Article 8 of the Saudi Public Utilities Protection Law
المادة 8 من نظام حماية المرافق العامة
The article punishes with a fine of up to SAR 3,000 anyone who tampers with water or electricity meters or public telephones, or who floods, disables or endangers traffic on roads or railways.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
يعاقب بغرامة لا تزيد عن ثلاثة آلاف ريال كل من يعبث بعدادات المياه أو الكهرباء أو أجهزة الهاتف العامة أو تمديداتها بقصد تعطيل وظيفتها أو الإخلال بها، وكذا كل من يتعدى على السكك الحديدية أو الطرق العامة أو حرمها بإغراقها بمياه الري والصرف أو غيرها أو يحدث فيها عملا يترتب عليه تعطيلها أو عدم الاستفادة منها كلها أو جزء منها أو تعريض حركة المرور للخطر.
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 8 explained in plain English
This article deals with violations that are less serious than those in the preceding articles, and punishes them with a fine of up to SAR 3,000.
First: tampering with meters and devices
Anyone who tampers with water or electricity meters or public telephone devices or their lines is punished, provided that this is done with the intent of disabling their function or impairing it. Intent is an essential element of this form.
Second: encroaching on public roads and railways or their protected zones by one of the following acts:
- Flooding them with irrigation water, sewage or other water.
- Carrying out work on them that results in disabling them, or in the whole or part of them not being usable.
- Carrying out work on them that endangers traffic movement.
The Law's penalties are graded by the seriousness of the act: Article 7 punishes with a fine of up to SAR 50,000 encroachment on utilities for unlawful benefit and forms of encroachment on roads such as building, digging and taking soil, whereas this article concerns lighter forms punished by a fine of up to SAR 3,000. Article 9 then punishes the beneficiary who helps another to use a service unlawfully.
Anyone facing a violation under this article may consult a lawyer specializing in criminal cases.
Practical example
A farmer in Al-Ahsa let irrigation water keep flowing out of his farm until it flooded part of the neighboring public road and made driving on it dangerous. This act is a form of encroachment punished by the article with a fine of up to SAR 3,000.
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 8 of the Saudi Public Utilities Protection Law
What is the penalty for tampering with an electricity or water meter?
A fine of up to SAR 3,000 for anyone who tampers with meters or their lines with the intent of disabling their function or impairing it.
Is flooding a road with irrigation water a violation?
Yes. Anyone who encroaches on public roads or their protected zones by flooding them with irrigation water, sewage or other water is punished with a fine of up to SAR 3,000.
Is a particular intent required for tampering with meters?
Yes. The text requires that the tampering be done with the intent of disabling the function of the meters or devices or impairing it.
More articles on Penalties for Attacking Public Utilities
- Article 5Amended by M/38
The article punishes anyone who deliberately damages, cuts or disables public utility lines or facilities with up to two years' imprisonment and a fine of up to SAR 100,000, or either, with the possible publication of the penalty.
يعاقب بالسجن مدة لا تزيد على سنتين وبغرامة لا تتجاوز مائة ألف ريال، أو بإحدى هاتين العقوبتين؛ كل من تعمد إتلاف أي من تمديدات أو منشآت المرافق العامة، أو تعمد قط
- Article 6
The article punishes anyone who causes damage to, or the cutting or disabling of, public utility lines with a fine of up to SAR 100,000, and allows a contractor responsible to be barred from future contracting.
يعاقب بغرامة لا تتجاوز مائة ألف ريال كل من تسبب في إتلاف أي من تمديدات المرافق العامة أو قطعها أو تعطيلها. فإن كان المتسبب في ذلك مقاولا فإنه يجوز منع التعاقد م
- Article 7
The article punishes with a fine of up to SAR 50,000 anyone who encroaches on public utilities to use their services unlawfully, or who encroaches on public roads and railways or their protected zones.
يعاقب بغرامة لا تتجاوز خمسين ألف ريال كل من يتعدى على منشآت المرافق العامة أو شبكاتها بقصد الاستفادة من خدماتها بطريقة غير مشروعة، وكذا كل من يتعدى على السكك ال
- Article 9
The article punishes with a fine of up to SAR 2,000 any beneficiary of public utility services who helps others use them unlawfully.
يعاقب بغرامة لا تزيد عن ألفي ريال كل مستفيد من خدمات المرافق العامة يسهل للغير الاستفادة منها بطريقة غير مشروعة.
- Article 10
The article allows, in case of repeat offense under the Law, a fine above the maximum limit, provided it does not exceed double that limit.
في حالة العود إلى ارتكاب أي من المخالفات المنصوص عليها في هذا النظام، يجوز أن يحكم بأكثر من الحد الأقصى المقرر للغرامة، على ألا يتجاوز ضعف هذا الحد.
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.