The Salamah technical report (the Civil Defense technical report) is a document the Salamah licensing system asks for in some activities that Civil Defense licenses directly. It is issued by an engineering or technical services office approved on the platform after a site visit. If your licence application shows that your activity needs a technical report rather than a safety equipment invoice, this article explains what that means, what gets checked and how to prepare. At AZEIDK we prepare and issue the technical report for facilities as part of our Civil Defense approval support service.
Short answer: The Salamah technical report is a technical document on a facility’s safety readiness. The platform asks for it in some low-to-medium risk direct activities, in place of the safety equipment invoice depending on the activity. An office approved on the platform issues it after visiting the site, it is attached to the licence application, and the decision to accept the application rests with the platform alone.
Key takeaways
- Salamah splits activities into direct (low-to-medium risk) and indirect (high risk).
- A direct activity needs either a safety equipment invoice or a technical report. The activity type decides which.
- Technical reports are issued by engineering and technical services offices approved on the platform. Safety equipment invoices are issued by qualified safety companies.
- An indirect activity needs a contract with a safety company and maintenance contracts before Civil Defense starts its inspection.
- The investor’s journey service on the platform shows how your activity is classified before you start.
In this article
- Salamah technical report: what is it exactly?
- When does Salamah ask for a technical report?
- Who issues the Civil Defense technical report?
- What does a Civil Defense technical report cover?
- How is it different from other reports with the same name?
- Technical report for a Salamah licence: how to prepare the facility before the visit
- How AZEIDK issues the technical report with your Salamah licence
- Common mistakes that delay acceptance of the technical report
- Frequently asked questions
- Summary
Salamah technical report: what is it exactly?
According to the published overview of the Salamah portal by Elm, the company that developed it, approved offices can issue technical reports for some low-to-medium risk activities that Civil Defense licenses directly. The office is first approved on the platform and then issues the report through it, so the report is linked to the facility’s application.
The technical report is not the licence, and it is not an installation certificate. It is the document Civil Defense relies on to decide the licence in the direct track, in the same way the safety equipment invoice does for other activities. The practical difference:
| Item | Safety equipment invoice | Technical report |
|---|---|---|
| Issued by | A qualified safety company registered on the platform | An engineering or technical services office approved on the platform |
| Based on | The safety equipment the activity requires and its supply | A site visit and an assessment of the safety condition on site |
| Required for | Some direct activities | Other direct activities |
| Who decides which one | The activity registered on the platform, not the owner’s preference | |
We placed the invoice and the report within the three licensing tracks in our article on instant licences and direct and indirect activities. Here we focus on the report itself.
When does Salamah ask for a technical report?
The answer starts with how the activity is classified. The platform separates two types:
- Direct activity: low-to-medium risk, licensed directly by Civil Defense once the safety equipment invoice or the technical report is submitted, depending on the activity.
- Indirect activity: high risk, requiring a contract with a safety company and maintenance contracts before Civil Defense begins inspection and issues the licence.
Salamah also offers an investor’s journey statement service, launched with the updated identity of the portal in May 2024. It tells you how your activity is classified and what is required before you sign a lease or start fitting out. That saves you from buying equipment your track does not need, or waiting for a report your activity does not require.
In February 2024 the Saudi Business Center announced instant safety licences issued with the municipal licence for more than 600 commercial activities, provided there is a lease, title deed or site investment contract, plus a safety equipment invoice or a safety report from Civil Defense. In other words, the report can come up even for activities licensed through this unified track.
Who issues the Civil Defense technical report?
An engineering or technical services office approved on the Salamah platform. It is not issued by the facility owner or the extinguisher supplier, and it is not a document you write yourself and upload. The office has to be approved on the platform before it can issue any report, so ask whoever you deal with about their approval on the platform before you agree.
At AZEIDK we prepare and issue the technical report for the facility as part of our Civil Defense approval service, after visiting the site and reviewing the systems. If we find gaps that would stop the report, our corrective maintenance and technical support team fixes them first. We tell every client that accepting the application is the decision of the platform and Civil Defense. Our role is a correct file that matches the site.
What does a Civil Defense technical report cover?
We found no published official template for the report content. The platform sets the fields inside the system according to the activity. What follows is what we check on site before issuing a report. It is good technical practice, not an official list:
- Facility data: the registered activity, floor area, number of floors, location within the building, and whether all of this matches reality.
- Fire extinguishers: types suited to the hazard, quantities and layout, date of the last service and refill, and clear access.
- Detection and alarm: whether a system exists where it is needed, a fault-free panel, and the layout of detectors and manual call points.
- Fixed suppression: such as fire hose cabinets, sprinklers or a kitchen suppression system, and their operating condition.
- Exits and lighting: number of exits and whether they are clear, exit signs and emergency lighting.
