Article 14 of the Saudi Environment Law
المادة 14 من نظام البيئة · الفصل الثالث: أراضي الغطاء النباتي
The article requires any person to obtain a permit before extracting or exploiting sand, gravel, rock or clay, as the regulations set out.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
على أي شخص قبل القيام بنهل أو استغلال الرمل أو الحصى أو الصخور أو الطين؛ الحصول على تصريح، وذلك وفقاً لما تُبيّنه اللوائح.
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 14 explained in plain English
This article governs the extraction and exploitation of four common natural materials: sand, gravel, rock and clay.
The rule is clear: any person, whether an individual, a company or a public or private body under the definition of "person" in Article 1, must obtain a permit before extracting or exploiting these materials.
Important notes:
- The document required is the permit, which under Article 1 is a document the competent authority grants to a person before he begins to carry out any activity that has an environmental impact.
- Timing matters: the permit is required before starting, not after.
- The article does not set quantities, sites or procedures, but refers them to the regulations.
This article is linked to Article 15, which requires a license for reclaiming and leveling agricultural land and vegetation cover lands "without prejudice" to this article, meaning that the reclamation license does not replace the extraction permit where the work involves extracting these materials. Owners of quarries and fill contractors can consult a lawyer specialized in environmental laws.
Practical example
A contractor in Tabuk needs quantities of sand for a fill project and is thinking of taking them from nearby land. Under Article 14, he must obtain a permit from the competent authority before extracting the sand, as the regulations set out.
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 14 of the Saudi Environment Law
Do I need a permit to take sand or gravel?
Yes. The article requires any person to obtain a permit before extracting or exploiting sand, gravel, rock or clay.
Can the permit be requested after work has started?
The article requires obtaining the permit before carrying out the extraction or exploitation.
Does a land reclamation license replace the sand extraction permit?
Article 15 requires the reclamation license without prejudice to Article 14, so the extraction permit remains required where the work involves extracting these materials.
More articles on Vegetation Cover and Logging
- Article 12
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.
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 با
- 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 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.