Saudi Shoura Council approves draft law to ‘protect flag, emblem and national anthem’

Misuse of Saudi Arabia’s flag, emblem or national anthem will be targeted under a draft law approved by the Kingdom’s Shoura Council on Monday.

Maj. Gen. Ali M. Al-Asiri, head of the council’s security and military committee, told Arab News that the proposed amendment was designed to unify regulations regarding the use of the Kingdom’s flag, emblem and national anthem.

The committee “set clear determinants for the use of the flag, emblem and national anthem,” he said.

Al-Asiri said that the proposed system emphasizes “protecting the flag, especially from tampering and neglect.”

The proposed law will now go to the Saudi Cabinet for approval.

Several bodies are expected to implement the regulations, with the Ministry of Interior and Bureau of Experts at the forefront.

Saudi Arabia’s flag law dates back to 1973, but there is no law regarding use of the royal emblem or anthem.

“There were only orders, instructions, or directives,” Al-Asiri said.

He said that the amendment will help to “fill the legislative gap for the national anthem in a manner that ensures the creation of a clear legislative reference for conformity, and the specific framework for any future amendments.”

It will also strengthen protection for the Saudi flag, with a clear legal framework for its use.

The draft law amendment was submitted by Shoura Council member Saad Al-Otaibi, who said that it seeks to raise awareness and knowledge of the importance of the state’s flag, emblem and national anthem.

The proposed law also protects the state’s emblem by “accounting and punishing perpetrators of infringement or neglect, and addressing the societal practices of using the state emblem as a trademark or for commercial purposes or for any purpose other than what is stipulated in the draft law amendment.”

Al-Otaibi told Al-Arabiya that the amendment provides specific definitions of the state’s flag, national anthem and emblem.

The proposal also outlines regulations for the private sector in terms of the flag’s use, shape and size.