Article 84 of the Saudi GCC Unified Customs Law
المادة 84 من نظام قانون الجمارك الموحد لدول مجلس التعاون لدول الخليج العربية · الفصل الرابع: المناطق والأسواق الحرة
Goods are withdrawn from free zones and markets into the country in accordance with the regulations in force and the instructions issued by the Director General.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
يجري سحب البضائع من المناطق والأسواق الحرة إلى داخل البلاد وفقا لأحكام الأنظمة المعمول بها وطبقا للتعليمات التي يصدرها المدير العام .
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 84 explained in plain English
This article deals with withdrawing goods from free zones and markets into the country, that is, bringing them into the local market.
The governing framework:
- The provisions of the regulations in force, which include the provisions of this Law and other relevant regulations.
- The instructions issued by the Director General.
The article does not detail the procedures or duties to which withdrawn goods are subject. However, Article 85 explains that goods leaving free zones for the customs area are treated as foreign goods, even if they include local raw materials or items on which duties were paid before they were brought into the free zone. Withdrawal into the country is therefore not a free transfer, but goes through the procedures that imported goods go through.
This differs from Article 83, which regulates moving goods from free zones to other free zones, stores or warehouses, with guarantees and undertakings set by the Director General. Anyone wishing to bring goods from a free zone into the local market should consult a lawyer specializing in customs and commercial cases to learn the procedures and duties.
Practical example
A trader stores devices in a free zone and wants to sell some of them to shops in Riyadh. He withdraws them into the country in accordance with the regulations in force and the Director General's instructions, and they are treated as foreign goods when they leave.
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 84 of the Saudi GCC Unified Customs Law
How do I withdraw my goods from the free zone into the local market?
In accordance with the provisions of the regulations in force and the instructions issued by the Director General.
Are free zone goods treated as local goods?
Article 85 provides that goods leaving free zones for the customs area are treated as foreign goods.
More articles on Free Zones and Free Markets
- 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 15
Article 15 subjects goods leaving free zones and free markets for local markets to the customs tariff in force on the date of their exit.
تخضع البضائع الخارجة من المناطق والأسواق الحرة إلى الأسواق المحلية للتعرفة الجمركية النافذة في تاريخ خروجها.
- Article 77
Free zones and markets are established by each State's legal instrument, and their customs rules, conditions and procedures are set by decision of the Minister or the competent body.
تنشأ المناطق والأسواق الحرة بالأداة القانونية لكل دولة، وتحدد القواعد والشروط والإجراءات الجمركية الخاصة بها بقرار من الوزير أو الجهة المختصة.
- Article 78
All foreign goods may be brought into free zones and markets and taken out of them abroad without duties, subject to Articles 79 and 80, and there is no limit on how long they stay.
أ - مع مراعاة أحكام المادتين (79 و 80) من هذا النظام "القانون" يمكن إدخال جميع البضائع الأجنبية من أي نوع كانت، وأيا كان منشؤها إلى المناطق والأسواق الحرة وإخرا
- Article 79
Goods listed in the manifest as imports may not be moved or brought into free zones and markets except with the Director General's approval and within the conditions and controls he sets.
البضائع المدرجة في بيان الحمولة "المنافست" برسم الوارد لا يجوز نقلها أو إدخالها إلى المناطق والأسواق الحرة إلا بموافقة المدير العام وضمن الشروط والضوابط التي يق
- Article 80
The article prohibits seven kinds of goods from entering free zones and markets, including flammable and radioactive goods, weapons, narcotics, counterfeit goods and goods prohibited from entering the country.
يحظر دخول البضائع التالية إلى المناطق والأسواق الحرة : 1 - البضائع القابلة للاشتعال، عدا المحروقات اللازمة للتشغيل التي تسمح بها الجهة المشرفة على المناطق والأس
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.