• Civil defense is a set of measures and actions necessary to protect the population as well as public and private property against the hazards of fires, disasters, wars, and other incidents, in addition to providing relief to victims, maintaining the safety of transportation, communications, and the proper operation of public utilities, and protecting national resources at times of peace, war, and emergencies. This shall include without limitation:

  • a) setting rules and means of warning against hazards and air raids;

  • b) training volunteers for civil defense work;

  • c) setting rules and means of safety, industrial security, firefighting, rescue, first aid and relief operations, raid watch, and protection against weapons of destruction at times of peace and war;

  • d) creating and training civil defense units of different specialties and providing them with necessary equipment and means;

  • e) controlling lighting and traffic, and preparing and implementing evacuation and sheltering plans at times of war and emergencies;

  • f) establishing and equipping civil defense operation rooms and centers, building and managing public shelters, and overseeing shelters designated to protect the population at times of war and peace;

  • g) stockpiling materials and equipment necessary for sustaining life at times of war, emergencies, and disasters;

  • h) setting and implementing necessary measures to achieve safety, prevent disasters, and deal with the aftermath thereof, including provision of financial support or other types of support; and

  • i) using mass media to achieve civil defense objectives.

• The term disaster provided for in this Law shall mean any fire, destruction, torrent, storm, earthquake, or any other incident that causes damage, endangers the lives of individuals, or causes harm to public or private property.

• Without prejudice to the laws and the decisions of the Supreme Defense Council issued in accordance with its Law, civil defense operations provided for in Article 1 of this Law shall be carried out by the following:

  • a) Ministries, government agencies, public and private legal persons, establishments, real property owners and occupants as well as owners and drivers of cars and other vehicles.

  • b) Civil Defense Forces, other internal security forces, the National Guard, and the Armed Forces.

  • c) Civil Defense volunteers.

• This shall be carried out in accordance with plans, rules, and procedures set by the Civil Defense Council in coordination with relevant agencies.

• Civil Defense shall consist of:

  • − the Civil Defense Council;

  • − the General Directorate of Civil Defense; and

  • − the Civil Defense Committees.

The formation of the Civil Defense Council shall be as follows:
A - Minister of Interior President
B - Minister of National Guard – or his representative - Member
C - President of the Saudi Red Crescent Authority – or his representative - Member
D - President of King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology Member
E - Minister of Water and Electricity Member
F - Minister of Commerce and Industry Member
G - Minister of Finance Member
H - Minister of Economy and Planning Member
I - Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs Member
J - Minister of Agriculture Member
K - Minister of Transport Member
L - Minister of Health Member
M - Minister of Social Affairs Member
N - Minister of Culture and Information Member
O - Deputy Minister of Interior Member
P - President of the General Authority for Meteorology and Environmental Protection Member
Q - President of King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy Member
R - Chief of General Staff Member
S - Director of Public Security Member
T - Director General of Civil Defense Member

The Civil Defense Council is composed of:
- The Minister of Interior as the Chairman.
- A number of members representing the entities related to civil defense operations, appointed by a decision of the Council of Ministers based on the nomination of the Minister of Interior.

• A - A general committee for civil defense shall be formed, organizationally linked to the President of the Civil Defense Council, as follows:

  • 1 - Director General of Civil Defense as Chairman

  • 2 - A representative from the Ministry of National Guard with a military rank not less than Major General as a member

  • 3 - A representative from the Ministry of Defense with a military rank not less than Major General as a member

  • 4 - Director of Public Security – or his delegate – as a member

  • 5 - Director General of Border Guard – or his delegate – as a member

  • 6 - Vice President of King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology as a member

  • 7 - Assistant President of the General Authority for Meteorology and Environmental Protection as a member

  • 8 - Vice President of the Saudi Red Crescent Authority as a member

  • 9 - Undersecretary of the Ministry of Finance as a member

  • 10 - Undersecretary of the Ministry of Health as a member

  • 11 - Undersecretary of the Ministry of Water and Electricity as a member

  • 12 - Undersecretary of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry as a member

  • 13 - Undersecretary of the Ministry of Transport as a member

  • 14 - Undersecretary of the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs as a member

  • 15 - Vice President of King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy as a member

  • 16 - Deputy Governor of the Communications and Information Technology Commission as a member

  • 17 - Secretary General of the Civil Defense Council as a member

• B - The Civil Defense Council shall have a budget (a special section) within the budget of the Ministry of Interior.

