Law of Printed Materials and Publication
(2003)
Royal Decree No. M/32
3/9/1421
(November 29, 2000)
The English version of this document is for guidance only.
The Arabic version is the governing text.
Article One: Definitions
The following terms whenever used in this law shall have the meanings assigned to them as
follows:
Circulation: To put the printed material within the reach of a number of persons by
distributing them freely or by offering them for sale or by sticking them to walls or by
displaying them on the fronts of show rooms or in light boards or streets sign boards or by
other means.
Journalism: The Profession of editing or issuance of journals.
Journalist: Any person who practice editing of journals as a profession whether full or part-
time.
The Journal: Any printed matter under a constant title issued periodically or occasionally on
a regular or irregular date such as newspaper, magazines and bulletins.
Printer: The person responsible for the press whether the owner or the person acting for
him.
Printing Press: Any establishment prepared for printing words, sounds, drawings or pictures
for the purpose of circulation.
Printed Materials: Any means of expression suitable for circulation whether a word, drawing,
picture or sound.
Bookshop: The place prepared for offering books, newspapers or the like for sale or renting.
Distributor: The intermediary – whether an individual or a company – between the author or
the publisher and the distribution points and the beneficiary.
The Author: The person who prepares a scientific, cultural or artistic material for the
purpose of circulation.
The Publisher: The person who issues a scientific, cultural or artistic work for the purpose of
circulation.
The Ministry: The Ministry of Information.
The Minister: The Minister of Information.
Article Two
The following activities shall be governed by the provisions of this Law:
• Printed Matters.
• Pre-printing Preparatory Services.
• Printeries.
• Bookshops.
• Drawing and Writing.
• Photography.
• Importation of Films and Videotapes, sale or rent thereof.
• Tape Recording and Discs.
• Radio, Television, Cinematographic or Theatrical Artistic works.
• Televisions and Broadcasting studios.
• The Offices of Foreign Information Media and their Reporters.
• Publicity and Advertisement.
• Public Relations.
• Publication.
• Distribution.
• Journalistic Services.
• Production, Sale or Renting of Computer Programs.
• Information Studies and Consultations.
• Copying and Reprography.
• Any activity suggested to be added by the Ministry and approved by the Prime
Minister.
Article Three
Call to Islam, noble manners, leading to all that is good and proper and spreading of culture
and knowledge shall be among the purposes of printed matters and publication.
Article Four
None of the activities mentioned in Article Two shall be carried out except with a license
from the Ministry and this shall not be an excuse to justify failure to obtain any license
required by other laws.
The Implementing Regulations shall determine the period of the license for each activity in
addition to the grace period for renewal of the license before its expiration after making
sure that the activity was being carried out.
Article Five
Subject to the provisions of the Laws and Treaties the person to whom the license is issued
shall satisfy the following conditions:
• He shall be a Saudi national.
• He shall not be less than 25 years pf age but the Minister may give exemption from
this age for justifications he thinks proper.
• He shall be known to be of good conduct and reputation to carry out such activity.
• He shall have a suitable qualification in accordance with the provisions of the
Implementing Regulations.
In case of Companies the above conditions shall apply to their representatives.
The Implementing Regulations shall provide for the necessary conditions that must be
observed by the offices and reporters of foreign information media.
Article Six
Government authorities, educational and research institutes, scientific societies, art and
culture clubs and the national journalistic establishment may issue non-periodical printed
matters in their field of specialization and under their responsibility.
Article Seven
The License or renewal fees of the head office or the branch shall be determined in
accordance with the following:
(A) Two Thousand Saudi Riyals (SR 2,000) for each of the following activities :
• Printeries.
• Preprinting preparatory services.
• Publication.
• Distribution.
• Artistic works for broadcasting, television and cinema.
• Broadcasting and television studios.
• Information studies and consultations.
• Journalistic services.
• Publicity and advertisement.
• Public relations.
• Importation, sale or renting of films and video tapes.
• Production, sale or renting of computer programs.
(B) One Thousand Saudi Riyals (SR 1,000) for each of the following :
• Bookshops.
• Sound Recording and Discs.
• Drawing and Writing.
• Photography.
• Copying and Reprography.
Article Eight
Freedom of expression is guaranteed in the different media of publication within the limits of
Sharia Rules and Law.
Article Nine
When permission is given to a printed matter the following shall be taken into consideration:
• It shall not be conflicting with Sharia Rules.
• It shall not lead to breach of public security, public policy or serving foreign interest
that conflict with national interest.
• It shall not be exciting to fanatical instincts or stir up discord among citizens.
• It shall not prejudice the dignity and liberty of persons or lead to their blackmail or
injure their reputation or commercial names.
