Article 9 of the Saudi Public Decency Regulations
المادة 9 من لائحة المحافظة على الذوق العام
Article 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.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
تتولى وزارة الداخلية –بالاشتراك مع الهيئة العامة للسياحة والتراث الوطني والجهات الأخرى ذات العلاقة- تصنيف المخالفات، وتحديد الغرامات المالية المقابلة لكل منها، وفق جدول تعده لهذا الغرض ويصدر بقرار من وزير الداخلية.
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 9 explained in plain English
Article 9 sets out how the detailed violations and the fine for each are determined. It makes this a task of the Ministry of Interior, together with the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage and the other relevant bodies. They are responsible for:
- Classifying the violations.
- Setting the fine that corresponds to each one.
This is done according to a schedule the Ministry prepares for the purpose, which is issued by decision of the Minister of Interior.
The schedule matters because Article 8 sets the fine for violating any provision of the Regulations at no more than five thousand riyals according to the violations classification schedule provided for in this article, and doubles it if the same violation is repeated within a year. So Article 8 sets the ceiling, and this article identifies the body that sets the exact amount for each violation within that ceiling.
The article does not contain the schedule itself, so its text does not tell you the fine for a particular violation; for that you refer to the schedule issued by decision of the Minister of Interior.
It is followed by Article 10, which provides for publication of the Regulations in the Official Gazette and their entry into force thirty days after publication.
Anyone who has been fined and believes the fine does not match the schedule may consult a specialized lawyer in administrative cases (the Board of Grievances).
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 9 of the Saudi Public Decency Regulations
Who sets the fine for each public decency violation?
The Ministry of Interior, together with the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage and the relevant bodies, in a schedule issued by decision of the Minister of Interior.
Can a fine in the schedule exceed five thousand riyals?
Article 8 makes the fine according to the schedule no more than five thousand riyals, and doubles it if the same violation is repeated within a year.
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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.