Article 12 of the Saudi Shomoos Security Law
المادة 12 من نظام نقل معلومات المتعاملين مع المنشآت الخاصة إلكترونياً إلى مركز المعلومات الوطني في وزارة الداخلية نظام شموس الأمني
This article provides that private establishments bear no financial costs for joining the Shomoos system.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
لا تتحمل المنشآت الخاصة تكاليف مالية مقابل اشتراكها في نظام شموس.
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 a clear rule: joining the Shomoos system carries no financial charge for private establishments.
Under Article 1, private establishments are the companies, institutions, offices and shops in the private sector that are required to join Shomoos. Although these establishments are required to join, they bear no financial costs for the joining.
As stated in the text, the scope of the rule is the costs for joining the system. The article does not address other costs an establishment may bear in its daily operations, such as its own internal equipment; the text does not mention these.
In practice, an establishment cannot cite cost to justify not joining, and it should not pay any party fees described as a charge for joining Shomoos.
This article follows Article 11, which requires the Ministry to take technical measures to ensure establishments' privacy and the confidentiality of the information, and precedes Article 13, which provides that the Minister of Interior issues the Implementing Regulations of the law within 90 days of its issuance.
Practical example
Someone contacts the owner of a gold-buying shop in Jeddah and offers him membership in Shomoos for an annual fee. Under this article, an establishment bears no financial costs for joining Shomoos, so the shop owner would do better to verify the official way to join.
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 12 of the Saudi Shomoos Security Law
Is joining the Shomoos system free?
Yes. The article provides that private establishments bear no financial costs for joining the Shomoos system.
Can any party charge a fee for joining Shomoos?
The article provides that establishments bear no financial costs for joining, and it mentions no fees for joining.
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 11
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.
تقوم الوزارة باتخاذ جميع الإجراءات الفنية والتقنية التي تضمن خصوصية المنشآت الخاصة، وسرية المعلومات، وضمان عدم استخدامها للأغراض غير المعدة لها.
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.