- Visible hazards: exposed wiring, storage of flammable materials and gas cylinders.
- Photos and attachments: evidence of the above, as far as the platform allows.
The report reflects the site as it is on the day of the visit. Existing systems should be working before you request it, not repaired afterwards.
How is it different from other reports with the same name?
The words “technical report” appear at more than one authority, which confuses investors:
| Document | Authority | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Technical report on Salamah | Civil Defense through Salamah | Supports the safety licence for some direct activities |
| Issuing a technical report on Balady | The municipality through Balady | A prerequisite for construction-related services, prepared by a licensed engineering office and approved by the municipality |
| Life Safety Report | A study approved by a safety office as part of the design file | Escape plan, fire compartments, escape exits and assembly points in design files such as hospital buildings |
If Salamah asks for a technical report for the safety licence, a Balady report does not replace it, and the reverse is also true. For a wider list of Civil Defense documents and how they differ, see Civil Defense certificates and documents for facilities.
Technical report for a Salamah licence: how to prepare the facility before the visit
Most delays happen because the site is not ready on the day of the visit. Before you request it, go through these points:
- Confirm the activity classification on the platform and that it matches what actually happens in the shop or facility.
- Have the right extinguishers in place, serviced and refilled. If they are old, see our article on fire extinguisher maintenance and refill.
- Power up the alarm panel, make sure it shows no fault messages, and test a manual call point.
- Clear any obstructions from exits and corridors and replace failed emergency lights.
- Organise the safety log and previous maintenance papers if you have them, as explained in fire safety log book and inspection records.
- Keep copies of the lease or title deed, commercial registration and municipal licence, since the application data relies on them.
How AZEIDK issues the technical report with your Salamah licence
We work on the whole file, not the report alone, because the report is part of the licence application:
- Track review: we check the activity classification and whether it calls for a technical report, a safety equipment invoice or the indirect track.
- Site visit: an engineer inspects the systems, extinguishers and exits and lists any gaps.
- Fixing gaps: supplying what is missing or repairing what does not work, with the owner’s approval.
- Preparing and issuing the report: once the site meets the requirement, we prepare the technical report and issue it through the platform.
- Following the application: we follow it until a decision is issued and handle any comment the platform returns.
If your activity is indirect, the track is different: a maintenance contract with a safety company, then an inspection. We covered that in Salamah licence renewal and the maintenance contract, and we provide preventive and periodic maintenance contracts for this purpose.
Common mistakes that delay acceptance of the technical report
- Requesting the report before repairing faulty systems, which means a second visit.
- Registering the activity under a classification that does not reflect the real use, so a different document is requested or the application is rejected.
- Dealing with a party that is not approved on the platform to issue technical reports.
- Confusing the Balady technical report with the Salamah technical report.
- Changing the fit-out or floor area after the visit without updating the data.
If findings are raised after a site inspection, how to close them is covered in the most common Civil Defense inspection findings. For the overall licensing picture from the start, see the Salamah certificate from Civil Defense.
Frequently asked questions
What is the technical report on the Salamah platform?
A document issued by an engineering or technical services office approved on the platform after inspecting the facility. It is attached to the Civil Defense licence application for some low-to-medium risk direct activities.
When does Salamah ask for a technical report?
When the activity is direct and of a type that needs a technical report instead of a safety equipment invoice. The investor’s journey statement service on the platform shows this for your activity.
Who issues the Salamah technical report?
An office approved on the Salamah platform, which issues it through the platform. AZEIDK prepares and issues the technical report as part of its Civil Defense approval service.
What does the Civil Defense technical report include?
There is no published official template, and the platform sets the fields. In practice it covers facility data, extinguishers, alarm, existing suppression systems, exits, emergency lighting and visible hazards.
Can a Salamah licence be renewed without a technical report?
That depends on your activity track and what the platform asks for at renewal. Indirect activities rely on the maintenance contract with a safety company, not on the report. For direct activities, follow what the renewal application shows.
Does a Balady technical report replace the Salamah one?
No. The Balady report is a prerequisite for construction services approved by the municipality. The Salamah report is tied to the Civil Defense licence. Each has a different authority and purpose.
Do I need both the safety equipment invoice and the technical report?
The platform asks for one of them for a direct activity, depending on its type. The safety equipment itself is still needed on site, because the report assesses what is actually there.
Summary
The Salamah technical report is a short document, but it rests on the real condition of the site. Find your activity track on the platform, get the extinguishers, alarm and exits ready before the visit, and work with a party approved on the platform. Done in that order, the report becomes a routine step rather than a reason for delay.
Need a technical report for your Salamah licence? Send us the activity type, location and floor area, and we will confirm the track, arrange the site visit and issue the report through our Civil Defense approval support service. Talk to the AZEIDK team
