Article 52 of the Saudi Water Law
المادة 52 من نظام المياه · الفصل الحادي عشر: البنى الأساسية للمياه وكشف التسربات
Article 52 tasks the Ministry or its delegate with building water harvesting infrastructure and networks outside the jurisdiction of the secretariats, municipalities and special zones when there is no licensee, and treats public water infrastructure as state property.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
1- تقوم الوزارة أو من تفوضه في حال عدم وجود مرخَّص له في المناطق الواقعة خارج نطاق اختصاص الأمانات والبلديات والمناطق الخاصة؛ بإنشاء بنى أساسية، وشبكات، وأنظمة ذات كفاءة عالية؛ لحصاد المياه، وتوجيهها بما يحقق الاستفادة القصوى منها.
2- تُعد البنى الأساسية للمياه اللازمة لأنشطة تقديم الخدمة التي ينشئها القطاع العام ملكًا للدولة، ويجوز للهيئة إصدار رخص لاستخدامها، وفقاً لأحكام النظام ولوائح الهيئة.
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 52 explained in plain English
This article contains two provisions on water infrastructure, which under Article 1 means facilities used to produce, harvest, transport, distribute, store or monitor water, whether publicly or privately owned, and does not include desalination, treatment and purification plants.
Paragraph (1): building water harvesting infrastructure. The Ministry or its delegate builds high-efficiency infrastructure, networks and systems for harvesting and directing water so as to achieve the maximum benefit from it. This duty is tied to two conditions stated in the text:
- There is no licensee.
- It is in areas outside the jurisdiction of the secretariats, municipalities and special zones.
Paragraph (2): ownership of public infrastructure. Water infrastructure needed for service-provision activities that is built by the public sector is considered state property. The Authority may issue licenses to use it in accordance with the provisions of the Law and the Authority's regulations. A license to use does not transfer ownership, since under the article the infrastructure remains state property.
The article is linked to Article 53, which places everything relating to infrastructure used in service-provision activities, including sale or otherwise, under the Authority's supervision, and to Article 55, which deals with preparing infrastructure plans.
Anyone wishing to obtain a license to use government infrastructure may consult a lawyer specializing in water law and administrative matters.
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 52 of the Saudi Water Law
Who builds water harvesting projects outside cities?
The Ministry or its delegate, when there is no licensee, in areas outside the jurisdiction of the secretariats, municipalities and special zones.
Who owns water infrastructure built by the government?
Under paragraph (2), infrastructure needed for service-provision activities that is built by the public sector is considered state property.
Can a private company use government infrastructure?
The Authority may issue licenses to use it in accordance with the provisions of the Law and the Authority's regulations.
More articles on Water Service Licenses and Infrastructure
- Article 17
The article bars the relevant bodies from issuing licenses or approvals for any facility that may obstruct the use of surface water except with the Ministry's prior approval.
على الجهات المعنية عدم إصدار رخص أو موافقات على إقامة أيّ منشأة قد تعوق استخدام المياه السطحية إلا بموافقة مسبقة من الوزارة.
- Article 47
The article makes issuing, renewing and amending licenses, exemptions and permits for service provision activities the Authority's responsibility, and bans carrying out any of these activities without a license except those exempted by the Authority's regulations.
1- تتولى الهيئة إصدار الرخص، والإعفاءات، والتصاريح اللازمة لمزاولة أي نشاط من أنشطة تقديم الخدمة، أو الإعداد لمزاولته، وتجديدها، وتعديلها. 2- فيما عدا الأنشطة ا
- Article 48
The article prohibits a licensee for a service provision activity from assigning its license or disposing of the licensed assets in any way before obtaining the Authority's written permission, without affecting the performance of the activity.
لا يجوز للمرخَّص له بنشاط تقديم الخدمة -قبل الحصول على إذن مكتوب من الهيئة- التنازل عن رخصته، أو التصرف في الأصول المرخَّص لها، سواءً بالنقل، أو البيع، أو الرهن
- Article 49
Article 49 requires a service-activity licensee to get the Authority's approval before merging with others or acquiring most of their shares or assets, and to notify the Authority of any preliminary agreement.
يجب على المرخَّص له بنشاط تقديم الخدمة الحصول على موافقة الهيئة قبل الاندماج مع أشخاص آخرين، أو امتلاك معظم حصصهم، أو موجوداتهم، ويجب عليه إشعار الهيئة بأي اتفا
- Article 50
Article 50 requires the Authority, in coordination with the Ministry, to make the necessary arrangements to ensure service continues if a service-activity licensee is unable to carry out its activity for any reason.
إذا تعذر على المرخَّص له بنشاط تقديم الخدمة القيام بنشاطه المرخَّص له به لأي سبب، فعلى الهيئة -وبالتنسيق مع الوزارة- اتخاذ الترتيبات اللازمة؛ لضمان استمرار تقدي
- Article 51
Article 51 gives the Authority's inspectors the right to enter sites and facilities licensed by the Authority to check compliance with the Law, and allows the Authority to coordinate with the competent bodies if they are prevented or obstructed.
1- لمفتشي الهيئة الحق في دخول المواقع والمنشآت المرخَّص لها من قبل الهيئة؛ للتأكد من مدى الالتزام بتطبيق أحكام النظام. 2- في حال منع أو إعاقة مفتشي الهيئة عن تأ
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.