Article 7 of the Saudi Environment Law
المادة 7 من نظام البيئة · الفصل الثاني: الأوساط البيئية والموارد المائية وحمايتها
The article prohibits exploiting, transporting, storing, selling or promoting natural resources and their products within the Kingdom's territory without a permit or license.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
يُحظر استغلال أو نقل أو تخزين أو بيع أو الترويج لأيّ من الموارد الطبيعية ومنتجاتها الموجودة في إقليم المملكة الذي يشمل أراضيها -بما في ذلك الجزر- ومجالها الجوي، والمياه الداخلية والبحر الإقليمي وقاعهما وباطن أرضهما والحيز الجوي فوقهما، وجميع المناطق البحرية الأخرى التي تمارس عليها المملكة حقوق السيادة أو حقوق الولاية طبقاً للقانون الدولي؛ دون الحصول على تصريح أو ترخيص؛ وذلك وفقاً لما تحدده 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 7 explained in plain English
This article protects natural resources from depletion and unregulated trade. Under Article 1, natural resources are all living and non-living materials found in nature and their products that humans exploit or use directly, such as air, water, land, soil, biodiversity and geological formations of environmental value.
There are five acts prohibited without a permit or license: exploitation, transporting, storing, selling and promotion. Promotion alone, such as advertising a natural product for sale, falls within the prohibition.
The geographic scope is wide, covering the whole territory of the Kingdom:
- Its land, including the islands, and its airspace.
- The internal waters and the territorial sea and their seabed and subsoil and the airspace above them.
- All other maritime zones over which the Kingdom exercises sovereign rights or jurisdiction under international law.
The article does not bar these activities absolutely, but requires a permit or license for them as the regulations determine; the regulations show when one or the other is needed and its conditions. It complements Article 6, which prohibits polluting the environmental media and water resources, and Article 3, which requires a permit or license for environmental activities generally. Anyone who trades in natural products and wants to confirm his position can consult a lawyer specialized in environmental laws.
Practical example
Khalid owns an online store that displays products extracted from nature. Under Article 7, he needs to verify that he has the required permit or license before selling or promoting them, because the prohibition covers selling and promotion, not only extraction.
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 7 of the Saudi Environment Law
Does the prohibition cover only promotion and advertising, without selling?
The article names promotion expressly among the acts prohibited without a permit or license, alongside exploitation, transporting, storing and selling.
What are natural resources?
Under Article 1, all living and non-living materials found in nature and their products that humans exploit or use directly, such as air, water, land, soil and biodiversity.
Does the article cover maritime zones?
Yes. It covers the internal waters, the territorial sea and their seabed and subsoil, and all maritime zones over which the Kingdom exercises sovereign rights or jurisdiction under international law.
More articles on Pollution and Emissions
- Article 6
The article prohibits anything that would pollute or harm the environmental media and water resources, or negatively affect their use, as the regulations determine.
يُحظر القيام بكل ما من شأنه تلويث الأوساط البيئية والموارد المائية، أو الإضرار بهما، أو التأثير سلباً في الانتفاع بهما؛ وذلك وفقاً لما تحدده اللوائح.
- Article 8
The article imposes six obligations on permit and license holders whose activities may give off emissions or pollutants, including monitoring, periodic reports, environmental auditing and rehabilitation.
على كل من المصرح له والمرخص له الذي يمارس أنشطة قد يصدر منها انبعاثات أو ملوثات، أو التي قد تؤثر في الأوساط البيئية؛ الالتزام بالآتي: 1- الاشتراطات والضوابط وال
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.