Saudi Laws Update

One-year jail, SR500,000 in fine for misusing smartphones August 30, 2021 Saudi Gazette report RIYADH — The Public Prosecution has warned of stringent penalties for those who misuse mobile phones to harm privacy or inflict damage to dignity of others including a maximum one-year jail term and fines amounting to SR500,000. While reviewing the penalties for misusing smartphones in violation of the privacy of others, the Public Prosecution emphasized on Sunday the prohibition of any practices or behaviors involving abuse of others. The practices violating the privacy of others at workplaces include photography, defaming or harming others, violating public morals, or publishing anything of that sort, using various means of information technologies. The Public Prosecution pointed out that any person who violates private life by misusing camera phones or the like, or defames and harms others, through various means of information technologies, shall be punished with imprisonment for a period ...

 Deadline to correct tasattur violations extended for another six months August 22, 2021 Saudi Gazette report RIYADH — The Ministry of Commerce announced on Sunday the decision of the higher authorities to extend the implementation of the Regulation to correct the status of violators of the Anti-Concealment (tasattur) Law for an additional six months, starting from Aug. 23 and ending on Feb. 16, 2022. Minister of Commerce and Chairman of the Supervisory Committee of the National Program for Combating Commercial Concealment Majed Al-Qasabi said that the leadership’s approval to extend the six month-corrective period embodies the state’s keenness and interest in providing the opportunity to correct the status. “This also stimulates the turnout for correction requests and benefit from the advantages of the corrective period so as to exempt from the penalties prescribed under the law and the consequent other penalties, as well as from the retroactive payment of income tax,” he said. Al...

 Al-Hussein warns digital trading license is an illusion August 20, 2021 Saudi Gazette report RIYADH — The Ministry of Commerce official spokesman Abdulrahman Al-Hussein has warned in his twitter account against fake websites that delude people into securing a license for digital trading. Al-Hussein added that these websites and TV announcements inviting people to invest in them and secure digital trading license are fake and full of misleading information they seek to spread. He explained that the publication and marketing of the news related to digital trading is a crime punishable by the Kingdom’s legal system. The Ministry of Commerce announced that it is working with competent authorities to track these sites, punish misleaders, and take necessary measures against them. No one is entitled or allowed to trade digital currencies. The concerned authorities confirmed that it is a prohibited and illegal operation in the Kingdom.

 Saudi Arabia looks for free trade agreement with 11 countries in exports push August 20, 2021 Saudi Arabia is looking for more trading partners under free trade agreements as the country aims at increasing non-oil exports share in GDP. The kingdom is resuming negotiations for free trade agreements with 11 countries, Okaz paper reported, RIYADH: Saudi Arabia is looking for more trading partners under free trade agreements as the country aims at increasing non-oil exports share in GDP. The kingdom is resuming negotiations for free trade agreements with 11 countries, Okaz paper reported, citing a circular by the Federal of Saudi Chambers (FSC) to all chambers of commerce operating in the Kingdom, based on a directions of the General Authority for Foreign Trade (GAFT). Target countries are China, India, Pakistan, Australia, New Zealand, Britain, Indonesia, the Philippines, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and the United States of America. The Kingdom aims to export services including transport,...

Saudi Arabia one of the first countries to accept IATA Travel Pass Saudi Arabia one of the first countries to accept IATA Travel Pass ARAB NEWS August 18, 2021 Meanwhile the Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation and the developer of the Kingdom’s Tawakkalna health app sign cooperation agreement RIYADH: Saudi Arabia will accept the International Air Transport Association’s Travel Pass for verification of COVID-19 test results for departing and arriving passengers from Sept. 30. Eventually it will also be accepted as confirmation of vaccination status. Travelers to and from Saudi Arabia will have the choice of using the IATA app or Tawakkalna, the Kingdom’s own national health app developed by the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority. The IATA announcement comes as the SDAIA and Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation signed an agreement to cooperate on measures to verify the health status of travelers and improve travel procedures in line with the best interna...

New Furijat app launched to help people convicted of financial crimes in Saudi Arabia May 10, 2020 The directorate noted that anyone can use this application to help people convicted of financial cases via the Absher platform RIYADH: The Ministry of Interior, represented by the General Directorate of Prisons, has launched a new app, called Furijat, to help people prisoners convicted of financial crimes. In collaboration with the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development, the Saudi Authority for Data and Artificial Intelligence, and the Saudi Arabian Monetary Authority (SAMA), the initiative will be accessible via the Absher electronic platform. The initiative aims to provide Saudi citizens and residents with a simple and safe medium to donate money to people convicted in non-criminal financial cases, and eligible to benefit from governmental support programs, to help them pay their debt to society. Around SR2.8 million ($728,000) has been donated so fa...

 New portal to connect engineers with clients launched in Saudi Arabia August 18, 2021 Last year, authorities announced the Saudization of 20 percent of Saudi Arabia’s 117 engineering fields RIYADH: The Saudi Council of Engineers has launched an online portal that helps clients who want to hire an engineering company to find registered businesses that can provide the services they require in specific areas of the Kingdom, along with an indication of the rates they charge for specific types of work. The portal, at saudieng.sa, provides details of the providers of services such as surveying consultancy, design contracts, boundary supervision, and turnkey contracts. Abdel Nasser Al-Abdul Latif, the council’s secretary-general, said the new service will enhance competition and transparency among service providers. He added that the SCE continues to work to regulate the engineering sector in the Kingdom, and improve the efficiency of digital services to make it easier for potential clie...

