Members of the patrols and other public authority officials have the right to stop anyone who is in a situation that raises suspicion about them.

When the Emirates suspect that a person has committed a crime, they must apprehend him and immediately refer him to the competent authority for investigation, while preparing a report that includes the details related to the identity of the apprehending officer, the arrested individual, the date and time of the apprehension, and the reasons that led to it.

The competent authority must conduct the investigation immediately upon the arrival of the apprehended individual, and in all cases, the apprehended individual must be interrogated and allowed to present their defense, with this being documented in an official record within a period not exceeding twenty-four hours following their arrest.

If the suspicion against the detainee is eliminated, he must be released immediately by order of the investigator or the duty officer.

If the suspicions against the detainee are confirmed, the investigation authority shall issue a written order to detain him for the purpose of completing the investigations for a period not exceeding three days following his arrest.

If a report or complaint is filed against a person, they may not be arrested and detained unless there is evidence indicating that they have committed a crime that warrants their arrest, and after they have been interrogated and their defense heard, with this being documented in an official record.

In all cases, the investigations must be completed within a period not exceeding three days following the arrest of the detained person.

At the end of the period referred to in the previous article, and if there is no evidence against the detained person that suggests the commission of a specific crime, it must be:

(a) Released by an order from the director of the department in which the investigation was conducted.

(b) The documents - after his release - shall be submitted to the Emir of the region or to those authorized by the Emir of the region from the princes affiliated with his region for approval to dismiss the accusation or to direct as he sees fit.

At the end of the period referred to in the previous article, if there is evidence against the detained person that suggests the commission of a specific crime, it must be: 

First: If the crime is not a major crime:

• (a) Referring the arrested person directly from the investigation authority to the competent judicial authority for trial to decide on the accusation against him.

• (b) Releasing him on personal or financial bail, or both, provided that he has a fixed and known residence in the Kingdom, if it is necessary to continue the investigation after the expiration of the three-day period.

Second: If the crime is a major crime:

• (a) Formulating the accusation against the arrested person and issuing a warrant for his provisional detention and referring him to the general prison.

• (b) Submitting the case to the competent authority upon completion of the investigations.

Major crimes are:

Intentional and semi-intentional death - Disruption of certain physical benefits - Crimes of legal limits - Attacking homes - Theft - Rape - Trespassing - Sodomy - Manufacturing, smuggling, trading in, providing to others, or consuming intoxicants - Smuggling drugs and similar substances, manufacturing, cultivating, possessing, trading in, providing to others, and consuming them without a license - Smuggling weapons, ammunition, and explosives, manufacturing, trading in, using, and possessing them without a license. Brawls involving firearms or bladed weapons - Collective disturbances or those occurring between tribes - Committing arson in residences, commercial establishments, or forests - Intentionally killing another person's animals - Counterfeiting currency and financial papers - Forgery - Bribery - Impersonating public intelligence officers or general investigations officers or those in similar positions - Resisting public authority - Embezzling government funds - Engaging in usury - All crimes for which royal orders or instructions mandate their suspension before taking action on them.