Article 38 of the Saudi Weapons and Ammunition Law
المادة 38 من نظام الأسلحة والذخائر
The article punishes with imprisonment of up to five years and a fine of up to SAR 30,000, or either, smuggling hunting weapons for trade, smuggling personal firearms for personal use, manufacturing hunting weapons, and modifying their mechanisms.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
يعاقب بالسجن مدة لا تتجاوز خمس سنوات وبغرامة لا تتجاوز ثلاثين ألف ريال، أو بإحدى هاتين العقوبتين كل من ثبت قيامه بأي مما يأتي:
أ - تهريب أسلحة صيد أو قطع منها أو ذخائرها إلى المملكة بقصد الاتجار.
ب - تهريب أسلحة نارية فردية أو قطع منها أو ذخيرتها إلى المملكة بقصد الاستعمال الشخصي.
ج - صنع أسلحة الصيد أو قطع غيارها.
د - إدخال تعديل على آلية أسلحة الصيد أو أسلحة التمرين أو الأسلحة الأثرية بقصد جعلها أسلحة أشد خطورة.
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 38 explained in plain English
This article sets the penalty of imprisonment for a period not exceeding five years and a fine not exceeding SAR 30,000, or either of these two penalties for four acts:
- (a) Smuggling hunting weapons, or parts of them or their ammunition, into the Kingdom with the intent of trade.
- (b) Smuggling personal firearms, or parts of them or their ammunition, into the Kingdom with the intent of personal use.
- (c) Manufacturing hunting weapons or their spare parts.
- (d) Modifying the mechanism of hunting weapons, training weapons, or antique weapons with the intent of making them more dangerous.
Under Article 1: hunting weapons are smooth-bore firearms originally designed for hunting; training weapons and air rifles are shooting weapons without gunpowder whose projectile is fired by air pressure or a spring; and antique weapons are old weapons of historical value that, after examination, are shown to be unusable.
This article differs from Article 37, which punishes smuggling personal weapons with the intent of trade with a more severe penalty of up to ten years. It is followed by Article 39, which punishes buying a personal firearm or ammunition without a license, or selling it, by imprisonment of up to two years and a fine of up to SAR 7,000, or either.
Anyone facing an accusation under this article may consult a lawyer who specializes in criminal matters.
Practical example
A resident returned from a trip and hid in his luggage a pistol that he said was for his own defense. This is smuggling a personal firearm with the intent of personal use, which exposes him to imprisonment for a period not exceeding five years and a fine not exceeding SAR 30,000, or either.
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 38 of the Saudi Weapons and Ammunition Law
What is the penalty for smuggling a personal weapon into Saudi Arabia?
Smuggling a personal firearm, or its parts or ammunition, with the intent of personal use is punishable by imprisonment of up to five years and a fine of up to SAR 30,000, or either.
Is modifying a hunting rifle to make it more dangerous a violation?
Yes. Modifying the mechanism of hunting, training, or antique weapons with the intent of making them more dangerous is punishable under paragraph (d).
Is manufacturing a hunting weapon punishable?
Yes. Manufacturing hunting weapons or their spare parts is among the acts punishable in this article.
More articles on Penalty for Weapons Smuggling
- Article 34
The article punishes with imprisonment of up to thirty years and a fine of up to SAR 300,000 anyone who smuggles, uses, or deals in military or personal weapons with the intent of disturbing internal security.
يعاقب بالسجن مدة لا تتجاوز ثلاثين سنة وبغرامة لا تتجاوز ثلاثمائة ألف ريال كل من يثبت قيامه بأي مما يأتي: أ - تهريب أسلحة حربية أو فردية أو قطع منها أو ذخائرها إ
- Article 35
The article punishes with imprisonment of up to twenty years and a fine of up to SAR 200,000, or either, anyone who smuggles military weapons, their parts or ammunition, or manufactures them, with the intent of trade.
يعاقب بالسجن مدة لا تتجاوز عشرين سنة وبغرامة لا تتجاوز مائتي ألف ريال أو بإحدى هاتين العقوبتين كل من يثبت قيامه بأي مما يأتي : أ - تهريب أسلحة حربية أو قطع منها
- Article 37
The article punishes with imprisonment of up to ten years and a fine of up to SAR 100,000, or either, anyone who manufactures personal weapons, their parts or ammunition, or smuggles them into the Kingdom with the intent of trade.
يعاقب بالسجن مدة لا تتجاوز عشر سنوات وبغرامة لا تتجاوز مائة ألف ريال، أو بإحدى هاتين العقوبتين، كل من ثبت قيامه بصنع أسلحة فردية أو قطع منها أو ذخائرها، أو ثبت
- Article 41
The article punishes with imprisonment of up to one year and a fine of not more than SAR 5,000, or either, thirteen violations, including using a weapon for a purpose other than its license, hunting with a firearm, and lending a weapon.
يعاقب بالسجن مدة لا تتجاوز سنة وبغرامة لا تزيد على خمسة آلاف ريال، أو بإحدى هاتين العقوبتين، كل من ثبت قيامه بأي مما يأتي: أ - استعمال السلاح المرخص له بحمله وا
- Article 47
The article punishes anyone proven to have sold or given away inside the Kingdom weapons and ammunition permitted to transit its territory with the penalties for weapons smugglers, according to the type of weapon.
يعاقب كل من يثبت تصرفه في الأسلحة والذخائر المصرح بعبورها أراضي المملكة بالبيع أو الإهداء داخل المملكة بالعقوبات الخاصة بمهربي الأسلحة بحسب نوعها.
- Article 51
The article requires aggravating the penalties in Articles 34, 35, and 36 if the violator is an employee of the bodies concerned with applying the Weapons and Ammunition Law.
يراعى تشديد العقوبات المقررة في المواد (الرابعة والثلاثين، والخامسة والثلاثين، والسادسة والثلاثين) من هذا النظام إذا كان مرتكب المخالفة أحد موظفي الجهات ذات الع
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.