Article 5 of the Saudi Environment Law
المادة 5 من نظام البيئة · الفصل الأول: أحكام عامة
The article tasks the competent authority with setting the controls for carrying out voluntary programs, plans and initiatives related to the environment.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
تضع الجهة المختصة ضوابط تنفيذ البرامج والخطط والمبادرات التطوعية المتعلقة بالبيئة.
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 5 explained in plain English
This article deals with voluntary environmental work, such as cleanup, tree-planting and awareness campaigns carried out by individuals, associations or companies as part of their social responsibility.
The article does not set the details of these controls itself, but gives the competent authority the power to set them. The competent authority under Article 1 is the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, or any of the National Centers of the environment sector, or the General Authority for the Conservation of Coral Reefs and Turtles in the Red Sea, each according to its jurisdiction.
The article covers three kinds of voluntary efforts:
- Voluntary programs.
- Voluntary plans.
- Voluntary initiatives.
The practical aim is that environmental volunteering is done in an organized way that does not harm the environment unintentionally, which is consistent with the aim of regulating the environment sector and its related activities. Anyone who wants to organize a voluntary environmental initiative should review the controls the competent authority issues and comply with them.
The article does not specify the content of these controls or whether an initiative needs prior approval; that is referred to what the competent authority sets.
Practical example
A group of young people in Jeddah want to organize a voluntary campaign to clean a beach. Before starting, they review the controls the competent authority has set for carrying out voluntary environmental initiatives and comply with them during the campaign.
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 5 of the Saudi Environment Law
Who sets the controls for voluntary environmental work?
The competent authority, which is the Ministry, the National Centers of the environment sector, or the General Authority for the Conservation of Coral Reefs and Turtles in the Red Sea, according to jurisdiction.
Does a voluntary environmental initiative need a permit?
The article does not provide for that; it gives the competent authority the power to set the controls for carrying out voluntary initiatives, so those controls should be consulted.
What kinds of voluntary work does the article cover?
Voluntary programs, plans and initiatives related to the environment.
More articles on Environmental Permits and Licenses
- Article 1
The article defines the terms used in the Environment Law, such as the competent authority, permit, license, environmental impact, wild organisms and vegetation cover lands.
يقصد بالألفاظ والعبارات الآتية -أينما وردت في هذا النظام- المعاني المبينة أمام كل منها، ما لم يقتض السياق غير ذلك: النظام: نظام البيئة. اللوائح: اللوائح التنفيذ
- Article 2
The article states the aims of the Environment Law: protecting, developing and sustaining the environment, complying with environmental principles, and regulating the environment sector and its activities and services.
يهدف النظام إلى حماية البيئة وتنميتها واستدامتها، والالتزام بالمبادئ البيئية، وتنظيم قطاع البيئة والأنشطة والخدمات المتعلقة به.
- Article 3
The article bars anyone from carrying out environmental activities or activities with an environmental impact except after obtaining a permit or license, as the regulations determine.
لا يجوز لأي شخص ممارسة أي من الأنشطة البيئية أو التي لها أثر بيئي؛ إلا بعد الحصول على تصريح أو ترخيص؛ وذلك وفقاً لما تحدده اللوائح.
- Article 4
The article requires every permit holder and license holder to comply with the Law, the regulations, the conditions of the permit or license, and the related instructions and decisions of the competent authority.
على كل من المصرح له والمرخص له؛ الالتزام بأحكام النظام، واللوائح، وشروط التصريح أو الترخيص، والتعليمات والقرارات -ذات العلاقة- التي تصدرها الجهة المختصة.
- Article 47
The Article lists the matters that the regulations determine, including environmental protection requirements, permits and licenses and their fees, noise pollution, environmental assessment studies and the basis for calculating compensation.
تُحدد اللوائح ما يأتي: 1- الضوابط والإجراءات المتعلقة بتطبيق المبادئ البيئية. 2- الاشتراطات والضوابط والإجراءات والمقاييس والمعايير اللازمة لحماية الأوساط البيئ
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.