Article 14 of the Saudi Public Utilities Protection Law

This is one of the organizational articles in the Law, and it identifies the body that issues its implementing decisions.

Content of the article:

• The ministers concerned with implementing the Law issue the decisions needed to implement it.
• Each minister issues these decisions within his area of competence only.

This follows from the nature of the Law: it covers multiple utilities belonging to different bodies, such as water, sewerage, flood drainage, electricity, telephone, public roads and railways. Implementation was therefore not assigned to a single minister; each minister concerned is left to issue the decisions needed for the utility within his area of competence.

This article sits alongside other articles that refer to different bodies: Article 13 provides that the competent Minister issues the rules for assessing compensation and determining fines, and that the fine or compensation decision is issued by him or his delegate, with the possibility of a challenge before the Board of Grievances within 60 days of notification.

In practical terms for the reader, the procedural details of applying the Law to each utility may be found in ministerial decisions issued by the body competent for that utility, and the text does not specify the content of these decisions. Anyone who needs to know the decisions that apply to his case may consult the competent body or a lawyer specializing in administrative cases.