حرية المعلومات
هي المعلومات العامة غير المحمية أو السرية التي تقوم المنصة بمعالجتها مهما كان مصدرها أو شكلها أو طبيعتها، وتندرج البيانات المفتوحة تحت المعلومات العامة. ويطلق على عملية توفير البيانات العامة للأفراد بمقابل مادي "حرية المعلومات" أو كما تُعرف بـ"سياسة حق الحصول على المعلومة".
Legislation on the Right to Access Information
National data governance policies establish the legal rules for the right of individuals to access public information and the obligations of government entities for all requests received from any individual to access or obtain unprotected public information produced or held by government entities, regardless of its source, form, or nature.
This includes paper records, emails, information stored on computers, audio or video recordings, microfilm, maps, photographs, handwritten notes, or any other form of recorded information. It also defines the roles and responsibilities of the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) and its affiliated entities, in addition to the obligations of the National Data Management Office and the National Information Center.
Who Can Request Information?
Every individual has the right to submit a request and know information related to the platform's activities, and also has the right to access unprotected public information in exchange for a fee. The applicant does not necessarily need to have a specific status or interest in this information to be able to obtain it, and is not subject to any legal liability related to this right. This comes to promote a system of integrity, transparency, and accountability.
Individual Rights to Access Information
Submitting a request to access or view any unprotected information held by public entities.
Knowing the reason for rejection of a request to access or view the requested information.
Filing a complaint against a decision to reject a request to access or view the requested information.
Treating all requests to access or obtain public information on the basis of equality and non-discrimination among individuals.
Any restrictions on requests to access or obtain protected information received, produced, or handled by the platform are justified in a clear and explicit manner.
What Information Can Be Requested and What Information is Excluded?
The policy applies to all requests for access to "unprotected information and open data" regardless of its source, form, or nature for the purpose of improving work performance and efficiency and benefiting from data. However, the excluded information to which the provisions of this policy do not apply is "protected information" such as:
Information whose disclosure would harm the national security, policy, interests, or rights of the state.
Information that includes recommendations, suggestions, or consultations for issuing legislation or a government decision that has not yet been issued.
Information of a commercial, industrial, financial, or economic nature whose disclosure would result in unlawful profit or loss.
Scientific or technical research or rights that include intellectual property rights whose disclosure would harm moral rights.
Information related to competitions, bids, and auctions whose disclosure would undermine the fairness of competition.
Information that is confidential or personal under another regulation, or requires specific regulatory procedures to access or obtain.
Military and security information.
Information and documents obtained pursuant to an agreement with another country and classified as protected.
Investigations, inquiries, enforcement actions, inspection operations, and monitoring related to a crime, violation, or threat.
Steps and Procedures for Requesting Information Access
You can submit a request from here.
The platform, within a specified time period of 30 days from receipt of a request to access or obtain public information, must take one of the following decisions:
Approval: If a request to access or obtain information is approved in whole or in part, the individual must be notified digitally of the applicable fees, and the platform must make this information available to the individual within a period not exceeding 10 business days. Rejection: If a request to access or obtain information is rejected, the rejection must be digital and must include the following information:
Determining whether the request rejection is total or partial.
Reasons for rejection, if possible.
The right to file a complaint against this rejection and how to exercise this right.
Extension: If it is not possible to process a request to access information within the specified time, the platform extends the period in which it will respond by a reasonable period depending on the volume and nature of the requested information and provides the individual with the following information:
Notice of extension and the expected date for completing the request.
Reasons for the delay.
Notice: If the requested information is available on the platform's website or is not within its jurisdiction, the individual must be notified of this in writing or digitally, and the notice must include a detailed description of its type.
Contact Us
If you have any questions regarding the information freedom policy, or if you need assistance or wish to file a complaint, please contact us via:
Phone: 199040
Fax: 00966-11-456-3196
Email: infocs@momah.gov.sa
Survey: Contact Form
Working Hours: Available throughout the day every day
Expected Response Time: 24 hours
For Inquiries: Call 199040
Contact Us
If you have any questions regarding the information freedom policy, or if you need assistance or wish to file a complaint, please contact us via:
Phone: 199040
Fax: 00966-11-456-3196
Email: infocs@momah.gov.sa
Survey: Contact Form
Working Hours: Available throughout the day every day
Expected Response Time: 24 hours
For Inquiries: Call 199040
Obligations of Public Entities
The public entity must be responsible for preparing and implementing policies and procedures related to the exercise of the right to access or obtain public information, with the top official of the entity being responsible for approving and endorsing them.
Establishing an administrative unit that is linked to data management offices in government entities (which were established pursuant to Royal Order No. 59766 dated 20/11/1439 AH) and assigning it the responsibility of developing, documenting, and monitoring the implementation of policies and procedures approved by the entity's senior management related to the right to access information. The unit's tasks and responsibilities must include establishing appropriate standards for determining data classification levels if they do not exist, in accordance with the data classification policy, and also using them as a primary reference when processing requests to access or obtain public information.
Identifying and providing possible means (public information request forms), whether paper or digital, through which an individual can request to access or obtain public information.
Verifying the identity of individuals before granting them the right to access or obtain public information in accordance with controls approved by the National Cybersecurity Authority and relevant entities.
Establishing the necessary standards for determining fees incurred in processing requests to access or obtain public information based on the nature and volume of data, effort expended, and time spent in accordance with the data revenue achievement policy document.
Documenting all records of requests to access or obtain information and decisions made regarding these requests, with these records being reviewed to address cases of misuse or non-compliance.
Preparing and documenting policies and procedures for retaining and disposing of request records in accordance with applicable regulations and legislation related to the entity's operations and activities.
Preparing and documenting the procedures necessary for managing, processing, and documenting extension requests and rejected requests, and defining tasks and responsibilities related to the competent work team and cases in which the regulatory authority and office are notified according to the administrative hierarchy in accordance with the specified time period for processing requests.
Notifying the individual in an appropriate manner if the request is rejected in whole or in part, with clarification of the reasons for rejection and the right to file a complaint and how to exercise this right within a period not exceeding 15 days from the date of the decision.
Preparing awareness programs to promote a culture of transparency and raise awareness levels in accordance with information freedom policies and procedures approved by the entity's senior management.
Periodically monitoring compliance with information freedom policies and procedures, with these being presented to the top official of the entity or their delegate, and identifying and documenting corrective measures to be taken in case of non-compliance and notifying the regulatory authority and office according to the administrative hierarchy.
General Provisions
The unified national platform is responsible for aligning this policy with its organizational documents (policies and procedures) and disseminating it to all entities under or linked to it to achieve integration and ensure the achievement of the intended objective of its preparation.
The unified national platform must balance the right to access or view information with other necessary requirements such as achieving national security and protecting the privacy of personal data.
The unified national platform must comply with this policy and document compliance periodically in accordance with mechanisms and procedures determined by these entities after coordination.
Regulatory entities, after coordination with the office, prepare mechanisms, procedures, and controls related to complaint processing in accordance with a specified time frame and according to the organizational hierarchy.
The unified national platform must notify the office if a request to access or view public information is rejected or if the specified period for providing this information is extended, and it is within the scope.
When the unified national platform contracts with other entities (such as companies providing public services), it must periodically verify the compliance of other entities with this policy in accordance with mechanisms and procedures determined by the entity, and this must include any subsequent contracts entered into by other entities.
The unified national platform has the right to establish additional rules for processing requests related to specific types of public information in accordance with their nature and sensitivity after coordination with the office.
The unified national platform must prepare forms for accessing or viewing public information (whether paper or digital) specifying the necessary information and possible means for submitting the requested information.
