Article 20 of the Saudi Explosives and Fireworks Law

This article gives the Minister, who under Article 1 is the Minister of Interior, an effective administrative tool alongside fines: suspending or canceling permits.

When may a suspension be imposed? When permit holders fail to comply with either of the following:

• The conditions and specifications for warehouses used to store explosives.
• Or the conditions for the means by which explosives are transported.

How far does the suspension go?

• It covers all permits relating to the explosives activity, not just the permit tied to the offending warehouse or vehicle.
• It lasts no more than 60 days.

When may a cancellation be imposed? If the violation is repeated, the Minister may cancel all permits relating to this activity.

In both cases the wording is permissive ("the Minister may"), so this is a discretionary power, not an automatic measure. The article does not set out the procedures for suspension or cancellation.

The article is linked to Article 10, which leaves it to the Implementing Regulations to set the conditions for transporting explosives, the means used to transport them and the warehouses for storing them; the violation here is a breach of those conditions. Cancelling a permit has a further consequence under Article 18, which punishes the permit holder with a fine of up to SAR 100,000 if he does not hand over the explosives in his possession to the Ministry within 30 days of the date his permit is canceled.

Anyone who is the subject of a suspension or cancellation decision and wishes to challenge it may consult a lawyer specializing in administrative cases.