Article 7 of the Saudi Security Surveillance Cameras Law

This article sets out the powers of the security bodies over the security surveillance camera feed and recordings. The Ministry or the Presidency of State Security, as the case may be, may:

• Watch the camera feed and recordings.
• Keep a copy of them.
• Process and analyze their data.

But these powers are limited by conditions the article states: there must be necessity, it must be for reasons connected with security, and without conflicting with the relevant laws.

The Ministry or the Presidency of State Security may also provide these recordings to the competent court and the competent investigation body if requested. This means the recordings may reach the courts or an investigation by this route.

This article differs from paragraph 3 of Article 6, which addresses parties other than the security bodies and prohibits transferring or publishing recordings except with the approval of the Ministry or the Presidency of State Security, or by a judicial order, or at the request of the competent investigation body. Article 8 assigns to the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority the development of systems for processing and analyzing the feed and recordings, and enabling the Ministry and the Presidency of State Security to use them.

The article does not state how the court or the investigation body submits its request; that is left to the relevant laws and procedures.

If you are a party to a case and need camera recordings, you may consult a lawyer specialized in criminal matters.