Article 8 of the Saudi Municipal Licensing Law
المادة 8 من نظام إجراءات التراخيص البلدية
Under the applicable laws, the Ministry may use engineering offices and private companies and institutions to facilitate the procedures for issuing the municipal license.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
للوزارة - وفقاً للأنظمة المتبعة - الاستعانة بالمكاتب الهندسية والشركات والمؤسسات الخاصة؛ لتسهيل إجراءات إصدار الترخيص البلدي.
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 8 explained in plain English
This article gives the Ministry the power to use the private sector in municipal licensing procedures, and the stated purpose is to facilitate the procedures for issuing the municipal license.
The bodies that may be used, according to the text, are:
- Engineering offices.
- Private companies.
- Private institutions.
Note the following:
- The provision is permissive: the words "the Ministry may" mean the option is available to it, not that it is obliged to use them.
- This is done under the applicable laws. The article does not specify how contracts are made or the scope of the work entrusted to these bodies; the relevant laws govern that.
- The text limits the role of these bodies to facilitating procedures; it does not say that they issue the municipal license themselves.
A license applicant benefits from this provision in that procedures may be made easier through specialized bodies such as engineering offices, as the Ministry decides within the limits of the applicable laws. The article does not oblige the applicant to deal with these bodies, and does not state their fees or who bears them.
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 8 of the Saudi Municipal Licensing Law
Can the municipality use engineering offices in licensing?
Yes. Under the applicable laws, the Ministry may use engineering offices and private companies and institutions to facilitate the procedures for issuing the municipal license.
Is using the private sector mandatory?
No. The text makes it a power available to the Ministry, not a duty.
Does the engineering office issue the municipal license itself?
The article speaks of using them to facilitate the procedures for issuing the municipal license; it does not say that they issue it themselves.
More articles on Coordination Between the Ministry and Competent Bodies
- Article 10
The article creates a coordination office in every amanah and Category A municipality, with representatives of the competent authorities, to facilitate licensing, and requires statistical reports on its work to be published.
ينشأ في كل أمانة، وبلدية فئة (أ) مكتب تنسيق، لتسهيل إجراءات إصدار التراخيص البلدية وتراخيص الجهة الحكومية المختصة، وعلى كل جهة حكومية مختصة تكليف من يمثلها في ا
- Article 11
The article requires the competent authority and the Ministry to unify municipal license conditions and periods and define their roles, and bars a municipal license before Civil Defense approval, which is decided within 10 working days.
1- مع مراعاة ما ورد في المادة (الثامنة) من هذا النظام، تشترك الجهة الحكومية المختصة مع الوزارة لتحقيق الآتي: أ - توحيد شروط الترخيص البلدي للنشاط الخاضع لإشراف
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.