• It shall not lead to approval and incitation of criminal conduct.
• It shall not injure the economic or health situation in the country.
• It shall not disclose the secrets of investigations or trails except with the permission
of the competent authority.
• It shall observe objective and constructive criticism that aims at public interest and
which is based on facts and evidence.
Article Ten
The necessary paper information provided for in the Implementing Regulations shall be
recorded on each printed matter printed inside the Kingdom.
Article Eleven
The license may be surrendered or rented to third parties or make them partners in it with
the consent of the Ministry and in accordance with the provisions of this law.
Article Twelve
If the owner of the license dies, his heirs shall notify the Ministry within two months from
the date of death and they are entitled to continue with the activity with the consent of the
Ministry in accordance with the provisions of this law.
Internal Printed Matters
Article Thirteen
Each author, publisher, printer or distributor who desires to print or distribute any printed
matter shall provide the Ministry with two copies for approval before printing or offering it
for circulation and the Ministry shall approve or reject it stating the reasons for that within
thirty days and the person concerned may object to the rejection resolution before the
Minister.
Article Fourteen
Each printing office shall keep a registration for printed matters printed in it to be shown to
the competent persons on demand but the Ministry may exempt in the Implementing
Regulations from requirement of registration any printed matter it thinks fit.
Article Fifteen
The author, the publisher and the printer are responsible for any violations in the printed
matter if printed or put into circulation before approval is given but if it is not possible to
identify the person responsible then the distributor becomes responsible, otherwise the
responsibility lies on the seller.
Article Sixteen
The Ministry shall make the author or publisher responsible to deposit in accordance to the
relevant law the copies required to be deposited of materials printed inside the Kingdom.
Article Seventeen
The publicity and advertisement materials shall not be added to films or tapes or the like on
which artistic or sports matters or others are recorded provided that they are contracted for
to be used inside the Kingdom except through local publicity and advertisement companies
and after the said materials are approved by the Ministry and the Implementing Regulations
shall determine the time period for advertisements in each work.
External Printed Matters
Article Eighteen
External printed matters shall be approved if free from anything insulting to Islam or the
system of Government or injurious to high interests of the state or scarify public morality
and conflict with ethical standards.
Article Nineteen
The external printed matters shall be approved or rejected for reasons to be expressly
stated within 30 days from the date of filing the application but newspapers shall be treated
in accordance with the provisions of the Implementing Regulations.
Article Twenty
Any Saudi who issues a non-periodical printed matter outside the Kingdom and applies to
the Ministry for its approval shall attach with his application something to prove that he has
deposited the required copies in accordance with the relevant law.
Article Twenty One
The Ministry shall have no authority to censor the printed matters imported by Government
authorities, educational and research institution, scientific societies, art and cultural clubs
and private journalistic institution for their own purposes.
Article Twenty Two
The Implementing Regulations shall – within the limits of this law – regulate the importation
and distribution of external printed matters in addition to the necessary procedures to
facilitate accompanying books and other printed matters and subscription therein by
researchers and thinkers for their scientific purposes and within the limits of their personal
possession.
Article Twenty Three
Foreign journals may be printed in the Kingdom with the consent of the Prime Minister in
accordance with the provisions of the Implementing Regulations and the provisions of this
law.
Local Journalism
Article Twenty Four
The local journals shall not be subjected to censorship unless in exceptional circumstances
approved by the Prime Minister.
Article Twenty Five
Journals may be issued – outside the scope of private journalistic establishments – by
private authorities or individuals in accordance with a license from the Ministry with the
consent of the Prime Minister.
The consent of the Ministry alone is sufficient to issue the following :
• Bulletins of limited circulation and for a purpose other than sale such as those issued
by private authorities provided these bulletins are confined to the promotion of the
activities of the authority issuing them.
• Specialized scientific and professional magazines issued by private authorities or
individuals.
• Issuance of journals and scientific magazines by the public educational authorities
and Government authorities after the Ministry is notified.
The supervisor of any of the printed matters mentioned in this Article and the director of the
issuing authority are responsible for what is published in them in accordance with the
provision of this law.
Article Twenty Six
There shall be put in a prominent place of the journal, the name of the owner of the license,
the name of the chief editor, the number of the issue, date, price and the name of the
printing press.
Article Twenty Seven
• The name of a journal which was previously issued and ceased shall not be used except after the expiration of ten years from the date of withdrawal unless the persons concerned
have given up the name before the expiration of this period.
• A journal shall not be given a name that may be confused with the name of another.
Article Twenty Eight
The Implementing Regulations shall provide for the rules that regulate the annual
subscription fees of the journals, the price of one issue and the advertisements affairs.
