Saudi copyright law AI exception: copying works to develop AI (2026)

Saudi Arabia has replaced its 2003 Copyright Law with a new law issued by Royal Decree No. M/169. Law firms that have reviewed it report that it was published in the Official Gazette on 13 February 2026 and took effect on 12 August 2026. They report that Article 26 allows works to be copied without the author’s permission or payment to develop AI products and algorithms, as long as the work was lawfully published and the copy was lawfully obtained.

The Implementing Regulations, published in the Umm Al-Qura gazette on 31 July 2026, set the controls in Article 30. Copying must be limited to what the development purpose needs, with no republication, distribution or direct commercial exploitation of the work. Developers must keep records of the works used, their source, the purpose and the date, and give them to the authorities on request. Modifying or republishing a work, or including it in a final product without need, still requires the rights holder’s permission. Law firms note that the new law does not settle who owns AI-generated works.