Article 29 of the Saudi Environment Law

This Article opens the provisions on protected areas, which under Article 1 are land, marine or coastal sites that the competent authority designates and that are dedicated to protecting and developing wildlife.

Paragraph 1 – Establishment:

• A protected area is established by decision of the Council of Ministers, on the proposal of the competent authority.
• The land must be not privately owned, and no one may hold a right of exclusive use, a concession or a reservation over it.
• If any of these rights exist: the map of the protected area is amended, or an alternative is chosen, unless the right holder waives the right, in accordance with the regulations.

This means establishing a protected area does not extinguish existing private rights over the land; instead the plan is adjusted to respect them unless the holder waives them.

Paragraph 2 – Investment: The competent authority may invest in protected areas and regulate investment in them, in accordance with controls set by the regulations.

Note the difference from Article 13: national, land and geological parks are established by decision of the Minister, whereas protected areas are established by decision of the Council of Ministers. It is followed by Article 30, which prohibits any activity within the boundaries of protected areas without a permit or license. If you hold a right over land proposed to be within a protected area, you may wish to consult a lawyer who specializes in environmental law or real estate disputes.