Owners in Saudi Arabia often speak of Civil Defense certificates as one document. In practice they come from different issuers: some come from Civil Defense itself, some from companies and offices approved on the Salamah platform, some from the municipality through Balady, and some relate to the product rather than the facility.
This article skips the licensing steps covered in our step-by-step Civil Defense approval guide and explains what each document proves, who issues it and when you need it, based on official sources. For an existing file, AZEIDK’s Civil Defense approval support starts by listing what you have and what is missing.
Key takeaways
- The Civil Defense licence covers the facility and its activity. It is issued, renewed and amended on the Salamah platform.
- The safety equipment invoice, installation certificate, technical report and maintenance contract are supporting documents from companies or offices approved on the platform. None of them is a licence.
- The design approval certificate, building permit and occupancy certificate are issued by the municipality through Balady and cover the building.
- A SABER certificate of conformity covers the supplied product and does not replace any facility document.
- Test, commissioning and maintenance records are not official certificates, but the other documents rest on them.
In this article
- A map of Civil Defense certificates and related documents
- The Civil Defense licence: the document that covers the activity
- Documents issued by approved parties on Salamah
- Municipal documents: design approval, occupancy and compliance
- Product certificates are not facility certificates
- Test, commissioning and maintenance records
- Third-party liability insurance: a new document for some activities
- Which document do you need? By situation
- Common mistakes with Civil Defense certificates
- Frequently asked questions
- Summary
A map of Civil Defense certificates and related documents
Ask three questions about any document: who issued it, what does it prove, and does it cover the building, the activity or the product? The table summarises what we could verify.
| Document | Issued by | What it proves | Relates to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Civil Defense licence (safety permit) | General Directorate of Civil Defense, via Salamah | Safety requirements are met for a specific activity | Facility and activity |
| Safety equipment invoice | Safety company approved on the platform | The required safety equipment was supplied | Facility |
| Safety equipment installation certificate | Safety company approved on the platform | The safety equipment was installed on site | Facility |
| Technical report | Engineering or technical services office approved on the platform | A technical assessment of the site for the activity type | Facility |
| Maintenance contract | Safety company approved on the platform | A maintenance commitment is in place | Facility |
| Design approval certificate | Municipality, via Balady | Designs were checked against the Saudi Building Code and approved | Building |
| Occupancy certificate | Municipality, via Balady | The completed building may be occupied | Building |
| Certificate of conformity | A conformity assessment body accepted by SASO, via SABER | The product meets its technical regulation | Product |
The Civil Defense licence: the document that covers the activity
Civil Defense issues the licence to a facility, and issuing, renewing, amending, cancelling and transferring it are handled on Salamah. Because it is tied to the activity, the requirements can change when the activity changes.
Balady uses different wording for the same thing. The Ministry of Municipalities and Housing describes its commercial licence service as granting the commercial activity licence together with a “safety permit issued by the General Directorate of Civil Defense” for approved activities. The commercial licence comes from the municipality and the safety permit from Civil Defense, even when one online journey delivers both.
For the licence’s validity period and when renewal opens, the reference is what the Salamah platform itself shows when you apply, not what circulates on unofficial websites.
Documents issued by approved parties on Salamah
Most of the confusion lies here. These documents come from approved private parties and feed into the licence application, but none of them is a licence.
Safety equipment invoice
The commercial licence service lists a “safety equipment invoice or safety report issued by Civil Defense” among the attachments for instantly licensed activities. The platform overview published by Elm, the company that developed Salamah (not a government document), says that low- and medium-risk activities (direct activities) need either a safety equipment invoice or a technical report, depending on the activity, and that invoices are issued by safety companies qualified and approved on the platform.
Safety equipment installation certificate
According to the same overview, approved safety companies issue the installation certificate. They start work once the investor gives them the verification code received by text message after initial approval. The invoice covers supply; the certificate covers installation.
Technical report
According to Elm’s overview, technical reports are issued on the platform by approved engineering and technical services offices, and stand in for the invoice for some direct activities, as the platform determines. Do not confuse this with the technical report in Article 7 of the Implementing Regulations of the Saudi Building Code Law, which applies to existing buildings: a report from an approved engineering office setting out the engineering solutions available to apply the code as far as feasible.
Maintenance contract
Elm’s overview says high-risk activities (indirect activities) need a contract with a safety company and maintenance contracts, after which Civil Defense inspects before issuing the licence. For a periodic maintenance programme for fire and alarm systems, AZEIDK’s preventive and periodic maintenance service covers visit scheduling, functional testing and observation reports.
The platform lists approved companies and offices; check the issuer is on it before signing anything.
Municipal documents: design approval, occupancy and compliance
These cover the building, are issued through Balady, and are often mistaken for Civil Defense certificates because they include fire protection requirements.
