Law of Printed Materials and Publication

8/9/2019 Law of Printed Materials and Publication

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Law ofPrinted Materials and Publication

Royal Decree No M/323Ramadhan 1421 / 29 November 2000

Article One:

Definitions:The following terms, wherever mentioned in this Law, shall have the meanings

attached to them.


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)1(Circulation:Putting the printed material at the disposal of a number of people through freedistribution or presenting it for sale, fixing it to walls or displaying it on store

facades or billboards or road signs and so forth.

)2(Press:The profession of editing journalistic printed materials or their publication.

)3(Journalist:Anyone practicing journalistic editing as a profession, either on full-time or part-

time basis.

)4(Newspaper:Any printed material with a fixed title, published periodically or on regular or

irregular occasions, such as newspapers, magazines and brochures.

)5(Printer:Anyone in charge of the printing press, whether the owner or his representative.

)6(Printing Press:Any establishment designed to print words, sounds, drawings or pictures for the

purpose of circulation.

)7(Printed Material:Any means of expression printed for circulation, whether a word, drawing, picture

or sound.

)8(Bookstore:A place prepared for the display of books, newspapers or the like for the purpose

of sale or rent.

)9(Distributor:The mediator- an individual or a company- between the author or the publisher,

the distribution centers and the beneficiary.

)10(Author:Anyone who prepares an academic, cultural or artistic material for the purpose of

circulation. )11(Publisher:Anyone in charge of issuing any academic, cultural or artistic production for the

purpose of circulation.

)12(Ministry:The Ministry of Information

)13(Minister:The Minister of Information

Article Two:


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The following activities shall be subject to the provisions of this Law:Printed materials.

Preparation services before printing.Printing press.

Bookstores.

Drawing and calligraphy. Photography.Import, sale or rent of films and video tapes.

Sound recordings and records.Radio, television, movie or theatrical artistic production.

Television and radio studios.Foreign media offices and their correspondents.

Publicity and advertisement.Public relations.

Publication.Distribution.

Press services.Production, sale or rent of computer programs.

Information studies and consultations.Copying and duplication.

Any activity suggested to be added by the Ministry andapproved by the President of the Council of Ministers.

Article Three:Of the objects of printed materials shall be the call to Islam, good moral standards,

guidance to all that is good and right, and the dissemination of culture andknowledge.

Article Four:It is not allowed to exercise any activity mentioned in Article Two, except by

permission of the Ministry, and this shall not exempt from obtaining any otherlicense required by other laws.

The Implementing Regulations shall determine the duration of the license for eachactivity and specify the appropriate grace period for renewal of the license prior to

its expiry after ensuring the licensees practice of the profession.

Article Five:With due consideration to the requirements of laws and agreements, the licensee

shall satisfy the following:Be a Saudi national.

Not be less than twenty five years old. The Minister at his discretion may waivethe age requirement.

Be well-known for good conduct and behavior with regard to undertaking thisactivity.

Have an appropriate qualification as specified by the Implementing Regulations.

In case of companies, the previous conditions shall apply to their representatives.


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The Implementing Regulations shall specify the conditions necessary for the workof foreign media offices and their correspondents.

Article Six:

Government bodies, educational and research institutions, academic associations,literary and cultural clubs and private press establishments may publish non-periodical printed materials in the field of their specialization and under their

responsibility.

Article Seven:The fee of the license or its renewal for the headquarters or the branch shall be

determined according to the following:Two thousand riyals (2000) for any of the following activities:

Printing press.

Preparation services before printing.Publication.

Distribution.Radio, television, or movie artistic production.

Television and radio studios.Information studies and consultations.

Press services.Publicity and advertisement.

Public relations.Import, sale or rent of films and video tapes.

Production sale, or rent of computer programs.

One thousand riyals (1000) for any of the following activities:Bookstores.

Sound recordings and records.Drawing and calligraphy.

Photography.Copying and duplication.

Article Eight:

Freedom of expression is guaranteed through all means of publication within theprovisions of Shariah and law.

Article Nine:For approval, the printed material shall observe the following:

Not be in violation of the provisions of Shariah.Not lead to jeopardizing the countrys security or its public order or serve foreign

interests in conflict with national interest.Not lead to inciting feuds and spreading dissension among citizens.

