Article 6 of the Saudi GCC Unified Customs Law
المادة 6 من نظام قانون الجمارك الموحد لدول مجلس التعاون لدول الخليج العربية · الباب الأول: تعريفات وأحكام عامة
The article provides that customs departments are established and abolished by a decision of the Minister or the competent authority.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
تنشأ الدوائر الجمركية وتلغى بقرار من الوزير أو الجهة المختصة.
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 6 explained in plain English
This article specifies the instrument by which customs departments are established and abolished, which is a decision of the Minister or the competent authority.
According to the definitions in Article 2:
- The Minister: the minister to whom the General Directorate of Customs reports.
- The competent authority: the authority to which the General Directorate of Customs reports.
- The customs department: the area that the Minister defines at each sea, air or land port or any other place where there is an administration center in which completing all or some customs procedures is licensed.
This means that the existence of a customs department in a place, and the resulting ability to complete customs procedures there, is tied to a decision issued by the Minister or the competent authority, and so is its abolition.
The importance of customs departments is that, under Article 5, they are among the places in which the Directorate carries out its work. Article 7 also provides that the jurisdictions of customs departments and their working hours are likewise determined by a decision of the Minister or the competent authority.
The article does not state the criteria for establishing or abolishing; it is limited to specifying the body competent to make the decision.
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 6 of the Saudi GCC Unified Customs Law
Who establishes customs departments?
They are established by a decision of the Minister or the competent authority.
Who has the power to abolish a customs department?
Customs departments are also abolished by a decision of the Minister or the competent authority.
More articles on Customs Law Definitions and Scope
- Article 1
The article sets the name of the Law as the Unified Customs Law of the GCC States, referred to by the word "the Law".
يسمى هذا النظام "القانون" (نظام "قانون" الجمارك الموحد لدول مجلس التعاون لدول الخليج العربية).
- Article 2
The article defines 42 terms in the Unified Customs Law, its explanatory memorandum and its implementing regulations, including the customs department, customs zone, tariff, customs declaration and customs clearance agent.
يكون للكلمات والعبارات التالية حيثما وردت في هذا النظام "القانون" ومذكرته الإيضاحية ولائحته التنفيذية ، المعاني الموضحة أمام كل منها ما لم يقتض السياق معنى آخر
- Article 3
The article provides that the customs law applies to lands under the state's sovereignty and its territorial waters, and allows free zones to be established to which the customs provisions do not apply in whole or in part.
تسري أحكام هذا النظام "القانون" على الأراضي الخاضعة لسيادة الدولة ومياهها الإقليمية، ويجوز أن تنشأ في هذه الأراضي مناطق حرة لا تسري عليها الأحكام الجمركية كليا
- Article 4
The article subjects every item of goods that crosses the customs line, whether entering or leaving, to the provisions of the Unified Customs Law.
تخضع كل بضاعة تجتاز الخط الجمركي في الإدخال أو في الإخراج لأحكام هذا النظام "القانون".
- Article 5
The article provides that the Directorate carries out its work in the customs department and the customs zone, and may exercise its powers across the state's lands and territorial waters under the conditions set in the Law.
تمارس الإدارة عملها في الدائرة الجمركية وفي النطاق الجمركي، ولها أيضا أن تمارس صلاحيتها على امتداد أراضي الدولة ومياهها الإقليمية وذلك ضمن الشروط المحددة في هذا
- Article 7
The article provides that the jurisdictions of customs departments and their working hours are determined by a decision of the Minister or the competent authority.
تحدد اختصاصات الدوائر الجمركية وساعات العمل فيها بقرار من الوزير أو الجهة المختصة.
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.

