Article 31 of the Saudi Privatization Law
المادة 31 من نظام التخصيص
The Center maintains a register of privatization projects open to entities and the public; the contracting authority and private party must supply it with information, and project documents may not be published before the Center publishes them without approval.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
1- يُعدّ المركز سجلًّا لمشاريع التخصيص يتضمّن قاعدة بيانات كاملة، ومُحدّثة، ودقيقة؛ تتضمن جميع المعلومات المتعلقة بمشاريع التخصيص.
2- يتعيّن على الجهة التنفيذية وأي طرف خاص تزويد المركز بالوثائق والمعلومات والبيانات المتعلقة بمشاريع التخصيص، وتحديث ما سبق تقديمه إليه منها، والإفصاح إليه عنها عند طلبه، وذلك في الوقت وبالكيفيّة اللتين يُحدّدهما المركز.
3- يُـتاح سجل مشاريع التخصيص لاطلاع الجهات الحكومية، والمؤسسات، والهيئات العامة، والأطراف الخاصة والعموم، ويُحدّد مجلس إدارة المركز بيانات السجل التي لا يجوز الاطلاع عليها، ونشرها.
4- مع مراعاة ما تقضي به الأنظمة من أحكام، لا يجوز نشر أي وثائق، أو معلومات، أو بيانات تتعلق بمشاريع التخصيص، أو الإفصاح عنها، قبل نشرها من المركز من خلال السجل؛ إلّا بموافقة الجهة التنفيذية وبعد التنسيق مع المركز.
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 31 explained in plain English
This article regulates transparency and information in privatization projects:
- The register: the National Center for Privatization maintains a register of privatization projects containing a complete, up-to-date and accurate database of all information relating to the projects.
- Duty to supply: the contracting authority and any private party must provide the Center with documents, information and data, update them, and disclose them on request, at the time and in the manner the Center specifies.
- Access: the register is open for inspection by government entities, public institutions and bodies, private parties and the public. However, the Center's Board of Directors determines the data that may not be viewed or published.
- No early publication: subject to other laws, no documents or information about privatization projects may be published or disclosed before the Center publishes them in the register, except with the contracting authority's approval and after coordination with the Center.
In practice: an investor or researcher can consult the register to learn about projects, and the private party may not announce the details of its project to the media or investors before it is published in the register without approval. This protects the integrity of competition and prevents leaks of information. Anyone who needs to publish information about their project should first check that the necessary approval has been obtained.
Practical example
A company won a partnership project to operate sports facilities and wanted to issue a press release with the contract details before the Center published them in the register. It may not do so except with the contracting authority's approval and after coordinating with the Center.
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 31 of the Saudi Privatization Law
Can the public view the privatization projects register?
Yes. The register is open to government entities, public institutions and bodies, private parties and the public, except for data that the Center's Board of Directors decides may not be viewed.
Can a company publish information about a privatization project?
Not before the Center publishes it in the register, except with the contracting authority's approval and after coordination with the Center, subject to other laws.
Must the private party provide information to the Center?
Yes. It must provide the Center with documents and information, update them and disclose them on request.
More articles on Privatization Project Register and Conflicts of Interest
- Article 42
This article requires anyone who learns confidential information through their job or work, or holds documents not authorized for publication about a privatization project, to keep them confidential and not disclose them except as the laws allow.
يتعين على كل من يطلّع بحكم وظيفته أو عمله على معلومات سرية أو يحوز وثائق مرتبطة بمشروع تخصيص غير مصرّح بنشرها؛ الالتزام بالمحافظة على سريّتها، وعدم إفشائها إلاّ
- Article 43
This article bars the contracting authority's staff, its consultants and participating employees from any interest or benefit in a privatization project for themselves or their spouses, ascendants or descendants, and requires immediate disclosure and abstaining from participation.
1- يحظر على أي من منسوبي الجهة التنفيذية، أو أي استشاري لها، أو أي موظف عام آخر يشارك في المهمات المرتبطة بمشروع التخصيص؛ أن تكون له أي مصلحة خاصة، أو منفعة شخص
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.