Issued on: 14 Rajab 1446
Corresponding to: 14 January 2025
Published in Umm Al-Qura 5067 issued on 31 January 2025.
The Minister of Environment, Water, and Agriculture,
based on the powers entrusted to him by law,
based on article 9(1) of the Water Law issued by Royal Decree D/159 dated 11 Dhu Al-Qa’dah 1441 [2 July 2020],
and after perusal of the Undersecretary of the Ministry for Water Letter 25158203 dated 1 Rajab 1446 [1 January 2025] to which the Conditions and Controls for Issuing Licenses for the Use of Surface Water Sources and Classifying Their Violations and the reports for policing their violations are attached,
and in pursuance of public interest,
hereby decides
First
The Conditions and Controls for Issuing Licenses for the Use of Surface Water Sources and Classifying Their Violations are hereby approved in the form attached to this decision.
Second
The reports for policing the violations of the use of surface water sources are hereby approved in the four forms attached to this decision.
Third
The Office of the Undersecretary of the Ministry for Water shall update the Conditions and Controls for Issuing Licenses for the Use of Surface Water Sources and Classifying Their Violations and the reports for policing their violations, make the exemption it deems appropriate in accordance with the Water Law and its executive regulation, and submit them for approval.
Fourth
This decision comes into force on the date of its publication on the official gazette, and it must be communicated to those required to implement it and act by virtue of it, and it hereby repeals all previous decisions in conflict with it.
May Allah provide success.
Minister of Environment, Water, and Agriculture
Abdulrahman bin Abdulmohsen Al-Fadley
Issued on: 14 Rajab 1446
Corresponding to: 14 January 2025
Published in Umm Al-Qura 5067 issued on 31 January 2025.
Issued on: 12 Rajab 1446
Corresponding to: 12 January 2025
Published in Umm Al-Qura 5067 issued on 31 January 2025.
The Minister of Transport and Logistics Services,
based on the powers granted to him by law,
after perusal of the Law of Public Transport on Roads of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia issued by Royal Decree D/25 dated 21 Jumada Al-Thani 1397 [7 June 1977],
after perusal of the System of the Transport General Authority issued by Council of Ministers Decision 323 dated 14 Ramadan 1434 [22 July 2013] and its amendments,
after perusal of Decision 13/41/1 dated 27 Muharram 1441 [26 September 2019] approving the Regulation Governing the Activity of Taxi, Taxi Broker, and Routing, and its amendments,
after perusal of Decision 1327 dated 13 Shawwal 1444 [3 May 2023], suspending the receipt of applications for licensing and adding cars in the public taxi activity in Makkah Al-Mukarramah,
after perusal of Board of Directors of the Authority Decision 6/8/2023/3 dated 19 Dhu Al-Qa ’dah 1444 [8 June 2023],
and after perusal of Acting President of the Transport General Authority Letter 2882/46/1 dated 25 Jumada Al-Thani 1446 [26 December 2024],
and in pursuance of public interest,
hereby decides
First
The receipt of applications for licensing and adding cars in the public taxi activity in Makkah Al-Mukarramah, as part of the public taxi vehicle service operation contracts in Makkah Al-Mukarramah City, is hereby resumed, provided that prior approval is obtained from the Royal Commission for Makkah City and Holy Sites.
Second
The validity of the approval mentioned in clause First of this decision is a condition for the validity and renewal of the license. In the event of a breach of this, the license must be suspended in coordination with the Royal Commission for Makkah City and Holy Sites.
Third
This decision comes into force on the date of its issuance.
Fourth
This decision must be published in the official gazette.
Fifth
The Acting President of the General Authority for Transport shall take the necessary measures to implement the decision.
May Allah provide success.
Minister of Transport and Logistics Services
Saleh bin Nasser Al-Jasser
Issued on: 12 Rajab 1446
Corresponding to: 12 January 2025
Published in Umm Al-Qura 5067 issued on 31 January 2025.
With the help of Allah the Almighty,
We, Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud,
the King of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,
based on article 70 of the Basic Law of Governance issued by Royal Order O/90 dated 27 Sha’ban 1412 [1 March 1992],
based on article 20 of the Law of the Council of Ministers issued by Royal Order O/13 dated 3 Rabi Al-Awwal 1414 [20 August 1993],
based on article 18 of the Law of the Shura Council issued by Royal Order O/91 dated 27 Sha’ban 1412 [1 March 1992],
after perusal of Shura Council Decision 80/8 dated 2 Jumada Al-Awwal 1446 [4 November 2024],
and after perusal of Council of Ministers Decision 473 dated 7 Rajab 1446 [7 January 2025],
have decreed as follows
First
The Law of Petroleum and Petrochemical Materials is hereby approved in the form attached.
