Article 28 of the Saudi Product Safety Law
المادة 28 من نظام سلامة المنتجات · الباب السادس: مراقبة الأسواق
It is prohibited to prevent an inspector from carrying out inspection and detection work, or to obstruct them in doing so.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
يحظر منع المفتش أو إعاقته عن تأدية أعماله المتعلقة بالتفتيش والضبط.
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 28 explained in plain English
This article protects the inspector's work by expressly prohibiting two kinds of conduct:
- Preventing the inspector from carrying out their work.
- Obstructing them in carrying out their work.
The protection covers their work relating to inspection and detection. Under Article 1, an inspector is a person appointed by decision of the Board to detect any violations of the Law and regulations.
The difference between the two: "preventing" stops the inspector from doing their work in the first place, such as refusing them entry, while "obstructing" covers anything that hinders or complicates their work even if it does not stop it entirely, such as stalling or harassment. The text is general and is not limited to a particular form.
This article does not set a specific penalty for a violator, but the prohibition in it is a provision of the Law, and breaching it is a violation of the Law.
It is preceded by Article 27, which provides for financial rewards for inspectors by decision of the Board on the Governor's proposal. It is followed by Article 29, which requires the inspector to keep confidential the information obtained through their work. The Law thus protects the inspector's work on the one hand and binds the inspector to confidentiality on the other.
Anyone who objects to an inspection procedure should use the legal channels rather than prevent the inspector, and is advised to consult a lawyer who specializes in administrative matters.
Practical example
An inspector came to a company's warehouse in Jeddah to inspect it, and the warehouse manager refused to open the doors on the pretext that the owner was absent. This conduct amounts to preventing or obstructing the inspector from carrying out their work, which the article prohibits.
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 28 of the Saudi Product Safety Law
Can a Standards Authority inspector be refused entry to a shop?
No. It is prohibited to prevent an inspector, or obstruct them, from carrying out their inspection and detection work.
Is delaying an inspector's access a violation?
The text prohibits obstructing the inspector in addition to preventing them, and the word "obstructing" is general.
More articles on Market Surveillance and Inspection
- Article 20
The competent authorities may use the services of conformity assessment bodies accepted by the Authority to assess the conformity of a specific product under the Law and regulations.
يحق للجهات المختصة الاستعانة بخدمات جهات تقويم المطابقة على أن تكون مقبولة من الهيئة للقيام بإجراء تقويم المطابقة لمنتَج محدد وفقًا لأحكام النظام واللوائح.
- Article 24
The competent authorities carry out market surveillance in accordance with the rules, procedures and tasks set by the regulations.
تقوم الجهات المختصة بالمراقبة على الأسواق وفقاً للقواعد والإجراءات والمهمات التي تحددها اللوائح.
- Article 25
The Authority prepares a national strategy for product safety and market surveillance, ensures compliance with operators' requirements, and maintains the minimum conformity index.
تتولى الهيئة الآتي: 1- إعداد استراتيجية وطنية لسلامة المنتجات ومراقبة الأسواق، ومتابعة تنفيذها بعد اعتمادها، وتحديثها دوريًّا؛ وفقًا للإجراءات النظامية. 2- التأ
- Article 26
Inspectors appointed by the Board detect and document violations of the Law and regulations. They may enter and inspect facilities, draw up reports, temporarily close premises, seize products, review documents and take samples.
يتولى مفتشون -يعينهم المجلس- مجتمعين أو منفردين ضبط مخالفات أحكام النظام واللوائح وإثباتها، ولهم في سبيل ذلك الآتي: 1- الدخول -في أي وقت- لمنشآت المشغل الاقتصاد
- Article 27
Financial rewards are granted to the inspectors referred to in Article 26 by decision of the Board on the Governor's proposal, as set by the regulations.
تمنح بقرار من المجلس بناء على اقتراح من المحافظ مكافآت مالية للمفتشين المنصوص عليهم في المادة (السادسة والعشرين) من النظام، وفقًا لما تحدده اللوائح.
- Article 29
The inspector must keep confidential the information obtained through their work, but confidentiality does not prevent the competent authorities from disclosing information needed for effective market surveillance or to prevent a safety risk.
1- يجب على المفتش المحافظة على سرية المعلومات التي يحصل عليها بحكم عمله. 2- لا تحول المحافظة على سرية المعلومات دون إفصاح الجهات المختصة عن المعلومات اللازمة لض
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.