Lawyer Mona Ayad: The State Has Established a Legal Framework to Protect the Environment from Violations

Lawyer Mona Ayad: The State Has Established a Legal Framework to Protect the Environment from Violations

Lawyer Mona Abdul Rahim Ayad affirmed that the state has given great attention to environmental laws, considering environmental preservation as a cornerstone of sustainable development. She noted that laws have been enacted to protect the environment from violations such as various forms of pollution (air, water, and agriculture), sewage waste, crop destruction, and water wastage.

She highlighted key legislation in this field, including Law No. 32 of 1995 on environmental protection and Law No. 30 of 2002, which imposes strict penalties on violators, such as fines, imprisonment, deportation, removal of violations at the violator’s expense, confiscation of used equipment, and closure of non-compliant establishments.

She added that the establishment of a Ministry for Climate Change and an Environmental Prosecution Office reflects the state’s vision for environmental conservation. Additionally, Article 71 of Law No. 30 of 2002 stipulates imprisonment for no less than three years and no more than ten years, along with a fine ranging from 200,000 to 500,000 riyals for violations of Article 24, which prohibits the import, burial, or storage of hazardous waste.

The law also includes other provisions, such as Article 43, which criminalizes the discharge or disposal of oil into territorial waters, and Article 51, which prohibits the discharge of harmful or polluting liquids, intentional or unintentional dumping of waste that harms the marine environment or public health. Strict penalties have been established to curb environmental violations.