Second
The provisions of the law—referred to in clause First of this decree—do not prejudice the validity of licenses issued in accordance with the Petroleum Products Trade Law issued by Royal Decree D/18 dated 28 Muharram 1439 [18 October 2017], and the holders of these licenses—at the time the law comes into force—shall rectify their status in accordance with its provisions within a period not exceeding two years from the date of its entry into force, provided that they submit a plan to the Ministry of Energy to rectify their status within a maximum period of one year from the date of entry into force of the law and its regulations. The Minister of Energy may grant an additional grace period or periods to rectify their status not exceeding six years from the date of expiry of the specified period for rectifying the status, as he determines to be in the public interest.
Third
His Royal Highness the Prime Minister, the ministers, and the heads of independent concerned authorities—each within their area of competence—shall implement this decree of Ours.
Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud
Issued on: 12 Rajab 1446
Corresponding to: 12 January 2025
Published in Umm Al-Qura 5066 issued on 24 January 2025.
Article 1
The following words and phrases—wherever they occur in the law—have the meanings assigned to each of them, unless the context requires otherwise:
Law: The Law of Petroleum and Petrochemical Materials.
Regulations: The executive regulations of the law.
Ministry: The Ministry of Energy.
Minister: The Minister of Energy.
Person: Every natural or legal person.
Petroleum materials: Oils, bitumen, condensates, and products derived from them through refining, production, processing, and cracking operations, as well as petroleum materials resulting from distillation, manufacturing, maintenance, operation, or cleaning processes. Petroleum materials include all types of liquid fuel, whether used or consumed.
Petroleum operations: The use, sale, purchase, transport, storage, import, export, filling, or processing of any petroleum material. Petroleum operations include building and operating a refinery, terminal, or distribution station.
Petrochemical materials: Chemical compounds that use a hydrocarbon, petroleum, or other petrochemical material as a basic feedstock in their production, through separation, blending, or chemical reaction processes. Petrochemical materials are referred to as: Basic, intermediate, conversion, and specialty materials.
Petrochemical operations: The production, processing, sale, purchase, distribution, transport, storage, filling, packaging, import, or export of petrochemical materials. Petrochemical operations include operating petrochemical facilities.
Feedstock: The use of one or more petroleum or petrochemical materials as an input in any production process, through refining, blending, or chemical reactions.
Refinery: A facility that refines crude oil or condensates to produce petroleum materials by separation and processing.
Terminal: A designated site in seaports for the export, import, or local distribution of petroleum materials.
Distribution station: A site for the local distribution of petroleum materials.
Processing: The process of improving, purifying, or making fit-for-purpose used petroleum or petrochemical materials, petroleum or petrochemical materials returned from refineries and facilities, wastes containing petroleum or petrochemical materials, spent catalysts, or oil residues.
Filling: The process of filling a type of petroleum material into containers designed for this, for the purpose of trading it.
License: A document granted by the ministry, authorising a licensee to practice petroleum or petrochemical operations.
Licensee: Every person who holds a license.
Priced petroleum products: Petroleum products whose domestic selling price has been set by the government.
Article 2
The law aims to:
1․ Regulate petroleum and petrochemical operations, in a manner that ensures the realisation of the public interest and the protection of the rights and interests of consumers and licensees.
2․ Develop the contribution of the private sector in the field of petroleum and petrochemical operations and create a competitive environment, in a manner that achieves economic growth, contributes to the gross domestic product, and raises energy-consumption efficiency levels.
3․ Promote the circular carbon economy and manage greenhouse gases.
4․ Develop ways of utilising petroleum and petrochemical materials, and maximizing the benefit of raw materials and transferring them to advanced stages of production.
5․ Ensuring compliance by the petroleum and petrochemical materials sector with national strategies and plans, as well as laws and regulations, environmental criteria and standards, and security and safety rules.
6․ Ensuring the security and reliability of petroleum and petrochemical material supplies.
7․ Monitoring and supervising petroleum and petrochemical operations to enhance compliance with the provisions of the law and prevent illegal practices.
