Article 2 of the Saudi Water Law
المادة 2 من نظام المياه · الفصل الثاني: أهداف النظام ونطاق التطبيق
The article sets out the objectives of the Water Law: protecting water sources and their sustainability, providing safe supplies at reasonable prices, promoting private sector participation, and securing supplies for agriculture.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
يهدف النظام إلى الآتي:
1- المحافظة على مصادر المياه، وتنميتها، وحمايتها، وضمان استدامتها، وإدارتها، وتنظيم شؤونها، والحقوق المتعلقة بها، وبأوجه استخدامها.
2- ضمان توفير إمدادات المياه بشكل آمن، ونظيف، وموثوق به، وبجودة عالية، وبأسعار تنافسية معقولة، تحقق العدالة بين المستهلكين، مع حصول كل شخص على المياه لتلبية حاجاته.
3- تعزيز مشاركة القطاع الخاص في الأنشطة الخاضعة للنظام، وتعزيز الحوكمة الفاعلة.
4- حصول كل شخص على مياه نظيفة، وآمنة، ومطابقة للمواصفات المعتمدة؛ لتلبية احتياجاته الطبيعية، على أساس من العدل؛ وفقًا للمعايير والخطط والبرامج المعتمدة.
5- ضمان توفير إمدادات المياه للقطاع الزراعي بما يضمن استدامة هذا القطاع.
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 2 explained in plain English
This article sets out the five objectives the Water Law seeks to achieve:
- Preserving water sources, developing them, protecting them, ensuring their sustainability and managing them, and regulating their affairs, the rights relating to them and the ways they are used.
- Ensuring the provision of water supplies in a safe, clean and reliable manner and of high quality, at reasonable competitive prices that achieve fairness among consumers, with every person obtaining water to meet his needs.
- Promoting private sector participation in the activities subject to the law, and promoting effective governance.
- Every person obtaining clean and safe water that meets the approved specifications to satisfy his natural needs, on a fair basis, in accordance with the approved standards, plans and programs.
- Ensuring water supplies for the agricultural sector in a way that ensures the sector's sustainability.
These objectives do not by themselves create detailed obligations, but they help in understanding and interpreting the law's other provisions. Note that the fourth objective qualifies every person's obtaining of water by requiring that it be "in accordance with the approved standards, plans and programs".
It is followed by Article 3, which sets the scope of application of the law to all water sources and affairs in the Kingdom except Zamzam water, including special zones.
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 2 of the Saudi Water Law
What are the objectives of the Water Law in Saudi Arabia?
Preserving water sources and their sustainability, providing safe supplies at reasonable prices, promoting private sector participation, every person obtaining clean water, and ensuring supplies for the agricultural sector.
Does the law provide for every person's right to water?
One of its objectives is that every person obtains clean and safe water meeting the specifications to satisfy his natural needs, on a fair basis and in accordance with the approved standards, plans and programs.
Is the law concerned with water prices?
Yes. One of its objectives is to provide supplies at reasonable competitive prices that achieve fairness among consumers.
More articles on Definitions and Objectives of the Water Law
- Article 1
This article defines the terms used in the Water Law, such as the Ministry, the Authority, the Ministerial Committee, the types of water, the activities and the licenses.
لتطبيق النظام يُقصدُ بالألفاظ والعبارات الآتية -أينما وردت فيه- المعاني المبينةُ أمام كل منها، ما لم يقتضِ السياق غير ذلك: النظام: نظام المياه. الوزارة: وزارة ا
- Article 3
The article provides that the Water Law applies to all water sources and affairs in the Kingdom, including special zones, with the exception of Zamzam water.
فيما عدا مياه زمزم؛ تُطَبَّقُ أحكام النظام على جميع مصادر وشؤون المياه في المملكة بما فيها المناطق الخاصة.
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.