The following words, wherever they appear, indicate the meanings specified in front of them, unless the context of the text dictates otherwise:
1- License: The official approval that allows the establishment of the press institution.
2- Full-time: Not engaging in any governmental or non-governmental paid work outside the institution.
3- Institution or institutions: The press institution or institutions.
4- Member of the institution: The person who owns a part of the capital of the institution.
5- Newspaper: The newspaper or magazine.
6- Publications: The newspapers and other publications of the press institution.
7- Authority: The General Commission for Audiovisual Media.
8- Council: The Board of Directors of the Authority.

• A. This Law stems from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Media Policy and achieves its objectives.

• B. An establishment is a private entity that aims to publish periodicals to serve society by disseminating culture and knowledge while maintaining truth and objectivity in all its publications. It may make reasonable profits in a manner which is not inconsistent with its purposes in accordance with the provisions of this Law.

• C. An establishment shall be formed pursuant to the provisions of this Law and shall have a distinctive name.

 A- The Council issues the license to establish the institution after obtaining the approval of the President of the Council of Ministers, based on a request submitted by no less than thirty Saudi individuals, which includes the objectives of the institution, the names of the founders, their qualifications, professions, ages, the name of the institution, the publications it will issue, the language or languages in which it will be published, its capital, its main headquarters, and any other information specified by the authority.
B- The Council may, by decision, grant permission to the institution to issue additional periodic publications.

The main center of the institution shall be in the city specified by the license. Some of its publications may be issued outside the main center with the approval of the authority.

• A. The capital of an establishment shall be an amount sufficient to achieve its objectives.

• B. An establishment shall have a legal personality and financial independence, and the financial liability of the members of the establishment shall be limited to their respective shares in its capital.

• C. An establishment shall publish its final accounts and annual budget, certified by a licensed certified public accountant.

• D. A sufficient percentage of realized annual profits shall be allocated for training purposes and for the procurement of the modern technological means necessary for developing journalistic work.

• E. At least 10 percent of the annual profit shall be set aside as statutory reserve. The general assembly may suspend such allocation when the statutory reserve reaches half of the capital.

• A member of an establishment shall:

  • a) be a Saudi national;

  • b) not be a member of another press establishment; and

  • c) have a university degree or be a man of learning, intellect, and the media or a businessman interested in culture. Legal persons of an intellectual, cultural, and scientific nature may become members of establishments.

• A. Members of an establishment shall enjoy equal voting and candidacy rights on the board of directors.

• B. New members may join an establishment by the increase of its capital, by a member’s sale or assignment of his shares or part thereof, or by inheritance.

• C. In case of inheritance, the heirs shall nominate one of them. If an heir does not meet the requirements of membership, the shares may be sold to a member of the establishment, or more, or to persons from outside the establishment.