AutoSmart GuidebooksWhat this guidebook covers
Few retail sites hold as much fire load as a car dealership: fuelled vehicles, a paint shop, tyres, batteries and welding, with customers walking through. Civil Defense checks the site before it renews the Salamah certificate, and without a valid certificate the Balady municipal licence can't be renewed.
The guidebook sets out 9 Civil Defense standards and 19 checkpoints, from the certificate and fire alarms to sprinklers, exits, flammable liquids and the safety officer, with what good looks like, real enforcement cases and an ideal fix time for each.
The 9 Civil Defense standards
Open a standard to see the law behind it, what is checked, what it can cost and the evidence. Ideal fix times are counted from audit submission.
SAF-001Valid Civil Defense Salamah certificate72 hours
- The law
- Civil Defense Law (Royal Decree M/10 of 10/5/1406H) · General Directorate of Civil Defense (Ministry of Interior) · Salamah safety certificate required for commercial and industrial facilities · Penalty: Art. 30
- What we check
- The branch holds a valid, unexpired Salamah safety certificate, and the activities and premises it lists match what the site actually does today.
- What it can cost
- An expired or mismatched certificate can block the municipal licence. Operating without one risks SAR 30,000 and up to 6 months in prison.
- Evidence
- Photo of certificate + activity comparison
SAF-002Fire alarm system operationalImmediate
- The law
- Civil Defense Law (Royal Decree M/10 of 10/5/1406H) · General Directorate of Civil Defense (Ministry of Interior) · Saudi Fire Code SBC 801 (fire detection and alarm systems; inspection, testing and maintenance) · Penalty: Art. 30
- What we check
- The fire alarm panel shows normal status with no faults or disabled zones, and every detector and manual call point is in place, uncovered and reachable.
- What it can cost
- If a fire breaks out in a disabled zone, the law allows up to 6 months in prison, and without Salamah the whole site can lose its licence.
- Evidence
- Photo of panel status + call points + latest maintenance report
SAF-003Fire protection maintenance contract and records7 days
- The law
- Civil Defense Law (Royal Decree M/10 of 10/5/1406H) · General Directorate of Civil Defense (Ministry of Interior) · SBC 801 (inspection, testing and maintenance of fire protection systems) · Salamah renewal requirements · Penalty: Art. 30
- What we check
- Fire protection systems are maintained under a valid contract with a Civil Defense-accredited safety contractor, and inspection, testing and maintenance records are current.
- What it can cost
- An extinguisher that fails in a real fire turns a SAR 30,000 violation into a disaster, and a lapsed contract can stop your Salamah renewal.
- Evidence
- Contract copy + contractor accreditation + reports
SAF-004Sprinkler system conditionImmediate
- The law
- Civil Defense Law (Royal Decree M/10 of 10/5/1406H) · General Directorate of Civil Defense (Ministry of Interior) · SBC 801 (automatic sprinkler systems – maintenance) · Penalty: Art. 30
- What we check
- Sprinkler control valves are open and secured, and sprinkler heads are free of stacked goods, paint and covers.
- What it can cost
- A closed sprinkler valve in a tyre store is how a small fire becomes a total loss. The law allows SAR 30,000 and 6 months in prison; the draft raises it to SAR 500,000.
- Evidence
- Photos of valves + storage clearance
SAF-005Emergency lighting and illuminated exit signs24 hours
- The law
- Civil Defense Law (Royal Decree M/10 of 10/5/1406H) · General Directorate of Civil Defense (Ministry of Interior) · SBC 801 (means of egress illumination and exit signs) · Penalty: Art. 30
- What we check
- Emergency lights come on when power fails, and illuminated exit and direction signs are lit and visible along every escape route.
- What it can cost
- If people can't find the exit in a fire, the fine is the least of it. The law allows up to 6 months in prison for safety violations.
- Evidence
- Test record + photos of signs
SAF-006Evacuation plan and fire drills30 days
- The law
- Civil Defense Law (Royal Decree M/10 of 10/5/1406H) · General Directorate of Civil Defense (Ministry of Interior) · SBC 801 Ch. 4 (emergency planning and preparedness, evacuation drills) · Penalty: Art. 30
- What we check
- An approved evacuation plan is displayed at key points, drills are held and recorded at the required frequency, and staff know their fire-emergency roles.
- What it can cost
- If a fire injures staff or customers and no drill was ever held, the site manager faces questions that can end in prison.
- Evidence
- Photos of plans + drill log + staff answers
SAF-007Flammable liquids storageImmediate
- The law
- Civil Defense Law (Royal Decree M/10 of 10/5/1406H) · General Directorate of Civil Defense (Ministry of Interior) · SBC 801 (flammable and combustible liquids) · Penalty: Art. 30
- What we check
- Fuel, paints, thinners, solvents and alcohol are kept in approved safety cabinets or a designated store, away from ignition sources and electrical panels.
- What it can cost
- A thinner fire next to a panel spreads in seconds, through a building full of cars. The law allows SAR 30,000 and 6 months in prison; the loss is far bigger.
- Evidence
- Photos of cabinets + clear zones around panels
SAF-008LPG cylinder installation safetyImmediate
- The law
- Civil Defense Law (Royal Decree M/10 of 10/5/1406H) · General Directorate of Civil Defense (Ministry of Interior) · SBC 801 (LP-gas) · Penalty: Art. 30
- What we check
- LPG cylinders are in a ventilated, secured area outside occupied spaces, and hoses, regulators and connections are in good condition with no leaks.
- What it can cost
- A gas explosion in a workshop is the kind of event the draft law's closure and 1-year prison provisions are written for. Today: SAR 30,000 and 6 months.
- Evidence
- Photos of cylinder area + hose condition
SAF-009Designated safety officer7 days
- The law
- Civil Defense Law (Royal Decree M/10 of 10/5/1406H) · General Directorate of Civil Defense (Ministry of Interior) · Civil Defense safety requirements for facilities · Penalty: Art. 30
- What we check
- A safety officer or responsible person is formally designated for fire safety at the site, and their name and contact details are available on site.
- What it can cost
- When a fire investigation asks who was responsible and the answer is nobody, the site manager is responsible, with prison on the table.
- Evidence
- Appointment letter + photo of notice
How to run a Civil Defense fire safety audit in Saudi Arabia, step by step
- Confirm what applies. List every building on the site (showroom, workshop, paint shop, parts store) and check the Salamah certificate covers each one.
- Walk the site, standard by standard. Score each of the 19 checkpoints Pass, Fail or N/A. N/A only where the standard rules it out, with the reason recorded. Test the alarm panel, open the sprinkler valves' records and walk every escape route.
- Capture the evidence. A pass counts only with proof captured at the time of the audit: the certificate, maintenance contract and service records, drill logs and photos of exits, valves and storage.
- Give every fail an owner and a fix time. Record what you saw and who owns the fix. Each standard carries an ideal fix time, from immediate to 30 days, counted from audit submission (see the table above).
- Fix it, then prove it. The site fixes the cause and uploads proof of closure; the auditor checks the proof before closing the finding.
- Re-check at the next audit. Confirm closed findings stay closed, and look for the same fail at your other sites so one gap doesn't repeat across the network.
Who this guidebook is for
- Dealer principals
- Facility managers
- HSE officers
- Auditors
A reference document, not legal advice. Fines and rules change: check the current text with the regulator or your legal adviser before acting.
