Data from the National Center for Environmental Compliance showed that about 20% of violations observed during the first half of 2026 were related to soil pollution, air quality, and noise, in addition to violations of environmental rehabilitation and environmental service providers, while the majority of violations were recorded related to environmental permits.

Abdulmajeed Al-Harbi, Director of the Inspection Department at the Center, explained that these indicators confirm the importance of obtaining environmental permits before engaging in activities with an environmental impact, noting that two-thirds of detailed violations are due to practicing activities without obtaining an environmental permit or license.

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He added that the environmental permit constitutes the cornerstone for meeting the minimum commitment to the controls, standards, and measures necessary for environmental protection and sustainability, and facilities can avoid violations through the Center's digital portals for permit issuance procedures and correcting their status.

Environmental Protection Targets

Al-Harbi stated that the violations observed on licensed facilities included violations related to soil and air pollution, and noise, in addition to violations related to construction work, precautionary measures, and others related to environmental rehabilitation, pointing out that most of these violations are associated with the operational stage and practicing activities with an environmental impact without complying with regulatory requirements. He affirmed that the Center adopts an approach that balances oversight and awareness, by enabling facilities to correct their status and enhance compliance, which is integrated with the efforts previously announced by the Center in correcting the status of more than 1,200 environmental violations over the past 18 months through approved corrective plans, within the framework of environmental protection targets and achieving sustainable development in line with Saudi Vision 2030.