Article 3 of the Saudi Public Utilities Protection Law
المادة 3 من نظام حماية المرافق العامة
The article requires public utility departments and companies to protect their utilities and educate others, to provide plans and instructions within 15 days of a request, and makes them responsible for their accuracy.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
على الإدارات والشركات المعنية بإدارة كل مرفق اتخاذ الاحتياطات اللازمة لحمايته وتوعية الغير بما يجب عمله لضمان سلامة شبكات المرفق ومنشآته. وعليها تقديم مخططات المرفق والتعليمات المعدة لحمايته إلى من يطلبها من ذوي العلاقة خلال مدة لا تتعدى خمسة عشر يوما من ورود الطلب إليها، وتكون مسؤولة عن صحة التعليمات والمخططات التي تقدمها.
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 3 explained in plain English
Article 2 requires anyone working near public utilities to obtain their plans and instructions. This article now sets out the duties of the other side: the departments and companies that manage each utility.
Duties of the utility operator:
- Protection: taking the necessary precautions to protect the utility.
- Awareness: educating others about what must be done to ensure the safety of the utility's networks and facilities.
- Providing plans and instructions: handing over the utility's plans and the instructions prepared for its protection to interested parties who request them, within no more than 15 days of receiving the request.
- Responsibility for accuracy: the operator is responsible for the accuracy of the instructions and plans it provides.
In practical terms, a contractor or project owner who requests the plans should receive them within the stated period, and the body that handed over the plans cannot escape responsibility if the information in them is inaccurate. The text does not specify the details or consequences of this responsibility; they are examined case by case.
Article 4 complements these duties by requiring utility operators to coordinate with one another to protect each utility and repair damage as quickly as possible. Anyone in a dispute over damage resulting from incorrect plans may consult a lawyer specializing in civil cases and compensation, or in administrative cases, depending on the nature of the body concerned.
Practical example
An engineering office in Dammam asks the telephone operator for the cable plans at a project site. Under the article, the operator must hand over the plans and instructions within no more than 15 days of receiving the request, and is responsible for the accuracy of what it handed over.
Translated from our Arabic explanation with machine assistance. For guidance only; it does not replace advice from a lawyer on your situation.
How we write and review contentAdministrative Law lawyers: ask a specialist about your case
Describe your situation briefly and we'll suggest a lawyer who specialises in this law
Administrative Law (Board of Grievances) lawyers
Lawyers who handle this kind of case
Dr. Ali Al-Rubaie Law Office and Ittihad Al-Asr Legal Company
Al-Safwa Law Office and Legal Consultancy
Frequently asked questions about Article 3 of the Saudi Public Utilities Protection Law
How long does a utility have to hand over the plans?
No more than 15 days from the date it receives the request.
Who is responsible if the utility's plans are inaccurate?
The article provides that public utility departments and companies are responsible for the accuracy of the instructions and plans they provide.
Do utility companies have to educate the public?
Yes. They must educate others about what to do to ensure the safety of the utility's networks and facilities.
More articles on Duties to Protect Public Utilities
- Article 2
The article requires anyone doing work that may affect a public utility's networks to first obtain its plans and instructions, take precautions to protect it, and notify the concerned body if they damage it.
يتعين قبل القيام بأي عمل من شأنه التأثير على شبكات ومنشآت أي مرفق من المرافق العامة الحصول من الجهة المختصة على المخططات والتعليمات الخاصة بذلك المرفق، وأخذ أقص
- Article 4
The article requires public utility departments and companies to coordinate with each other to protect each utility and repair damage as quickly as possible, and to announce a contact person available at any time.
على إدارات وشركات المرافق العامة التنسيق فيما بينها بما يخدم حماية كل مرفق وضمان إصلاح أي ضرر يتعرض له بأقصى سرعة ممكنة، وعليها من أجل ذلك الإعلام عن المسؤول لد
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.