Agricultural Land Lease Law No. 24 of 2024.

This Law, comprising 16 articles, emphasizes the importance of investing in unused agricultural lands to prevent economic loss and enhance national wealth. It aims to encourage agricultural companies, associations, and capable individuals to invest in these lands to boost production and national income. Article 1 states that the Ministry of Agriculture may lease areas of land from the Ministry of Finance allocated for agricultural reform for a maximum of 25 years, renewable for 10-year periods. Tenants are allowed to (i) establish livestock projects and (ii) establish projects complementary to agricultural activities (both plant and animal). Tenants acquire disposal rights after five years by cultivating a designated area with specified trees, adhering to horticulture and irrigation standards, maintaining at least 40 date palms per unit area (around 10 dunams), and ensuring the land remains a single, unfragmented piece. Lands covered by this Law shall be rented by public auction, except for desert lands, which shall be rented according to specific regulations. Under Article 6, tenants are obligated to (i) utilize modern scientific methods of agriculture and irrigation; (ii) maintain irrigation and drainage networks as per relevant laws; (iii) avoid harming agricultural lands that preserve their fertility; (iv) follow the agricultural rotation plan set by the Ministry; (v) cultivate strategic crops deemed essential for agricultural and industrial purposes within the specified period, along with other crops approved by the Ministry of Agriculture; and (vi) cultivate palm trees, olive trees, shrub-like trees, and fruit trees according to the Ministry of Agriculture's plan. Furthermore, tenants may establish temporary irrigation facilities, plant orchards, or implement livestock projects and projects complementary to agricultural activities in an area not exceeding 15% of the rented area. The Ministry of Agriculture is responsible for periodically monitoring and inspecting the contractor.
The Law specifies several cases for the termination of contracts (i) tenants failing to fulfill legal, contractual, or technical commitments must rectify the violation within 90 days, or the lease contract may be terminated, and the land recovered; (ii) non-cultivation for two consecutive years results in contract termination; (iii) partner non-compliance in a shared contract leads to termination of their share; (iv) termination for public interest, with compensation for damages and the value of plants and facilities; (v) death of the tenant, if heirs do not meet legal conditions or fail to report the death, results in contract termination.
Article 12 establishes that 10% of rent allowances shall be allocated to a fund for addressing natural disasters and agricultural risks, regulated by the Minister, while 3% of revenues from rent allowances shall be allocated to the assessment committee, tax collectors, and supervisory bodies for administrative services and employee requirements.