Article 19 of the Saudi Financial Control Law

If Article 18 guarantees the financial controller's independence, this article sets out the duties that go with that independence. The financial controller has three basic duties:

1. Exercising due professional care: that is, carrying out his control work with the accuracy and competence the profession requires.
2. Maintaining confidentiality: by virtue of his work he sees the entity's documents and data, including documents that are confidential under Article 20, and he must keep them confidential.
3. Disclosing conflicts of interest: if he has an interest that might affect his impartiality toward the entity or the operation he is controlling, he must disclose it.

The article refers to the Implementing Regulations to specify the duties and conduct that the financial controller must follow, and does not give their details. The three duties mentioned are the minimum set by the Law.

Under Article 1, the financial controller is the Ministry employee entrusted with carrying out financial control over the entity, and this includes the financial representative.

The balance the Law strikes is clear:

• The controller has independence and protection from interference in his technical work (Article 18).
• He has the right to see confidential documents at the entity within the limits that enable him to do his work (Article 20).
• In return he has duties of professional care, confidentiality and disclosure of conflicts of interest (this article).

Anyone working in a controlled entity who believes a financial controller has breached these duties can consult a lawyer specialized in administrative cases.