Article 53 of the Saudi Traffic Law
المادة 53 من نظام المرور · الباب الخامس: قواعد السير على الطرق
The article provides that the direction of traffic on roads in the Kingdom is the right-hand side.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
جهة السير على الطرق هي الجهة اليمنى.
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 53 explained in plain English
This article sets a basic rule for driving in the Kingdom: the direction of traffic on roads is the right-hand side. That is, vehicles travel on the right side of the road relative to their direction of movement.
In practice, this rule means that:
- Traveling in the opposite direction is not consistent with this rule.
- A person used to driving in a country where traffic keeps to the left must keep to the right when driving in the Kingdom.
The article is short; it does not address the details of lane use or overtaking, and it does not set a penalty for violating it, so the penalty provisions of the law should be consulted for that.
This rule comes within Chapter Five on the rules of traffic on roads, alongside Article 52, which prohibits damaging, tampering with, or moving road signs, reflectors, and signposts or doing anything that makes them less important or clear, and Article 54, which gives priority of passage to emergency vehicles while carrying out their duties and to official convoys, while their drivers remain required to drive in a way that ensures the safety of others.
If an accident occurs and there is a dispute over whether one of the parties complied with the direction of traffic, you can consult a lawyer specializing in traffic accident cases.
Practical example
A resident moved to work in Riyadh from a country where traffic keeps to the left. He must get used to driving his vehicle on the right side of the road, because the article makes it the direction of traffic on roads in the Kingdom.
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 53 of the Saudi Traffic Law
Is driving in Saudi Arabia on the right or the left?
The direction of traffic on roads in the Kingdom is the right-hand side, according to the text of the article.
What is the penalty for driving against the direction of traffic?
This article does not state a penalty; it only provides that the direction of traffic on roads is the right-hand side.
More articles on Rules of the Road
- Article 11
The article requires the vehicle license to be in the vehicle while it travels, lets a security officer ask to see it, and bars him from retaining it.
يجب أن تكون رخصة سير المركبة موجودة بها أثناء سيرها، ولرجل الأمن حق طلب إبرازها للاطلاع عليها، وليس له حجزها.
- Article 30
The article requires a trailer, or a broken-down vehicle when it is towed, to be fitted with rear and side lights or reflectors that allow it to be seen.
يجب تزويد المقطورة ، أو المركبة المتعطلة - عند سحبها - بأنوار أو عاكسات خلفية وجانبية تسمح برؤيتها.
- Article 31
The article requires large vehicles, such as trucks, buses and public works vehicles, and animal-drawn vehicles to be fitted with lights or reflective strips at the rear and on both sides.
يجب تزويد المركبات الكبيرة، كالشاحنات والحافلات ومركبات الأشغال العامة، وتلك التي تجرها الحيوانات ؛ بأنوار إضاءة أو شرائح عاكسة توضع في المؤخرة وعلى جانبي هذه ا
- Article 33
The article requires the driver to carry a valid driving license when driving a vehicle, lets a security officer ask to see it, and bars him from retaining it.
يجب على السائق أن يحمل رخصة قيادة سارية المفعول عند قيادته للمركبة، ولرجل الأمن حق طلب إبرازها للاطلاع عليها، وليس له حجزها.
- Article 51
The article makes road signs, reflectors, and signposts attached to the law part of it, and requires drivers to comply with them and with instructions from the competent authorities in accordance with the law and its regulations.
تعد علامات الطريق و العاكسات و الشاخصات الملحقة بهذا النظام جزءا منه، ويجب على السائق التقيد بها وبالتعليمات الصادرة من الجهات المختصة، وفقا لأحكام هذا النظام و
- Article 52
The article prohibits damaging, tampering with, or moving road signs, reflectors, and signposts, and any act that reduces their importance and clarity or undermines their internationally agreed meaning.
يحظر إتلاف علامات الطريق و العاكسات و الشاخصات ، أو العبث بها، أو نقلها، أو القيام بأي تصرف يجعلها أقل أهمية ووضوحا، أو يؤدي إلى الإخلال بالمفهوم العام المتفق ع
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.