Article 11 of the Saudi Shomoos Security Law
المادة 11 من نظام نقل معلومات المتعاملين مع المنشآت الخاصة إلكترونياً إلى مركز المعلومات الوطني في وزارة الداخلية نظام شموس الأمني
This article requires the Ministry of Interior to take all technical measures that ensure establishments' privacy, the confidentiality of information, and that it is not used for purposes other than those intended.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
تقوم الوزارة باتخاذ جميع الإجراءات الفنية والتقنية التي تضمن خصوصية المنشآت الخاصة، وسرية المعلومات، وضمان عدم استخدامها للأغراض غير المعدة لها.
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 11 explained in plain English
This article balances requiring establishments to transfer information with protecting that information. It requires the Ministry of Interior to take all technical measures that ensure three things:
- The privacy of private establishments.
- The confidentiality of the information, which under Article 1 is the information and data of customers that must be recorded and sent through Shomoos.
- That the information is not used for purposes other than those intended.
The article thus protects two parties: the establishment that records the data, and the customer whose data is recorded, who is the natural person benefiting from the establishment's services. The article does not specify the kind of technical measures required; it makes them comprehensive of whatever ensures these aims.
Under Article 1, the Shomoos system is a central automated system through which information is transferred to the National Information Center at the Ministry of Interior, so protecting the confidentiality of this data is a safeguard inseparable from transferring it.
Article 12 follows, providing that private establishments bear no financial costs for joining Shomoos, and Article 10 precedes it, regulating the issuing of penalties and challenging them. Anyone with concerns about the use of their data can consult a lawyer who specializes in administrative cases and data protection.
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 11 of the Saudi Shomoos Security Law
Is customer data in the Shomoos system confidential?
The article requires the Ministry of Interior to take all technical measures that ensure the confidentiality of the information and that it is not used for purposes other than those intended.
Does the Shomoos system protect establishments' privacy?
Yes. The privacy of private establishments is among the things the Ministry's required measures must ensure.
Can Shomoos data be used for other purposes?
The article requires the Ministry to ensure that the information is not used for purposes other than those intended.
More articles on Ministry of Interior's Role in the Shomoos System
- Article 4
This article makes the Ministry of Interior responsible for operating the Shomoos system, supervising and developing its application, and taking the necessary measures for that.
تتولى الوزارة مسؤولية تشغيل نظام شموس، والإشراف على تطبيقه، وتطويره، واتخاذ الإجراءات اللازمة لتحقيق ذلك.
- Article 5
This article directs the Ministry of Interior to coordinate with government entities to connect them to Shomoos, determine the information to be entered, including reporting violations, and set how it is exchanged and used.
تتولى الوزارة التنسيق مع الجهات الحكومية لضمان ربطها بنظام شموس، وتحديد نوعية المعلومات التي يجب إدخالها في النظام، بما فيها الإبلاغ عن مخالفات أحكام هذا النظام
- Article 6
This article directs the Ministry of Interior, in coordination with government entities, to set a mechanism for checking that private establishments have joined Shomoos before a business license is issued or renewed.
تقوم الوزارة - بالتنسيق مع الجهات الحكومية - بوضع آلية للتأكد من اشتراك المنشآت الخاصة في نظام شموس قبل إصدار رخصة مزاولة النشاط أو تجديدها.
- Article 8
This article makes the Ministry of Interior responsible for checking that establishments apply the law, detecting violations and applying penalties, and for setting procedures through which government entities report violating establishments.
1- تتولى الوزارة التأكد من تطبيق المنشآت الخاصة لأحكام هذا النظام، وضبط المخالفات، وتطبيق العقوبات المقررة. 2- تتولى الوزارة - بالتنسيق مع الجهات الحكومية - وضع
- Article 12
This article provides that private establishments bear no financial costs for joining the Shomoos system.
لا تتحمل المنشآت الخاصة تكاليف مالية مقابل اشتراكها في نظام شموس.
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.