Article 12 of the Saudi Building Code Law
المادة 12 من نظام تطبيق كود البناء السعودي
This article punishes anyone who violates the Code, the Law or its regulations with a fine of up to SAR 1 million per violation in one building, a suspension of the practice license for one month to one year, or both.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
مع مراعاة ما ورد في المادتين (العاشرة) و(الحادية عشرة) من النظام، يعاقب كل من يخالف الكود أو أيًّا من أحكام النظام أو لوائحه بأي من العقوبتين الآتيتين أو بكلتيهما :
1 - غرامة مالية لا تزيد على مليون ريال للمخالفة الواحدة في المبنى الواحد.
2 - إيقاف رخصة الممارسة مدة لا تقل عن شهر ولا تتجاوز سنة واحدة.
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 12 explained in plain English
This article sets the penalties in the Law on Implementation of the Saudi Building Code. Anyone who violates the Code or any provision of the Law or its regulations is punished with either of the following two penalties or both:
- A fine of up to SAR 1,000,000 per violation in one building. The maximum is counted for each violation in each building, and the million is an upper limit, not a fixed amount.
- Suspension of the practice license for a period of not less than one month and not more than one year.
The article begins with the phrase "subject to Articles 10 and 11." This means the penalty does not cancel the procedures in them:
- Article 10: the violator must remove or correct the violation within a period set by the related authority, failing which the violation is referred to the committee provided for in Article 14.
- Article 11: for a dangerous violation, construction is stopped, occupancy is barred or the building is evacuated until it is corrected, and the violation is referred to the committee within 5 working days of detection.
A practice license, under Article 1, is a permit to carry out design, execution or supervision work, so the penalty of suspending it affects designers, contractors and supervisors in particular. The article does not set the penalty for any particular violation. Anyone facing a violation should consider consulting a lawyer specializing in administrative matters.
Practical example
A contractor in Riyadh was found to have committed two violations of the Code in one building. He may be punished with a fine of up to SAR 1 million for each of them and a suspension of his practice license for between one month and one year, or with only one of the two penalties, while his duty to correct the violation remains.
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 12 of the Saudi Building Code Law
What is the fine for violating the building code?
A fine of up to SAR 1 million per violation in one building.
Can an engineer's or contractor's license be suspended?
Yes. One of the penalties is suspension of the practice license for a period of not less than one month and not more than one year.
Can the fine and the license suspension be combined?
Yes. The article provides for punishment with either penalty or both.
Articles this article refers to
- Article 10
This article requires anyone who violates the Code to remove or correct the violation within a period set by the related authority after being notified, failing which the violation is referred to the committee provided for in Article 14.
على كل من خالف الكود إزالة المخالفة أو تصحيحها بما يتفق مع الكود في مدة تحددها الجهة ذات العلاقة، ويشعر المخالف بذلك. وإذا لم يُزِل المخالف المخالفة أو يصححها خ
- Article 11
For a dangerous violation, this article requires the related authority to notify the violator and stop the construction, bar occupancy or evacuate the building until the violation is corrected, and refer it to the committee within 5 working days.
عندما تكون المخالفة خطرة، فعلى الجهة ذات العلاقة إشعار المخالف بها، وإيقاف البناء أو الجزء أو القسم الذي يشكل الخطورة أو منع الإشغال أو إخلاء المبنى حتى يزيل ال
More articles on Building Code Violations and Penalties
- Article 10
This article requires anyone who violates the Code to remove or correct the violation within a period set by the related authority after being notified, failing which the violation is referred to the committee provided for in Article 14.
على كل من خالف الكود إزالة المخالفة أو تصحيحها بما يتفق مع الكود في مدة تحددها الجهة ذات العلاقة، ويشعر المخالف بذلك. وإذا لم يُزِل المخالف المخالفة أو يصححها خ
- Article 11
For a dangerous violation, this article requires the related authority to notify the violator and stop the construction, bar occupancy or evacuate the building until the violation is corrected, and refer it to the committee within 5 working days.
عندما تكون المخالفة خطرة، فعلى الجهة ذات العلاقة إشعار المخالف بها، وإيقاف البناء أو الجزء أو القسم الذي يشكل الخطورة أو منع الإشغال أو إخلاء المبنى حتى يزيل ال
- Article 13
This article assigns detecting and documenting Code violations to specialists qualified in the Code from the related authorities, named by decision of their authorities, with detection made by a report completed as the regulations determine.
يتولى ضبط مخالفات الكود وتوثيقها مختصون مؤهلون في الكود من الجهات ذات العلاقة، يصدر بتسميتهم قرار من جهاتهم، على أن يكون ضبط المخالفة بموجب محضر تدون فيه المعلو
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.