Article 2 of the Saudi Emergency Law

This article defines the emergency event, the concept on which the whole law rests; Article 1 defines a state of emergency as the state the King declares to respond to the emergency event.

First element: the impact. An emergency event is any event or events that cause substantial harm to any of the following:

• Individuals, critical infrastructure, the environment, health, or public safety.
• Security, public order, or the stability and sovereignty of the Kingdom.
• Business continuity, the economy, or the Kingdom's resources.

An imminent threat of any of these is enough, so actual harm is not required. But the phrase “substantial” means that minor harm is not enough.

Second element: the examples. The article states that an emergency event includes:

• Natural disasters: volcanoes, earthquakes, floods and fires.
• Accidents: nuclear, chemical and biological.
• Wars: military, electronic, cyber, chemical and biological.
• Hostile acts and disturbances: terrorist operations, aggression, armed rebellion, disturbances and riots.
• Public health: epidemics and pandemics.

The phrase “this includes” indicates that these are examples, not an exhaustive list; another event may fall within the concept if the element of substantial harm or an imminent threat of it is met.

This article serves the aims of the law in Article 3, which include protecting critical infrastructure and enabling business continuity. Anyone who needs to understand the effect of this definition on their situation can consult a lawyer who specializes in administrative cases.