Cabinet Resolution No.431/2021 on the approval of the Agriculture Law.

This Law consisting of 37 articles aims at (i) regulating the affairs of the agricultural sector, its management, protection, development and sustainability; and (ii) contributing to achieving food security, rural and social development, and the organization of activities related to it, including production, import or export, and other activities related to the agricultural sector.
The main goals of the Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture are (i) develop the agricultural sector, achieve food security and environmental balance, and preserve natural resources; (ii) supervise and control the agricultural sector, combat agricultural diseases, and epidemics, and lay down the plans and measures to limit their spread; (iii) contribute to securing an attractive environment for investment in agricultural activities and services, and invest and develop lands and facilities under its supervision; (iv) set conditions for using modern technologies and production inputs; (v) expanding the participation of the private sector; (vi) determine types and quantities of cultivated crops in each region; (vii) conduct research, studies and laboratory tests related to agricultural activities; (viii) encourage the establishment of associations related to the agricultural sector and technical supervision; (ix) establish the conditions for agricultural machinery and the uses thereof; and (x) prepare plans to protect and preserve small farmers, livestock keepers, and traditional farms, develop rural areas and support agricultural activities in them, settle and develop the profession of agriculture, and support agricultural marketing activity, in accordance with the objectives of national policies and strategies related to the agricultural sector.
The main tasks of the Ministry are as follows (i) issuance of the agricultural registry and licenses related to a) agricultural activities, b) agricultural services, c) controls on agricultural and veterinary establishments, and d) quarantine centers and associated services; (ii) issuance of the agricultural registry and granting approvals and certificates related to a) import and export of any of the live animal wealth, living aquatic wealth, plant wealth or production inputs, b) the safety of good agricultural practices and the health of the products of the agricultural sector, c) clubs, exhibitions, auctions, competitions, conferences and agricultural associations; (iii) issuance of product cards to trade in any of the agricultural sector products in the market or offer them for sale; (iv) participate with the Saudi Food and Drug Authority in preparing the necessary conditions and standards for the products of the agricultural sector; (v) issue approvals before registering veterinary preparations, and to register and import pesticides; (vi) determine safe treatment and disposal methods for a) agricultural waste, b) veterinary medical waste, c) agricultural sector's products, or production inputs that are infected or suspected of being infected with disease or epidemics, or pests; (vii) licensing of plant wealth and livestock activities; (viii) supervise and organize all fishing and fish production activities, and breeding businesses and facilities; (ix) regulate quarantine measures for the agricultural sector to limit the entry or spread of diseases, pests or epidemics; (x) supervise, control and regulate the organic farming activity, as well as approve and license the organic certification bodies; ()
Furthermore, the Law establishes that (i) to practice the organic farming activity it is necessary to obtain an organic authentication certificate from the authentication bodies (art.13); (ii) it is prohibited for foreign fishing or diving vessels to extract any kind of living aquatic wealth in the marine areas of the Kingdom except with permission from the Minister (art.18).