Water Act (within the Saudi Vision 2030).

This Act, consisting of 137 articles divided in XI Sections, aims to regulate and protect the sources of water, ensuring their sustainability and management, regulating their affairs, related rights and use. Water sources are listed as follows (i) rainwater, snow and discharge of torrents ; (ii) renewable and no-renewable groundwater; (iii) surface water; (iv) treated wastewater ; and (v) desalinated seawater. It establishes that all the water sources are property of the State and the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture is responsible for their protection and exploitation with the following competencies: (i) grant licenses for the use and exploitation of water resources; (ii) the possibility of imposing numbers on wells in farms, recreational facilities and houses; (iii) prepare and up to date the National Water Strategy; (iv) develop an emergency and disaster management plan that incorporates the activation of monitoring and early warning techniques; (v) establish a national center for information and research; (vi) monitoring water sources; (vii) impose and monitoring the use of advanced and rational irrigation techniques and systems for the use of water in agricultural activities; (viii) prepare educational programs for farmers; (ix) promote the use of environmentally friendly technologies and materials in all water services and projects. The Authority responsible for regulating the public services shall develop plans to encourage the private sector participation in the water projects and services and in achieving the goals contained in the national policies. It also establishes the water tariffs or fees.
As for the water use, basic principle is that every human being shall have the right to obtain clean, safe water and conform to the approved standards to meet his natural needs and the Ministry shall supply water to inhabited communities on a fair basis in accordance with approved standards, plans and programs. Priorities in the establishment of water use are human needs, watering the animals, agricultural demand, industrial and tourism demand, urban demand and environmental balance. Permits are needed for: (i) withdraw water from the source; (ii) digging wells or modifying their depths: (iii) use of treated water.
It is permitted only the import of water to drink. All governmental and private bodies are required to adopt the "Water Feasibility" standard in preparing studies on the economic feasibility of their projects together with the principle of Rationalization of water use as a pillar of the programs.
Within two years from the entry into force of this Act, the Ministry will create a Saudi Code of Water Resources and Uses including the following information: source name, symbol, classification (groundwater, surface water, desalinated, treated), safe tender quantity, appropriate uses of the source and terms of use rights.
The XI Section are entitled as follows: General principles - Definition (I); Water sources and their property (II); Water Strategy and Plans – Water sources management (III); Water sources and their sustainability protection - General frameworks and priorities for water use (IV); Water use – Use of groundwater and surface water (V); Water supply and demand management (VI); Water services, infrastructures and related activities (VII); Health and environmental protection – Water quality and environmental standards (VIII); Violations (IX); Sanctions (X); Transitional and final provisions (XI).