Article 25 of the Saudi Waste Management Law
المادة 25 من نظام إدارة النفايات · الفصل التاسع: المسؤولية المدنية والجزائية والتأهيل والتعويضات
The article requires a service provider operating a waste management facility to provide a financial guarantee or insurance covering its civil liability for damages when it obtains the license.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
على مقدم الخدمة الذي يقوم بتشغيل منشأة لإدارة النفايات -عند حصوله على الرخصة- أن يقدم ضماناً ماليًّا أو تأميناً يغطي مسؤوليته عن الأضرار المتعلقة بالمسؤولية المدنية، وذلك وفقاً لما تحدده اللائحة.
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 25 explained in plain English
This article sets a financial guarantee to protect those who may be harmed by waste activities.
Who is required: a service provider who operates a waste management facility. The provision does not cover every service provider, only one who operates a facility.
Timing: when it obtains the license.
What is required: providing a financial guarantee or insurance, and it may choose either.
Scope of coverage: it must cover its liability for damages relating to civil liability.
Details: as the Implementing Regulations specify, so the article does not state the amount of the guarantee or the type of insurance.
The aim of the provision is to ensure there is money to cover compensation if harm occurs. Article 24 sets out the damages that give rise to civil or criminal liability, including loss of or damage to property, the costs of restoring the damaged environment, loss of income, and death, injury or disability, provided they arose from intent, gross negligence, mismanagement of waste, or failure to comply with the Law or the Implementing Regulations.
Article 26 provides that the waste producer and the service provider bear civil and criminal liability for any harm or risk to the environment or to public health and safety in accordance with the relevant legal provisions.
Anyone preparing to operate a waste management facility should consult a lawyer specialized in commercial matters and environmental laws.
Practical example
A startup in Riyadh obtained a license to operate a waste sorting and processing facility. Under this article, when it obtains the license it must provide a financial guarantee or an insurance policy covering its liability for damages relating to civil liability, as the Implementing Regulations specify.
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 25 of the Saudi Waste Management Law
Do waste facilities need insurance?
A service provider operating a waste management facility must provide a financial guarantee or insurance covering its civil liability when it obtains the license.
When is the financial guarantee provided?
When the service provider obtains the license, as the Implementing Regulations specify.
More articles on Obligations of the Waste Management Service Provider
- Article 16
The article sets out the obligations of the waste management service provider: disposing of waste by the methods the Center specifies, verifying waste information and the transport document, periodic reports, and accepting waste within its license.
1- على مقدم الخدمة التخلص من النفايات بالطرق التي يحددها المركز ووفقاً للائحة. 2- على مقدم الخدمة التأكد من صحة المعلومات المتعلقة بالنفايات التي ترد له، واستكم
- Article 18
The article obliges the transport service provider, if waste cannot be delivered to its approved destination, to return it to its producer, who bears responsibility for treating and disposing of it under the Implementing Regulations.
على مقدم خدمة النقل -في حال عدم إمكان إيصال النفايات بمختلف أنواعها إلى وجهتها المعتمدة- إرجاعها إلى منتج النفاية ليتحمل مسؤولية اتخاذ الإجراءات اللازمة لمعالجت
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.