Article 17 of the Saudi Weapons and Ammunition Law
المادة 17 من نظام الأسلحة والذخائر
The article provides that all licenses issued under the Weapons and Ammunition Law benefit only the licensee himself.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
جميع الرخص الصادرة بموجب أحكام هذا النظام لا يستفيد منها إلا المرخص له نفسه.
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 17 explained in plain English
This article sets a general rule that applies to all licenses issued under the Weapons and Ammunition Law: a license is personal. Only the person to whom it was issued benefits from it.
In practical terms, the text means:
- The license does not extend to anyone other than the licensee, such as his family members or friends, merely because of their connection to him.
- Benefiting from the license is limited to the licensee himself.
The rule is general because it covers "all licenses," whether a license to carry, to acquire, or any other license issued under the Law. The article itself does not address what follows if someone other than the licensee benefits from the license; that issue does not appear in its text.
This article is linked to Article 16, which allows the Minister, based on the requirements of the public interest, not to approve a license application or to restrict or cancel an existing license, and to Article 18, which sets out the cases in which a license to carry or acquire a weapon is cancelled, including the death of the licensee or loss of his legal capacity, and states who disposes of the weapon and its ammunition after cancellation in light of what the Regulations determine.
Anyone with a question about using a weapon licensed in another person's name may consult a lawyer who specializes in criminal matters and weapons regulations.
Practical example
Mohammed holds a license to carry a pistol, and his brother asks to borrow the pistol to carry it on a trip. Under this article, only Mohammed himself benefits from the license, so it gives his brother no right to carry the pistol on the strength of it.
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 17 of the Saudi Weapons and Ammunition Law
May my brother carry my weapon that is licensed in my name?
Only the licensee himself benefits from licenses issued under the Law, so the license does not give anyone else the right to benefit from it.
Can a weapon license be transferred to another person?
The text of the article provides that only the licensee himself benefits from the license, and it does not mention transferring it to anyone else.
Does the rule cover all types of weapon licenses?
Yes. The article refers to "all licenses issued under the provisions of this Law."
More articles on Cancellation of a Weapon License
- Article 16
The article allows the Minister, based on the requirements of the public interest, to refuse a license application or to restrict or cancel an existing license.
للوزير -بناء على مقتضيات المصلحة العامة - عدم الموافقة على طلب الترخيص، أو تقييد الترخيص القائم، أو إلغاؤه.
- Article 18
The article sets out four cases in which a license to carry or acquire a weapon is cancelled, and states who disposes of the weapon and its ammunition after cancellation in three of them.
تلغى رخصة حمل السلاح أو اقتنائه في الأحوال الآتية: أ - إذا تقررت مصادرة السلاح وذخيرته. ب - إذا فقد المرخص له شرطا من شروط منح الرخصة. ج - إذا توفي المرخص له أو
- Article 19
The article sets two cases in which a license to import personal firearms, or licenses to sell, buy, or repair them, is cancelled: death or loss of capacity, and loss of one of the license conditions.
تلغى رخصة استيراد الأسلحة النارية الفردية أو رخص بيعها وشرائها أو إصلاحها في الحالات الآتية: أ - وفاة صاحب الرخصة أو فقد أهليته. ب - فقدان شرط من شروط منح الرخص
- Article 21
The article bars giving a person whose license was cancelled any new license for any other weapon, except in the cases determined by the Regulations.
لا يجوز إعطاء الشخص الملغى ترخيصه أي ترخيص جديد على أي سلاح آخر إلا في الحالات التي تحددها اللائحة .
- Article 22
The article refers to the Regulations the procedures to be taken if a weapon license is lost or damaged.
تحدد اللائحة الإجراءات الواجب اتخاذها في حال فقدان الرخصة أو تلفها.
- Article 27
The article allows compensation equal to the value of a licensed weapon and its ammunition if it is decided to hand it over to the State in the cases that require this, as the Regulations determine.
يجوز التعويض بما يعادل قيمة السلاح المرخص وذخيرته إذا تقرر تسليمه للدولة في الحالات التي توجب ذلك طبقا لما تحدده اللائحة .
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.