منع حيازة أو استخدام الأسلحة وأدوات الصيد في المحميات

The Ministry of Environment has introduced an updated draft of the protected areas regulation to reinforce the protection of ecosystems and enhance efforts to preserve the unique biodiversity in Saudi Arabia. The regulation establishes a strict framework that balances the protection of natural resources with the regulation of human activities within the reserves. Under the update, individuals' access to or passage through protected areas will be subject to stringent controls, and prior authorization from the relevant authority will be required.
The project stipulates that security companies within the reserves will have the authority to inspect individuals and their vehicles at the entry and exit gates, with the right to deny entry to any violators, recover any resources or wildlife prohibited from being taken out, and impose the prescribed fines.
The regulation also grants supervising authorities flexibility in determining protection zones exempt from the licensing requirement under specific controls, and allows for the issuance of immediate licenses for emergency cases, such as search operations for missing persons or livestock, in direct coordination with the regional emirates.
The project warns against engaging in any activity within the reserves without obtaining a permit, and the list of prohibitions includes the possession or use of weapons and hunting tools, harming wildlife, and lighting fires in non-designated areas, in addition to banning grazing, agriculture, and metal detection activities without a license. The prohibitions also include preventing vehicles from driving off designated paths or exceeding prescribed speeds, prohibiting the establishment of buildings or camps in non-approved locations, and conducting scientific research or collecting any wildlife and its products without official permission, in an attempt to regulate all activities that may affect the delicate ecological balance of these areas.
The ministry's project requires obtaining a license from the National Center for Wildlife Development, which will only be granted after proving private ownership of the land and full compliance with the approved environmental protection standards, emphasizing that any encroachment on these reserves will face penalties under environmental law, in addition to private property protection laws.
The regulation categorically criminalizes any practices that may disrupt the natural balance, such as damaging facilities and boundary markers, or releasing invasive or alien wildlife, and prohibits photographing and publishing environmental violations on social media without prior approval.