Article 34 of the Saudi Product Safety Law

This is the main penal article for violations of the Law and regulations, without prejudice to any more severe penalty in another law.

1. Penalties (one or more):

• A warning.
• A fine of up to SAR 10,000,000.
• Closure of the establishment for up to one year.

2. Publication: the committee referred to in Article 33 may provide in the penalty decision for publication of its summary at the violator's expense in a local newspaper in the place where they reside, or in the nearest region if there is none, or by any other suitable means, depending on the type, seriousness and impact of the violation. Publication takes place after the decision becomes final by expiry of the statutory period or the judgment becomes conclusive.

3. The Governor's power: the Governor or their delegate imposes the warning and the fine not exceeding SAR 10,000, on the recommendation of the inspector. If a warning is imposed for a non-serious violation, the economic operator is given a corrective grace period under the regulations to remedy it before a fine is imposed or closure ordered.

4. The violations table: the Board issues, within the regulations, a table that classifies violations and their penalties, amounts and durations, taking gradation into account.

Under Article 33, the committee is responsible for applying the fine and closure, and its decisions may be appealed to the Administrative Court within 60 days. The article is followed by Article 35, which provides for imprisonment of up to 10 years for a person who deliberately causes an unsafe product, capable of harming the consumer, to be placed or offered on the market. A person who has been penalized is advised to consult a lawyer who specializes in administrative matters.