Saudi Arabia's General Directorate of Passports says it will continue to extend visit, exit, and re-entry visas. August 17, 2021 The Kingdom has extended the validity without charge until Sept. 30 The extension will take place automatically in cooperation with the National Information Center RIYADH: Expats on Tuesday welcomed the Kingdom’s decision to extend the validity of their residency permits (iqamas) and visas for those stranded due to a travel ban. Saudi Arabia has extended the validity without charge until Sept. 30.  The General Directorate of Passports will continue to extend visit, exit, and re-entry visas.  It will only be granted to residents who are in countries that the Kingdom has banned entry from, including Egypt, India, Pakistan, Indonesia, Turkey, the UAE, Lebanon, South Africa, Ethiopia, Brazil, Afghanistan, and Vietnam. The extension was issued by the finance minister and falls within the government’s ongoing efforts to mitigate the impact of the pandemic ...

 Four jailed for 24 years over money laundering, smuggling in Saudi Arabia Following investigations, the suspects were fined SR166 million and sentenced to a total of 51 years in prison.  ARAB NEWS August 15, 2021 A Saudi citizen was found to have given three expatriates access to his bank accounts to transfer funds abroad for a monthly fee of SR30,000 JEDDAH: An investigation into money laundering and smuggling has led to four people being sentenced to a total of 24 years’ imprisonment and the confiscation of SR140 million ($37.3 million), a Public Prosecution source has said. A Saudi citizen was found to have given three expatriates access to his commercial bank accounts to transfer funds abroad for a monthly fee of SR30,000, a crime according to Article 2 of the Anti-Money Laundering Law. The source said the Public Prosecution is working with the Ministry of Commerce and Investment, the Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority and the Saudi Central Bank to combat money-related crim...

High-flying Saudi women are making the most of new career opportunities Saudi women now work as flight attendants alongside male colleagues, a job that was previously restricted to women from other countries. (Supplied) Saudi women now work as flight attendants alongside male colleagues, a job that was previously restricted to women from other countries. (Supplied) JEDDAH:  Saudi women continue to embrace the new career opportunities that have opened up to them in the Kingdom in recent years, with a determination to succeed. One of the sectors in which they are increasingly making their mark is aviation. Flight attendant Anhar Tashkandi joined Saudia airline two years ago. “We completed the training period, which focused on ensuring the passengers’ comfort and safety,” she said. “This job offers us the opportunity to visit different countries and learn from their cultures.” Saudi women now work as flight attendants alongside male colleagues, a job that was previously restricted to ...

 Saudi HR ministry records 19k labor, virus violations August 15, 2021 Inspection tours will continue across businesses in all regions of Saudi Arabia RIYADH: The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development recorded more than 19,000 violations of labor regulations and coronavirus measures during inspection tours in Riyadh. Control teams conducted 218,000 tours in one year on private sector businesses in the capital and its governorates to ensure compliance with COVID-19 precautionary measures and nationalization and labor regulations. There were 19,400 warnings issued. The ministry’s branch in Riyadh urged business owners to abide by all precautionary measures in the workplace to curb the spread of the virus and to follow ministry regulations to avoid penalties. Inspection tours will continue across businesses in all regions of the Kingdom, the ministry added. It urged people to report breaches and violations through its call center on 19911 or its Ma3an lil Rasd app.

MoJ launches artificial intelligence unit August 19, 2021 Saudi Gazette report The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has launched an artificial intelligence (AI) unit in an effort to apply AI tech and enrich client experience. RIYADH — The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has launched an artificial intelligence (AI) unit in an effort to apply AI tech and enrich client experience. “The AI unit aims to make use of global and local experiments in this field to increase the efficiency of work teams, and supervise the development of the ministry’s AI-based services,” the MoJ said. “The unit will build a governance framework in order to boost the quality of services and comply with relevant standards.” “The AI unit will reinforce the ministry’s ICT strategy and improve operational efficiency and electronic services,” the ministry added, emphasizing its ongoing efforts to enhance digitization, expedite services and enhance performance. The ministry said that the AI unit aims to take advantage of global and ...

E-store asked to refund over SR500,000 to consumers due to delay in delivery August 19, 2021 Saudi Gazette report RIYADH — The Ministry of Commerce has directed an electronic store, which is involved in importing goods from China, to return amounts exceeding SR500,000 to consumers due to delay in the delivery of the products on time. The ministry had received 735 complaints with regard to the store’s delay in delivering the products within the specified period of time. Through the ministry’s continuous follow-up with the store, a total of 211 consumers were able to get a total amount of SR256,427 paid by them to purchase goods from the store. The ministry said that the store and customers came to an agreement under which the store will return the rest of the amount to the remaining customers within a scheduled period of time within a couple of days. The ministry said that it is continuously following up on electronic stores in order to protect rights of consumers as well as to ensure t...