Arabic
Issued by Royal Decree D/89
Chapter 1
Definitions
Article 1
The following terms and phrases—wherever they appear in this law or the orders issued by virtue of it—have the meanings assigned to each of them, unless the context requires otherwise:
Law: The Emergency Law.
Council: The Emergency Supreme Council.
Public entities: Ministries; public authorities, institutions, and establishments; and their equivalent, and this includes entities subordinate to regulatory and judicial authorities.
Emergency incident: An event specified in article 2 of the law.
State of emergency: A legal state declared by the King—in accordance with the provisions of the law—to respond to an emergency incident requiring exceptional temporary measures to address it.
Emergency orders: Orders issued on the basis of article 12 of the law.
Sensitive infrastructure: Public and private assets, establishments, and facilities as well as systems and networks, including buildings; roads; means of transportation; water, gas, oil, electricity, and communications facilities; and other infrastructure facilities, whose failure, interruption, destruction, damage, or obstruction of access results in the occurrence of an emergency incident, the imminent threat of its occurrence, or the declaration of a state of emergency.
Chapter 2
Emergency Incident
Article 2
For the purposes of the law, an emergency incident means any incident or incident resulting in harm to individuals, sensitive infrastructure, health, public safety, security, public order, the stability and sovereignty of the Kingdom, continuity of business, the economy, or the resources of the Kingdom in a substantive manner, or the imminent threat of any of this. This includes disasters; volcanoes; earthquakes; floods; fires; nuclear, chemical, and biological incidents; military, electronic, cyber, chemical, and biological wars; terrorist operations; armed aggression and rebellion; disturbances; riots; epidemics; and pandemics.
Chapter 3 Purpose
of the Law
Article 3
The law aims to specify the provisions, rules, and procedures for the state of emergency, identify the exceptional authorities and provisions for ensuring the effective response to an emergency incident during a state of emergency in a manner that promotes the ability to defend the Kingdom; maintain public order, security, health, environment, and public safety in it; protect sensitive infrastructure; and enable business continuity.
Chapter 4 Emergency Supreme
Council
Article 4
1․ A council is hereby established by virtue of the law, formed under the chairmanship of the King, with the Crown Prince as the deputy of the chairman of the council, and with the membership of the following:
(a) Members of the Political and Security Affairs Council.
(b) Governor of the National Emergency Management Authority.
(c) Whoever the King sees fit to be appointed to the council by royal order.
2․ The council must have a chamber named the “Crisis Chamber” chaired by the National Security Advisor and with the membership of two senior-level representatives of the entities represented in the council and in the Board of Directors of the National Emergency Management Authority.
The head of the chamber may—when necessary—invite whoever he determines of the heads of public entities, officials, or those with expertise and knowledge, according to the requirements and nature of the state of emergency.
3․ The council must have a secretary appointed by royal order.
4․ The council shall meet at least once a year, and whenever necessary.
5․ The chairman of the council may invite to attend the meetings of the council whoever he determines to seek the assistance of, without having the right to vote.
6․
(a) The council must have an executive committee. A decision by the chairman of the council must be issued forming it and determining its tasks.
(b) The council may form standing or temporary committees to carry out the tasks assigned to it.
7․ The Political and Security Affairs Council shall prepare the rules, mechanisms, and procedures for the work of the council, which is approved by royal order.
Article 5
1․ The council shall practice the following mandates:
(a) Recommending the declaration of a state of emergency and detailing the grounds for its declaration, the duration of its implementation, and its geographical scope.
(b) Recommending policies relating to the preservation of public order, security, health, environment, public safety, defending the Kingdom, protecting its capabilities and assets, and enabling business continuity during the state of emergency, and instructing relevant public entities as required in this regard.
(c) Expressing opinions regarding any matter referred to it by the chairman of the council or his deputy.
(d) Any other mandate specified by the royal order declaring a state of emergency or any other royal order subsequent to it.
2․ The decisions of the council become final after their approval by the King.
3․ The Crisis Chamber shall practice the following mandates:
(a) Requesting reports, data, and information from the National Emergency Management Authority and public entities, and submitting recommendations to the council in their regard.
