Meteorology Law in Saudi Arabia

The Meteorology Law in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is a set of regulations that establish the requirements and guidelines for meteorological activities and related operations in the Kingdom, along with violations and corresponding penalties. It was issued on May 6, 2021, and consists of twenty articles.

Article Two of the Meteorology Law in the Kingdom stipulates that when providing any meteorological services, it is mandatory to adhere to the necessary requirements, regulations, procedures, and standards for meteorology, as specified by the regulations.

When publishing meteorological information or providing any meteorological service through the creation of a website or other means, it is required to obtain the necessary permit or license, or both. The regulations classify the types of services.

According to Article Four, when initiating a project that requires the use of meteorological information, such information must be obtained from the National Center for Meteorology or from authorized meteorological service providers before the project begins.

Article Five of the Meteorology Law in the Kingdom specifies the conditions for importing meteorological stations. A license must be obtained for importing, operating, installing, transporting, calibrating, handling, or maintaining meteorological stations, as well as when transferring ownership.

Anyone providing training on any meteorological service must obtain a license. The National Center for Meteorology is responsible for setting the regulations and standards for training on meteorological services.

According to Article Seven of the Meteorology Law in the Kingdom, the bylaws classify the types of licenses and permits based on the necessary requirements, regulations, and procedures for each. They also specify those requirements, regulations, and procedures.

Article Eight of the Meteorology Law in the Kingdom stipulates that the sovereign meteorological services are restricted to the National Center for Meteorology. Additionally, the bylaws classify the types of these services. Anyone who violates Article Eight of the law by engaging in sovereign meteorological services is subject to imprisonment for a period not exceeding ten years, a fine not exceeding SAR2 million, or one of these two penalties.

The center or licensed provider offers meteorological services to entities involved in aerial navigation in the Kingdom, in accordance with civil aviation regulations and relevant international agreements to which the Kingdom is a party. Additionally, the center or licensed provider offers meteorological services to entities involved in marine navigation.

The center, in coordination with the General Authority of Civil Aviation, determines the financial compensation for providing meteorological services to aviation navigation entities in the Kingdom. This is done in accordance with the provisions of civil aviation regulations and relevant international agreements to which the Kingdom is a party. The center also determines the financial compensation for providing meteorological services to entities involved in marine navigation.

The Meteorology Law in the Kingdom specifies several actions and behaviors that violate its provisions, including:

- Tampering with any meteorological stations, their facilities, networks, or the data they produce, whether by trespassing, tampering, disrupting, relocating, or partially or fully destroying them, either directly or indirectly.

- Using the license or permit for purposes other than those for which it was issued.

- Conducting any meteorological services without obtaining the necessary license or permit.

- Constructing meteorological stations without a license.

- Violating any other provisions of the law and its regulations.

Inspectors from the National Center for Meteorology are responsible for detecting and verifying violations of the law and its regulations by following these steps:

- Before entering sites for inspection and detecting violations, the inspector may seek assistance from the relevant authorities, in addition to following the necessary regulations and procedures.

- The inspector can immediately seize items suspected of being used in violation of the law and regulations. A report must be submitted to the concerned committee within seven days to decide whether to continue or lift the seizure, in accordance with the laws and regulations.

- It is prohibited to obstruct or prevent the inspector from carrying out inspection and violation detection duties.

- The Minister of Environment, Water, and Agriculture may delegate certain administrative tasks related to inspection and violation detection to specialized companies, following the standards and criteria specified in the regulations.

To enforce penalties, the Chairman of the National Center for Meteorology’s Board of Directors—the Minister of Environment, Water, and Agriculture— establishes tables categorizing the violations mentioned in the law and assign corresponding penalties. These will take into account the nature and severity of the violations, as well as mitigating and aggravating circumstances. The penalties include:

- A fine not exceeding SAR500,000.

- Suspending the license or permit for a period not more than six months.

- Canceling the license or permit.

- Confiscating the items involved in the violation.

- Requiring the violator to repair the damage caused by the violation under the supervision of the National Center for Meteorology, or to compensate for the estimated cost of repair or the loss of benefit.

A committee, or more, approved by the Minister of Environment, Water, and Agriculture, is responsible for addressing violations such as those related to sovereign meteorological services and other breaches of the Meteorology Law that incur the following penalties: a fine not exceeding SAR500,000, suspension of the license or permit for up to six months, or revocation of the license or permit. The committee members are appointed for a term of three years, which can be renewed. The committee consists of three members, and its chairperson is selected from experts in law or Sharia. Decisions are made by majority vote, must be justified, and are subject to the minister's approval when the penalty involves a fine of SAR100,000 or more, or revocation of the license or permit. The regulations specify the rules for the committee's work, its procedures, and the compensation for its members.

According to the provisions of the law, the committee is required to impose a fine for each day the violator continues committing the violation thereof after being notified of the final judgment of the penalty. Additionally, the committee must double the fine imposed on the violator if the violation reoccurs and make a judgment on confiscation of the detected items the subject matter of the violation. The concerned party has the right to appeal the decisions made against them through the Administrative Court within sixty days from the notification date.

The Public Prosecution is responsible for investigating and prosecuting violations that fall under the jurisdiction of the Criminal Court.

The Criminal Court is responsible for reviewing the violations mentioned in Article Fourteen of the law and imposing the two penalties specified therein. The court may also impose a fine for each day the violator continues committing their violation after being notified of the final judgment of the penalty, double the fine imposed on the violator in the event that the violation reoccurs, and make a judgment on confiscation of the detected items the subject matter of the violation.

The judgment or decision imposing the penalty may, depending on the circumstances, include the penalty decision a sentence that states that the operative part of the judgment must be published at the expense of the violator in a local newspaper issued at the residence thereof. If not, the violator must publish it in the closest newspaper thereto or any suitable means according to the type, seriousness, and effect of the committed violation, provided that the publication must be after issuing a peremptory ruling, the decision becomes immune due to the expiry of the objection period, or issuance of a final judgment to refuse the objection.