Article 58 of the Saudi Weapons and Ammunition Law
المادة 58 من نظام الأسلحة والذخائر
The Minister may permit weapons or ammunition that arrived through customs ports without prior permission to be re-exported within six months if they were declared before seizure; otherwise they are confiscated by court judgment.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
يجوز للوزير الإذن بإعادة تصدير الأسلحة أو الذخائر القادمة إلى المملكة عبر المنافذ الجمركية دون إذن سابق، إذا تم التقرير عنها قبل ضبطها، وذلك خلال مدة لا تتجاوز ستة أشهر وتصادر بحكم قضائي إذا لم يعد تصديرها.
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 58 explained in plain English
This article deals with weapons or ammunition that arrive in the Kingdom through customs ports without prior permission. Instead of treating the owner straight away as a smuggler, it allows the Minister to permit re-export, on these conditions:
- They must have been declared before they were seized, meaning the owner disclosed them before the competent authorities discovered them.
- Re-export must take place within a period not exceeding six months.
If they are not re-exported within this period, they are confiscated by court judgment.
Note that permission to re-export is discretionary for the Minister, who is the Minister of Interior, and is not an automatic right. The condition of declaring before seizure is essential: someone who did not disclose the weapon until it was seized does not fall within the article by its wording.
The article does not expressly state when the six-month period starts, nor the procedures for requesting permission.
This article comes after Article 57 on suspending a prison sentence, and is followed by Article 59, which allows the Minister to grant a reward not exceeding the value of the fine imposed to anyone who reports weapons trafficking or smuggling if the report leads to seizure and conviction.
Anyone who arrived at a customs port with a weapon without permission and wants to know their position can consult a lawyer specializing in criminal cases.
Practical example
A resident returning from a hunting trip abroad arrives at King Khalid Airport with a hunting rifle without having obtained prior permission, and declares it to customs before inspection. The Minister may permit its re-export within a period not exceeding six months; if it is not re-exported, it is confiscated by court judgment.
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 58 of the Saudi Weapons and Ammunition Law
What happens if I arrive in Saudi Arabia with a weapon without prior permission?
If you declare it before it is seized, the Minister may permit it to be re-exported within a period not exceeding six months; otherwise it is confiscated by court judgment.
Is re-export a guaranteed right?
No. The article says "the Minister may," so it is a discretionary power.
What happens to the weapon if it is not re-exported?
It is confiscated by court judgment.
More articles on Importing and Selling Weapons
- Article 3
The article limits the import, sale, and purchase of personal firearms, air rifles, and hunting weapons, with their accessories and ammunition, to licensed Saudis in accordance with the Regulations.
يقصر استيراد الأسلحة النارية الفردية والبنادق الهوائية و أسلحة الصيد المعرفة في هذا النظام ولوازمها وقطع غيارها وذخائرها، وبيعها وشراؤها على السعوديين المرخص له
- 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 5
The article requires the Minister's license to import antique weapons and trade in them, allows bringing them in or carrying them along for collecting, and refers the conditions and procedures to the Regulations.
أ - لا يجوز استيراد الأسلحة الأثرية وتداولها بقصد الاتجار إلا بترخيص من الوزير . ب - يجوز جلب الأسلحة الأثرية أو اصطحابها بقصد الاقتناء. ج - تحدد اللائحة شروط و
- 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 13
The article allows the Minister to permit hunting weapons and personal protection weapons to transit Saudi territory, in line with international laws and customs, the laws of the destination country, and the Regulations' conditions.
يجوز للوزير السماح بعبور أسلحة الصيد وأسلحة الحماية الشخصية للأراضي السعودية، بما يتفق مع الأنظمة والأعراف الدولية المعمول بها وأنظمة الدولة المتجه إليها، وفي ض
- Article 14
The article requires those licensed to import personal firearms or hunting weapons, or to buy and sell them, to take all safety measures in transporting and storing them.
يجب على المرخص له باستيراد الأسلحة النارية الفردية أو أسلحة الصيد ومستلزماتها وقطع غيارها وذخائرها، وكذلك المرخص له بشرائها وبيعها - اتخاذ جميع وسائل السلامة لن
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.