The term "documents" refers to the information containers produced by the governmental body, or received to achieve a specific purpose, and which are still needed for official work.

The term "archives" refers to the information containers produced by the government agency or received to achieve a specific purpose, whose practical value has ended, and which has been established to have cultural value that necessitates its permanent preservation.

Documents are classified in terms of retention periods into two types:
1- Permanent retention documents that may not be destroyed, which are those that are indispensable for work needs or scientific research needs.
2- Temporary retention documents that may be destroyed, which are those that lose their value over time until they become worthless.

• The following documents shall be permanently preserved:

• A - Documents that prove the private properties of the state.

• B - Documents that prove the properties of natural or legal persons.

• C - Documents that safeguard the natural and legal rights of the state towards other states and individuals.

• D - Documents that prove the rights of individuals against the state and others.

• E - Documents that chronicle the existence of government agencies and monitor their functional and administrative development, such as:

  • 1 - Their systems and internal regulations.

  • 2 - Their organizational decisions.

  • 3 - Their policies, plans, and programs.

  • 4 - Their budgets and final accounts.

  • 5 - Their administrative procedures.

  • 6 - Their administrative organizations and educational guides.

  • 7 - Important reports.

  • 8 - Statistics.

  • 9 - Their architectural plans, engineering designs, and specifications.

• F - Plans and specifications for public facilities.

• G - Judicial rulings.

• H - Jurisprudential fatwas, including decisions from religious scholarly bodies and decisions from jurisprudential councils.

• I - Other documents that prove the history of the Kingdom and its political, social, economic, educational, scientific, and administrative development.

All documents of government agencies dated before 1/1/1373 AH shall be delivered to the National Center for Documents and Archives, after the expiration of their practical value, in accordance with the Transfer Regulation, considering them as historical documents.

Active documents are preserved in an active preservation unit, while inactive documents are stored in a temporary preservation unit within the government agency.

Each government agency maintains a specific series for each type of documents issued by it, and this series consists of images of the assets signed in accordance with what is determined by the center.

If the use of any type of document is canceled, this cancellation does not result in the destruction of what exists in storage; rather, it is obligated to adhere to the duration specified in the retention schedules.