Saudi Laws Update

 Ministry of Commerce identifies 7 types of tasattur activities September 23, 2021 Saudi Gazette report RIYADH — The Saudi Ministry of Commerce urged owners of businesses and commercial establishments to take advantage of the extended six-month corrective period for violators of the Anti-Commercial Cover-up Law (tasattur). The ministry identified seven types of tasattur and the penalty for the crime includes a maximum of five years in prison and SR5 million in fine. The ministry said the seven types of tasattur include the non-Saudi worker of the commercial establishment pays its owner a monthly or annual lump sum amount; the non-Saudi worker manages transactions of the establishment’s funds through bank deposits, cash payments or money transfer within the Kingdom and outside; and the non-Saudi worker keeps in his possession blank documents, checks and contracts duly signed by the owner of an establishment. The types of tasattur also include existence of a partnership between the o...

 Ministry of Commerce identifies 7 types of tasattur activities September 23, 2021 Saudi Gazette report RIYADH — The Saudi Ministry of Commerce urged owners of businesses and commercial establishments to take advantage of the extended six-month corrective period for violators of the Anti-Commercial Cover-up Law (tasattur). The ministry identified seven types of tasattur and the penalty for the crime includes a maximum of five years in prison and SR5 million in fine. The ministry said the seven types of tasattur include the non-Saudi worker of the commercial establishment pays its owner a monthly or annual lump sum amount; the non-Saudi worker manages transactions of the establishment’s funds through bank deposits, cash payments or money transfer within the Kingdom and outside; and the non-Saudi worker keeps in his possession blank documents, checks and contracts duly signed by the owner of an establishment. The types of tasattur also include existence of a partnership between the o...

 One-year jail and fine of SR100,000 for anyone who practices beggary September 22, 2021 Saudi Gazette report RIYADH — A maximum jail term of one year and fine of SR100,000 will be awarded to those who practice beggary, according to the new Anti-Begging Law, approved by the Council of Ministers. The fifth article of the law stipulates penalties for those who engage in begging. Those who involve in begging or manage beggars or involve in encouraging and helping an organized group of beggars will be sentenced to a maximum jail term of one year or maximum fine of SR100,000 or of both. Those who involve in encouraging and helping anyone engaged in begging will be sentenced to a maximum jail term of six months or fine of not more than SR50,000 or of both. There is a provision in the law to deport non-Saudi beggar after serving the jail term and payment of the fine and he will not be allowed to return to the Kingdom for work. There will be an exemption from deportation for non-Saudi begg...

  Ministerial committee created to control foreign investments in sensitive sectors September 15, 2021 Okaz/Saudi Gazette RIYADH — The competent authorities have approved the formation of a permanent ministerial committee called the “Permanent Ministerial Committee for Examining Foreign Investments,” Okaz/Saudi Gazette has learned from well-informed sources. The main task of the committee is to work out a list of individuals and companies that are banned from investing in the Kingdom and updating the list from time to time and that is in coordination with the concerned authorities. The committee will be concerned with identifying sensitive and strategic sectors that would have direct or indirect impact on national security or public order. It will constantly update these sectors, and will fix the upper limit of the percentages of direct and indirect ownership of foreign investors in shares of Saudi companies operating in sensitive and strategic sectors, as well as in securities, wh...

 585 tasattur cases referred to Public Prosecution this year September 15, 2021 Saudi Gazette report RIYADH — The Ministry of Commerce said in a press statement that it had referred 585 cases of commercial cover-up (tasattur) to the Public Prosecution since the beginning of the year 2021 until the end of August. During the same period, inspection teams from the ministry carried out more than 21,000 raids of commercial establishments and markets in various regions of the Kingdom in their bid to monitor and detect any violations of the Anti-Commercial Cover-Up law. The ministry defined that commercial concealment is an act of facilitating a non-Saudi resident by a Saudi or a foreign investor to work for his own personal benefit in any one of the commercial activities prohibited for him, and this is by using the name, license, commercial register, or any other means by a Saudi or a foreign investor. The Anti-Commercial Cover-Up law stipulated imprisonment for a period of up to five ye...

 Saudi Arabia approves new law to protect personal data September 14, 2021 Saudi Gazette report The Council of Ministers approved on Tuesday the personal Data Protection Law. RIYADH — The Council of Ministers approved on Tuesday the personal Data Protection Law. The new law, which protects personal data from unconsented collection and processing, is to be implemented within six months, the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) announced. It’s also designated to protect any personal data that might lead to identifying directly or indirectly the user from unconsented collection and processing. The data include, name, identification number, address, phone number, personal records, financial records and Images, videos or any other identifying data. The new law will ensure the privacy of personal data, regulate the sharing of personal data and prevent the abuse of personal data. The head of SDAIA Abdullah Al-Ghamdi that the law will organize the process of disclosing ...

 Jawazat: Residents cannot convert re-entry visas to exit-only while abroad September 21, 2021 Okaz/Saudi Gazette RIYADH -- The General Directorate of Passports (Jawazat) has announced that exit and re-entry visas shall not be converted into a final exit visa while the beneficiary is outside the Kingdom. Speaking to Okaz/Saudi Gazette, Jawazat sources said that residents who left the Kingdom on exit and reentry visas and failed to return before the visa expiry will be barred from entering the Kingdom for a period of three years. There will be exemptions in the case of dependents as well as people who have obtained a new visa from their previous employer. The Jawazat sources stated that the validity period of the exit and re-entry visa is calculated from the date of exit from the Kingdom. The sources said domestic workers who failed to return to the Kingdom will be automatically removed from the Jawazat's Absher system six months after the expiry of the validity of their exit and re...

 Saudi Ministry of Justice approves professional code of conduct for lawyers September 04, 2021   The code is expected to protect lawyers, clients and all other involved parties, as well as enhance transparency and define responsibilities for lawyers RIYADH: The Ministry of Justice has approved a professional code of conduct for lawyers and amendments on the executive regulations for the law system, the Saudi Press Agency reported. The code is expected to protect lawyers, clients and all other involved parties, as well as enhance transparency and define responsibilities for lawyers. Its rules are explained in eight chapters and cover a range of definitions and procedures. Some focus on the lawyers themselves, their integrity, ability to evolve and develop, stay professional with clients, and stay updated with the latest rules and regulations. Others define the contractual aspects of the client relationship, maintaining client confidentiality and privacy. There are also rules c...

 Maximum SR100,000 in fine, 5-year travel ban for Travel Law violations September 01, 2021 Saudi Gazette report RIYADH — Saudi Arabia has multiplied the penalties for those who violate its Travel Document Law, Okaz/Saudi Gazette has learned from well-informed sources. According to the amendments to the Travel Document Law, approved recently by the Council of Ministers, the fine for neglecting travel documents has been raised from SR5000 to SR100,000. The maximum travel ban period has also been raised to five years from three years. The new penalties will include those who commit violations such as adding, deleting or changing information in passports or laissez-passer tickets (a document granting unrestricted access or movement to its holder), or deliberately destroy or distort passport and other travel document or change personal photos in the document. The violators also include those who commit negligence that lead to the loss of a passport or a laissez-passer ticket, in additio...