Article 3 of the Saudi Municipal Licensing Law
المادة 3 من نظام إجراءات التراخيص البلدية
The Ministry is responsible for issuing, amending, renewing, canceling and suspending municipal licenses for activities of all kinds.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
تختص الوزارة بإصدار التراخيص البلدية للأنشطة بجميع أنواعها، وتعديلها، وتجديدها، وإلغائها، وإيقافها.
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 3 explained in plain English
This article identifies the authority responsible for municipal licenses: the Ministry. Under the definition in Article 1, the Ministry means the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs, the municipalities (amanahs), or the municipalities, as the case may be, so in practice the activity owner deals with the amanah or municipality in whose area the site lies.
This responsibility covers everything to do with the municipal license throughout its life:
- Issuing it for the first time.
- Amending it.
- Renewing it.
- Canceling it.
- Suspending it.
The phrase "activities of all kinds" means this responsibility is not limited to some activities and not others. It concerns the municipal license only; the license to carry on the activity itself is handled by the competent government authority under Article 4. This article complements Article 2, which prohibits carrying on any activity before obtaining the municipal license and the license of the competent government authority, as each activity requires.
Activity owners benefit from this allocation because it tells them where to submit applications for a municipal license and for its renewal or amendment, and which body issues a suspension or cancellation decision, if one is made.
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 3 of the Saudi Municipal Licensing Law
Who is responsible for renewing the municipal license?
The Ministry, which means the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs, the municipalities (amanahs), or the municipalities, as the case may be.
Can the municipality suspend a municipal license?
The article provides that suspending municipal licenses is the Ministry's responsibility, and under Article 1 the Ministry includes the municipalities, as the case may be.
Does the Ministry also issue the license to carry on the activity?
This article concerns municipal licenses. The license to carry on the activity is handled by the competent government authority under Article 4.
More articles on Municipal License and Activity License
- Article 1
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.
يكون للألفاظ والعبارات الآتية المعاني المبينة أمام كل منها، ما لم يقتضِ السياق خلاف ذلك: النظام: نظام إجراءات التراخيص البلدية. اللائحة: اللائحة التنفيذية للنظا
- 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 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.