Saudi Ministry to take stringent punitive measures against polluting the environment

The Saudi Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture resolved to impose severe penalties on anyone responsible for environmental site damage and pollution. As part of this, the ministry is working to amend the executive regulations for the treatment of polluted sites as well as the rehabilitation of environmentally damaged sites to include infractions and penalties. The new regulations provide that anybody found to have tampered with or damaged land or other environmental sites will be reported to the Public Prosecution, and it is required of the violator to make amends and restore the contaminated places.

According to the government, supplying inaccurate information or data about environmental rehabilitation plans or treatment plans for hazardous areas are breaches. Depending on the quantity of inaccurate information and data, the violators will be hit with fines between SR10000 and SR100000.

The penalties for the first type of violation are SR15000, while the fines for the second and third categories are SR30000 and SR100000, respectively, if the environmental rehabilitation plan or the plan to remediate contaminated areas is not implemented.

The fines are SR15000 in the first category, SR30000 in the second category, and SR100000 in the third category if the environmental rehabilitation plan or the plan for treating contaminated areas is not carried out.

The new regulations are intended to control the cleanup of polluted areas as well as the rehabilitation of damaged sites. The regulations outline the guidelines, criteria, and terms required for the restoration of damaged sites and the cleanup of polluted sites. They also specify which damaged sites need restoration and which polluted sites need cleanup.

The National Centre for Environmental Compliance works to identify contaminated sites that need to be treated as well as damaged sites that need to be repaired. It creates a database of polluted and damaged sites, identifies those for which the polluter has not been located, and works with the appropriate authorities to develop and carry out plans for the rehabilitation and treatment of these sites. It also conducts inspections, monitoring, and control of violations in accordance with the new regulations. When necessary, the centre will coordinate inspections to find the violators with the Ministry of Interior.