His Royal Highness Prince Sultan bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the General Authority for Tourism and National Heritage, issued a decision approving the implementing regulations for the Tourism Law promulgated by Royal Decree No. (2) dated 9/1/1436 AH.
Incorporating the comments and insights of experts
The announcement came after the Authority’s Board of Directors approved the implementing regulations prepared by the Authority in accordance with the provisions of the Law, which stipulates that the Law shall come into effect upon the formulation of the implementing regulations and their approval by the Authority’s Board of Directors.
In approving the implementing regulations for the law, consideration was given to incorporating the comments and feedback of stakeholders in the tourism sector—including officials, industry workers, and the public—after the Authority posted these regulations on its website to solicit such input.
Seven regulations to govern the sector
The implementing regulations comprise seven sets of regulations, each consisting of several chapters that detail the provisions of the law. These regulations are: the Regulations on Tourist Accommodation Booking Offices, the Regulations on Tour Operators, the Regulations on Travel and Tourism Agencies, the Regulations on Tourist Accommodations, the Regulations on Tour Guides, the Regulations on the Committee for Reviewing Violations of the Tourism Law, and the Regulations on Tourist Sites.
Regulations Concerning Licensing and Classification
The first five regulations addressed all matters related to licensing, with the regulations explicitly stating that no type of activity may be carried out unless the operator obtains both a license and a classification; otherwise, the activity is considered a violation of the licensing requirements. They also set forth the requirements for submitting a license application, the procedures necessary for issuing the license, and the applicant’s right to appeal decisions by the competent authority to the President and then to the Board of Grievances.
It also covers all matters related to classification, including the types, criteria, requirements, and categories of classification, as well as objections and appeals regarding classification, such that an appeal against the decision of the competent classification authority may be filed with the Authority’s President, and a response to the appeal must be received within thirty days; if the appeal is rejected, the classified party has the right to appeal the Authority’s decision to the Board of Grievances.
Prices – Saudization – Oversight
The regulations also included price lists and categories and types of services, as well as the requirement to display them in a prominent location and on the licensee’s website in both Arabic and English.
The regulations also addressed the licensee’s obligations, requirements regarding the academic and practical qualifications and training of sector employees, the Saudization of jobs, employment requirements, and other matters.
The regulations also cover oversight, inspections, and complaints; they authorize the competent authority to engage any technical or specialized entity to monitor service delivery and price enforcement, complaints, and related procedures. They also address the mechanism for selecting inspectors, the inspection process, the methods for consumers to file complaints, and the actions taken by the administration in response.
Review of Violations of the Law
The regulations implementing the law also included the «Regulations of the Committee for Reviewing Violations of the Tourism Law,» and the violations considered by the committee are defined as any act that contravenes the provisions of the Law and its regulations, which is documented through an inspection report or a complaint and is subject to the penalties stipulated in the Law. The committee is formed by a decision of the Council Chair and consists of no fewer than three members, one of whom must be a legal advisor. It is responsible for reviewing violations and imposing the penalties stipulated in the Tourism Law.
Regulations on Tourist Sites
Regulation 7 of the Law’s Implementing Regulations pertains to tourist sites, covering public tourist sites such as natural areas—including beaches, islands, forests, valleys, parks, and deserts—located outside cities and suitable for tourism development, as well as sites proposed by the Authority that are located within cities, and locations designated by the Authority in accordance with the regulations issued by the Authority’s President. The regulation includes rules for proposing public tourist sites and the guidelines governing the Authority’s proposals for these sites in terms of compliance with laws and regulations, as well as approval by the relevant authorities.
Conditions for Designating Tourist Sites
The regulations address the protection and development of public tourist sites, as these sites are considered protected by law, and no third party may own them, The Authority shall collaborate with relevant entities to protect these sites from encroachments, shall apply a long-term leasing mechanism for their development, and relevant entities shall coordinate with the Authority regarding the mechanism for utilizing, developing, and leasing these sites to the private sector.
The regulations require the Authority, when proposing government-owned land as tourist sites, to ensure that these sites possess the necessary elements to attract tourists, to obtain the approval of the government agency to which the land belongs, and to define the principles and criteria to be followed in the tourism-oriented development of the land in question
