Article 4 of the Saudi Nuisance Law
المادة 4 من نظام الأنشطة المقلقة للراحة أو الخطرة أو المضرة بالصحة أو البيئة
The article obliges the licensee to manage the premises himself or appoint a manager or person responsible for operation under the Regulations' conditions, and to notify the competent authority within thirty days when changing him.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
يجب على صاحب الترخيص أن يقوم بإدارة المحل بنفسه أو تعيين مدير أو مسئول عن التشغيل وفقاً للشروط التي تحددها اللائحة التنفيذية، وفي حالة رغبته في تغيير المدير أو المسؤول يجب عليه إخطار الجهة المختصة خلال ثلاثين يوماً.
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
This article specifies who manages the licensed premises, and places two obligations on the licensee:
- Management: to manage the premises himself, or to appoint a manager or person responsible for operation. This is according to the conditions set by the Implementing Regulations; the article does not state the manager's qualifications or conditions.
- Notice upon change: if the licensee wishes to change the manager or the person responsible, he must notify the competent authority within thirty days.
The purpose of this article is that there is always a person known to the competent authority who bears responsibility for operating the premises, given the nature of these activities that disturb comfort or are dangerous or harmful to health or the environment.
The article is linked to Article 3, which restricts assignment of the license, and to Article 5, which gives the assigned employees the right to enter premises during official working hours to verify that the conditions are met and to catch violations. Article 6 deals with the penalties prescribed for violating the Law's provisions.
A person who needs to know the conditions required of the manager or the method of notification should refer to the Implementing Regulations and the competent authority, and may consult a lawyer specializing in administrative or commercial cases if needed.
Practical example
A company in Dammam owns a premises licensed for an activity subject to the Law, and appointed Fahd as the person responsible for operation. When it decided to replace him with another employee, under this article it had to notify the competent authority of the change within thirty days.
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 Nuisance Law
Must the licensee manage the premises himself?
He manages the premises himself or appoints a manager or person responsible for operation, according to the conditions set by the Implementing Regulations.
Within what period must the competent authority be notified of a change of premises manager?
The licensee must notify the competent authority within thirty days if he wishes to change the manager or the person responsible.
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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.