Decision No. (563) dated 15/08/1444 AH
The Council of Ministers
After reviewing the transaction received from the Royal Court numbered 70766 dated 12/12/1440 AH, which includes a telegram from His Excellency the Minister of Commerce numbered 93204 dated 27/11/1440 AH, regarding the draft regulations for the suspension of services.
And after reviewing the aforementioned draft regulations.
And after reviewing the Royal Order No. (28563) dated 24/5/1440 AH.
And after reviewing the minutes No. (1133) dated 21/8/1441 AH, and the memoranda numbered (1178) dated 22/12/1441 AH, (413) dated 11/3/1442 AH, (738) dated 12/5/1442 AH, (1112) dated 5/7/1442 AH, (181) dated 21/1/1443 AH, (789) dated 6/4/1443 AH, (1946) dated 25/8/1443 AH, and (2183) dated 17/7/1444 AH, prepared by the Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers.
And after reviewing the recommendation prepared in the Council of Economic and Development Affairs No. (2-43/42/D) dated 6/9/1443 AH.
And after reviewing the telegram from the Secretariat of the Council of Political and Security Affairs No. 12983 dated 28/6/1444 AH.
And after reviewing the recommendation of the General Committee of the Council of Ministers No. (8445) dated 10/8/1444 AH.
The following is decided:
First: Approval of the regulations for the suspension of services, in the accompanying form.
Second: All government entities tasked with implementing the regulations - referred to in item (First) of this decision - or some of them, shall complete their work as stipulated in the regulations, and their completion shall be by the end of the period specified in item (First) of this decision.
Third: All government entities tasked with implementing the regulations - referred to in item (First) of this decision - or some of them, shall process the existing requests for the suspension of services in accordance with these regulations, and their completion shall be by the end of the period specified in item (First) of this decision.
Fourth: The supervisory committee - formed based on paragraph (2) of item (Fifth) of the regulations referred to in item (First) of this decision - shall coordinate with the regulatory and supervisory entities (such as: the Saudi Central Bank, the Capital Market Authority, and the Communications, Space and Technology Authority) whose systems stipulate their powers to suspend some technical services provided to the entities under their supervision, to determine the mechanism for suspending those services, and to establish the necessary regulations to ensure that there is no impact on the activities and core operations of the entities, including human resources, accounts, and banking and financial transactions.
President of the Council of Ministers
Regulations for Service Suspension
First: Definitions
Services: All services provided by government entities, except for services related to healthcare, education, employment, the Commercial Register, and the documentation of civil events and official documents.
Suspension of Services: An action that results in one or more government entities refraining from providing one (or more) of their services to a natural or legal person (individuals - businesses).
The Center: National Information Center.
The Electronic Platform: The unified electronic platform for the suspension of services.
The Committee: The supervisory committee for the electronic platform.
Secondly: General Regulations
1- The suspension of services shall be based on a legal document, a decision from the Council of Ministers, a royal order, a judicial order, or an order from the Public Prosecution.
2- The suspension of services shall be carried out through the electronic platform.
3- It is not permissible to resort to the suspension of services for the purpose of notification to appear before government agencies.
4- Services shall not be suspended at any stage referred to in items (Third) and (Fourth) of these regulations except after the relevant Committee has been notified in advance for a sufficient period determined by it, using one or more of the following means: text messages, email, phone calls, Absher platform (Individuals - Businesses), government accounts, national address.
5- Each government agency shall classify the services it provides that can be suspended for individuals and the business sector separately into (three) categories based on the consequences of the suspension, and the classification shall be approved by the Committee.
6- The government agency shall take into account when classifying the services it provides that can be suspended that the suspension does not cause harm extending to the dependents of the detainee (Individuals - Businesses) or others, or to the companies owned by or in which the detainee is a partner or shareholder, or to the members of the board of directors or the board of managers or partners or the executive director or employees therein, and in the event that harm occurs to any of the aforementioned, it shall be addressed immediately by appropriate means to stop the harm.
Third: Controls for Stopping Services for Individuals
1- The suspension of services for individuals shall be according to the following order:
A- Phase One: Suspension of services (low impact), which includes: new services not linked to an existing service, and additional services whose suspension does not have a significant impact on the individual.
B- Phase Two: Suspension of services (medium impact), which includes: services that limit the benefit from non-impactful services.
C- Phase Three: Suspension of services (high impact), which includes: all services that can be suspended, provided that this does not include the individual's identity.
2- The duration of the suspension of services in the aforementioned phases (one) and (two) shall not exceed (30) days for each phase.
Fourth: Controls for Stopping Services in the Business Sector
1- The suspension of services for the business sector shall be according to the following order:
A- Phase One: Suspension of services (low impact), which includes: new services not linked to an existing license, and additional services whose suspension does not have a significant impact on the business sector.
B- Phase Two: Suspension of services (medium impact), which includes: services that limit the expansion of business activities or the benefit from services that do not affect the nature of the activity.
C- Phase Three: Suspension of services (high impact), which includes: all services that can be suspended.
2- The duration of the suspension of services in phases (one) and (two), as mentioned, shall not exceed (30) days for each phase.
Fifth: The Electronic Platform
1- A unified electronic platform for service suspension shall be established at the center.
2- A supervisory committee shall be formed for the electronic platform, headquartered in Riyadh, chaired by the Ministry of Interior, and consisting of representatives from: the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Commerce, the Ministry of Investment, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development, the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs and Housing, the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources, the Board of Grievances, the Public Prosecution, the Presidency of State Security, the Zakat, Tax, and Customs Authority, the Human Rights Commission, and the Saudi Data and AI Authority. The committee shall have all the powers to manage the electronic platform, including the following:
A- Preparing electronic forms for government agencies to request service suspension, which shall include the service to be suspended, its classification, the reason for the suspension request, and the legal basis for it.
B- Deciding on the requests submitted by government agencies for service suspension.
C- Approving the classification of services that can be suspended - received by the committee from government agencies - into the three stages referred to in items (Third) and (Fourth) of these regulations, according to the consequences of the suspension and its purpose.
د - Ensuring the application of the provisions contained in these regulations.
3- The cancellation of service suspension shall be automatic through the electronic linkage between the electronic platform and the government agency requesting the suspension, within a period not exceeding (24) hours from the approval of the cancellation of service suspension.
4 - Enabling individuals and the business sector to submit a request for an extension of the period granted to them before their services are suspended at each stage referred to in items (Third) and (Fourth) of these regulations, to the government agency requesting the suspension. If the agency approves the request electronically, the extension will be granted, and the concerned party will be notified through one or more of the means mentioned in paragraph (4) of item (Second) of these regulations.
5- The committee shall establish its operational rules.
Sixthly
The regulations for the suspension of services shall be published in the official gazette, and they shall come into effect after (360) days from the date of their publication.