Article 3 of the Saudi Penal Law on Forgery Crimes

المادة 3 من النظام الجزائي لجرائم التزوير · الفصل الأول التعريفات وطرق التزوير أولاً: تعريفات

The article punishes forging the seal of the State, the King, the Crown Prince, the Prime Minister or his deputies, or the two Courts, with imprisonment of 3 to 10 years and a fine of up to SAR 1,000,000.

Official text (Arabic)

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

من زوّر خاتم الدولة، أو خاتم الملك أو ولي العهد أو رئيس مجلس الوزراء أو أحد نوابه، أو خاتم الديوان الملكي أو ديوان ولي العهد؛ يعاقب بالسجن من ثلاث إلى عشر سنوات وبغرامة لا تزيد على مليون ريال.

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 3 explained in plain English

This article protects the highest seals in the State, which include:

The seal of the State.
The seal of the King, the Crown Prince, the Prime Minister, or one of his deputies.
The seal of the Royal Court or the Crown Prince's Court.

The penalty is imprisonment of 3 to 10 years and a fine of up to SAR 1,000,000. The text combines imprisonment and a fine with a conjunction and does not give the option of "one of these two penalties" that appears in other offenses, such as Article 4 on forging the seals of public entities, which sets imprisonment of one to 7 years and a fine of up to SAR 700,000.

Under Article 1, a seal is the tool with which documents are stamped for authentication, or the impression made by it; so the offense covers making the counterfeit sealing tool as well as making a fake seal impression on a paper. The forgery is committed by one of the methods set out in Article 2, such as making a seal that has no original or is imitated from the original, or altering the seal. The elements of forgery in Article 1 must also be present, including bad faith and intent to use.

Anyone facing an accusation of this offense needs to consult a lawyer who specializes in criminal cases.

Practical example

A person made a seal impression resembling the seal of the Royal Court on a letter attributed to the Court, to make an authority believe there was a directive in his favor. This act falls under forging the seal of the Royal Court, and its penalty under this article is imprisonment of 3 to 10 years and a fine of up to SAR 1,000,000.

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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