Article 1 of the Saudi Municipal Licensing Law
المادة 1 من نظام إجراءات التراخيص البلدية
The article defines the key terms of the Law, including the Ministry, the competent government entity, the municipal license and the competent government entity's license.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
يكون للألفاظ والعبارات الآتية المعاني المبينة أمام كل منها، ما لم يقتضِ السياق خلاف ذلك:
النظام: نظام إجراءات التراخيص البلدية.
اللائحة: اللائحة التنفيذية للنظام.
الوزارة: وزارة الشؤون البلدية والقروية أو الأمانات أو البلديات بحسب الأحوال.
الوزير: وزير الشؤون البلدية والقروية.
الجهة الحكومية المختصة: كل وزارة أو هيئة أو مؤسسة عامة، وما في حكمها، مختصة - بموجب أنظمتها - بالإشراف على نشاط معين تتطلب ممارسته إصدار ترخيص له من تلك الجهة.
الترخيص البلدي: موافقة مكتوبة من الوزارة لشخص ذي صفة طبيعية أو معنوية لبناء أو فتح محل لأي نشاط على موقع معين، وفق الشروط المحددة في نظام البلديات والقرى واللوائح المتعلقة به.
ترخيص الجهة الحكومية المختصة: موافقة مكتوبة لشخص ذي صفة طبيعية أو معنوية لممارسة نشاطٍ ما.
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 1 explained in plain English
This article is the definitions article of the Law of Municipal Licensing Procedures. It sets the meaning intended for each term wherever it appears in the Law, unless the context requires another meaning.
- The Ministry: the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs, or the secretariats or municipalities, as the case may be; so anything attributed to "the Ministry" in the Law may be handled by the secretariat or municipality as the case may be.
- The Minister: the Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs.
- The Regulations: the Implementing Regulations of this Law.
- The competent government entity: every ministry, authority or public institution or the like, which under its laws is responsible for supervising a particular activity that requires a license from it.
- The municipal license: written approval from the Ministry to a natural or legal person to build or open a shop for any activity at a specific site, in accordance with the conditions set in the Municipalities and Villages Law and its regulations.
- The competent government entity's license: written approval to a natural or legal person to practice an activity.
It is clear from the last two definitions that there are two kinds of approval: the first relates to the site and the shop and is issued by the municipal body, and the second relates to practicing the activity itself and is issued by the body that supervises it. Article 2 builds on this distinction, as it does not allow any activity to be practiced except after obtaining both licenses, according to the circumstances of each activity.
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 1 of the Saudi Municipal Licensing Law
What is the difference between the municipal license and the competent entity's license?
The municipal license is written approval from the Ministry to build or open a shop for an activity at a specific site, while the competent government entity's license is written approval to practice the activity itself.
What is meant by the Ministry in this Law?
The Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs, or the secretariats or municipalities, as the case may be.
Does the municipal license cover companies or only individuals?
It covers a natural or legal person, that is, individuals and entities such as companies.
More articles on Municipal License and Activity License
- Article 2
No activity may be carried on until a municipal license and a license from the competent government authority have been obtained, as each activity requires and under the laws and regulations.
لا تجوز ممارسة أي نشاط إلا بعد الحصول على ترخيصٍ بلدي وترخيصٍ من الجهة الحكومية المختصة، وذلك بحسب حال كل نشاط، ووفقاً للأنظمة واللوائح.
- Article 3
The Ministry is responsible for issuing, amending, renewing, canceling and suspending municipal licenses for activities of all kinds.
تختص الوزارة بإصدار التراخيص البلدية للأنشطة بجميع أنواعها، وتعديلها، وتجديدها، وإلغائها، وإيقافها.
- Article 4
The competent government authority sets the conditions and requirements for the activity it supervises, and issues, amends, renews and cancels licenses to carry it on.
تتولى الجهة الحكومية المختصة وضع اشتراطات ممارسة النشاط الداخل تحت إشرافها ومتطلباته وإصدار تراخيص ممارسته، وتعديلها، وتجديدها، وإلغاءها.
- Article 7
The article refers to the Implementing Regulations the question of who may issue, suspend, cancel, amend or decline to renew a municipal license, and to the competent authority's regulations the same question for an activity license.
أ - تحدد اللائحة صلاحية من يملك إصدار الترخيص البلدي أو إيقافه أو إلغاءه أو عدم تجديده أو تعديله وفقاً لما تقضي به الأنظمة واللوائح والتعليمات ذات الصلة. ب - تح
- Article 14
The Minister issues the Implementing Regulations of the Law within 90 days of its publication, setting out the conditions, controls and forms of municipal licenses.
يصدر الوزير اللائحة خلال تسعين يوماً من تاريخ نشر النظام، وتحدد فيها شروط التراخيص البلدية وضوابطها ونماذجها.
- Article 15
The Law repeals everything that conflicts with it and takes effect 90 days after its publication in the Official Gazette.
يلغي هذا النظام كل ما يتعارض معه، ويعمل به بعد تسعين يوماً من تاريخ نشره في الجريدة الرسمية.
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.