The words and phrases mentioned hereinafter shall have the meanings specified for them unless the context of the text indicates otherwise:

1- The Kingdom: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

2- The Authority: The Saudi Conventions and Exhibitions General Authority.

3- The Organizer: One of the institutions or companies licensed to organize conferences, and scientific, professional, medical, civil, cooperative, and charitable associations, as well as industrial and commercial chambers, and universities in the Kingdom can be accepted as organizers for their conferences that fall within their specializations and activities.

4- The Document: Rules and procedures for holding conferences in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

5- The Competent Authorities: The Board of Directors of the Saudi Conventions and Exhibitions General Authority, the Ministry of Interior, the Emirs of the regions, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Labor and Social Development, the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties, and other relevant authorities as determined by the regulations and directives.

6- The Conference: A scientific meeting discussing a specific topic across several axes, where participating specialists present research and peer-reviewed working papers approved by the scientific committee of the conference. The conference concludes its activities with recommendations, and organizing the conference does not require continuity, or annual recurrence, or a specific time frame during the year. The conference consists of discussion sessions, lectures, or workshops, and materials are presented through visual presentations, speeches, dialogues, or discussions. The conference may include organizing a concurrent exhibition for sponsors, supporters, and collaborators only, and it usually receives media coverage. It is referred to as a "Forum" if the conference is accompanied by a commercial or consumer exhibition.

7- The following main titles fall under the term Conference in this document:

• - Forum: A meeting discussing a general topic across several axes, where participants exchange views through sessions and workshops, and organizing the forum does not require continuity, or annual recurrence, or a specific time frame during the year. The forum may include organizing a concurrent exhibition for sponsors, supporters, and collaborators only, and it may fall within a broader event such as a specific week or a national campaign.

• - Seminar: A meeting of a number of specialists in a specific field, discussing a specific topic, and the seminar may fall within a broader event such as a specific week or a national campaign, and it usually has media coverage.

• - Gathering: An event consisting of a commercial or consumer exhibition, and a conference or forum or seminar.

• - International Conference, Forum, Seminar, or Gathering: The conference, forum, seminar, or gathering is classified as "International" if 15% or more of the attendees are from outside the Kingdom or if the attendees are from 3 or more countries.

1- The conferences organized by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, professional, scientific, medical, charitable, cooperative associations, private sector institutions, and universities in the Kingdom are subject to these rules and procedures.

2- The following are exempt from the rules and procedures:

• - Specialized conferences organized by government agencies (ministries and governmental bodies) with external participation, which are subject to the regulations set forth in Council of Ministers Decision No. (81) dated 22/3/1431 AH.

• - Conferences and events organized by embassies and diplomatic missions accredited in the Kingdom, which are subject to the procedures specified in Royal Order No. (43857) dated 6/10/1432 AH, and Royal Order No. (7436) dated 21/10/1431 AH.

• - Cultural events (religious and advocacy lectures, poetry evenings, plays, etc.), which are subject to the procedures specified in Royal Order No. (5186) dated 15/4/1426 AH, and the circular of the Crown Prince, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Interior No. (164530) dated 18/9/1436 AH.

1- Conferences of all types are prohibited in the Kingdom without a license from the Authority.

2- The public regulations and instructions in force in the Kingdom must be maintained during the execution of the conference.

3- Arabic must be the official language of the conference, and other languages may be used provided that simultaneous translation into Arabic is available.

4- The conference must be named appropriately and in accordance with the Arabic language and public morals, with adherence to all intellectual property rights according to the applicable regulations. A short name for the conference in Arabic and English may be added.

5- The number of attendees at the conference must not be less than (50) persons.

6- The applicant's (organizer's) status for the conference license must be one of the following categories:

• * Companies or institutions licensed to conduct conference organization activities, provided that their license and commercial registration are valid at the time of application and during the conference.

• * Licensed professional, medical, scientific, charitable, or cooperative associations.

• * Chambers of commerce and industry.

• * Public or private universities.

7- Any promotional activities for the conference, including advertising in all its forms, are prohibited before obtaining a conference license from the Authority.

8- The conference license may not be subcontracted or sold to others, but subcontracting with other institutions to provide supply or marketing services for the conference is permitted.

