Okaz/ Saudi Gazette JEDDAH — Exapts can no longer organize consumer goods exhibitions, according to new regulations of the Saudi Exhibition and Convention Bureau (SCEB), which is now the agency responsible for granting approval for exhibitions. Earlier, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry was tasked with this responsibility. Consumer goods exhibitions can now only be organized by licensed commercial firms. The organizing team must only be Saudis. Non-Saudi representatives are allowed to work in pavilions as long as they represent their Saudi sponsors. The SCEB supervisory committee, headed by President of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA) Prince Sultan Bin Salman, approved the regulations on the organization of consumer goods exhibitions, Al-Eqtisadiyah Arabic daily reported on Saturday. Exhibition organizers must apply for a license from the bureau. The application and its fee should be sent at least 90 days before the date of the event. In case of any changes in the exhibition's date, hours or location, the bureau must be notified at least a month before the original date and the reasons for the changes must be given. The organizers must then wait for the bureau's approval of the changes. If organizers wish to charge entry fees to exhibitions, they are allowed to do so as long as they receive a written letter of approval from the bureau. The bureau must also approve any advertisements and promotions of the exhibitions before publishing. All organizers and representatives must wear a badge with their name, role in the exhibitions, and the organization's name mentioned clearly. All organizers and representatives must abide by the Islamic dress code. All exhibitions must be held in exhibition halls, shopping centers, halls of starred hotels and other halls which are licensed for holding conventions and exhibitions. The bureau will allow organizers to hold exhibitions in other places as long as the organizers adhere to all the regulations and apply the Civil Defense safety and security regulations. If the organizer fails to meet any of the bureau's regulations, the bureau will not be held responsible for any violations. The bureau will penalize the violators. The first violation is met with a written notice. If the organizer repeats the violation, the exhibition will be canceled and the organizer banned from holding exhibitions for three months. If the violation is repeated for the third time, the organizer will be banned from holding exhibition for six months. If the violation is repeated again, the bureau will discard the organizer's events file, have him sign a warning notice. The organizer can apply to open another file only after a year.
