Environmental security in Saudi Arabia

Environmental security in Saudi Arabia

Preserving the environment and protecting it from pollution is one of the most important goals of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030, which is concerned with preserving vegetation cover, combating desertification, and reducing carbon emissions in a way that benefits future generations. The environmental system and its executive regulations are considered among the most important systems currently in place to regulate the environmental sector, identify violations, identify the competent authorities to implement the provisions of the system, and impose strict penalties on violators.

What are environmental violations?

These are practices carried out by some violators that cause harm to the environment, lead to non-utilization of the environment, disrupt the environmental balance, or reduce its environmental and economic value.

These environmental violations in Saudi Arabia include:

• Carrying out any work within vegetation lands without obtaining a license or permit from the competent authorities.
• Cutting down trees, shrubs, grasses or plants, uprooting them, transporting them or trading them.
• Leaving waste inside plants or trees, burying it, burning it, or throwing it in places other than those designated for it.
• Environmental violations include setting fire to places not designated for them.
• Damaging fixed or movable structures, cutting fences, damaging them, or tampering with signage in forests or national parks.
• Distorting natural features in forests or national parks through writing, drawing, etc.
• Grazing livestock in prohibited locations.
• Planting or scattering seeds on vegetation lands without a license.
• Producing, transporting, storing, selling or promoting local firewood without obtaining a license or permit from the competent authorities.
• Entry of vehicles and cars into protected wildlife reserves other than the designated trails.
• Trafficking in endangered fungal organisms or animals.
• Violation of environmental security and overfishing except:
  • A license was obtained from the competent authorities.
    • If fishing is limited to species specified by the competent authorities.
      • If fishing is in specific places and times.
• Practicing activities within nature reserves without obtaining a license.
• Environmental security violations: Camping in places not designated for this purpose.
• Dumping wastewater or any untreated liquid components and discharging them into underground wells or into an environmental medium, etc.
• Violations of the marine environment and harm to it, such as carrying out excavation, backfilling, dredging, exploration, conducting research or exploitation without obtaining a license from the competent authorities.

Which authorities are responsible for environmental protection?

Which authorities are responsible for environmental protection?

A number of government agencies, each according to its jurisdiction, are responsible for providing protection and supervision of the environmental sector, controlling and addressing violations, combating natural disasters, and reducing pollution.

Among these entities:

• Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture.
• General Authority of Meteorology and Environmental Protection.
• Saudi Wildlife Authority.
• National centers for the environmental sector, such as the National Center for Environmental Compliance Control.
• The Special Forces in Environmental Security, whose main tasks include adhering to the implementation of environmental regulations, issuing violations and arresting those involved, receiving environmental complaints and reports, and monitoring all environmental areas in the Kingdom, including nature reserves, parks, coastal areas, forests, and others.

What are the penalties for environmental violations?

Anyone who violates the provisions of the Environmental System and its executive regulations, including the Environmental Security Violations Regulations, shall be punished with the following penalties:

• A fine not exceeding 20 million Saudi riyals.
• Anyone who:
  • Cutting down, uprooting, transporting or trading trees or shrubs.
  • Killing or harming fungal organisms.
  • Dumping wastewater or disposing of waste in an environmental environment.
  • Trafficking in living or endangered organisms.
• Environmental Violations Setting Fire The violator shall be punished with a fine ranging from 1,000 to 3,000 Saudi riyals.
• Environmental security violations Camping: The perpetrator shall be punished with a fine ranging from 500 to 3,000 Saudi riyals.
• Suspension of the license or permit for a period not exceeding six months.
• Cancellation of license or permit.
• Confiscation of seized items.
• Double the penalty in case of repeated violation.
• The violator is obligated to remove the violation, repair the damage, and pay the necessary compensation.
• Publish the violation at the violator’s expense.

Environmental security in Saudi Arabia

What are the procedures for controlling environmental violations by Environmental Security?

What are the procedures for controlling environmental violations by Environmental Security?

• The violation was detected by environmental security forces, investigated and proven.
• Entering suspected facilities, searching them, and reviewing their records and data.
• Drawing samples of materials and items in the facility suspected of committing a violation.
• Restoring controlled vegetation or wildlife products such as the Arabian oryx.
• Seizure of vehicles and tools used in committing the violation.
• Handing over the seized items to the competent authorities.

Environmental security in Saudi Arabia

How to inquire about environmental security violations?

Violators can inquire about and object to environmental security violations through the National Center for Environmental Compliance Oversight portal and follow the following steps:

• Visit the center’s website and log in to the “Objection to Violations“ service
• Review inspection visits to the facility or individual violations.
• Determine the violation to be objected to.
• Submit an objection request.

Environmental security in Saudi Arabia

The main tasks undertaken by an administrative lawyer from Abdul Majeed Al Rashid Law Firm and Legal Consultations are providing specialized consultations on environmental violations and the method of objecting to them, representing clients before judicial committees, reviewing the competent authorities, attending administrative court sessions and pleading on behalf of clients, and other various legal services.

Book an urgent consultation from the office of lawyer Abdul Majeed Al Rashid now with ease and safety…