Article 22 of the Saudi Emergency Law

This article is the main financial safeguard for individuals against emergency measures, as it establishes the right to fair compensation in two cases:

First case: measures taken under the emergency orders (paragraph 1)

Anyone is entitled to compensation who:

• Was assigned to perform a specific task.
• Or was required to provide money.
• Or whose property was taken into possession.
• Or whose property was expropriated.
• Or whose property was used, benefited from, disposed of, moved or destroyed.

Note that this case covers lawful measures themselves. The measure need not be wrongful; it is enough that it was taken under the emergency orders.

Second case: unlawful measures (paragraph 2)

Anyone is entitled to compensation who was harmed as a result of any measure taken unlawfully on the pretext of applying the provisions of the emergency orders.

This is consistent with Article 20, which exempts those carrying out emergency orders from civil and criminal liability on condition that they comply with the Law, but states that this does not prejudice the compensation provisions set out in the Law. Exempting the person carrying out the measure does not deprive the rights holder of compensation.

The article does not specify the amount of compensation or how it is calculated, and describes it as «fair». As for the body that assesses it, Article 23 allows committees to be formed to assess compensation in these cases, with the right to object to their decisions before the competent administrative court.

Anyone harmed by one of these measures can consult a lawyer who specializes in administrative cases or in civil cases and compensation.