Issued by Council of Ministers Decision 336
Article 1
The following words and phrases—wherever they appear in this system—have the meanings assigned to each of them, unless the context indicates otherwise:
System:
The System of the National Water Efficiency and Conservation Center.
Center:
The National Water Efficiency and Conservation Center.
Minister:
The Minister of Environment, Water, and Agriculture.
Ministry:
The Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture.
Board:
The board of directors of the center.
Chairman:
The chairman of the board.
Chief executive officer:
The chief executive officer of the center.
Person:
Any natural or legal person, public or private.
Water efficiency:
Improving the efficiency of the water supply chain.
Water conservation:
The optimal use of water for urban, industrial, or agricultural purposes.
Water supply chain:
The extraction or production of water from any source and its transportation and distribution for urban, industrial, or agricultural purposes.
Urban purposes:
The use of water for residential, commercial, and construction purposes, as well as for public utility, afforestation, public parks, and similar uses.
Water efficiency and conservation service providers:
Persons licensed to practice water efficiency and conservation service activities.
License:
A written permission issued by the center to the person to carry out any activity related to water efficiency and conservation.
Grey water:
Water resulting from various uses—except for water resulting from toilets—including water resulting from showers, handwash basins, kitchens, dishwashers, laundry tubs, car washing, floor washing, and swimming pools.
Article 2
The center is legally affiliated with the minister and enjoys legal personality and financial and administrative independence. Its headquarters must be in the City of Riyadh. It is permitted by a decision by the board, to establish branches or offices for it within the kingdom.
Article 3
The center aims to contribute to raising water efficiency and conservation, and to unify the efforts of governmental and non-governmental entities in this field.
Article 4
Subject to the mandates prescribed by law for the concerned entities, the center shall, in order to achieve its objectives, assume the following mandates:
1․ Setting national programs for water efficiency and conservation, defining indicators and objectives, and developing plans and policies relating to them, while following up on the implementation of the necessary steps to achieve them with the relevant entities, verifying their outcomes and effectiveness, and preparing periodic reports on this, in accordance with the established legal procedures.
2․ Proposing draft laws on water efficiency and conservation, proposing amendments to those in force—in coordination with the relevant entities—and reporting on this in accordance with the established legal procedures.
3․ Issuing technical regulations, standards, and procedures that achieve water efficiency and conservation.
4․ Contributing with relevant entities to set standard specifications for devices and equipment in order to achieve water efficiency and conservation.
5․ Setting mechanisms and procedures that encourage the reuse of grey water.
6․ Setting the suitable foundations that help manage the water efficiency and conservation card program, in coordination with relevant entities.
7․ Setting the necessary rules for qualifying and licensing water efficiency and conservation service providers.
8․ Contributing with relevant entities to set the necessary rules related to water efficiency and conservation tests.
9․ Providing technical and consultancy services in the field of water efficiency and conservation.
10․ Preparing the national guide for water efficiency and conservation services, including measuring and verifying these services, publishing it, and following up on updating it.
11․ Monitoring compliance with water efficiency and conservation standards, and taking all measures to achieve this.
12․ Obtaining information and documents relating to water efficiency and conservation from any water user, and establishing and developing the database necessary to achieve the tasks of the center, in cooperation with relevant entities.
13․ Preparing periodic reports on water production, consumption, efficiency, and conservation, in cooperation with relevant entities, in accordance with the established legal procedures.
14․ Encouraging studies and research in fields related to water efficiency and conservation.
15․ Encouraging and supporting investment and financing in fields aimed at achieving water efficiency and conservation.
16․ Encouraging and supporting the establishment of training, professional, and awareness programs in fields related to water efficiency and conservation.
17․ Approving training and professional programs and certification entities specialized in training, in fields related to water efficiency and conservation, in coordination with relevant entities.
18․ Coordinating and following up on the preparation of curriculums and activities for water efficiency and conservation in public, higher, and vocational education, in cooperation with relevant educational entities and institutions.
19․ Holding exhibitions, conferences, seminars, and awareness campaigns relating to water efficiency and conservation, in coordination with relevant entities, in accordance with the established legal procedures.
20․ Representing the Kingdom aborad in fields related to water efficiency and conservation, in accordance with the established legal procedures.
21․ Setting rules that ensure the confidentiality of any information obtained by the center from any person, including the prohibition of disclosing any confidential information obtained by any person during the performance of his tasks as a member of the board, one of the personnel of the center, or a consultant to it.
22․ Signing agreements and memorandums of understanding with international and regional organisations—in accordance with the established legal procedures—as well as signing agreements and memorandums of understanding with local government authorities and non-governmental entities, including companies and institutions, to benefit from the best technologies, systems, research, and studies in the fields related to water efficiency and conservation.
23․ Any other mandate assigned to it by law.
Article 5
The center must have a board of directors chaired by the minister, and the membership of each of:
1․ A representative from the Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture.
2․ A representative from the Ministry of Commerce.
3․ A representative from the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs.
4․ A representative from the Ministry of Finance.
5․ A representative from the Ministry of Housing.
6․ A representative from the Ministry of Education.
7․ A representative from the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Dawah, and Guidance.
8․ A representative from the Ministry of Energy.
9․ A representative from the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources.
10․ A representative from the Saudi Standards, Metrology, and Quality Organization.
11․ A representative from the General Authority of Customs.
12․ A representative from the Saudi Energy Efficiency Center.
13․ A representative from the National Water Company.
14․ Two specialists with expertise in the field of work of the center, appointed by a decision by the Council of Ministers—based on a nomination by the minister—for a period of three years, renewable once.
