Law & Regulation
Minister of Transport Decision No. 32 of 2023 Issuing the Implementing Regulation of Law No. 11 of 2020 Concerning Railways
The Implementing Regulation details the railway licensing and safety-certification system, including requirements for railway operation works, infrastructure and operational safety certificates, applications, supporting evidence, continuing compliance and Ministry supervision. It also replaces the earlier Ministerial Decision No. 12 of 2019 governing railway safety certificates and service licences.
Legal Significance
What This Instrument Does
It operationalises the Railways Law through licence and certificate criteria, application processes, safety-management evidence and regulatory controls. It also replaces the earlier 2019 decision governing railway safety certificates and service licences.
Why It Matters
Railway opening and revenue service depend on regulatory acceptance, not contractual completion alone. The Regulation influences testing programmes, safety cases, organisational readiness, evidence handover and the interface among employer, EPC/system contractors, infrastructure manager and operator.
Key Provisions
- Railway operation works
Activities and controls within the implementing regime.
- Licence categories
Requirements for passenger/goods railway activities and covered services.
- Infrastructure safety certification
Application criteria and evidence demonstrating infrastructure readiness.
- Operational safety certification
Requirements concerning operating systems, competence and safe service.
- Applicant eligibility and organization
Legal, technical and administrative capacity supporting authorization.
- Safety-management system
Policies, risk controls, competence, assurance and monitoring evidence.
- Application documentation
Plans, certificates, technical files and declarations required for review.
- Review and authority decisions
Ministry assessment, requests, conditions and grant/refusal process.
- Validity, renewal and variation
Lifecycle controls after initial authorization.
- Continuing obligations
Compliance, reporting, records and notification of material changes.
- Inspection and corrective measures
Verification and intervention where requirements are not maintained.
- Transition and abrogation
Replacement of Ministerial Decision No. 12 of 2019 and treatment of the prior certificate regime.
When You Would Use This
Regulatory programme planning
Planning a railway regulatory programme.
Safety-certificate applications
Preparing safety-certificate applications.
Readiness-to-operate reviews
Conducting readiness-to-operate reviews.
Testing/commissioning evidence
Assembling testing and commissioning evidence.
Operator mobilisation
Mobilising an operator.
Licence renewals or changes
Managing licence renewals or changes.
Lender completion conditions
Satisfying lender completion conditions.
Acquisition/operator diligence
Conducting acquisition or operator diligence.
Investigation of non-compliance
Investigating non-compliance.
InfraLex Relevance
The Regulation gives practitioners the missing bridge between railway project delivery and permission to operate. InfraLex should show which contractual deliverables feed the regulatory safety case without representing those deliverables or technical standards as legislation.
Legal Framework Position
- Sector RegulationImplementing Instrument
Primary / Parent Instrument
Instrument Overview
- Official Citation
- Minister of Transport Decision No. 32 of 2023
- Instrument Type
- Ministerial Decision / Order
- Source Language
- Arabic
- Enactment Date
- 5 December 2023
- Last Verified
- 4 September 2026