Article 39 of the Saudi Food Law

المادة 39 من نظام الغذاء · الفصل الثاني عشر: أحكام ختامية

Article 39 makes the Authority's Board the body that sets the financial charges for the Authority's services and for the licenses, registration certificates and approvals it issues.

Official text (Arabic)

This article has not been amended since the law was issued.

يحدد المجلس المقابل المالي نظير الخدمات التي تقدمها الهيئة، والتراخيص وشهادات التسجيل والموافقات التي تصدرها.

This is the official Arabic wording, the only legally binding version. We do not translate the law itself; the explanation below is ours. Official source: Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers

Article 39 explained in plain English

This article identifies the body competent to set the financial charges (fees) under the Food Law: the Board, meaning the Board of Directors of the Saudi Food and Drug Authority as defined in Article 1.

The financial charges set by the Board cover:

The services the Authority provides.
The licenses it issues.
Registration certificates.
Approvals.

The practical effect of this article is that the Law itself sets no amount, and no particular fees should be assumed on its basis. Anyone who wants to know the cost of a license, registration or approval should refer to what the Board decides.

This matters because the Law requires establishments, individuals and products to obtain various licenses, registrations and approvals, and this article makes clear that their cost is set by the Board.

This article comes after Article 38, which allows the Authority to conclude mutual recognition agreements and memoranda of understanding on food, and is followed by Article 40, which allows financial rewards to be given to the Authority's inspectors by decision of the Board.

Note that the article uses the phrase "financial charges in return for services", meaning that what is paid corresponds to a service, license, certificate or approval issued by the Authority.

Practical example

A company in Jeddah is preparing to register twenty new food products. To find the cost of the registration certificates, the company refers to the financial charges set by the Authority's Board, because the Law itself does not state the amounts.

Translated from our Arabic explanation with machine assistance. For guidance only; it does not replace advice from a lawyer on your situation.

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