Article 7 of the Saudi Weapons and Ammunition Law

المادة 7 من نظام الأسلحة والذخائر

The article requires anyone whose weapon is lost or damaged to notify the competent authorities within one month of learning of the loss or damage.

Official text (Arabic)

This article has not been amended since the law was issued.

يجب على من فقد سلاحه أو تلف إبلاغ الجهات المختصة خلال شهر من تاريخ العلم بالفقد أو التلف.

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 7 explained in plain English

This article imposes a duty on anyone who has lost his weapon or whose weapon has been damaged: to notify the competent authorities. Under Article 1, the competent authority is the Ministry of Interior.

The two cases covered: loss of the weapon, and damage to it.
Deadline: one month.
Start of the deadline: from the date of learning of the loss or damage, not from the date it occurred. Someone who discovers after some time that his weapon is lost has his deadline start from the day he learned of it.

The text is general in the phrase "whoever loses his weapon" and does not limit it to a particular type of weapon. The article does not state the reporting procedures or what follows from delay in reporting; these details do not appear in its text.

This rule complements Article 6, which requires anyone to whom weapons, spare parts, or ammunition pass by inheritance, bequest, or any other means to notify the competent authorities within three months of the date they pass to him. The two articles require notification about a weapon in two different situations, each with its own deadline: three months for passing to a person, and one month for loss or damage. Article 8 gives the Minister the power to determine the places and times in which carrying a licensed weapon is prohibited.

Anyone who has lost his weapon or been late in reporting and has questions about his situation may consult a lawyer who specializes in criminal matters and weapons regulations.

Practical example

Majed returned from a desert trip and discovered that his pistol was no longer in his car. Under this article, he must notify the competent authorities within one month of the date he learned that the pistol was lost.

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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