العربية

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Freedom of Information:

Freedom of information refers to the right to access public, non-protected in​​formation produced by the Saudi Industrial Development Fund (SIDF), regardless of its source, form, or nature. This includes paper records, emails, information stored on computers, audio or video tapes, maps, photographs, manuscripts, handwritten documents, or any other form of recorded information.

​​Who can request information:​

  • Individuals have the right to know information related to the activities of public authorities to enhance integrity, transparency, and accountability.
  • Any restrictions on requesting access to or obtaining protected information received, produced, or handled by public authorities must be clearly and explicitly justified.
  • Every individual has the right to access public, non-protected information without needing to have a specific status or interest in the information to obtain it, and they are not subject to any legal accountability related to this right.
  • All requests for access to or obtaining general information are handled on the basis of equality and non-discrimination among individuals.​

Individuals' rights regarding access to or obtaining general information:

  • The right to access and obtain any non-protected information held by SIDF.
  • The right to know the reason for the refusal to access or obtain the requested information.
  • The right to appeal the decision to refuse the request to access or obtain the requested information.​​



This policy does not apply to protected information such as:

  • Information whose disclosure would harm the national security of the state, its policies, interests, or rights.
  • Military and security information.
  • Information and documents obtained under an agreement with another country and classified as protected.
  • Investigations, inspections, and monitoring activities related to a crime, violation, or threat.
  • Information containing recommendations, suggestions, or consultations for issuing legislation or a government decision that has not yet been issued.
  • Commercial, industrial, financial, or economic information whose disclosure would result in unlawful profit or loss avoidance.
  • Scientific or technical research, or rights involving intellectual property rights whose disclosure would harm a moral right.
  • Information related to competitions, tenders, and auctions whose disclosure would disrupt fair competition.
  • Information that is confidential or personal under another system, or requires specific legal procedures to access or obtain.​

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SIDF's obligations:

The office must notify the individual in an appropriate manner if the request is wholly or partially rejected, explaining the reasons for the rejection and the right to appeal and how to exercise this right within a period not exceeding 15 days from the decision.​


Main requirements for requests to access or obtain general information:

  1. The request must be in writing or electronically.​
  2. The "Information Request Form​" approved by SIDF must be filled out.
  3. The request must be for the purpose of accessing or obtaining general information.
  4. The request form must be sent directly to SIDF.​​

Main steps for requesting access to or obtaining general information:

  • Requests are submitted by filling out the "General Information Request Form​" – either electronically or on paper – and submitting it to SIDF.
  • SIDF, within a specified period (30 days) from receiving the request to access or obtain general information, will take one of the following decisions:​​

  1. Approval: If the public authority approves the request to access or obtain the information, either fully or partially, the individual must be notified in writing or electronically of the applicable fees. SIDF must make this information available to the individual within a period not exceeding 10 working days from the receipt of the payment.
  2. Rejection: If the request to access or obtain the information is rejected, the rejection must be in writing or electronically and must include the following information:

    - Whether the request was rejected fully or partially.

    - Reasons for the rejection, if possible.​​​

    -  The right to appeal the rejection and how to exercise this right.​

  • Extension: If it is not possible to process the request to access the information within the specified time, SIDF will extend the period for a reasonable time based on the volume and nature of the requested information and provide the individual with the following information:

    - Notification of the extension and the expected date of completion of the request.

    - Reasons for the delay.​

  • Notification: If the requested information is available on SIDF's website, or is not within its jurisdiction, the individual must be notified of this in writing or electronically, including the following information:

    The type of notification, for example, the requested data is available on SIDF's website, or it is not within its jurisdiction.
    If the individual wishes to appeal the rejection of the request by SIDF, they can submit a written or electronic notice of appeal to the Data Management Office within a period not exceeding 10 working days from the receipt of the rejection decision. The appeal committee at the Data Management Office will review the request, make the appropriate decision, and notify the individual of the review fees – which will be refunded if the committee approves the request – and the appeal decision.​

Contact the Data Management Office team: 
​dmo@si​​​df.gov.sa

Related legislation: National Data Governance Policies announced by the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA)​​

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