Regulation No. 69 of 2020 Environmental Classification and Licensing made by virtue of Clause A of Article 5 of the Environment Protection Law No. 6 of 2017.

This Regulation, comprised of 25 articles, seeks to advance sustainable development and safeguard the enduring welfare of both the environment and the community. It achieves this by emphasizing environmental protection and actively involving stakeholders, outlining the essential steps and requirements for conducting environmental impact assessments. It applies to all areas of the Kingdom, including duty-free zones and developmental areas, excluding the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority. Overall, the Regulation (i) underscores the importance of considering environmental, social, and economic impacts in new project proposals, requiring detailed project descriptions in terms of reference for environmental impact assessments; (ii) emphasizes the value of scoping sessions involving consultations with stakeholders to address concerns; (iii) emphasizes thorough environmental baseline descriptions, covering various aspects, to mitigate adverse effects and promote sustainable development practices.
The environmental classification is determined by four categories, organized according to risk level. (i) Category 1 represents high-risk activities, necessitating comprehensive environmental impact assessments due to significant adverse impacts on the environment and human health; (ii) Category 2 denotes medium-risk activities, requiring precautionary measures and preliminary assessments for moderate environmental and health effects; (iii) Category 3 encompasses limited-risk activities, needing environmental consent for minimal environmental effects; (iv) Category 4 includes low-risk activities, requiring compliance with specified environmental conditions only. Projects under Category 4 are exempt from requiring an application for environmental consent or other permits. Additionally, these projects must adhere to specific criteria, including noise limits, wastewater disposal methods, and compliance with waste management laws and regulations. Under article 5, the responsibilities of the License and Pollution Mitigation Directorate include receiving and reviewing applications, inspecting activity sites, establishing environmental requirements, forwarding terms of reference to the Committee, coordinating with relevant entities to review classification tables, maintaining records of environmental consents, and examining applications for activities not covered by existing categories or classifications according to the Regulation. Article 7 establishes the Environmental Impact Assessment Committee chaired by the General Secretary undertaking the following main tasks and authorities (i) review the terms of reference of a study submitted by the consultative entity and recommend the necessary procedures; (ii) review the study of the premilitary and comprehensive environmental impact assessment to make the appropriate decisions; (iii) participate in the scoping sessions held by the projected representative.