Article 9 of the Saudi Weapons and Ammunition Law
المادة 9 من نظام الأسلحة والذخائر
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.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
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 اقتناؤها أو إصلاحها، وفقا للشروط التي تحددها اللائحة .
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 9 explained in plain English
This article is the basis for the power of licensing in the Law. It gives the Minister, who under Article 1 is the Minister of Interior, the power to license several activities relating to specified types of weapons.
Weapons covered:
- Personal firearms, such as pistols and rifles.
- Smooth-bore hunting weapons.
- Training weapons and air rifles.
- The spare parts, accessories, and ammunition of these weapons.
Activities that may be licensed: import, sale, purchase, carrying, acquisition, and repair.
The wording "the Minister may license" makes licensing a power of the Minister and not an automatic right of every applicant. The license is granted in accordance with the conditions set by the Implementing Regulations; the article does not state the conditions themselves, and the Regulations are the reference for them.
The article does not cover military weapons, as they are not among the types it names. A license to carry also does not mean that carrying is permitted everywhere, since Article 8 gives the Minister the power to determine the places and times in which carrying a licensed weapon is prohibited. Article 10 also allows the Minister to license certain Saudi institutions and companies, whose nature of work requires arming some of their personnel, to possess personal firearms and ammunition.
Anyone whose application has been rejected or who needs to know the licensing requirements may consult a lawyer who specializes in administrative matters and weapons regulations.
Practical example
Sultan wants to buy a hunting rifle and own it for hunting trips. Under this article, he needs a license from the Minister of Interior to buy and acquire it. The license is granted in accordance with the conditions set by the Implementing Regulations, so he must meet those conditions when submitting his application.
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 9 of the Saudi Weapons and Ammunition Law
Who issues a weapon-carrying license in Saudi Arabia?
The Minister, who is the Minister of Interior, in accordance with the conditions set by the Regulations.
Does the power to license include repairing weapons?
Yes. The article allows the Minister to license the repair of the weapons it names, alongside import, sale, purchase, carrying, and acquisition.
What are the conditions for a weapon license?
The article does not state them. It refers them to the Implementing Regulations of the Law.
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 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 .
- Article 24
The article bars granting a carrying license for more than one personal firearm, refers the type of that weapon to the Regulations, and allows the Minister in special cases to license carrying more than one weapon.
لا يجوز منح رخصة حمل لأكثر من سلاح ناري فردي واحد، وتحدد اللائحة نوع هذا السلاح. وللوزير في حالات خاصة منح تراخيص بحمل أكثر من سلاح.
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.