9- The Authority bears no responsibility, whether moral or financial or otherwise, in the event that the organizer fails to apply the rules and procedures governing conferences.

1- The duration of the conference must not be less than four hours and must not exceed seven days.

2- The conference must be held in independent conference halls or within universities, in hotel halls, and in social event venues licensed by the authority.

3- Conference halls or event venues or hotel halls are not permitted to host conferences unless they are licensed by the authority, and a clause must be included in the contracts made between these venues and the conference organizers for renting the space, stipulating the requirement to obtain the official license from the authority.

4- The conference may be held in temporary facilities that comply with civil defense requirements, in cities and governorates where conference halls are not available, after obtaining a license from the authority.

1- A supervisor responsible for the scientific program must be appointed, who has expertise in the subject of the conference.

2- The conference program must be prepared on scientific bases that ensure the achievement of the intended objective.

3- Speakers at the conference must be carefully selected, and their information must be registered with the authority, ensuring the following when selecting speakers:

• * They must not have any security precedents or declared reservations.

• * They must have a good reputation and conduct.

• * They must be specialized or have experience in the field they will be speaking about.

4- During the conference, it is prohibited to insult any of the state symbols or its policies, or to engage in any political, security, tribal, or sectarian matters that provoke tensions and discord in society, or that lead to a breach of public order.

5- All laws regarding rights and intellectual property established in the Kingdom must be adhered to when organizing the conference.

1- Social, cultural, or entertainment events may be held alongside the conference, taking into account the approved regulations for licensing such events according to their type.

2- The conference may be accompanied by an exhibition dedicated solely to sponsors, supporters, and collaborators. If the conference is accompanied by a commercial exhibition or a consumer goods exhibition, the organizer must obtain a separate license to hold the exhibition, which in this case is referred to as a (Forum), in accordance with the rules and procedures for holding commercial exhibitions or consumer goods exhibitions.

3- An opening ceremony and a closing ceremony for the conference may be held.

4- The accompanying events must not exceed the conference intended to be implemented.

5- Tourist programs for visitors may be organized in the area where the conference is held and within the cities of the Kingdom in cooperation with institutions organizing tourist trips and licensed tourist guides from the Ministry of Tourism.

1- Consider applying the regulations of the Ministry of Labor and Social Development and the requirements for the localization of jobs announced by the Ministry or those announced by official entities when organizing the conference.

2- Create a registration platform or electronic system for registering participants in the conference, including the registration of name, organization, position, and contact information, and participation in the conference is prohibited without registration.

3- All sessions and lectures held at the conference must be notarized via video, and a copy of this notarization must be provided to the authority upon request, within a period not exceeding two years from the date of the conference.

4- All employees, speakers, and visitors participating in the conference must wear identification badges indicating their name, position, and the organization they work for.

5- Provide an executive management office for the conference equipped with telephone, fax, and internet services, and appoint a responsible person to be present in this office during the conference working hours.

6- Allocate a first aid room and a first aid officer available throughout the conference working hours if the number of attendees exceeds 200 people.

7- Designate a place for information and answering inquiries from conference visitors.

8- Provide a box for receiving complaints and suggestions from conference visitors.

9- Smoking is strictly prohibited in all conference facilities, and clear signs stating "No Smoking" must be placed, with a designated smoking area in the outdoor courtyard of the conference.

10- Allocate a prayer area for men and women, and suspend conference activities during prayer times.

11- Provide a dedicated website for the conference.

12- The gifts distributed at the conference should, as much as possible, be from Saudi handicraft products.

13- The license number of the authority must be placed on all advertising and marketing materials for the conference.

The organizer is obligated to conclude the conference at the specified time according to the License, and to submit a Report within (15) days from the date of the conference's conclusion to the authority, attaching the detailed program of the conference. The report shall include the following:

1- The actual start and end dates of the conference.

2- The number of speakers at the conference and their names.

3- The number of individuals who worked in organizing the conference.

4- The number of exhibitors participating in the accompanying exhibition of the conference, along with a list of the sponsoring entities of the conference.

5- The total attendance at the conference from within the Kingdom and abroad.

6- Photos of the conference and a media summary about the conference and what was covered by the media.

7- The results and recommendations of the conference.

8- The financial results of the conference in terms of costs and revenues.