Anti-Cyber Crime Law

Purpose and scope

• Defines cybercrimes and their penalties, aiming at information security, protecting lawful use of computers and networks, and protecting the public interest, morals and the national economy (Article 2).

Key rules, rights and obligations

• The Public Prosecution investigates and prosecutes (Article 15), and the telecommunications authority gives technical support to the security bodies (Article 14).
• Instigators, helpers and conspirators are punished, and an attempt carries up to half the maximum (Articles 9 and 10).

Violations, penalties and common problems

• Up to one year in prison and a fine of up to five hundred thousand riyals, or either: unlawful interception, unlawful access to threaten or blackmail, hacking websites, invading privacy by misusing camera phones, and defaming others through technology (Article 3).
• Up to three years and two million riyals: taking money through online fraud and unlawful access to bank or credit data (Article 4); up to four years and three million: destroying data or disabling a network (Article 5).
• Up to five years and three million riyals: producing or sending material harming public order, religious values, morals or privacy, and sites for human trafficking, drugs or pornography, with possible publication of the judgment summary once final (Article 6 as amended); up to ten years for terrorism and state-security offences (Article 7).
• The penalty is at least half the maximum in cases including an organised gang, abuse of public office, exploiting minors and prior convictions (Article 8).

Procedures and key deadlines

• The court may confiscate devices, software and proceeds, and close the website or service premises permanently or temporarily if the owner knew of the crime (Article 13).
• The court may exempt an offender who reports before the crime is discovered and before harm occurs, or after discovery if this leads to the arrest of the others or seizure of the tools (Article 11).
• Victims should record offending content with screenshots, links and dates before it is deleted, and report through official channels.

An advisory summary prepared by Al-Bayan Al-Wadih Law Firm. It is not an official text and does not replace the law, its implementing regulations, or advice from a specialised lawyer. The official published text and its amendments prevail.