
- Commercial & Corporate Law
Frequently asked questions about Article 2 of the Saudi E-Commerce Law
Does the E-Commerce Law apply to stores outside Saudi Arabia?
The Law applies to the practitioner outside the Kingdom who offers products or services inside the Kingdom by displaying them in a way that enables the consumer to access them.
Is a seller not registered in the commercial register subject to the Law?
Yes, a service provider inside the Kingdom includes the merchant and the practitioner, and the practitioner is someone who engages in e-commerce without being registered in the commercial register.
Is the consumer covered by the Law?
Yes, the Article expressly provides that the Law's provisions apply to the consumer.
More articles on Scope of the E-Commerce Law and Ministry Oversight
- Article 1
The Article defines the key terms in the E-Commerce Law, such as merchant, practitioner, service provider, consumer, e-store and electronic advertisement.
لأغراض تطبيق أحكام هذا النظام، يقصد بالكلمات والعبارات الآتية -أينما وردت في النظام- المعاني المبينة أمام كل منها، ما لم يقتضِ السياق غير ذلك: النظام: نظام التج
- Article 3
The Article sets the service provider's place of business: the merchant's commercial register address, and the place specified in the e-store for the practitioner, with rules for multiple places and for none.
1- يقصد بمقر عمل موفر الخدمة لأغراض تطبيق أحكام النظام ما يأتي: أ- بالنسبة إلى التاجر، يكون مقر عمله عنوانه المحدد في سجله التجاري. ب- بالنسبة إلى الممارس، يكون
- Article 16
The article makes the Ministry the supervisor of the e-commerce sector and lets it issue the rules needed to regulate it, including authentication bodies and intermediary platforms.
تشرف الوزارة على قطاع التجارة الإلكترونية، وتصدر -بحسب الحاجة- القواعد اللازمة لتنظيمه بما يعزز دور التجارة الإلكترونية ويحمي سلامة التعاملات بها، ويشمل ذلك تنظ
- Article 24
The article provides that whatever has no specific provision in the E-Commerce Law is governed by the Electronic Transactions Law and other relevant laws.
فيما لم يرد في شأنه نص خاص في النظام، تسري على التجارة الإلكترونية أحكام نظام التعاملات الإلكترونية والأنظمة الأخرى ذات الصلة.
- Article 25
The article requires the Minister to issue the Implementing Regulations within 90 days of the law's publication in the Official Gazette, to take effect from the date the law takes effect.
يصدر الوزير اللائحة خلال (تسعين) يوماً من تاريخ نشر النظام في الجريدة الرسمية, ويعمل بها من تاريخ العمل به.
- Article 26
The article provides that the E-Commerce Law takes effect after 90 days from the date of its publication in the Official Gazette.
يعمل بالنظام بعد مضي (تسعين) يوماً من تاريخ نشره في الجريدة الرسمية.
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.