Factories are among the activities most often subject to environmental permits in Saudi Arabia, whether inside or outside industrial cities, small or large. The Implementing Regulation for Environmental Permits applies to every industrial facility expected to have an environmental impact, at every stage: construction, operation, modification, expansion and closure. Industrial land allocation does not replace the permit, because the permit is tied to the factory's activity, not the land.

What a factory needs environmentally

  1. Environmental classification form: the National Center for Environmental Compliance (NCEC) sets the factory's category within 10 working days, based on industry type and size, energy used, resource consumption and location.
  2. Construction permit: before any construction, with an environmental management plan for Category 1 or an EIA study for Categories 2 and 3.
  3. Operating permit: before production starts, valid for three to six years.
  4. Ongoing obligations: permit conditions, self-monitoring reports, records and measurements.
  5. Environmental audit: at operating permit renewal for Category 2 and 3 factories every three years.

Emissions and stacks

The Air Quality Regulation requires operators of stationary sources not under continuous monitoring to measure all stacks annually through a licensed provider, with initial measurements within 120 days of establishment or 40 days of reaching the target production rate, whichever comes first. It also requires maintenance of pollution controls, records kept for at least five years, and immediate notification of NCEC of emergencies that may exceed the standards. Details are in our guide to emissions and air quality at industrial facilities.

Industrial and hazardous waste

The Waste Management Law requires a factory, as a waste producer, to reduce waste, store it in designated places and sort recyclables, and to hand it only to a provider licensed by the National Center for Waste Management (MWAN). Anyone depositing waste with an unlicensed party is jointly liable for damages. Raw material storage requirements are covered in our guide to storing hazardous chemicals.

Water and noise

  • Industrial wastewater: needs pretreatment before discharge, and dumping untreated wastewater into any environmental medium is among the violations heard by the competent court. See our industrial wastewater guide.
  • Noise: the limit for industrial areas is 70 dB by day and 65 at night at the outer boundary of the activity under the Noise Regulation.

Guides by factory type

Recurring mistakes in factories

  • Starting construction or installing equipment before the construction permit.
  • Adding a production line or raw material without a new operating permit.
  • Late initial stack measurements.
  • Hazardous waste without containment or licensed-carrier documents.
  • Starting the environmental audit too late before renewal.

How Abak Green helps factories

We manage your factory's environmental file from the classification form to the construction and operating permits, coordinate stack measurements through licensed providers, and prepare compliance reports and records. Our license scope covers environmental audits for Category 2 factories inside industrial cities and similar areas. Contact us about your factory.