Saudi Arabia: SR500-2,000 fines for unauthorised camping

Cairo: Saudi authorities have warned that fines up to SR2,000 will be imposed on camping without licensing under regulations for developing vegetation and combat desertification in the kingdom.

Daghim Al Numsi, the director of the Vegetation Development Centre’s Licencing and Permits Department, said the fine for a first-time violation is SR500 and increases to SR2,000 if the violation is repeated for the third time.

An arrest report is issued for violators who do not have a licence for the camping site, the official told Saudi TV Al Ekhbariya. He added that in cases of environmental damage resulting from unauthorised camping, the violator is required to pay the necessary compensation.

In recent years, Saudi Arabia has intensified its efforts to protect the environment and combat climate change.

In 2021, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman launched the Saudi Green Environment (SGI), a plan pursuing three overarching targets, namely emissions reduction, afforestation and land regeneration, as well as land and sea protection.

Envisioned as a whole-of-society initiative, the SGI aims to unify all of the kingdom’s efforts to combat climate change under a single framework with clear objectives, including accelerating the green transition.

Officials said that over 95 million trees have already been planted across Saudi Arabia.

The Saudi Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture has recently approved an amendment to the rules on penalties for violations of the kingdom’s environmental regulations, including fines of up to SR5 million and deportation for non-Saudi offenders.

Under the regulations, a specialised court shall hear cases on environmental violations such as dumping, or discharging wastewater or untreated liquid components into underground wells, or trading in, killing or hunting endangered creatures, reported Saudi news portal Akhbaar24.

If non-Saudis are found violating the regulations, they will be referred to local authorities to consider their deportation to their home countries.