Violators of environmental regulations and local firewood seized in Riyadh – penalties and details

As part of ongoing field efforts to protect the Kingdom’s natural resources, the Special Forces for Environmental Security announced that they had apprehended two violators of the environmental regulations in the Riyadh region, a citizen and a resident of Ethiopian nationality, after finding in their possession a large quantity of local firewood that is prohibited from being traded.

The authorities revealed that the seized quantity amounted to 22 cubic meters of locally sourced firewood, a clear violation of the environmental regulations in force in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The necessary legal procedures were applied to the violators, and the seized quantities were handed over to the relevant authorities to ensure they do not reappear in the markets.

Deterrent penalties and fines

In an effort to raise awareness and deter violations, the Special Forces for Environmental Security reiterated their warnings regarding the handling of locally sourced firewood and charcoal. They clarified that the executive regulations of the Environmental Law stipulate strict penalties, with fines for using local firewood and charcoal in commercial activities (such as restaurants and bakeries) reaching 32,000 riyals per cubic meter. The penalty for transporting, selling, or storing local firewood and charcoal is a fine of 16,000 riyals per cubic meter, all aimed at eliminating the phenomenon of illegal logging, which threatens vegetation cover.

National context and the importance of preserving vegetation cover

These seizures are consistent with the strategic directions of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia within Vision 2030 and the "Green Saudi Arabia" initiative, which aims to combat desertification and develop natural vegetation cover. Illegal logging is one of the biggest environmental challenges the Kingdom has faced for decades, as cutting down mature trees (such as acacia and tamarisk) leads to soil degradation and loss of biodiversity, making the restoration of these ecosystems a process that takes many years.

The Special Forces for Environmental Security play a pivotal role in enforcing these regulations, acting as a protective shield for nature reserves and national parks, to ensure the sustainability of natural resources for future generations, and to reduce the negative effects of climate change and drought.

Fire violation in Medina

In a separate incident, field patrols in the Madinah region apprehended a citizen for violating environmental regulations by lighting a fire in an unauthorized area, posing a threat to vegetation and potentially causing fires to spread to neighboring areas. The authorities confirmed that the penalty for this act in forests or national parks is a fine of up to 3,000 riyals.

The forces concluded their statement by urging all citizens and residents to cooperate in protecting the environment and to immediately report any cases of attacks on wildlife or vegetation by calling the number (911) in the regions of Makkah, Riyadh and the Eastern Province, and the numbers (999) and (996) in the rest of the regions of the Kingdom, stressing that reports are dealt with in complete confidentiality.