Article 16 of the Saudi Penal Law on Forgery Crimes
المادة 16 من النظام الجزائي لجرائم التزوير · الفصل الرابع تزوير المحررات أولاً: الصور العادية
The article punishes anyone who forges a document prepared to record an employee's attendance at or departure from work with imprisonment of up to 3 months and a fine of up to SAR 30,000, or either.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
من زوّر في محرر معدّ لإثبات حضور الموظف إلى عمله أو انصرافه منه؛ يعاقب بالسجن مدة لا تتجاوز ثلاثة أشهر وبغرامة لا تزيد على ثلاثين ألف ريال، أو بإحدى هاتين العقوبتين.
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 16 explained in plain English
This article deals with forgery in the document prepared to record an employee's attendance at or departure from work, such as the attendance book, the signing-in sheet or the attendance register.
The text uses the words "whoever forges", so it is not limited to the employee who owns the record but covers anyone who forges in this document.
The penalty is:
- Imprisonment for a period not exceeding 3 months.
- And a fine of up to SAR 30,000.
- Or either of these two penalties.
Under Article 1, a document is any written material containing letters or marks that convey a particular meaning, whatever the medium, including information technology means; electronic attendance records are therefore covered. The elements of forgery in the same article must be present, such as altering the truth in bad faith and with intent to use, and being capable of causing harm.
The penalty in this article is lighter than that of Article 15 on forgery in examination papers (imprisonment of up to 6 months and a fine of up to SAR 60,000, or either). Article 17, which follows, concerns using an expired judgment, judicial order or power of attorney.
Anyone facing an accusation of this kind is advised to consult a lawyer who specializes in criminal cases.
Practical example
An employee at an entity in Makkah arrived two hours late and wrote an earlier arrival time on the paper attendance sheet, contrary to the truth. This is forgery in a document prepared to record attendance, and its penalty is imprisonment of up to 3 months and a fine of up to SAR 30,000, or either.
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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Frequently asked questions about Article 16 of the Saudi Penal Law on Forgery Crimes
What is the penalty for forging the attendance and departure register?
Imprisonment for a period not exceeding 3 months and a fine of up to SAR 30,000, or either of these two penalties.
Is someone who forges a colleague's attendance record punished?
The text punishes "whoever forges" the document prepared to record an employee's attendance or departure, and does not limit it to the owner of the record.
Does the text cover electronic attendance records?
The definition of a document in Article 1 includes information technology means.
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The texts are reproduced from the official website of the Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers for reference; where they differ, the officially published Arabic text prevails. This content is not legal advice.