Article 116 of the Saudi GCC Unified Customs Law
المادة 116 من نظام قانون الجمارك الموحد لدول مجلس التعاون لدول الخليج العربية · الباب الحادي عشر: حقوق موظفي الإدارة وواجباتهم
Customs employees are judicial police officers while working, within their jurisdiction, and are given a card to show on request and wear an official uniform if their work requires it.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
أ - يعد موظفو الإدارة أثناء قيامهم بأعمالهم من رجال الضبط القضائي ، وذلك في حدود اختصاصاتهم .
ب - يعطى موظفو الإدارة عند تعيينهم بطاقة تثبت طبيعة عملهم ، وعليهم أن يبرزوها عند الطلب .
ج - على موظفي الإدارة ارتداء الزي الرسمي المخصص لهم أثناء قيامهم بالعمل إذا كانت طبيعة عملهم تتطلب ذلك .
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 116 explained in plain English
This article sets the status of the General Customs Administration's employees and some of their duties.
(a) Judicial police status: the Administration's employees are considered judicial police officers, under two conditions:
- While carrying out their work.
- Within the limits of their jurisdiction.
This means they have powers of arrest and evidence-gathering within the scope of their customs work, and not outside it. The article does not detail these powers.
(b) The card: the Administration's employees are given, upon their appointment, a card proving the nature of their work, and they must show it on request. This is an obligation on the employee expressly stated in the law.
(c) The official uniform: the Administration's employees must wear the official uniform assigned to them while working if the nature of their work requires it, so not every employee is obliged to.
Article 117 obliges civil and military authorities and the internal security forces to give every assistance to the Administration's employees as soon as they ask, and requires the Administration to cooperate with other official bodies. Anyone facing a measure by a customs employee and objecting to it would do well to consult a lawyer specializing in customs and commercial cases or a lawyer specializing in criminal cases.
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 116 of the Saudi GCC Unified Customs Law
Is a customs employee a judicial police officer?
Yes, while carrying out his work and within the limits of his jurisdiction.
Must a customs employee show his card?
Yes. He must show the card proving the nature of his work on request.
Do all customs employees wear an official uniform?
Those whose nature of work requires it must wear the official uniform.
More articles on Customs Officers and Combating Smuggling
- Article 55
The department may open packages where it suspects prohibited goods or a mismatch with the documents, in the absence of an owner who refuses to attend despite being notified, and where necessary before notifying him, through a committee formed by the Director General.
للدائرة الجمركية الحق في فتح الطرود لمعاينتها عند الاشتباه بوجود بضائع ممنوعة أو مخالفة لما هو وارد في الوثائق الجمركية في غياب مالك البضاعة، أو من يمثله، إذا ا
- Article 81
The customs department may inspect free zones and markets for goods prohibited from entering, and audit documents and examine goods when smuggling is suspected.
للدائرة الجمركية القيام بأعمال التفتيش في المناطق والأسواق الحرة عن البضائع الممنوع دخولها إليها ،كما يجوز لها تدقيق المستندات والكشف على البضائع لدى الاشتباه ب
- Article 117
Civil and military authorities and the internal security forces must give customs employees every assistance as soon as they ask, and the Administration must cooperate with other official bodies.
على السلطات المدنية والعسكرية وقوى الأمن الداخلي أن تقدم لموظفي الإدارة كل مساعدة للقيام بعملهم بمجرد طلبهم ذلك ، كما يجب على الإدارة التعاون مع الجهات الرسمية
- Article 118
Customs employees whose work requires it are permitted to carry weapons, and these employees are designated by decision of the Minister or the competent authority.
يسمح بحمل السلاح لموظفي الجمارك الذين تتطلب طبيعة عملهم ذلك ، ويحدد هؤلاء الموظفون بقرار من الوزير أو الجهة المختصة .
- Article 119
Every employee of the customs Administration whose service ends for any reason must return what is in his custody to the Administration.
على كل موظف من موظفي الإدارة تنتهي خدماته لأي سبب كان ، أن يعيد ما في عهدته إلى الإدارة .
- Article 120
Incentives and allowances for customs employees, according to the nature of their work, are set by decision of the Minister or the competent authority on the Director General's proposal, and apply once approved by the competent bodies.
يحدد بقرار من الوزير أو الجهة المختصة بناء على اقتراح من المدير العام الحوافز والبدلات التي تمنح لموظفي الجمارك حسب طبيعة عملهم ، ويُعمل بها بعد إقرارها من جهات
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.