• C - The Civil Defense Council shall have a Secretary General – whose rank shall not be less than (the fifteenth) or its equivalent – who supervises the General Secretariat of the Council and is organizationally linked to the President of the Council.

• D - The General Secretariat of the Civil Defense Council shall have its own headquarters, with administrative and financial powers, and shall be responsible for communicating the decisions issued by the Council and following them up, as well as providing the necessary information and arrangements.

• E - A search and rescue team shall be formed within the Secretariat of the Civil Defense Council called (the National Search and Rescue Team) – consisting of specialists from relevant government agencies and volunteers in the fields of search, rescue, and first aid, among other related specialties – to participate in search and rescue operations inside and outside the Kingdom, according to the rules issued by the Council. The team may seek assistance from private sector entities, particularly large companies with high expertise in civil defense and other specialized entities in the same field.

• F - Specialized administrative units shall be established within the Secretariat of the Civil Defense Council to address the following areas:

  • 1 - Planning for civil defense operations and disaster response.

  • 2 - Coordination in the field of civil defense and disaster response, which requires the establishment of an operations room.

  • 3 - Preparing studies and gathering information.

If the Civil Defense Council examines a matter that falls within the jurisdiction of a government entity or entities not represented in it or in the General Committee for Civil Defense Operations, the Council must seek the opinion of that entity or those entities and then issue its decision as it deems appropriate for the public interest, while informing the entity or entities of what it decides.

• A - With due regard to the provisions of the laws, the Civil Defense Council is responsible for the following:

  • 1 - Approving the general policy for civil defense operations.

  • 2 - Approving the general plans for civil defense operations.

  • 3 - Approving the projects necessary for implementing the general policy and plans of civil defense.

  • 4 - Approving the tasks and responsibilities of government agencies and other entities related to the implementation of civil defense operations.

  • 5 - Issuing regulations that define the safety conditions and rules that must be met in various industrial, commercial, agricultural activities, professions, works, residential buildings, facilities, and infrastructure, ensuring the protection of lives and public and private property, in agreement with the relevant authorities.

  • 6 - Issuing regulations that define the conditions for establishing public and private shelters and their specifications, in cooperation with the relevant authorities.

  • 7 - Issuing the necessary regulations to organize the work of volunteers in civil defense, specifying the conditions they must meet, and their rights and duties.

  • 8 - Approving the general policy for training in civil defense operations and implementing its plans and projects, and approving the necessary programs for that.

  • 9 - Supporting scientific and research activities related to civil defense operations and disaster response.

  • 10 - Forming civil defense committees, defining their tasks, work procedures, locations, represented entities, and the head of each.

  • 11 - Identifying and classifying places and facilities subject to civil defense measures, either wholly or partially, as well as the places and facilities where the necessary equipment for civil defense operations is placed, establishing the necessary rules for assessing damages, and compensating the aggrieved persons as a result.

  • 12 - Determining the number and locations of civil defense operation rooms and centers, forming their bodies, and securing the means to connect civil defense operation rooms and centers with the operation rooms of military and other entities for information and instruction exchange.

  • 13 - Reviewing the annual report on civil defense operations.

  • 14 - Approving mechanisms for international cooperation in civil defense and disaster response.

  • 15 - Approving the draft annual budget for the General Directorate of Civil Defense and the draft annual budget for the Civil Defense Council; in preparation for referring them to the Ministry of Finance.

  • 16 - Proposing the financial appropriations necessary for civil defense means and for implementing its plans and projects in the budgets of ministries, government agencies, and public legal entities, in coordination with the relevant authorities.

• B - The General Committee for Civil Defense Operations is responsible for the following:

  • 1 - Supervising the preparation of policies and general plans for civil defense operations, submitting them to the Civil Defense Council, and overseeing their implementation after approval.

  • 2 - Approving the detailed plans for government entities related to civil defense operations.

  • 3 - Supervising the review and evaluation of the general policies and plans for civil defense operations and proposing amendments to them.

  • 4 - Working to enhance coordination among entities related to civil defense operations and resolving any obstacles they may encounter.

  • 5 - Monitoring disaster management and response operations when they occur, working to overcome any difficulties that may arise, and ensuring that the relevant entities and committees implement disaster response plans and coordinate effectively.

  • 6 - Directly managing disasters in special cases assigned to it by a decision from the Minister of Interior.

  • 7 - Monitoring the implementation of drills and hypothetical applications for disaster response according to established plans, involving all relevant entities, and ensuring their effectiveness based on evaluation results, and working on their development.