Article 3
The provisions of the law apply to petroleum and petrochemical operations and matters relating to them. The activities subject to the Dry Gas and Liquefied Petroleum Gas Distribution Law for Residential and Commercial Purposes are not covered, nor are industrial applications that use petrochemical materials as a primary or additional component to produce fully manufactured or semi-manufactured consumer products, or to convert semi-manufactured products into fully manufactured products that are produced by forming, blending, assembling, composing, reforming, filling, or packaging, and where some or most of their production processes use machinery.
Article 4
The regulations must specify the following:
1․ Provisions on technical, operational, and procedural rules necessary for practising petroleum and petrochemical operations.
2․ Requirements for issuing licenses, including the scope of activity, the duration of the license, the requirements that the licensee must comply with, and the provisions for amending, renewing, and transferring them.
3․ Criteria for assessing compliance with the license and the consequences of non-compliance.
4․ Qualification and performance standards and requirements for petroleum and petrochemical operations.
5․ Standards for classifying materials containing petroleum materials.
6․ Rules and procedures that contribute to ensuring the security and reliability of petroleum and petrochemical materials supplies, and securing the needs of the local market.
Article 5
1․ A person shall not practice any petroleum or petrochemical operations except after obtaining a license.
2․ Prior approval from the ministry must be obtained before issuing any licenses or approvals necessary to establish any petrochemical facility.
Article 6
1․ A fee—which must be deposited into the public treasury of the state—must be collected to issue and renew licenses.
2․ A portion of the fee to the ministry must be deducted to be spent on developing the petroleum and petrochemical operations sector.
Article 7
The ministry may reject an application to issue or renew an export license for whoever has been found to have violated the provisions of the law and regulations by a decision of the committee stipulated in article 18 of the law, or who has been previously convicted of committing the crime of customs smuggling of petroleum or petrochemical materials or attempting to do so, unless a period of not less than (five) years has lapsed since the decision proving the violation or conviction. The competent entity shall provide the ministry with the names of those convicted of the crime of customs smuggling petroleum or petrochemical materials.
Article 8
A licensee shall notify the ministry upon the occurrence of any situation or incident that is expected to lead to the total or partial cessation, permanently or temporarily, of the licensed operations, as determined by the regulations.
Article 9
1․ Without prejudice to the competence of the Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization, the ministry shall adopt the mandatory specifications and standards for petroleum and petrochemical materials, and shall adopt the methods of their testing.
2․ A licensee shall, when practicing petroleum or petrochemical operations, comply with the adopted specifications and standards.
Article 10
A licensee shall provide the ministry, upon its request, with any documents or papers related to his licensed business, and shall provide the ministry with periodic reports, in accordance with the provisions specified in the regulations.
Article 11
Petroleum material must be purchased and sold at the global price if it is to be used as feedstock in production.
Article 12
1. Inspectors—identified by a decision issued by the minister—jointly or individually shall carry out works of monitoring, inspection, and policing violations of the provisions of the law and regulations, as well as investigating them.
2․ Inspectors may enter facilities, storage, and sites used for the practice of petroleum and petrochemical operations, for the purposes of monitoring, inspection, and policing violations. For this purpose, they may document by visual recordings; hear statements; take testimonies; view documents, records, paper and electronic data related to the violation and keep copies of them; and take samples of materials suspected of being petroleum or petrochemical materials if necessary.
3․ The inspectors may seize anything suspected of being used in violation of the provisions of the law, regulations, and license conditions, and this must be at the expense of the facility whenever the violation is proven, provided that a report is prepared explaining the obtained items and their descriptions during the seizure, along with a statement of the reason for the seizure and its duration, and it must be referred to the committee stipulated in article 18 of the law to decide whether to continue the seizure or cancel it, as specified by the regulations.
4․ The ministry may coordinate with any public or private entity it sees fit to seek assistance from—when necessary—in order to carry out the tasks of monitoring, inspection, and policing.
Article 13
Any person who engages in or participates in, through agreement or assistance, carrying out any of the following acts is considered in violation of the provisions of the law:
1․ Providing the ministry or the public with false or misleading information or data related to petroleum or petrochemical operations or materials.
2․ Obstructing or hindering inspectors from performing their duties stipulated in the law and regulations.
3․ Carrying out or attempting any actions that lead to manipulating storage levels for the purpose of liquefying or selling it, or disrupting the security and reliability of petroleum and petrochemical supplies.
4․ Breaching any of the provisions of the law, regulations, or license conditions.
