Article 26 of the Saudi Emergency Law

This article sets the time limit for filing annulment actions against decisions relating to applying the provisions of the Law or the provisions of the emergency orders, which are the actions the administrative court hears under Article 24.

The rule: these actions are not heard after 60 days have passed from the end of the state of emergency.

Note that the period starts from the end of the state of emergency, not from the date the decision was issued. The article sets the last date for filing the action after the state ends, and by its text it does not deal with any period counted from the date of the decision itself.

The two exceptions: the action is heard despite the passing of the period in two cases:

1. A case of forgery.
2. An excuse that prevented the action from being filed, provided it is proved to the competent administrative court. Merely claiming an excuse is not enough; it must be proved before the court.

The phrase «are not heard» means the court does not hear the action if it is filed after the period, unless one of the two exceptions applies.

This article is linked to other provisions:

• Article 7: sets the duration of the state of emergency, and if the royal order does not state its duration, it ends after 6 months unless it is ended earlier or extended. Knowing when the state ends is therefore necessary to calculate the period.
• Article 25: requires the court to decide these actions within 15 days of their registration.

Anyone who believes a decision issued against them in application of an emergency order is wrong would do well not to wait until the end of the period, and to consult a lawyer who specializes in administrative cases as soon as possible.