Article 7 of the Saudi Emergency Law

This article explains the elements of the royal order declaring a state of emergency provided for in Article 6. There are four:

1. The emergency event because of which the state of emergency was declared.
2. The date the state of emergency takes effect.
3. The duration of the state of emergency.
4. The geographic scope covered by the state of emergency, which may be the whole Kingdom or part of it, as the order determines.

The article sets two default rules if the royal order does not specify some of the elements:

• The effective date: if the order does not state it, the state of emergency takes effect from the date it is declared.
• The duration: if the order does not state it, the state of emergency ends after 6 months pass, unless a royal order ends it before that or extends it.

This means that a state of emergency is temporary by nature, which is consistent with its definition in Article 1 as one requiring temporary exceptional measures. Even if the royal order is silent on the duration, the state does not continue without end; it ends after 6 months unless an order extends it or ends it early.

These elements correspond to what the Supreme Emergency Council includes in its recommendation under Article 5, since the Council recommends the declaration stating its reasons, duration and geographic scope. Knowing these elements matters in practice, because the exceptional measures are tied to the period and scope of the state of emergency. Anyone affected by a declared state of emergency who needs to know whether it covers them can consult a lawyer who specializes in administrative cases.