In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Number: 33
Date: 27 Rajab 1377 AH
By the grace of God,
We, Saud bin Abdulaziz Al Saud,
King of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,
In view of the requirements of public interest,
We hereby decree the following:
Article One — Definitions
For the purposes of this Decree:
- a. The term “nautical mile” means 1,852 meters.
- b. The term “bay” means any inlet, cove, gulf, or arm of the sea.
- c. The term “island” means any island, reef, rock, shoal, sandbank, or permanent man‑made structure not submerged at the lowest low tide.
- d. The term “shoal” refers to a shallow‑water area part of which remains uncovered at the lowest low tide.
Article Two — Territorial Sovereignty
The territorial sea of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the airspace above it, and the seabed and subsoil beneath it are subject to the full sovereignty of the Kingdom, in accordance with the rules of international law.
Article Three — Internal Waters
The internal waters of the Kingdom include:
- a. Waters of bays along the Saudi coastline.
- b. Waters above and landward of any shoal not more than 12 nautical miles from the mainland or any Saudi Arabian island.
- c. Waters between the mainland and any Saudi island not more than 12 nautical miles from the mainland.
- d. Waters between Saudi islands not more than 12 nautical miles apart.
Article Four — Territorial Sea
The territorial sea of the Kingdom lies beyond its internal waters and extends 12 nautical miles seaward.
Article Five — Baselines
The baselines from which the territorial sea is measured shall be:
- a. The lowest low‑water mark along the coast when the mainland or island shore is fully exposed to the sea.
- b. For bays opening to the sea, straight lines drawn across the entrance between the two headlands.
- c. For shoals within 12 nautical miles of the mainland or a Saudi island, lines drawn along the outer edge of the shoal.
- d. For ports or harbors facing the open sea, lines drawn along the seaward‑most permanent structures and between their extremities.
- e. For islands within 12 nautical miles of the mainland, lines drawn from the mainland to the outer shores of the island.
- f. For groups of islands connected by lines not exceeding 12 nautical miles, and with the nearest island not more than 12 nautical miles from the mainland, lines drawn from the mainland and along the outer shores of the islands if arranged in a chain, or along the most seaward outer shores if not.
- g. For groups of islands connected by lines not exceeding 12 nautical miles, lines drawn along the outer shores of the islands if arranged in a chain, or along the most seaward outer shores if not.
Article Six — Enclaves of High Seas
If application of this Decree results in an area of high seas completely surrounded by the territorial sea and not exceeding 12 nautical miles in any direction, that area shall be considered part of the territorial sea.
The same applies to any clearly defined indentation of the high seas that can be enclosed by a straight line not exceeding 12 nautical miles.
Article Seven — Overlapping Claims
If the territorial sea measured from the baselines described in Article Five overlaps with that of another State, the boundary shall be determined by agreement with that State in accordance with principles of equity.
Article Eight — Contiguous Zone
For the enforcement of laws relating to security, navigation, fiscal matters, and public health, the Kingdom exercises control over a contiguous zone adjacent to and beyond the territorial sea, extending six additional nautical miles beyond the twelve‑mile territorial sea.
Article Nine — Fishing Rights
Nothing in this Decree affects the Kingdom’s rights regarding fishing.
Article Ten — Repeal
Royal Decree No. 8/5/4/3711, dated 1 Sha‘ban 1368 (28 May 1949), is hereby repealed.
Article Eleven — Implementation
The Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Interior, Finance, and Health shall implement this Decree within their respective jurisdictions.
Article Twelve — Entry into Force
This Decree shall take effect from the date of its publication in the Official Gazette.
Umm al‑Qura