Royal Order No. (A/38) dated 1442/1/29 AH.
By the grace of God Almighty
After reviewing the Basic Law of Governance, issued by Royal Order No. (A/90) dated 1412/8/27 AH.
After reviewing the Law of the Council of Ministers, issued by Royal Order No. (A/13) dated 1414/3/3 AH.
After reviewing Royal Order No. (A/296) dated 26/10/1438 AH.
After reviewing Council of Ministers Decision No. (131) dated 3/3/1439 AH.
After reviewing the relevant laws, statutes, royal orders, royal decrees, and decisions.
We, Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud
King of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Order as follows:
First: Approval of the Regulation of the Royal Commission for AlUla, in the attached form.
Second: The regulation referred to in item (First) of this order shall replace the organizational arrangements of the Royal Commission for AlUla, issued by Council of Ministers Decision No. (131) dated 3/3/1439 AH.
Third: All tasks and competencies related to tourism, culture, arts, antiquities, museums, urban heritage, environment, water, agriculture, wildlife, natural reserves, municipal and rural affairs, and entertainment activities located within the administrative boundaries of AlUla Governorate and other sites within the jurisdiction of the Royal Commission for AlUla shall be transferred from the relevant government agencies to the Commission. Those agencies shall continue to exercise those tasks and competencies - located within those sites - until the Commission assumes them.
Fourth: The phrase “Royal Commission for AlUla” shall replace the relevant government agencies concerned with the activities mentioned in item (Third) of this order, and the “Board of Directors of the Royal Commission for AlUla” shall replace the boards of directors of those agencies, if such boards exist. The “Governor of the Royal Commission for AlUla” shall replace the competent minister or head of those agencies, and the “Representative of the Royal Commission for AlUla” shall replace the representatives of those agencies wherever mentioned in the laws, statutes, royal orders, royal decrees, regulations, and related decisions, insofar as their application concerns the boundaries of AlUla Governorate and the cultural and heritage sites in Khaybar Governorate, Al-Ma’tham Fortress, and other sites that fall or will fall within the jurisdiction of the Royal Commission for AlUla.
Fifth: The Board of Directors of the Royal Commission for AlUla shall annually submit to the Prime Minister a budget commensurate with the need to provide the necessary financial support to enable the Commission to achieve its intended objectives towards developing the governorate in a manner that achieves economic and cultural interests, aligns with its historical value, and the goals upon which the Kingdom’s Vision (2030) is based, highlighting the human heritage bestowed upon it by God.
Sixth: All government agencies exercising any tasks or competencies within the administrative boundaries of AlUla Governorate and the cultural and heritage sites in Khaybar Governorate, Al-Ma’tham Fortress, and other sites added to the jurisdiction of the Royal Commission for AlUla shall coordinate with the Commission to obtain its approval before issuing or granting any licenses or approvals or planning or implementing any projects or activities.
Seventh: The Royal Commission for AlUla shall be exempted for a period of twenty (20) years from the date of this order - insofar as provided in its approved regulations and internal instructions - from the following:
1- Government Tenders and Procurement Law, issued by Royal Decree No. (M/128) dated 13/11/1440 AH.
2- Law of State Leasing of Real Property and Evacuation, issued by Royal Decree No. (M/61) dated 18/9/1427 AH.
3- Law of the Disposition of Municipal Real Estates, issued by Royal Decree No. (M/64) dated 15/11/1392 AH.
4- State Revenues Law, issued by Royal Decree No. (M/68) dated 18/11/1431 AH.
5- Supreme Order No. 46650 dated 14/9/1439 AH, which directs ministries and government agencies to use electronic services on the Etimad platform.
Eighth: Formation of a committee within the Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers, including representatives from the Royal Commission for AlUla and the agencies from which the tasks and competencies referred to in item (Third) of this order will be transferred; the committee shall undertake the following:
1- Reviewing the laws, statutes, royal orders, royal decrees, and decisions affected by the preceding items, and proposing the necessary amendments to complete the procedural formalities related thereto.
2- In cooperation with the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development, taking the necessary measures to arrange the transfer of competencies and the related procedures concerning the transfer of vacant and occupied positions, employees, documents, properties, contracts, financial appropriations, and others, establishing the necessary mechanisms to address the status of the personnel of those agencies, and submitting what is required for procedural action in this regard.
Ninth: This order shall be communicated to the concerned authorities for approval and implementation.
Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud
Statute of the Royal Commission for AlUla
Definitions
Article 1
The following phrases and terms - wherever they appear in this regulation - shall have the meanings specified next to each, unless the context requires otherwise:
1. The Authority: Royal Commission for AlUla.
2. The Regulation: Regulation of the Authority.
3. The Council: Board of Directors of the Authority.
4. The President: President of the Council.
5. The Governor: Governor of the Authority.
6. The Province: AlUla Province, located within the administrative boundaries defined by the laws and regulations.
7. The Specified Fields: All activities related to health, safety, education, technical and vocational training, labor, events, media, sports, equestrianism, real estate, local and foreign investment, trade, industry, intellectual property, infrastructure, quarries, and social fields, as well as other developmental, service, business, and project-related fields, excluding security fields.
8. The Geographical Scope: The province, and the heritage and cultural sites in Khaybar Province and the Al-Mu'azzam Castle, and any other sites outside its boundaries that may be added to the Authority's jurisdiction later. The Authority and its legal center, jurisdictions, and missions.
