In force
Saudi Protection of Whistleblowers, Witnesses, Experts and Victims Law
نظام حماية المبلغين والشهود والخبراء والضحايا
The Protection of Whistleblowers, Witnesses, Experts and Victims Law of Saudi Arabia. This page presents the official Arabic text of each article with plain-English explanations for residents and businesses.
- Articles
- 37
- In force
- 37
- Amended
- 0
- Issued
- 8/8/1445 AH
Issued by: مرسوم ملكي (م/148) وتاريخ 1445/8/8هـ · قرار مجلس الوزراء رقم (629) وتاريخ 1445/8/3هـ
Each article shows the official Arabic text, which is the only legally binding version, followed by our plain-English explanation.
Browse Protection of Whistleblowers, Witnesses, Experts and Victims Law by topic
Definitions and Scope of Protection5 articlesProtection of Witnesses During Investigation and Trial2 articlesWhistleblower and Witness Protection Program7 articlesRequesting and Accepting Protection7 articlesTypes of Protection for Witnesses and Whistleblowers4 articlesConfidentiality of Protected Persons' Data4 articlesProtecting Whistleblowers from Arbitrary Dismissal2 articlesMalicious Reports and False Testimony3 articlesEnding Protection and Appealing It3 articlesPenalty for Assaulting Witnesses2 articlesPenalty for Threatening Witnesses and Revealing Their Identity2 articlesAggravated Penalties and Liability of Establishments7 articles
Articles of the Saudi Protection of Whistleblowers, Witnesses, Experts and Victims Law
- Article 1Defines the Law's key terms, including whistleblower, witness, expert, victim, protection, covered crimes, the program and the person covered by protection.
- Article 2Requires oversight, seizure and investigation bodies to conceal the whistleblower's, witness's, expert's or victim's identity and address in their documents when required or on request, and to cooperate with the court.
- Article 3Requires the court to take measures to protect the whistleblower, witness, expert and victim during litigation, and allows it to hear testimony apart from the accused and to conceal witnesses' names.
- Article 4Establishes in the Public Prosecution a special program for protecting whistleblowers, witnesses, experts and victims, and refers its structure, administration, tasks and funding mechanism to the Regulations.
- Article 5Gives the program administration, by its decision and under the Law, the power to accept whistleblowers, witnesses, experts and victims into the program and to determine the type and duration of protection.
- Article 6Allows the Public Prosecutor, on the program administration's recommendation and on reciprocity, to approve foreign authorities' requests to protect a whistleblower, witness, expert or victim in the Kingdom.
- Article 7The article requires a reasoned request from the whistleblower, witness, expert or victim, plus a recommendation from a supervisory, law-enforcement, evidence-gathering or investigating body or the court, before admission to the program.
- Article 8The article allows the Attorney General to provide protection without consent, for no more than 30 days and extendable, to a person believed to face imminent danger, and to delegate some powers.
- Article 9The article provides that the protection request goes to the program administration, which considers factors such as criminal history, the nature of the danger, the seriousness of the crime and alternative solutions.
- Article 10The article requires the program administration to notify the requester and the person of approval or a written, reasoned rejection within 3 days, and allows a complaint to the Attorney General within 10 days, with a final decision.
- Article 11The article requires the program administration, on approving protection, to set the protected person's obligations, including compliance with protection measures, providing information, cooperation and avoiding harmful activities.
- Article 12The article establishes a Security Department in each of the Ministry of Interior and the Presidency of State Security to apply protection or security escort for protected persons, leaving its tasks to the Implementing Regulations.
- Article 13The article requires the program administration, in coordination with relevant bodies, to protect the protected person from injury and ensure their health, safety and social adaptation, while respecting their rights and freedoms.
- Article 14The article lists the types of protection a protected person may receive in whole or in part, including security protection, concealment of data, relocation, change of residence and financial assistance.
- Article 15The article makes the data of protected persons confidential and bars disclosing it except in the cases set out in the Law.
- Article 16The article bars anyone from disclosing what harms a protected person, such as identity, whereabouts, type of protection or protectors, with exceptions for consent and judicial or security requests, and notice to the person.
- Article 17The article prohibits dismissing a protected person, harming their status or penalizing them arbitrarily for reasons related to their protection, requires the program to redress it, and shifts the burden of proof to the employer.
- Article 18The article bars criminal proceedings against a whistleblower, witness or expert unless the report is proven malicious, the testimony false, or the expertise false or grossly negligent, and private-right claims are heard only after.
- Article 19The article provides that the State bears the cost of treating a protected person assaulted for reasons connected with their protection, and the program administration may recover it from the assailants, without prejudice to the claimant's private right.
- Article 20The article bars ending protection while its grounds persist unless the person asks in writing, ignores instructions after warning, deliberately lies or refuses to cooperate, and ends it when its grounds cease.
- Article 21The article requires that protection be ended by a written, reasoned decision notified at least 15 days before taking effect, and allows a complaint to the Attorney General within 10 days, with a final decision.
- Article 22The article provides that failure to prove guilt against the person a report, testimony or expertise was given against does not affect the protection, as long as it was given in good faith and on serious grounds.
- Article 23The article requires the whistleblower, witness and expert to reimburse all protection expenses if the report is proven malicious, the testimony false, or the expertise false or grossly negligent.
- Article 24The article punishes deliberate disclosure of what harms a protected person with up to one year in prison and a fine of up to SAR 200,000, or either, subject to the exceptions in Article 16(2).
- Article 25The article punishes using force or violence against a protected person after they tell the truth, or to stop them, with up to 3 years in prison and a fine of up to SAR 500,000, or either.
- Article 26The article punishes threatening, blackmailing or enticing a protected person, obstructing or refusing protection, and taking prohibited employment measures against them, with graduated prison terms and fines.
- Article 27The article punishes a private establishment with a fine of up to SAR 5 million, a ban on contracting with public bodies for up to 5 years, or both, if its manager or personnel commit offenses under Articles 25 and 26 in its interest.
- Article 28The article punishes anyone who incites, agrees to or helps with the offenses in Articles 24 to 27 by up to the maximum penalty if the offense occurs, and up to half of it if it does not.
- Article 29The article punishes attempting any offense in Articles 24, 25, 26 and 27 with a penalty not exceeding half of the maximum penalty set for that offense.
- Article 30The article provides that sentences may not be less than half of their maximum if the offense is committed through an organized gang or in a case of recidivism within 5 years of a final judgment.
- Article 31The article provides for confiscation, by court judgment, of the money, benefit or advantage that is the subject of the offense, the tools used and the proceeds, without prejudice to the rights of good-faith third parties.
- Article 32The article treats a public employee, or someone treated as one, committing the offenses in Articles 24, 25 and 26 because of their job as a corruption offense, and applies the more severe penalty if the act is an offense under another law.
- Article 33The article provides that the Law's protection provisions do not affect any other measures or types of protection established for protected persons under any other law.
- Article 34The article provides that applying the Law does not affect the treaties and international agreements the Kingdom has committed to.
- Article 35The article assigns investigation and prosecution of the Law's offenses to the Public Prosecution, except corruption offenses, which the Criminal Investigation and Prosecution Unit of the Oversight and Anti-Corruption Authority handles.
- Article 36The article tasks the Public Prosecution, in coordination with the relevant bodies, with preparing the Regulations within 120 days of the Law's issuance, to be issued by Council of Ministers decision.
- Article 37The article provides that the Law takes effect 120 days after its publication in the Official Gazette.