In force Last amended 2/2/1441 AH
Saudi Public Decency Regulations
لائحة المحافظة على الذوق العام
The Public Decency Regulations, set out in 10 articles.
- Articles
- 10
- In force
- 10
- Amended
- 1
- Issued
- 4/8/1440 AH
Issued by: قرار مجلس الوزراء رقم 444 بتاريخ 1440/8/4 هـ
Each article shows the official Arabic text, which is the only legally binding version, followed by our plain-English explanation.
Browse Public Decency Regulations by topic
Articles of the Saudi Public Decency Regulations
- Article 1The article defines public decency as the behavior and manners that express the society's values, principles and identity, and public places as sites open to the public free of charge or for a fee.
- Article 2The article provides that the Public Decency Regulations apply to everyone who visits public places.
- Article 3The article requires everyone in a public place to respect the values, customs, traditions and prevailing culture in the Kingdom.
- Article 4The article prohibits appearing in a public place in indecent dress, or wearing dress that carries pictures, shapes, signs or phrases that offend public decency.
- Article 5The article prohibits writing, drawing or the like on the walls, components or contents of a public place or on means of transport, unless licensed by the relevant authority.
- Article 6The article prohibits in public places any word or act that harms those who visit them, damages them, frightens them or exposes them to danger.
- Article 7The article gives the Minister of Interior, in coordination with the Tourism Commission and the relevant bodies, the power to determine enforcement bodies and the mechanisms for imposing penalties, and to authorize licensed private security companies to carry out enforcement.
- Article 8The article sets a fine not exceeding SAR 5,000 on a violator of the Regulations according to the classification table, doubled if the same violation is repeated within one year, with the right to file a grievance before the administrative court.
- Article 9Article 9 gives the Ministry of Interior, together with the tourism authority and other relevant bodies, the task of classifying public decency violations and setting their fines in a schedule issued by decision of the Minister of Interior.
- Article 10Article 10 provides that the Public Decency Regulations are published in the Official Gazette and take effect thirty days after the date of publication.