Not lead to encroachment on peoples dignity and freedom or to their extortion or

defaming them or their trade names.Not lead to encouraging crime or its incitement.


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Not be detrimental to the countrys economic or health status.Not disclose facts of investigations or trials, unless permitted by the competent

authority.Be committed to objective and constructive criticism leading to public good,

based upon true facts and evidence.

Article Ten:All printed materials within the Kingdom shall have the necessary bibliographical

data, as specified by the Implementing Regulations.

Article Eleven:The license may be assigned, rented or shared with others after approval of the

Ministry, pursuant to the provisions of this Law.

Article Twelve:If the licensee dies, the heirs shall notify the Ministry within two months of the

date of death. They have the right to continue the activity after the Ministrysapproval, pursuant to the provisions of this Law.

Domestic Printed Materials

Article Thirteen:Any author, publisher, printer or distributor desiring to print or distribute any

printed material shall provide the Ministry with two copies for approval beforeprinting or circulation. The Ministry shall approve the printed material or reject it,giving the reasons for rejection within thirty days. The party concerned may file a

grievance with the Minister against the rejection decision.

Article Fourteen:Every printing press shall keep a record of all materials printed therein. The

record shall be declared to the authorized personnel upon request, and theMinistry may, through the Implementing Regulations, exempt any printed

material from the record requirement.

Article Fifteen:The author, publisher and printer are responsible for any violation in the printed

material if printed or set for circulation without approval, and if it is not possibleto identify either of them, the distributor shall be held responsible. Otherwise, the

responsibility shall fall upon the seller.

Article Sixteen:


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The Ministry shall demand the author or the publisher, according to the depositsystem, to submit the copies required for deposit of whatever is printed inside the

Kingdom.

Article Seventeen:Advertisement and publicity materials shall not be added to films, tapes or the likeon which artistic or sports materials are recorded and for which contracts are

concluded for their use in the Kingdom, except through local advertisement andpublicity establishments or companies and after approval by the Ministry. The

Implementing Regulations shall determine the duration period of advertisementsin every work.

Foreign Printed Materials

Article Eighteen:Foreign printed materials shall be approved if they are free of any thing offensiveto Islam or the system of government, detrimental to the high interest of the State,

or in violation of public decency and morals.Article Nineteen:

Foreign printed materials shall be approved or rejected with a statement of reasonsthereof within thirty days from the date of receiving the application. Papers shall

be treated according to the Implementing Regulations.

Article Twenty:Every Saudi who publishes a non-periodical printed material outside the Kingdom

and submits an application to the Ministry for approval shall attach to hisapplication proof of deposit of the required copies, in accordance with the deposit

system.

Article Twenty One:The Ministrys censorship shall not apply to printed materials imported by

government bodies, educational and research institutions, academic associations,

cultural and literary clubs and private press establishments for their own use.

Article Twenty Two:The Implementing Regulations within the provisions of this Law - shall regulate

importation and distribution of foreign printed materials.It shall also specify the procedures necessary to facilitate bringing in and

subscribing to books and other printed materials by researchers and scholars fortheir academic purposes and for their personal possession.

Article Twenty Three:


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Upon approval by the President of the Council of Ministers, foreign papers maybe printed in the Kingdom as specified by the Implementing Regulations and in

accordance with the provisions of this Law.

Local Press

Article Twenty Four:Local papers shall not be subject to censorship, except under extraordinary

circumstances determined by the President of the Council of Ministers.

Article Twenty Five:Outside the domain of private press establishments, private bodies or individuals

may publish papers by license from the Ministry and upon approval of the

President of the Council of Ministers.The Ministrys approval shall be sufficient for publishing the following:

Brochures of limited circulation published by private bodies and not intended forsale, provided that they be limited to serving the activities of the publishing body.

Specialized academic and professional journals, published by private bodies orindividuals.

Publishing papers and academic journals by public educational institutions andgovernment bodies, after informing the Ministry.

The Supervisor of any printed material mentioned in this Article and the directorof the agency publishing it are responsible for what is published therein,

according to the provisions of this Law.

Article Twenty Six:The name of the licensee, name of the editor-in-chief, issue number, place of

publication, date, price, and name of the 6rNUW*YqOIw1u6S{iYe


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Law of Printed Materials and Publication

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