(b) Following up on the state of emergency.
(c) Any other mandate assigned to it by instructions from the chairman of the council or his deputy.
Chapter 5
Declaration of a State of Emergency
Article 6
When an emergency incident occurs and the King determines that it requires the declaration of a state of emergency because of it, the King shall declare a state of emergency by virtue of a royal order.
Article 7
The royal order declaring a state of emergency must specify the following:
1․ The emergency incident for which the state of emergency is declared.
2․ The date of entry into force of the state of emergency. If the royal order does not stipulate a date of entry into force, the state of emergency is effective from the date of its declaration.
3․ The duration of the state of emergency. If the royal order does not stipulate a duration for the state of emergency, it expires by the lapse of six months, unless a royal order is issued to end it before this or to extend it.
4․ The geographical scope of the state of emergency.
Article 8
Public authorities shall—during a state of emergency—continue to carry out their duties, including those related to reducing risks, responding to the emergency incident, and recovering from it, in accordance with approved plans.
Article 9
The mere declaration of a state of emergency does not result in any right to any natural or legal person towards the Kingdom, public entities, or their personnel, or towards any other person, except those provided in the law or as stipulated in the declaration of a state of emergency.
Article 10
The end of a state of emergency does not prejudice the following:
1․ Legal positions and acquired obligations and rights that arise during the state of emergency.
2․ Completing any measure initiated by virtue of the provisions of the law or by virtue of any emergency order, unless stipulated otherwise in the relevant emergency order or unless a final ruling by the competent court is issued in regard to that measure.
3․ Any final judicial ruling issued in the implementation of the provisions of the law or emergency orders issued by virtue of it.
Chapter 6
The National Emergency Management Authority
Article 11
The National Emergency Management Authority shall—in its capacity as the main authority in relation to emergency management—prepare strategies, policies, programs, methodologies, standards, controls, guidelines, and performance indicators and measurement tools relating to the work of the authority. The authority may coordinate with relevant entities to determine their roles and responsibilities towards emergency management affairs.
Chapter 7 Emergency
Orders
Article 12
Royal orders named “emergency orders” are issued—when necessary—during a state of emergency providing necessary temporary measures and procedures that have the power of laws issued by the regulatory authority, to limit risks and to respond to the emergency incident and recover from it, as prescribed by articles 62 and 82 of the Basic Law of Governance.
Article 13
1․ A royal order issued declaring a state of emergency, as well as emergency orders, must be published through any official media outlets, in addition to being published in the official gazette. It is permitted, in accordance with the requirements and nature of the state of emergency, to publish using any means.
2․ Emergency orders stipulated as confidential are exempt from publication.
Article 14
Emergency orders are effective from the date of their issuance, unless another date is stipulated in them. Their effective date ends on the dates specified in them or by the end of the state of emergency in accordance with the provisions of the law, whichever is earlier.
Chapter 8
Obtaining Information and Documents
Article 15
Public and private entities, and any other entity specified by the council, shall provide the National Emergency Management Authority with any information or documents it requests for the purpose of planning or preparing for an emergency incident, determining the risks associated with it, or evaluating and developing its response plans or recovery plans.
Article 16
Information and documents obtained by virtue of the provisions of the law are classified as confidential information and documents in accordance with the Law on the Punishments for Publishing and Disclosing Confidential Information and Documents, unless such information and documents are available to the public.
Article 17
Whoever is concerned with implementing the provisions of the law shall abide by the confidentiality of the information and documents he accesses. He shall not disclose their confidentiality except if their use is necessary for the purposes specified by competent entities, and he shall not disclose the data relating to them without a legal justification.
Chapter 9
Duties and Powers of Those Responsible for Implementing Emergency Orders and the Limits of Their Liability
Article 18
Emergency orders must specify the public entities tasked with implementing such orders, and they must specify the personnel of such entities who have criminal enforcement status.
Article 19
Those tasked with the implementation of emergency orders shall take all necessary measures to ensure the safety and security of individuals, the safety of their property, minimising the negative impact arising from any measure they undertake by virtue of the provisions of the law and emergency orders, and treating individuals fairly.