Article 14
1․ Without prejudice to the provisions of article 15 of the law or any punishment more severe stipulated by another law, whoever violates the provisions of the law, regulations, or license conditions must be punished with one or more of the following punishments:
(a) Suspension of the license for a period not exceeding ten years.
(b) Cancellation of the license.
(c) A fine not exceeding 30,000,000 (thirty million) Riyal or an amount not exceeding twice the value of the petroleum material subject of the violation at the global price at the time of its seizure, whichever is higher.
(d) A fine not exceeding 5,000 (five thousand) Riyal for each day the violation continues, provided that this fine is calculated starting from the date specified in the decision issued regarding the violation.
2. When imposing the fine referred to in this article, distinguishing between the principal and the accomplice, the completed violation and attempting it, the nature of the activity and the violation committed, its gravity, the amounts obtained from the violation, the damages resulting from it, and the aggravating and mitigating circumstances must be taken into account.
3․ It is permitted to include in the decision—issued to determine the punishment—a stipulation that a summary of it must be published at the expense of the violator in a local newspaper or in any other means determined by the committee stipulated in article 18 of the law, according to the type of violation committed, its gravity, and its impact, provided that the decision is published after it has acquired the status of finality.
Article 15
1․ Without prejudice to any punishment stipulated in another law, whoever exports a priced petroleum material or a material containing a priced petroleum material outside the Kingdom without a license or attempts to do so, must be punished with one or more of the following punishments:
(a) Imprisonment for a period not exceeding five years.
(b) A fine not exceeding 30,000,000 (thirty million) Riyal or an amount not exceeding twice the value of the petroleum material subject of the crime at the global price at the time of its seizure, whichever is higher.
(c) Confiscation of the seized items subject of the crime.
2․ When assessing the punishment, the circumstances of committing the crime and the price difference between the global price and the price of the material subject of the crime at the time of its seizure must be taken into account.
3․ The Public Prosecution—in accordance with its jurisdiction —shall carry out the investigation and prosecution before the competent entity in the crime referred to in paragraph 1 of this article.
Article 16
1․ Without prejudice to articles 13 and 14, the minister shall issue—by his decision—a schedule classifying violations subject to immediate punishments, provided that the fine for a single violation does not exceed 10,000 (ten thousand) Riyal.
2․ The schedule—referred to in paragraph 1 of this article—must specify the type of each violation accompanied by the punishment specified for it, and the ministry shall impose that punishment in accordance with the procedures stipulated in the regulations, provided that those procedures include the presence of a prior warning before imposing the punishment and specifies the correction periods.
Article 17
1. If the ministry finds that a person has violated any of the provisions of the law, regulations, or license conditions, the ministry may, in urgent and necessary cases—by a decision issued by the minister—take one or more of the following measures:
(a) Compelling him to stop continuing the violation.
(b) Compelling him to rectify the situation and take the necessary corrective measures under the supervision of the ministry to address the results of the violation. If he delays this, the ministry may do so at his expense.
(c) Suspending the licensed activity, partially or completely, for a period not exceeding six months.
(d) Destroying materials which are proven—pursuant to laboratory reports—to be harmful or unfit for use, and the violator shall bear the costs of the destruction process.
(e) Take the necessary measures to temporarily manage any of the licensed business for a specific period not exceeding six months renewable for one time, in a manner that ensures the continuity of that activity, in accordance with the rules and procedures specified in the regulations.
2․ The decision—referred to in paragraph 1 of this article—must be enforced from the date the violator is notified of it, provided that the ministry refers the violation within a period not exceeding ten business days to the committee stipulated in article 18 of the law to consider it. The committee shall issue a decision in this regard within a period not exceeding twenty business days. If the committee does not decide within this period or if the party concerned does not accept its decision, he may object before the competent court in accordance with the legal procedures followed in this regard.
Article 18
1․ A committee—or more—must be formed by a decision by the minister from specialists where the number of its members must not be less than three, and in which chairman of the committee must be identified, provided that he is a law specialist, and its membership must include a specialist or expert in the activities subject to the law. The decision must stipulate one or more reserve members. The committee must be reformed every three years, and it is permitted to renew its membership.
2․ The minister shall issue a decision specifying the rules and procedures of the work of the committee, and shall specify the remuneration of its members and its secretariat.
3․ Without prejudice to the provisions of article 15 and article 16(2) of the law, the committee referred to in paragraph 1 of this article shall consider violations of the provisions of the law, regulations, or license conditions and impose the punishments stipulated in article 14 of the law.
