Article 30 of the Saudi Environment Law

This Article sets the basic rule for protecting protected areas: no activity within their boundaries without a permit or license.

Under Article 1, protected areas are land, marine or coastal sites that the competent authority designates and that are dedicated to protecting and developing wildlife. Under Article 29, they are established by decision of the Council of Ministers on the proposal of the competent authority.

Scope of the prohibition:

• The phrase "any activity" is general, so it is not limited to commercial or industrial activities.
• The prohibition is tied to being "within the boundaries" of the protected area.
• The document required is a permit or license, depending on the nature of the activity. Under Article 1, a permit is granted before starting an activity that has an environmental impact, and a license authorizes carrying out an environmental activity.

The Article does not detail the activities covered or the procedures for obtaining a permit or license; it refers these to what the regulations set out.

It is followed by Article 31, under which the competent authority sets the controls for entering protected areas, in coordination with the Ministry of Interior, and for using them for grazing, ecotourism, research and the like, depending on the nature of each area. Anyone who wants to visit a protected area or carry out an activity in it should refer to these controls and the regulations. For tour operators and tourism projects, you may wish to consult a lawyer who specializes in environmental law.