The Authority, its Legal Status, Competencies, and Responsibilities
Article 2
1. The Authority enjoys legal personality and financial and administrative independence, and is organizationally linked to the President of the Council of Ministers.
2. The Authority possesses the flexibility and powers that enable it to perform its tasks, in accordance with its financial and administrative regulations and the instructions approved by the Council.
3. The main headquarters of the Authority is located in Riyadh, and it may establish branches or offices within the Kingdom and abroad as approved by the Council.
Article 3
1. The Authority is responsible for activities related to tourism, culture, arts, antiquities, museums, architectural heritage, environment, water, agriculture, wildlife, nature reserves, municipal and rural affairs, and entertainment that fall within the geographical scope.
2. The Authority aims to develop the province and enhance the works and services related to the activities that fall within the Authority's jurisdiction and the specified fields, as well as other developmental and service areas located within the geographical scope, in a manner that aligns with the historical value of the province and its archaeological and natural sites, and ensures the provision of the highest level of services to citizens, residents, and visitors.
Article 4
The Authority is the supreme governing body overseeing the works, services, and projects within the geographical scope, with full supervision over them, including all related administrative and operational aspects. To achieve its objectives, it undertakes all necessary actions, and it has, in particular, the following powers:
1. Formulating general policies for the development and enhancement of the geographical scope.
2. Approving the master plan and building code for the geographical scope.
3. Approving plans and programs for the development of the geographical scope.
4. Supervising projects, programs, activities, and events within the geographical scope.
5. Managing and developing activities that fall within the Authority's jurisdiction and those related to the specified fields within the geographical scope. The Authority may manage and develop these activities independently or in collaboration with others.
6. Establishing centers that are organizationally linked to the Authority to undertake some of its competencies and tasks, arranging their financial and administrative status, including granting these centers financial and administrative independence from the Authority, and determining the means and mechanisms for executing their competencies and tasks; provided that the budget of these centers is included in the budget allocated to the Authority.
7. Issuing, withdrawing, and canceling licenses and permits, establishing necessary controls and specific conditions, and suspending their operation either wholly or partially, permanently or temporarily, concerning the activities that fall under the Authority's jurisdiction within the geographical scope; in accordance with the necessary legal procedures.
8. Monitoring entities concerning the activities that fall within the Authority's jurisdiction that these entities conduct within the geographical scope to ensure their compliance with the provisions of the regulations and the decisions issued thereunder, as well as their compliance with the laws and regulations that fall under the Authority's jurisdiction.
9. Preparing, approving, implementing, reviewing, planning, updating, and following up on the development document of the province, which includes the following:
A- The necessary foundational studies for the development of the geographical scope.
B- Plans, programs, initiatives, and any rights related to the development of the geographical scope, which include, but are not limited to, matters related to joint projects, joint investment, and public-private partnership projects.
C- The construction projects necessary for the development of the geographical scope, including infrastructure, urban areas, archaeological and heritage sites, tourism sites, exhibitions, museums, nature reserves, wildlife projects, hotels, resorts, and other tourist accommodation facilities.
10. Encouraging and facilitating investment in the geographical scope by creating opportunities for partnerships or direct investment through partnerships with investors from the public and private sectors, investment funds, and local and international institutions.
11. Establishing non-profit entities and companies within and outside the Kingdom, participating in them independently or with others, and buying and selling shares and interests in companies or joint projects.
12. Providing guarantees related to the obligations and loans of the facilities owned by the Authority and raising them to complete the necessary legal procedures.
13. Granting loans to companies wholly owned by the Authority.
14. Coordinating efforts, cooperating, and exchanging information among ministries and other government entities in the Kingdom to achieve its objectives.
15. Owning and managing real estate.
16. Making donations, gifts, purchasing, selling, benefiting from, mortgaging, leasing, endowing, granting, and renting, regardless of the duration, for real estate and fixed and movable properties and other assets, and transferring and conveying the rights related to them.
17. Seeking assistance from those it deems appropriate from research and planning centers, specialized personnel, consulting firms, experts, and consultants.
18. Cooperating and exchanging experiences with regional and international bodies and organizations, both within and outside the Kingdom.
19. Representing the Kingdom in relevant regional and international bodies and organizations.
20. Concluding agreements and memoranda of understanding related to its activities with relevant entities in countries and international organizations.
21. Organizing local and international events and exhibitions or participating in them concerning the activities that fall within its jurisdiction and those related to the specified fields within the geographical scope, in coordination with the relevant entities.
22. Requesting any information, data, or reports from ministries and other government agencies as required by the nature of the Authority's work, services, and projects; and taking necessary actions regarding them in light of the Authority's objectives and raising what is necessary in this regard.
23. Concluding memoranda of understanding with ministries and government agencies operating within the geographical scope; to coordinate the implementation of works and services and the processes of granting and canceling approvals, licenses, and permits, and imposing fines and violations, and for this purpose, it may propose amendments to the regulations and procedures for those ministries and government agencies concerning their work and services within the geographical scope.
24. Any other tasks necessary to achieve the objectives for which the Authority was established.
Article 5
1. All ministries and other government agencies that carry out activities or provide services related to the areas specified within the geographical scope are required to implement the decisions and instructions issued by the Authority.
2. The Authority may undertake the activities and services referred to in paragraph (1) of this article independently.
Board of Directors of the Authority and Its Competencies
Article 6
The authority shall have a Board of Directors, whose chairman and members are appointed by a decree from the Prime Minister, and the board shall select a secretary from among its members or from others after its appointment.