Article 13 of the Saudi Emergency Law
المادة 13 من نظام الطوارئ · الفصل السابع: أوامر الطوارئ
This article requires the royal order declaring a state of emergency and emergency orders to be published through official media and the Official Gazette, allows publication by any means, and exempts orders stated to be classified.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
1- يُنشر الأمر الملكي الصادر بإعلان حالة الطوارئ وأوامر الطوارئ من خلال أي من وسائل الإعلام الرسمية، بالإضافة إلى نشره في الجريدة الرسمية. ويجوز وفقًا لمقتضيات وطبيعة حالة الطوارئ النشر بأي وسيلة كانت.
2- تُستثنى من النشر أوامر الطوارئ التي يُنص فيها على سريتها.
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 13 explained in plain English
This article regulates how people are informed of a state of emergency and its orders, and contains two rules:
Paragraph (1): Publication
- The royal order declaring a state of emergency and emergency orders are published through any of the official media.
- This is in addition to publishing them in the Official Gazette; by the wording of the text, one does not replace the other.
- Depending on the requirements and nature of the state of emergency, publication by any means is permitted, such as text messages or digital platforms, so the information reaches people quickly.
Paragraph (2): The exception
- Emergency orders that state they are classified are exempt from publication.
- Note that the exception concerns emergency orders only; it does not mention the royal order declaring the state of emergency itself.
The reason for wide publication is that emergency orders, under Article 12, contain necessary temporary measures that have the force of laws, so those they address must know of them in order to comply. The exemption for classified orders takes account of the fact that the nature of some measures may require that they not be announced.
Article 14 follows, setting when emergency orders take effect and end, making them effective from their date of issue unless another date is stated. Anyone who needs to verify that an emergency order has been issued, or its content, can consult the Official Gazette or a lawyer who specializes in administrative cases.
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 13 of the Saudi Emergency Law
Where are emergency orders published?
In any of the official media in addition to the Official Gazette, and depending on the nature of the state of emergency, publication by any means is permitted.
Are all emergency orders published?
No. Emergency orders that state they are classified are exempt from publication.
More articles on Emergency Orders, Publication and Enforcement
- Article 12
This article allows royal orders called “emergency orders” to be issued while a state of emergency is declared, containing necessary temporary measures that have the force of laws, to reduce risks, respond to the emergency event and recover from it.
تصدر - عند الاقتضاء - أوامر ملكية باسم (أوامر طوارئ) أثناء إعلان حالة الطوارئ، تتضمن ما يلزم من تدابير وإجراءات ضرورية مؤقتة لها قوة الأنظمة التي تصدر عن السلطة
- Article 14
This article makes emergency orders effective from their date of issue unless they set another date, and they end on their stated dates or when the state of emergency ends or is terminated, whichever is earlier.
تكون أوامر الطوارئ نافذة من تاريخ صدورها؛ ما لم يُنص فيها على تاريخ آخر، وينتهي العمل بها في التواريخ المحددة فيها، أو بانتهاء أو إنهاء حالة الطوارئ وفقًا لأحكا
- Article 18
The article requires emergency orders to specify the public bodies tasked with carrying them out and which of those bodies' personnel have judicial police powers.
تُحدَّد في أوامر الطوارئ الجهات العامة المكلَّفة بتنفيذ تلك الأوامر، ويُحدَّد فيها من لهم صفة الضبط الجنائي من منسوبي تلك الجهات.
- Article 19
The article requires those tasked with carrying out emergency orders to take the necessary steps for the safety, security and property of individuals, to reduce the negative impact of measures, and to treat individuals fairly.
على المكلّفين بتنفيذ أوامر الطوارئ اتخاذ كافة الإجراءات اللازمة للتأكد من سلامة الأفراد وأمنهم وسلامة ممتلكاتهم والتخفيف من الأثر السلبي الناشئ عن أي إجراءٍ يُت
- Article 31
The article makes powers conferred or delegated under the Law or emergency orders additional to any other powers conferred by any other law or regulation in force, unless the emergency order provides otherwise.
تُعد الصلاحيات المخولة أو المفوضة لأي شخص بموجب النظام أو أوامر الطوارئ مضافة لأي صلاحية أخرى مخولة إليه بموجب أي نظام أو لائحة أخرى معمول بها، ما لم يُنص على غ
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.