  • 8 - Supervising the development and updating of information systems related to civil defense operations and disaster response.

  • 9 - Supervising studies and research related to civil defense operations, especially those related to disaster response.

  • 10 - Approving programs aimed at raising community awareness regarding civil defense operations, in cooperation with relevant entities.

  • 11 - Proposing regulations and rules specific to civil defense operations, verifying their effectiveness, proposing any amendments deemed necessary, and submitting them to the Civil Defense Council for consideration of completing the regulatory procedures regarding them.

  • 12 - Approving the formation of specialized advisory committees in the field of civil defense operations within the General Secretariat of the Civil Defense Council.

  • 13 - Monitoring the work of civil defense committees in the regions of the Kingdom, evaluating their effectiveness, providing suggestions regarding them, and submitting them to the Civil Defense Council.

  • 14 - Supervising international cooperation programs and mechanisms in the field of civil defense operations.

  • 15 - Reviewing the annual report on civil defense operations and disaster response before submitting it to the Civil Defense Council.

  • 16 - Studying what is submitted to it by the General Secretariat of the Civil Defense Council in the field of civil defense operations.

  • 17 - Approving the items listed on the agenda of the Civil Defense Council.

  • 18 - Approving the draft budget of the Civil Defense Council and its final account before submitting them to the Council.

  • 19 - Any other task assigned to it by the Civil Defense Council.

•  

• C - The General Secretariat of the Civil Defense Council is responsible for the following:

  • 1 - Preparing for the meetings of the Civil Defense Council and the General Committee for Civil Defense Operations.

  • 2 - Studying the topics to be presented to the Civil Defense Council and the General Committee for Civil Defense Operations.

  • 3 - Preparing the minutes of the sessions of the Civil Defense Council and the General Committee for Civil Defense Operations.

  • 4 - Coordinating and following up with the relevant entities regarding civil defense operations and disaster response in executing their tasks.

  • 5 - Preparing the general plans for civil defense operations and disaster response, in coordination with the relevant entities.

  • 6 - Following up on the preparation of detailed plans for civil defense operations and disaster response, which are developed by the relevant entities, reviewing them in coordination with the related entities before presenting them to the General Committee for Civil Defense Operations for approval.

  • 7 - Communicating the decisions of the Civil Defense Council and the General Committee for Civil Defense Operations to the relevant entities and following up on their implementation.

  • 8 - Coordinating the participation of the national search and rescue team in search and rescue operations inside and outside the Kingdom.

  • 9 - Preparing a comprehensive annual report on civil defense operations and disaster response, in coordination with the relevant entities.

  • 10 - Following up on training activities and drills related to civil defense operations and disaster response, in coordination with the relevant entities.

  • 11 - Following up on activities related to volunteer work for civil defense operations.

  • 12 - Preparing draft regulations and rules that organize civil defense operations and disaster response if assigned to do so by the Civil Defense Council or the General Committee for Civil Defense Operations.

  • 13 - Working to provide and classify information and data related to civil defense operations and disaster response, in coordination with the relevant entities.

  • 14 - Participating in organizing seminars and meetings related to civil defense operations and disaster response, in cooperation with other relevant entities.

  • 15 - Conducting studies and research related to civil defense operations and disaster response, publishing and sharing them.

  • 16 - Preparing the draft annual budget for the Civil Defense Council and its final account and presenting them to the General Committee for Civil Defense Operations before submitting them to the Civil Defense Council for approval.

  • 17 - Preparing programs aimed at raising knowledge and awareness in the community regarding civil defense operations and disaster response, and participating in their implementation in cooperation and coordination with other relevant entities.

  • 18 - Coordinating with the relevant entities regarding the implementation of international cooperation programs and mechanisms in the field of civil defense operations and disaster response.

  • 19 - Studying reports issued by civil defense committees in the regions of the Kingdom and preparing recommendations regarding them.

  • 20 - Studying proposals from government agencies related to civil defense regulations and rules, and presenting them to the General Committee for Civil Defense Operations; in preparation for presenting them to the Civil Defense Council.

  • 21 - Working with the relevant authorities to qualify the necessary Saudi competencies in the field of disaster response, in cooperation with local and international training agencies.

  • 22 - Any other task assigned to it by the Civil Defense Council or the General Committee for Civil Defense Operations.

• The Chairman of the Civil Defense Council may, as he deems necessary, invite non-Council members to attend Council meetings in a non-voting capacity.