Article 4 of the Saudi Penal Law on Forgery Crimes

This article protects the seals and marks of public entities and international bodies, and covers two cases:

1. Forging a seal or mark attributed to a public entity, or to one of its employees in his official capacity, such as a ministry's seal or the seal of an employee used in his official work.
2. Forging a seal or mark that has authority in the Kingdom belonging to one of the persons of public international law or one of its employees in his official capacity. The condition of authority in the Kingdom is stated in the text for this case.

The penalty is imprisonment of one to 7 years and a fine of up to SAR 700,000; the text combines the two, without the option of imposing only one of them.

Under Article 1, a mark is a sign or symbol used by a public entity to indicate a special meaning of its own that produces a legal effect, regardless of its type or form. A seal is the authentication tool or its impression.

This article sits between Article 3, which punishes forging the seal of the State, the King and senior officials with a heavier penalty (3 to 10 years and a fine of up to SAR 1,000,000), and Article 5, which punishes forging the seal of a non-public entity with a lighter penalty (up to 3 years and a fine of up to SAR 300,000, or either).

Anyone facing an accusation, or who needs to assess their position, is advised to consult a lawyer who specializes in criminal cases.