Article 74 of the Saudi Water Law
المادة 74 من نظام المياه · الفصل السابع عشر: أحكام انتقالية وختامية
Article 74 allows the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture to delegate some of its tasks assigned to it under the Water Law to any public body or to the private sector.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
للوزارة تفويض بعض مهماتها المسندة إليها بموجب النظام إلى أي من الجهات العامة أو القطاع الخاص.
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 74 explained in plain English
This article gives the Ministry flexibility in carrying out its tasks, by allowing it to delegate some of the tasks assigned to it under the Water Law.
To whom may the delegation be made?
- Any public body.
- Or the private sector.
Notes on the limits of the text:
- Delegation is discretionary: the article says "the Ministry may", so it is a power for it, not an obligation on it.
- Delegation is limited to some tasks, not all.
- The tasks that may be delegated are those assigned to the Ministry under this Law.
- The article does not specify the tasks that can be delegated or the procedures or conditions for delegation; these are details the text does not state.
In the definitions in Article 1, the Ministry is the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture. The article concerns the Ministry alone, and does not mention the Authority.
This article comes within the transitional and final provisions, after Article 73, which exempts from the unlicensed well fine whoever discloses them within the stated period, and before Article 75, which repeals three earlier laws relating to water and sewage. An investor who wants to know whether they could take on a task delegated by the Ministry would do well to consult a lawyer specializing in water, environmental and administrative law.
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 74 of the Saudi Water Law
May the Ministry of Environment and Water delegate its tasks to the private sector?
Yes. Article 74 allows the Ministry to delegate some of its tasks assigned to it under the Law to public bodies or the private sector.
Can all of the Ministry's tasks be delegated?
The text speaks of delegating some tasks, not all.
Is delegation mandatory for the Ministry?
No. The article makes it a discretionary power of the Ministry.
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1- تتولى الوزارة القيام بالآتي: أ- إعداد واعتماد الخطط والبرامج التطويرية لمصادر المياه، وإمداداتها، واستخداماتها، ومعالجتها (على المدى القصير والمتوسط والبعيد)
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1- تتولى الهيئة فيما يتعلق بأنشطة تقديم الخدمة -بالإضافة إلى المهمات المنصوص عليها في تنظيمها- الآتي: أ- اعتماد الخطط التنفيذية التي يعدها المرخَّص لهم بتقديم ا
- Article 6
The article requires the Ministry and the Authority to give the private sector the information it needs for water investment, and requires bodies and licensees to give them information, samples and documents.
1- على الوزارة والهيئة -كلٌّ فيما يخصه- تزويد مؤسسات القطاع الخاص بالمعلومات التي تمكنهم من اتخاذ قراراتهم، وإعداد دراسات الجدوى الخاصة بالاستثمار في أنشطة استخ
- Article 42
The article requires the Ministry and the Authority, each within its jurisdiction, to subject all water uses to measurement and monitoring and to verify its effectiveness, directly or through licensees.
على الوزارة والهيئة -كلٌ فيما يخصه- إخضاع جميع استخدامات المياه للقياس والمراقبة وفق أحكام النظام، والتأكد من تنفيذ ذلك بفاعلية إما مباشرة، أو عن طريق المرخَّص
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تتولى الوزارة -بشكل دوري- تقدير كميات المياه المتوافرة في مصادر المياه، وقياس حجم السحب منها، والمياه المخزنة، وجودتها، ومعدلات استنزافها، ومعالجتها، وعلى الجها
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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
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.