The rank of representatives of government entities in the board must not be less than the 14th rank or its equivalent.
Article 6
The board is the supreme authority for managing the affairs of the center and conducting its business, and must take all necessary decisions to achieve its objectives within the limits of the provisions of the system, and in particular, it has the following mandates:
1․ Drawing up the main directions of the center, approving the plans, programs, and policies necessary to achieve them, and supervising their implementation.
2․ Approving the organizational structure of the center.
3․ Approving the financial and administrative regulations and other internal and technical regulations, provided that the approval of the financial regulations and provisions with financial impact provided in the administrative regulations is in agreement with the Ministry of Finance.
4․ Determining the fee received by the center for the licenses, works, and services it provides.
5․ Adopting national programs for water efficiency and conservation.
6․ Approving the draft budget of the center, its final account, the accounts auditor report, and the annual report, in preparation for submitting them in accordance with the established legal procedures.
7․ Accepting donations, gifts, grants, bequests, awqaf, and aid given to the center, in accordance with the provisions governing this.
8․ Appointing an internal financial controller and determining his fees.
9․ Forming work teams and committees from among the members of the board or others, and determining their mandates.
The board may delegate any or some of its mandates to any of the officials in the centers as required for the conduct of its work.
Article 7
1․ The board must meet at least four times a year upon the invitation of its chairman, and whenever the interest so requires. The invitation must be accompanied by the agenda of the meeting. The chairman shall invite the board to meet if at least five of the members request it.
2․ Board meetings must be held at the headquarters of the center. It is permitted, when necessary, to hold them in another place within the Kingdom.
3․ The chairman may delegate any member of the board he deems appropriate—from among the representatives of government entities—to chair the board meeting when necessary.
4․ The board meeting is valid if attended by at least a majority of the members, including the chairman or his delegate. Decisions are issued by at least a majority of the votes of the members in attendance, and in the event of a tie vote, the side with which the chairman of the meeting votes prevails. A member is not permitted to abstain from voting or to authorize another member to vote on his behalf during his absence.
5․ The board may issue its decisions by circulation by presenting them to all members separately unless five members request in writing to hold a meeting to deliberate on them.
6․ The deliberations and decisions of the board must be recorded in minutes signed by the chairman of the meeting and the members in attendance. The objecting member may record his objection and the reasons for the objection in the minutes of the board meeting.
7․ The board may invite whoever it deems necessary to attend its meetings, to be assisted with their expertise and information, without them having the right to vote.
Article 8
The center must have a chief executive officer, appointed by a decision of the board. The decision must determine his salary and other financial benefits. He is the executive responsible for managing the center, and his responsibilities must be within the limits of the system and regulations and the decisions of the board. He shall exercise the following mandates:
1․ Carrying out the secretariat of the board, preparing for its meetings, issuing invitations, preparing the minutes of the meetings of the board and its decisions, and following up on their implementation.
2․ Supervising the progress of work of the center and its employees, in accordance with the powers assigned to him and as specified by the regulations of the center.
3․ Proposing the organizational structure of the center and its financial, administrative, internal, and technical regulations, submitting them to the board for approval, and supervising their implementation after their approval.
4․ Preparing the draft budget of the center, the draft final account, and the annual report, and submitting them to the board.
5․ Approving the holding of conferences, seminars, and meetings for the center relating to its work.
6․ Signing agreements and memorandums of understanding, in accordance with the established legal procedures.
7․ Appointing and supervising the competent employees of the center, in accordance with the relevant laws and regulations.
8․ Contracting with experts, specialists, and consultants in fields relating to the work of the center, and approving consultancy studies and their results.
9․ Representing the center before the judiciary, government entities, relevant institutions, authorities, and organizations, and other entities, conferences, or events inside the Kingdom and aboard, and he may authorize others to do so.
10․ Preparing periodic reports on the works of the center, its achievements, activities, and the obstacles it faces, and submitting them to the board, in preparation for completing the necessary matters in their regard.
11․ Submitting proposals to the board regarding matters within his mandates.
12․ Exercising any power assigned to him by the board, the system, or the regulations.
He may delegate any of his powers to other personnel of the center.
Article 9
The center must have an independent annual budget. The financial year of the center is the financial year of the state.
Article 10
1․ The resources of the center consist of the following:
(a) The financial appropriations allocated to it in the general budget of the state.
(b) The fee charged by it for the licenses, works, and services it provides.
(c) Donations, gifts, grants, bequests, awqaf, and aid accepted by the board.
(d) Any other resource approved by the board, provided that it does not violate the laws and instructions.
2․ The funds of the center must be deposited in the current account of the Ministry of Finance with the Saudi Arabian Monetary Authority.
3․ The center shall open an account in the Saudi Arabian Monetary Authority, and may open other accounts at any of the banks licensed to operate in the Kingdom. Disbursements from these accounts must be made in accordance with its budget.
Article 11
The personnel of the center are subject to the provisions of the Labor Law and the Social Insurance Law.
Article 12
Without prejudice to the mandates of the General Court of Audit to oversee the accounts and operations of the center, the board shall appoint one (or more) external account auditors from among natural or legal persons licensed to work in the Kingdom. The board shall determine their fees and submit the report of the accounts auditor to the board, with a copy of it provided to the General Court of Audit.
Article 13
The center shall submit to the Council of Ministers—within 90 days from the end of the financial year—its annual final account, an annual report on the achievements of the center, the difficulties it faced, and any proposals it deems necessary to improve the conduct of its work.
Article 14
The system must be published in the official gazette, and comes into force on the date of its publication.
Published in Umm Al-Qura 4870 issued on 12 February 2021.