4․ The decisions of the committee must be issued by majority and must be reasoned, and a grievance may be filed against any of them before the competent court within thirty days from the date of knowledge of the decision. Knowledge of the decision is achieved by notifying the party concerned of it by any means of judicial notification.
Article 19
The minister—or whoever he authorises—may grant—in accordance with the controls and conditions agreed upon with the Ministry of Finance—whoever helps in uncovering any violation of the provisions of the law, regulations, or license conditions a financial reward not exceeding 20% of the amount of the fine collected from the violation, provided that he is not an employee of the ministry or one of those whom assistance is sought from in accordance with article 12(4) of the law to police violations or perform monitoring or inspection tasks.
Article 20
The minister shall issue the regulations within ninety days from the date of publication of the law in the official gazette, and they enter into force from the date the law enters into force.
Article 21
The law replaces the Petroleum Products Trading Law issued by Royal Decree D/18 dated 28 Muharram 1439 [18 October 2017], and repeals all provisions conflicting with it.
Article 22
The law enters into force after ninety days from the date of its publication in the official gazette.
Published in Umm Al-Qura 5066 issued on 24 January 2025.
With the help of Allah the Almighty
We, Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud,
the King of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,
based on article 70 of the Basic Law of Governance issued by Royal Order O/90 dated 27 Sha’ban 1412 [1 March 1992],
based on article 20 of the Law of the Council of Ministers issued by Royal Order O/13 dated 3 Rabi Al-Awwal 1414 [21 August 1993],
based on article 18 of the Law of the Shura Council issued by Royal Order O/91 dated 27 Sha’ban 1412 [1 March 1992],
after perusal of Shura Council Decision 23/238 dated 15 Ramadan 1445 [25 March 2024] and 24/4 dated 11 Rabi Al-Thani 1446 [14 October 2024],
and after perusal of Council of Ministers Decision 474 dated 7 Rajab 1446 [7 January 2025],
have decreed as follows
First
The Traffic Law issued by Royal Decree D/85 dated 26 Shawwal 1428 [7 November 2007] is hereby amended as follows:
1 . Article 71 is repealed.
2․ Schedule of Violations 2 attached to the law—amended by Royal Decree D/115 dated 5 Dhu Al-Hijja 1439 [16 August 2018]—is amended by adding paragraph 16 with the following text: “Driving a vehicle on the roads with an expired driving license.”
Second
The Prime Minister, the ministers, and the heads of independent concerned entities—each within their area of competence—shall implement this decree of Ours.
Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud
Issued on: 12 Rajab 1446
Corresponding to: 12 January 2025
Published in Umm Al-Qura 5065 issued on 17 January 2025.
The Minister of Environment, Water, and Agriculture,
based on the powers granted to him by law, based on article 9(1) of the Water Law issued by Royal Decree D/159 dated 11 Dhu Al-Qa’dah 1441 [2 July 2020], in exception to article 2(2) of the Conditions and Controls for Issuing Licenses of Groundwater Sources (Wells) and Classifying Their Violations issued by Ministerial Decision 5216262 dated 24 Rajab 1445 [5 February 2024], and based on the matters presented by the undersecretary of the ministry for water Letter 25050113 dated 30 Jumada Al-Thani 1446 [1 January 2025], which includes the appropriateness of the Mechanism Governing the Issuance of Licenses for Drilling New Wells in Farms Located in the Arabian Shield, and the area excluded from the sedimentary shelf along the Arab, Jubaila, Wadi Hanifa, and Tuwaiq Formations that are not reliable as sources of drinking water, based on the agricultural registry (for those who do not have ownership deeds), and in pursuance of public interest,
hereby decides
First
The Mechanism Governing the Issuance of Licenses for Drilling New Wells in Farms Located in the Arabian Shield, and the area excluded from the sedimentary shelf along the Arab, Jubaila, Wadi Hanifa, and Tuwaiq Formations that are not reliable as sources of drinking water, based on the agricultural registry (for those who do not have ownership deeds), is hereby approved, in accordance with the form attached to this decision.
Second
This decision is effective for a period of three years from the date of its publication in the official gazette, subject to renewal whenever necessary. It must be communicated to those concerned to implement and act upon it.
May Allah provide success.
Minister of Environment, Water, and Agriculture
Engineer Abdulrahman bin Abdulmohsen Al-Fadley
Issued on: 9 Rajab 1446
Corresponding to: 9 January 2025
Published in Umm Al-Qura 5065 issued on 17 January 2025.
