Article 12 of the Saudi Environment Law
المادة 12 من نظام البيئة · الفصل الثالث: أراضي الغطاء النباتي
The article prohibits owning forest, rangeland and national, wilderness and geological park lands by any transfer of ownership, and prohibits encroaching on them by expansion or new construction.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
1- لا يجوز تملك أراضي الغابات والمراعي والمنتزهات الوطنية والبرية والجيولوجية، بأي وجه من أوجه التصرف الناقل للملكية.
2- لا يجوز التعدي -سواء أكان بالتوسع أم بالإحداث- على أراضي الغابات والمراعي والمنتزهات الوطنية والبرية والجيولوجية.
This is the official Arabic wording, the only legally binding version. We do not translate the law itself; the explanation below is ours. Official source: Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers
Article 12 explained in plain English
This article protects three kinds of land of environmental value: forest lands, rangelands, and national, wilderness and geological park lands. All are, under Article 1, vegetation cover lands, which are state-owned lands that contain wild plants and the like.
The article contains two provisions:
- Prohibition of ownership: These lands may not be owned by any form of disposition that transfers ownership. The phrase "by any form" means the prohibition is general and not specific to a particular way of transferring ownership.
- Prohibition of encroachment: They may not be encroached on, whether by expansion (such as extending the boundary of an adjacent land or farm into them) or by new construction (such as building a new structure or wall on them).
The article does not state here the body that hears encroachment or the penalty for it, so neither can be inferred from it. It is followed by Article 13, which explains that national, wilderness and geological parks are established by decision of the Minister on land that is not privately owned and over which no one has a right of exclusive use, reservation or concession.
Anyone who has a dispute over land that may be among these lands can consult a lawyer specialized in environmental laws or in real estate cases.
Practical example
Saad owns a farm adjoining rangeland in the Hail region, and thought of extending his farm's fence to take in part of the rangeland. This is encroachment by expansion on rangelands, which is prohibited by paragraph 2 of Article 12.
Translated from our Arabic explanation with machine assistance. For guidance only; it does not replace advice from a lawyer on your situation.
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Frequently asked questions about Article 12 of the Saudi Environment Law
May land inside a rangeland or forest be owned?
No. The article prohibits owning forest, rangeland and national, wilderness and geological park lands by any form of disposition that transfers ownership.
What does encroachment mean in this article?
Encroachment, whether by expansion or by new construction, on forest, rangeland and national, wilderness and geological park lands.
Are these lands state-owned?
Yes. They are vegetation cover lands, which Article 1 defines as state-owned lands containing wild plants and the like.
More articles on Vegetation Cover and Logging
- Article 13
The article provides for establishing national, wilderness and geological parks by decision of the Minister on land free of private rights, and allows the competent authority to invest in them and regulate that investment.
1- تنشأ -بقرار من الوزير- المنتزهات الوطنية والبرية والجيولوجية على أرض غير مملوكة ملكية خاصة وليس لأحد عليها حق اختصاص أو حجز أو امتياز. وفي حالة وجود أي من ذل
- Article 14
The article requires any person to obtain a permit before extracting or exploiting sand, gravel, rock or clay, as the regulations set out.
على أي شخص قبل القيام بنهل أو استغلال الرمل أو الحصى أو الصخور أو الطين؛ الحصول على تصريح، وذلك وفقاً لما تُبيّنه اللوائح.
- Article 15
The article requires a license to reclaim and level agricultural land and vegetation cover lands, without prejudice to Article 14 on the sand and gravel extraction permit.
دون إخلال بما ورد في المادة (الرابعة عشرة) من النظام، يشترط لاستصلاح الأرض الزراعية وأراضي الغطاء النباتي وتسويتها؛ الحصول على ترخيص وفقاً لما تُبيّنه اللوائح.
- Article 16
The article prohibits any activity or work within vegetation cover lands, or in urban lands with vegetation cover supervised by the competent authority, without a permit or license.
1- تُحظر ممارسة أي نشاط أو عمل داخل أراضي الغطاء النباتي؛ دون الحصول على تصريح أو ترخيص، وذلك وفقاً لما تبينه اللوائح. 2- تُحظر ممارسة أي نشاط أو عمل في الأراضي
- Article 17
The article requires the license holder and permit holder, when using vegetation cover lands in their activities, to take environmental considerations into account and use the soil rationally.
على كل من المرخص له والمصرح له -عند استخدامه أراضي الغطاء النباتي في تنفيذ أنشطته- الأخذ بالاعتبارات البيئية، والالتزام بالاستخدام الرشيد للتربة؛ وذلك وفقاً لما
- Article 18
The article prohibits cultivation or tree planting within vegetation cover lands without obtaining a license.
يُحظر الاستزراع أو التشجير داخل أراضي الغطاء النباتي؛ دون الحصول على ترخيص.
The texts are reproduced from the official website of the Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers for reference; where they differ, the officially published Arabic text prevails. This content is not legal advice.