Article 26 of the Saudi Weapons and Ammunition Law
المادة 26 من نظام الأسلحة والذخائر
The article allows the Minister to authorize someone holding a licensed weapon to travel with it outside the Kingdom, provided the destination country and the countries of transit permit it.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
للوزير أن يأذن لمن لديه سلاح مرخص بالسفر به إلى خارج المملكة، إذا أذنت له الدولة التي يقصدها والدول التي يمر بها.
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 26 explained in plain English
This article deals with traveling with a licensed weapon outside the Kingdom. It allows the Minister, who under Article 1 is the Minister of Interior, to authorize someone who holds a licensed weapon to travel with it.
The elements, as stated in the text:
- The weapon must be licensed.
- There must be an authorization from the Minister to travel with it; the license alone does not include this authorization.
- The country he is headed to must permit him.
- The countries he passes through must also permit him.
The wording "the Minister may authorize" makes the authorization a matter the Minister may grant, not an automatic right of every license holder. The article does not state the procedures for requesting authorization or the documents required.
The condition of permission from other countries covers the destination country and the countries of transit together, so permission from the destination country is not enough if the trip passes through other countries that have not permitted it.
Article 25 refers to the schedule attached to the Law the fees for a number of weapons-related licenses and permits, while Article 27 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.
Anyone planning to travel with his weapon, for example to take part in a hunting trip or a shooting competition outside the Kingdom, may consult a lawyer who specializes in weapons regulations before traveling.
Practical example
Hamad plans to travel by land to a Gulf country to take part in a shooting competition, and he wants to take his licensed rifle. Under this article, he needs authorization from the Minister of Interior, and the country he is headed to and the countries he passes through on the way must permit him.
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 26 of the Saudi Weapons and Ammunition Law
May I travel with a licensed weapon outside Saudi Arabia?
The Minister may authorize someone who holds a licensed weapon to travel with it outside the Kingdom, if the country he is headed to and the countries he passes through permit him.
Is a weapon license enough to travel with it?
No. The article requires the Minister's authorization to travel, in addition to the permission of the destination country and the countries of transit.
What if I pass through another country on the way?
The text requires that the countries the traveler passes through also permit him.
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 10
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.
للوزير الترخيص بحيازة أسلحة وذخائر نارية فردية لبعض المؤسسات والشركات السعودية التي تتطلب طبيعة عملها تسليح بعض منسوبيها، وفق الضوابط والشروط التي تحددها اللائح
- 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 .
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.