Article 4 of the Saudi Municipal Licensing Law
المادة 4 من نظام إجراءات التراخيص البلدية
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.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
تتولى الجهة الحكومية المختصة وضع اشتراطات ممارسة النشاط الداخل تحت إشرافها ومتطلباته وإصدار تراخيص ممارسته، وتعديلها، وتجديدها، وإلغاءها.
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 4 explained in plain English
After Article 3 made municipal licenses the Ministry's responsibility, this article sets out the role of the competent government authority. Under Article 1, this is any ministry, authority, public institution or equivalent body that supervises a particular activity under its own laws.
For an activity under its supervision, this authority is responsible for the following:
- Setting the conditions and requirements for carrying on the activity.
- Issuing licenses to carry it on.
- Amending, renewing and canceling them.
This means the technical and professional conditions specific to the activity come from the authority that supervises it, not from the municipality, while the municipal license relating to the site and the shop stays with the Ministry. Depending on the type of activity, an activity owner may therefore need to deal with two bodies: the Ministry for the municipal license, and the supervising authority for the license to carry on the activity.
The article does not state the conditions themselves; they differ from one activity to another and each authority sets them under its own laws. To learn the requirements of a particular activity, the activity owner should consult the authority that supervises it, or consult a lawyer specializing in administrative matters and commercial licensing if the position is unclear.
Practical example
Sara wants to open a training center in Jeddah. The municipal license for the center's site is issued by the amanah, but the conditions for carrying on the training activity itself, and its license, are set and issued by the government authority that supervises that activity, so Sara must meet the requirements of both bodies.
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 4 of the Saudi Municipal Licensing Law
Who sets the conditions for carrying on an activity?
The competent government authority that supervises that activity; it sets the conditions and requirements for carrying it on.
Is it the municipality that issues the license to carry on the activity?
No. The license to carry on the activity is issued by the competent government authority, while the Ministry is responsible for the municipal license under Article 3.
Can the competent authority cancel an activity license?
Yes. The article provides that it is responsible for issuing licenses to carry on the activity and for amending, renewing and canceling them.
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 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 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.