Article 15 of the Saudi Tourism Law
المادة 15 من نظام السياحة
The Minister forms one or more committees of at least three members, one a legal specialist, to hear violations of the Tourism Law and impose the Article 16 penalties except immediate fines.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
1- تكوّن بقرار من الوزير لجنة (أو أكثر) لا يقل عدد أعضائها عن (ثلاثة)، يكون أحدَهم مختصٌ في الأنظمة؛ وذلك للنظر في مخالفات النظام واللائحة، وإيقاع العقوبات المنصوص عليها في المادة (السادسة عشرة) من النظام باستثناء الغرامات الفورية المنصوص عليها في الفقرة (5) من المادة نفسها.
2- تحدد اللائحة آلية عمل اللجنة، ويحدد الوزير مكافآت أعضائها بقرار منه.
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 15 explained in plain English
This article identifies the body that hears violations of the Tourism Law and imposes their penalties: a specialized committee.
Formation of the committee:
- It is formed by decision of the Minister, and there may be one committee or more.
- It has no fewer than three members.
- One of them is a specialist in laws.
Its jurisdiction:
- Hearing violations of the Law and the Regulations.
- Imposing the penalties set out in Article 16, which are a warning, closure of the facility in whole or in part, temporarily or permanently, a downgrade in classification, suspension of the license for no more than one year, revocation of the license, and a fine of no more than SAR 1,000,000.
The exception: the committee does not have jurisdiction over the immediate fines set out in paragraph 5 of Article 16, which are fines not exceeding SAR 10,000 that the competent inspector issues immediately when the violation is detected.
The Regulations set the committee's working mechanism, and the Minister sets its members' remuneration by decision. Anyone whose violation has been referred to the committee can consult a lawyer who specializes in administrative cases.
Practical example
An inspector detected a violation by furnished apartments in Khobar for failing to meet classification requirements and referred it to the committee. The committee hears the violation and may impose one of the penalties in Article 16, such as a warning, a downgrade in classification or a fine.
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 15 of the Saudi Tourism Law
Who imposes penalties for violations of the Tourism Law?
One or more committees formed by the Minister by decision, of at least three members, one a legal specialist, except for immediate fines.
Who issues the immediate fine for tourism violations?
Under paragraph 5 of Article 16, the competent inspector issues it immediately when detecting violations whose fine does not exceed SAR 10,000, and these are excluded from the committee's jurisdiction.
Articles this article refers to
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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.