Article 7 of the Saudi Waste Management Law
المادة 7 من نظام إدارة النفايات · الفصل الثاني: أحكام عامة
The article transfers ownership of waste to the State when it is placed in designated containers, near them or in public places for storage or disposal, and gives the Center the right to dispose of it.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
تنتقل ملكية النفايات إلى الدولة في الحالتين الآتيتين:
1- وضع النفايات في الحاويات المخصصة لها، أو بقربها.
2- وضع النفايات في أي موقع عام لتخزينها، أو في مواقع التخلص الآمن منها.
وللمركز الحق في التصرف بالنفايات بما يحقق الاستدامة المالية ويغطي التكاليف التشغيلية للجهات المختصة. ويجوز للجهات المختصة التصرف بالنفايات بعد موافقة المركز، 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 7 explained in plain English
This article answers an important question: when does waste become the property of the State?
Ownership of waste passes to the State in two cases:
- Placing waste in the containers designated for it, or near them.
- Placing waste in any public location for storage, or in the sites for its safe disposal.
A person who puts his bag of waste in the container or next to it is no longer its owner; its ownership has passed to the State.
Disposing of the waste:
- The Center has the right to dispose of the waste in a way that achieves financial sustainability and covers the operating costs of the competent authorities.
- The competent authorities, which are the government bodies responsible for waste management operationally, may dispose of the waste with the approval of the Center, as set by the Implementing Regulations.
The importance of this provision is that waste may have economic value, such as metals, cardboard and plastic. After its ownership passes to the State, the right to dispose of it belongs to the Center or to the competent authorities with its approval, as set out in the article and the Implementing Regulations.
Article 6 obliges those running voluntary initiatives to meet the Center's controls, and Article 8 prohibits leaving or throwing waste in places other than those designated for it.
If you have a practical case relating to this provision, it is best to consult a lawyer who specializes in environmental and administrative laws.
Practical example
Residents of a neighborhood in Dammam placed old electrical appliances next to the waste container. As soon as they were placed near the container, their ownership passed to the State, and the right to dispose of them belongs to the National Center for Waste Management, or to the competent authority with the Center's approval.
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 Waste Management Law
When does waste become the property of the State?
When it is placed in the containers designated for it or near them, or in any public location for storage, or in the sites for its safe disposal.
Who has the right to dispose of waste after ownership passes?
The Center has the right to dispose of it in a way that achieves financial sustainability and covers the operating costs of the competent authorities, and the competent authorities may dispose of it with the Center's approval.
Does the owner of the waste remain its owner after placing it next to the container?
No. Placing waste near its designated container is one of the cases in which ownership passes to the State.
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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.