Article 4 of the Saudi Rules on Suspending Services

Item Fourth deals with suspending services to the business sector (establishments and companies), and applies to it the same gradation used for individuals in item Third, with details suited to the nature of commercial activity:

1. First stage (low effect): includes new services not connected to an existing license, and additional services whose suspension has no great effect on the business sector.
2. Second stage (medium effect): includes services that limit expansion in carrying on the activity, or benefit from services that do not affect the nature of the activity.
3. Third stage (high effect): includes all services that can be suspended.

The period of suspension in the first stage may not exceed 30 days, and likewise in the second stage 30 days; the item sets no period for the third stage.

The clear difference from item Third is that the third stage for individuals excludes the individual's identity, whereas this exception does not appear in item Fourth.

The owner of an establishment benefits from the fact that item Fifth enables him to request an extension of the period granted before suspension in each stage from the government body requesting the suspension. To understand the effect of suspension on his activity precisely, he may consider consulting a lawyer specializing in commercial and company cases or administrative cases.