Water cuts are prohibited in Saudi Arabia during Ramadan and holidays | Details of the decision

Introduction: Protecting Consumer Rights in Exceptional Times

In a regulatory move aimed at improving services provided to citizens and residents, the Saudi Water Authority announced significant updates to its Water and Wastewater Services Guide. These updates include a firm decision to prohibit water service disconnections for consumers during specific periods, including the holy month of Ramadan, Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha, as well as major national holidays such as National Day and Founder's Day. This decision, which will be implemented according to the updated guide, aims to ensure the stability of Saudi families and alleviate their burdens during important religious and national occasions.

Historical context and strategic importance of the water sector

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is one of the world's largest producers of desalinated water, due to its arid geography and climate. Historically, successive Saudi governments have given considerable attention to the water sector, culminating in Vision 2030, which has designated "Quality of Life" as one of its key executive programs. The transformation of the sector and its management through the Saudi Water Authority reflects institutional maturity aimed at ensuring the sustainability of water resources. Regionally and internationally, the impact of this regulation is clearly demonstrated by the decision to prohibit water service interruptions in the holy cities of Mecca and Medina during the Hajj season (from the 1st to the 20th of Dhul-Hijjah). This measure is a continuation of the Kingdom's long-standing efforts to provide water to pilgrims, ensuring the comfort of millions of pilgrims arriving from all corners of the globe. This positively reflects on the Kingdom's global image and its efforts in managing the largest annual human gathering.

Controls and procedures for suspending and resuming service

To balance consumer and service provider rights, the guidelines establish strict controls for the disconnection process. A service provider may only initiate water disconnection procedures in two cases: when the outstanding balance exceeds 1,000 riyals, or when a subscriber fails to pay three consecutive bills. However, disconnection is not abrupt; the system mandates notifying the customer and granting a 15-day grace period for payment, followed by a final deadline of no more than five working days. For sensitive entities, an additional grace period of up to 30 days is granted before actual disconnection. If payment is made promptly, the service provider is obligated to restore water service within a maximum of 24 hours to ensure that customers are not negatively impacted by prolonged outages.

Beneficiary rights and compensation for service interruption

The new regulations have enhanced sector transparency by establishing clear compensation mechanisms. If the regular water service is delayed or interrupted for more than 72 hours due to reasons beyond the customer's control, the subscriber is entitled to request a water tanker at a subsidized rate of only 4 riyals per cubic meter. The authority has mandated that service providers deliver the tanker within 12 hours of the request, with deliveries at this reduced price continuing every 15 days until the service is fully restored.

Organizing delivery and transportation costs and scheduling

To ensure the efficiency of field operations, the guide specifies a 10-day period for reviewing new connection requests, with on-site implementation to be completed within a maximum of 25 working days after payment of fees. The guide also outlines a clear fee structure: relocating meters up to two meters costs SAR 2,500 for small diameters and SAR 3,500 for large diameters, with an additional SAR 1,000 charged for each extra building unit. For the non-residential sector, connection fees start at SAR 3,000 for water and SAR 5,000 for sewage, with variable fees applied for areas exceeding 3,000 square meters. These pricing structures aim to keep pace with the Kingdom's rapid urban expansion and cover infrastructure costs while maintaining the highest standards of quality and speed of completion.