Article Twenty Nine
The Ministry may withdraw the license or cancel the consent to issue the journal in any one
of the following two cases :
• If it is not issued within a maximum period of two years from the date of notice of
the license.
• If the issuance is suspended for a continuous period of more than one year.
Article Thirty
The journals and those working in them shall not accept any benefit such as gift, financial
assistant or other from local or foreign authorities except with the consent of the Ministry.
Article Thirty One
The issue of the journal shall not be prohibited except in exceptional circumstances and
after the consent of the Prime Minister is obtained.
Article Thirty Two
• The written advertisements of establishments and individuals may be published provided
that it is referred to as an advertisement material.
• The written advertisement of the states may be published after the consent of the Ministry is obtained provided that it is referred to as an advertisement material.
Article Thirty Three
• The chief editor of the journal or his representative when he is absent is responsible for what is published in it.
• Without prejudice to the responsibility of the chief editor or his representative the author
of the statement is responsible of what is stated in it.
Article Thirty Four
Um Al-Qurah newspaper is the official Gazette of the State.
Penalties
Article Thirty Five
Any journal that imputed to another an incorrect statement or published an erroneous news
shall correct that by publishing it free of charge at the request of the person concerned in
the first issue after the correction request and in the same place where the news or the
statement was first published or in a prominent and any one injured is entitled to claim
compensation.
Article Thirty Six
In case of necessity the Ministry may withdraw any issue of the issues of the journal without
compensation if it contains anything conflicting with the rules of the Sharia Law on the basis
of a resolution issued by the committee provided for in Article Thirty Seven.
Article Thirty Seven
Violations of the provision of this law shall be decided by a committee to be constituted in
accordance with a resolution issued by the Minister under the chairmanship of the
competent undersecretary of the Ministry and its members shall not be less than three
provided that one of them is a legal advisor and shall take its resolution by majority vote
after calling the violator or his representative and hearing his statements and may call
anyone it deems fit to hear his statements and seek the assistance of anyone it deems fit
but the resolution of the Committee shall not be valid until approved by the Minister.
Article Thirty Eight
Without prejudice to any other more serious penalties provided for in another law anyone
who violates any provision of this law shall be punished with a financial fine of not more
than (SR 50,000) Fifty Thousand Saudi Riyals or by closing his place of business or
establishment for a period of not more than two months or by closing his place of business
or establishment finally – the penalty shall be issued in accordance with a resolution by the
Minister on the recommendation of the committee provided for in Article Thirty Seven of this
law.
Article Thirty Nine
The Ministry may withdraw the printed matters offered for circulation whether internal or
external in the following two cases :
• When its circulation is prohibited.
• When it is not approved and contain some of the prohibitions provided for in Article Nine or
Article Eighteen. The authority who has jurisdiction in this case is the committee provided
for in Article Thirty Seven which decides what it thinks fit either to destroy them without
compensation or to order the person concerned to return them outside the Kingdom at his
expense if they were external.
Article Forty
The person who is subjected to a penalty in accordance with the provisions of this law may
put a complaint before the Board of Grievance with 60 days from the date in which he was
notified of the resolution issued in this respect.
Article Forty One
If the Ministry approved the printed matter but a reason for its withdrawal subsequently
arises, the Ministry shall compensate the person concerned for the cost of the copies
withdrawn.
General Provisions
Article Forty Two
The Ministry shall entrust qualified competent and specialized persons who have knowledge
of the Regulations and publication instructions and may seek the assistance of the part
timers it thinks fit from outside the Ministry to approve scientific and intellectual works.
Article Forty Three
The Ministry shall, in coordination with the authorities concerned, work out rules that
regulate the setting up of books exhibition by private publication and distribution
establishments and supervise them.
Article Forty Four
Societies may be formed in accordance with a resolution issued by the Minister to exercise
the activities provided for in Article Two to solve their problems and coordinate their
functions and each society shall lay down regulations to be approved by the Minister to
indicate its purposes and regulate its work.
Article Forty Five
The Ministry is the authority entrusted to follow up the implementation of this law and to
interrogate any person who violates it in accordance with its provisions.
Article Forty Six
The Minister shall issue the Implementing Regulations of this law within a period of not
more than eighteen months from the date of its publication and shall be published in the
Official Gazette.
Article Forty Seven
Any person carrying out any of activities governed by this law shall adjust his situations in
accordance with its provisions within two years from the date in which it becomes effective.
Article Forty Eight
This law shall replace the Printed Matter and Publication Law issued by Royal Decree No.
(M/17) dated 13/4/1402 H. and shall cancel any provisions inconsistent with it.
Article Forty Nine
This law shall be published in the Official Gazette and shall come into force after ninety days
from the date of Publication.