Article 15 of the Saudi Electronic Transactions Law
المادة 15 من نظام التعاملات الإلكترونية · الفصل الخامس: اختصاصات الوزارة والهيئة
The article divides oversight of the Law: the Ministry sets policies and plans and represents the Kingdom; the Authority applies the Law, licenses and monitors certification services providers, and sets the fee with the Minister's approval.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
يتم الإشراف على تطبيق أحكام هذا النظام وفقا للآتي:
1 - تقوم الوزارة بوضع السياسات العامة ورسم الخطط والبرامج التطويرية للتعاملات والتواقيع الإلكترونية ، ورفع مشروعات الأنظمة وأي تعديل مقترح عليها والتنسيق مع الجهات الحكومية وغيرها فيما يخص تطبيق هذا النظام، وتمثيل المملكة في الهيئات المحلية والإقليمية والدولية فيما يخص التعاملات والتواقيع الإلكترونية .
ولها أن تمنح الهيئة أو أية جهة أخرى تراها صلاحية تمثيل المملكة نيابة عنها.
2 - تتولى الهيئة تطبيق هذا النظام، ولها في سبيل تحقيق ذلك الاختصاصات الآتية:
أ ) إصدار التراخيص لمزاولة نشاط " مقدم خدمات التصديق "، وتجديدها وإيقاف العمل بها وإلغاؤها. وتوضح اللائحة الشروط والإجراءات اللازمة للحصول على الترخيص ومدته وتجديده ووقفه وإلغائه والتنازل عنه والتزامات المرخص له وضوابط إيقاف نشاط المرخص له وإجراءاته والآثار المترتبة على ذلك.
ب ) التحقق من التزام مقدمي خدمات التصديق بالتراخيص الممنوحة لهم وبأحكام هذا النظام واللائحة والقرارات التي تصدرها الهيئة.
ج ) اتخاذ الإجراءات اللازمة - وفقا لما تحدده اللائحة - لضمان استمرار الخدمات المقدمة إلى الأشخاص المتعاملين مع مقدم خدمات التصديق عند موافقتها على إيقاف نشاطه، أو الغاء ترخيصه أو عدم تجديده.
د ) اقتراح مشروعات الأنظمة واللوائح ذات العلاقة بالتعاملات الإلكترونية وتعديلاتها، ورفعها إلى الوزارة لاتخاذ الإجراءات النظامية اللازمة.
هـ) تحديد المقابل المالي لترخيص تقديم خدمات التصديق وذلك بموافقة الوزير.
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 15 explained in plain English
This article determines who oversees the application of the Electronic Transactions Law, dividing roles between two bodies (both defined in Article 1):
First - the Ministry (the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology):
- setting general policies and drawing up development plans and programs for electronic transactions and signatures.
- submitting draft laws and any proposed amendments to them, and coordinating with government and other bodies on applying the Law.
- representing the Kingdom in local, regional and international bodies in this field; it may authorize the Authority or any other body to represent it.
Second - the Authority (the Communications and Information Technology Authority): it applies the Law, and its competences include:
- issuing, renewing, suspending and revoking licenses to practice as a certification services provider; the Regulations clarify the conditions and procedures of licensing, its term, renewal, suspension, revocation and assignment, the licensee's obligations, and the controls and effects of suspending its activity.
- verifying that certification services providers comply with their licenses, the Law, the Regulations and the Authority's decisions.
- taking the necessary measures, in accordance with the Regulations, to ensure the continuity of services to a provider's customers when the Authority approves suspending its activity or revokes or does not renew its license.
- proposing draft laws and related regulations and their amendments and submitting them to the Ministry.
- determining the fee for licensing the provision of certification services, with the Minister's approval.
This article is connected to Article 16, which establishes the National Center for Digital Certification. The article itself does not specify the licensing conditions or the amounts of the fee, but refers them to the Regulations and the Authority.
Practical example
A technology company in Riyadh wants to offer a service issuing digital certification certificates for electronic signatures. Under this article, the body competent to issue its license and follow up its compliance is the Communications and Information Technology Authority, and the licensing conditions and procedures are set out in the Regulations.
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 15 of the Saudi Electronic Transactions Law
Who issues the license of a certification services provider?
The Communications and Information Technology Authority, which also renews, suspends and revokes it; the Regulations clarify its conditions and procedures.
Who sets the fee for certification services licenses?
The Authority determines the fee for licensing the provision of certification services, with the Minister's approval.
What is the role of the Ministry of Communications in the Electronic Transactions Law?
It sets general policies, plans and development programs, submits draft laws and amendments, coordinates with bodies, and represents the Kingdom in local, regional and international bodies.
More articles on Certification Services and Digital Certificates
- Article 16
The article establishes a National Center for Digital Certification in the Ministry to oversee the tasks of issuing and managing digital certification certificates, and refers the details of its seat, composition and competences to the Regulations.
1- ينشأ في الوزارة - بموجب هذا النظام - مركز وطني للتصديق الرقمي، يتولى الإشراف على المهمات المتعلقة بإصدار شهادات التصديق الرقمي وإداراتها. 2- تحدد اللائحة الق
- Article 17
The National Center for Digital Certification is competent to approve digital certification certificates issued by foreign bodies, which are treated like their domestic counterparts in accordance with the Regulations' controls and procedures.
يختص المركز باعتماد شهادات التصديق الرقمي الصادرة من الجهات الأجنبية خارج المملكة وتعامل هذه الشهادات معاملة نظيراتها بداخل المملكة، وذلك وفقا للضوابط والإجراءا
- Article 18
The article lists eight obligations of a certification services provider, including prior licensing, issuing and protecting certificates, an accessible database, confidentiality, and handing documents to the Authority when its activity stops.
يجب على مقدم خدمات التصديق الالتزام بما يأتي: 1 - الحصول على الترخيص اللازم من الهيئة قبل البدء في ممارسة نشاطه. 2 - إصدار شهادات التصديق الرقمي ، وتسليمها وحفظ
- Article 19
A certification services provider may not stop its licensed activity, assign its license or merge into another entity without the Authority's prior written approval, in accordance with the Regulations' procedures.
لا يجوز لمقدم خدمات التصديق التوقف عن مزاولة نشاطه المرخص به أو التنازل عن الترخيص الصادر له أو الاندماج في جهة أخرى إلا بعد الحصول على موافقة كتابية مسبقة من ا
- Article 20
A certification services provider guarantees the validity of the certified information in the certificate at the time of delivery and the validity of the link between the holder and their electronic data, and is liable for harm to anyone who relied on it in good faith.
يتحمل مقدم خدمات التصديق مسؤولية ضمان صحة المعلومات المصدقة التي تضمنتها الشهادة وقت تسليمها وصحة العلاقة بين صاحب الشهادة وبياناتها الإلكترونية، وتقع عليه مسؤو
- Article 21
A certification services provider must revoke or suspend a certificate at its holder's request or in the cases the Regulations set, notify the holder immediately and lift the measure when its cause ends, and is liable for harm to good-faith persons.
يجب على مقدم خدمات التصديق إلغاء الشهادة أو إيقاف العمل بها عند طلب صاحبها ذلك أو في الحالات التي تحددها اللائحة. كما يجب عليه إبلاغ صاحب الشهادة فورا بالإلغاء
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.