Article 20
The personnel of public entities tasked with implementing emergency orders—and those who assist them—are exempt from civil and criminal liability for any measure they take while carrying out their tasks by virtue of emergency orders, provided that they abide by the provisions of the law and emergency orders, and the provisions and procedures provided in laws and regulations applicable during a state of emergency. This does not prejudice the compensation provisions stipulated in the law.
Chapter 10 Inability
to Perform Obligations Due to a State of Emergency
Article 21
Rules and controls must be issued—by virtue of emergency orders—aiming to address the impact of the inability to perform contracts and other obligations during a state of emergency or to limit the negative impact arising from them or from the implementation of the provisions of the law.
Chapter 11
Compensation for Measures Taken by Virtue of Emergency Orders
Article 22
The following are entitled to fair compensation:
1․ Whoever is assigned to perform a specific task or provide property, or has his property seized, expropriated, used, utilised, disposed of, transferred, or destroyed by virtue of emergency orders.
2․ Whoever is harmed as a result of any measure illegally taken under the pretext of implementing the provisions of emergency orders.
Article 23
1․ It is permitted—by virtue of an emergency order or a special royal order as the case may be—to form committees competent with assessing compensation in the cases provided in article 22 of the law. Their membership must not be less than three members including a Sharia or a legal advisor. The formation order must specify the legal affiliation of such committees, the work rules and procedures, and the assessment controls.
2․ The committees mentioned in paragraph 1 of this article shall issue their decisions within 30 working days from the date of submitting the compensation assessment application. The decisions are subject to objection before the competent administrative court within 60 days from the date the concerned person is notified of the decision.
Chapter 12
Objection to Measures Taken by Virtue of Emergency Orders
Article 24
The competent administrative court shall undertake considering lawsuits to annul decisions relating to the implementation of the provisions of emergency orders, including those relating to the validity of an arrest, imprisonment, house arrest, confiscation, seizure of property, suspension of activity or any part of it, or its restriction. It is permitted to appeal judgments issued by the court and object to them by the means of contestation in accordance with the legally stipulated provisions.
Article 25
Taking into account fulfilling procedural requirements relating to the consideration of lawsuits provided in article 24 of the law, the competent administrative court shall resolve such lawsuits within a period not exceeding 15 days from the date of the registration of the lawsuit.
Article 26
With the exception of cases of forgery, or if there is an excuse that prevented undertaking the lawsuit and is proven to the competent administrative court, lawsuits for the annulment of decisions relating to the implementation of the provisions of the law or emergency orders must not be heard after the lapse of 60 days from the end of the state of emergency.
Chapter 13
Crimes and Punishments
Article 27
1․ Whoever violates any of the provisions of the law must be punished by imprisonment for a period not exceeding a year, a fine not exceeding 100,000 Riyal, or both.
2․ Whoever violates any emergency order must be punished by the punishments stipulated in such order. If the emergency order does not stipulate the punishment to be imposed against its violators, the punishment must be imprisonment for a period not exceeding six months, a fine not exceeding 50,000 Riyal, or both.
Article 28
The punishments provided in the law or emergency orders do not prejudice the Sharia Hadd or punishments that are more severe stipulated in any other law.
Article 29
The Criminal Procedures Law applies to the public criminal lawsuit in crimes for violating the provisions of the law or emergency orders. The Public Prosecution has the mandate to investigate these crimes, file a public criminal lawsuit, and undertake it before the competent court.
Article 30
It is permitted for emergency orders to specify special periods and procedures for considering crimes in violation of the provisions of the law or emergency orders within the limits required by the nature of the state of emergency, provided that this does not prejudice the guarantees stipulated in relevant laws.
Chapter 14 Final
Provisions
Article 31
The powers granted or delegated to any person by virtue of the law or emergency orders are in addition to any other powers granted to him by virtue of any other applicable law or regulation, unless otherwise stated in an emergency order.
Article 32
The law enters into force from the date of its publication in the official gazette.
Published in Umm Al-Qura 5070 issued on 14 February 2025.