- Design approval certificate: in the building permit service, the design engineering office uploads the designs, the request is assigned to a technical inspection company that checks them against the Saudi Building Code, and the municipality then reviews it and issues the design approval certificate. Article 13 of the Implementing Regulations states that no permit for construction, modification or change of use is issued until the documents and drawings have been checked against the code and approved.
- Building permit: once issued, permit data is shared with bodies including Civil Defense; the service page describes no separate Civil Defense approval step.
- Occupancy certificate: Article 16 prohibits occupying a building before the municipality issues an occupancy certificate. It is issued through Balady on the basis of an engineering office report, and contracting an engineering office is required for non-residential buildings.
- Temporary occupancy certificate: Article 19 allows a renewable temporary certificate of up to 180 days for cases such as temporary and seasonal buildings, events and worker housing on large projects, where occupancy can be safe.
- Compliance certificate: the occupancy certificate service page says it is issued proactively after the occupancy certificate, without further detail.
In short: the occupancy certificate covers the building; the Civil Defense licence covers this facility and its activity. An operating facility usually needs both.
Product certificates are not facility certificates
A certificate of conformity issued through SABER covers the product. SASO’s Technical Regulation for Fire Control Materials and Equipment covers extinguishing equipment, fire pumps, extinguishing agents and their parts, and bars them from the market without a certificate of conformity. It excludes fire alarm and firefighting systems, which fall under the Saudi Fire Protection Code. Likewise, a UL listing or FM or LPCB approval covers a specific model, not the facility. We cover these differences in Fire Equipment Technical Documents.
Test, commissioning and maintenance records
Sprinkler, fire pump and alarm test records, commissioning reports and visit logs have no single official name in the sources we reviewed, and none is a licence. Yet they are the evidence behind the office’s report, the company’s certificate and the inspector’s visit. Tests normally follow the designer’s reference standards, such as NFPA 72 for alarm systems, plus the manufacturer’s instructions. AZEIDK’s testing, commissioning and handover service covers functional tests, recording results and observations, and preparing handover reports.
Third-party liability insurance: a new document for some activities
On 16 August 2026 the Insurance Authority, together with the General Directorate of Civil Defense, announced that a cooperative third-party liability policy for crowded places and high-risk activities will be a basic requirement for the Civil Defense licence for activities that must be insured. It is compulsory under Cabinet Decision No. 103 and is being applied in phases. An insurer, not Civil Defense, issues it. Background is in our Salamah platform article.
Which document do you need? By situation
Your activity’s actual path is set by Salamah and can be checked in advance with the investor journey service.
| Situation | Related documents |
|---|---|
| New building at design stage | Design approval certificate, then building permit, via Balady |
| Completed building before occupancy | Occupancy certificate, then compliance certificate, with the test and handover file |
| Low- or medium-risk activity | Safety equipment invoice or technical report depending on the activity, then the Civil Defense licence |
| High-risk activity | Contract with a safety company and maintenance contracts, then inspection and licence, plus the insurance policy where required |
| Modification or change of use in an existing building | Drawing approval under Article 13 and a technical report from an approved office under Article 7 |
| Supplying extinguishing equipment or fire pumps | SABER certificate of conformity for products within the regulation |
Common mistakes with Civil Defense certificates
- Treating the occupancy certificate as a substitute for the Civil Defense licence, or the other way round.
- Contracting a company or office before checking that it appears on Salamah’s approved list.
- Submitting a safety equipment invoice that does not match what is actually installed, even though inspection can follow issue.
- Assuming a product’s UL or FM certification replaces the SABER certificate of conformity, or any facility document.
- Signing a maintenance contract with no documented visits behind it.
- Changing activity or floor area without updating documents.
Frequently asked questions
Is the safety equipment installation certificate the same as the Civil Defense licence?
No. Per the Salamah overview, an approved safety company issues the certificate for use in the application; Civil Defense issues the licence.
What is the difference between the safety equipment invoice and the technical report?
An approved safety company issues the invoice; an approved engineering or technical services office issues the report. The activity type decides which is required.
Does Civil Defense issue the occupancy certificate?
No. Under Article 16 of the Implementing Regulations of the Saudi Building Code Law, the municipality issues it, through Balady.
Does a SABER certificate of conformity mean the building’s fire system is approved?
No. It certifies a product, not system design, installation or the facility licence.
Does AZEIDK issue Civil Defense licences or certificates?
No. The competent authorities issue licences. AZEIDK reviews documents, drawings and test reports and follows up observations within the agreed scope, without guaranteeing an outcome.
Summary
Civil Defense certificates are really three layers: the activity licence from Civil Defense, supporting documents from parties approved on Salamah, and municipal documents for the building, plus product certificates. Knowing which layer a document belongs to keeps the right paper going to the right authority.
Not sure which document your facility file is missing? Send us your drawings, reports and contracts and we will review them with you, identify the gaps and who is responsible for closing them. Contact the AZEIDK team
