Article 10 of the Saudi Weapons and Ammunition Law
المادة 10 من نظام الأسلحة والذخائر
The article allows the Minister to license certain Saudi institutions and companies to possess personal firearms and ammunition where the nature of their work requires arming some of their personnel.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
للوزير الترخيص بحيازة أسلحة وذخائر نارية فردية لبعض المؤسسات والشركات السعودية التي تتطلب طبيعة عملها تسليح بعض منسوبيها، وفق الضوابط والشروط التي تحددها اللائحة.
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 10 explained in plain English
This article addresses a special case concerning establishments rather than individuals. The Minister, who under Article 1 is the Minister of Interior, may license certain Saudi institutions and companies to possess personal firearms and ammunition.
The elements, as they appear in the text:
- The establishment must be a Saudi institution or company.
- The nature of its work must require arming some of its personnel; the establishment's mere wish to own a weapon is not enough.
- The license is in accordance with the controls and conditions set by the Implementing Regulations.
The license in this article is limited to personal firearms and ammunition, meaning those intended for use by one person, such as pistols and rifles, as defined in Article 1. The article does not specify the types of work that require arming; it refers the controls and conditions to the Regulations.
The wording "the Minister may license" makes this a power of the Minister and not an automatic right of the establishment. The article is linked to Article 9, which allows the Minister to license the import, sale, purchase, carrying, acquisition, and repair of personal firearms and other weapons, and to Article 11, which allows him, for special considerations he sees, to license a person residing in the Kingdom to buy, carry, and acquire a personal firearm.
Establishments considering applying for this license may consult a lawyer who specializes in corporate matters and weapons regulations.
Practical example
A company in Jeddah provides guard services for transporting cash and considers that the nature of its work requires arming some of its employees. Under this article, the Minister of Interior may license it to possess personal firearms and ammunition, provided it meets the controls and conditions set by the Regulations.
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 10 of the Saudi Weapons and Ammunition Law
May companies possess weapons in Saudi Arabia?
The Minister may license certain Saudi institutions and companies to possess personal firearms and ammunition if the nature of their work requires arming some of their personnel.
Does the article cover foreign companies?
The text refers to Saudi institutions and companies.
What are the conditions for a weapon possession license for companies?
The article refers the controls and conditions to the Implementing Regulations.
More articles on Licensing to Carry and Own Weapons
- Article 4
The article prohibits anyone other than the competent government bodies from manufacturing and trading in military weapons or manufacturing personal firearms, and bars importing, selling, carrying, or bringing in weapons except with the Minister's license or permission.
يحظر على غير الجهات الحكومية المختصة ما يأتي: أ - صنع الأسلحة الحربية وذخائرها ومستلزماتها أو قطع غيارها، و استيرادها، أو حيازتها، أو تداولها، أو اقتناؤها، أو إ
- Article 8
The article gives the Minister of Interior the power to determine the places and times in which carrying a weapon is prohibited, even if the weapon is licensed.
يحدد الوزير الأماكن والأوقات التي يحظر فيها حمل السلاح المرخص بحمله.
- Article 9
The article allows the Minister to license the import, sale, purchase, carrying, acquisition, and repair of personal firearms, hunting weapons, training weapons, and air rifles, with their accessories, in accordance with the Regulations' conditions.
للوزير أن يرخص باستيراد الأسلحة النارية الفردية و أسلحة الصيد و أسلحة التمرين والبنادق الهوائية وقطع غيارها ولوازمها وذخائرها، وكذلك بيعها أو شراؤها أو حملها أو
- Article 11
The article allows the Minister of Interior, for special considerations he sees, to license a person residing in the Kingdom to buy, carry, and acquire a personal firearm.
للوزير -لاعتبارات خاصة يراها- الترخيص بشراء سلاح ناري فردي وحمله واقتنائه لشخص يقيم في المملكة.
- Article 23
The article allows granting a license to acquire more than one personal firearm, in accordance with what the Regulations determine.
يجوز منح رخصة اقتناء لأكثر من سلاح ناري فردي، وفقا لما تحدده اللائحة .
- Article 24
The article bars granting a carrying license for more than one personal firearm, refers the type of that weapon to the Regulations, and allows the Minister in special cases to license carrying more than one weapon.
لا يجوز منح رخصة حمل لأكثر من سلاح ناري فردي واحد، وتحدد اللائحة نوع هذا السلاح. وللوزير في حالات خاصة منح تراخيص بحمل أكثر من سلاح.
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.