Royal Decree M/4, 8/2/1423 H [April 20, 2002]

The English version of this document is for guidance only.

The Arabic version is the governing text. 

Article One:

The following words and expressions shall have the meanings explained opposite to them: 

The Ministry: The Ministry of Agriculture and Water which is responsible for all that is connected with Manures, Agriculture Fertilizers and Soil Improvers. 

The Minister: The Minister of Agriculture and Water. 

Manures and Agricultural Fertilizers: All simple, compound, fabricated (chemicals), and plant, human and animal organic materials of all types and forms solid or liquid which are added to soil and water as a nutrient syrup or mixed with the seeds or sprayed on the plant to provide it with one or more of plant nutrients for the purpose of increasing the fertility of the soil or improving its qualities with the intention of raising the productivity of the plant or improving its growth. 

Soil Improvers: The materials added to the soil for the purpose of improving its natural, chemical and vital qualities. 

Registration: The process of authentication and approval of the commercial manures and agricultural fertilizer required to be imported or manufactured for trading and registering it in special registers in the Ministry under a specific name, category and a trademark. 

License: The formal permission issued by the Ministry to approve the importation of manures and agricultural fertilizers – after registration - or trading by their exportation, distribution or circulating them. 

The Person Concerned: The natural or juristic person who is engaged in dealing with an activity relating to manures and agricultural fertilizers. 

The Trademark: The design or the distinctive shape as a trademark in accordance with the Trademark Law issued by the Royal Decree No. M/5 dated 4/5/1404 H. 

Article Two:

The Ministry shall be responsible for the application of the provisions of this law to all that relates to all applied activities connected with dealing with manures and agricultural fertilizers and soil improvers whether imported or prepared locally or which are traded in, distributed, marketed or circulated in the Kingdom, and the Ministry shall lay down the technical conditions and specifications which must be satisfied by the manures and agricultural fertilizers and soil improvers produced or manufactured in the Kingdom for which there are no Saudi Specifications. 

Article Three:

Manures and Agricultural Fertilizers shall not be imported, traded in, distributed or circulated except after they are registered and the necessary license is obtained from the Ministry. 

Article Four:

Importation of raw, organic or natural manures of animal or plant origin not permitted to enter the Kingdom or treated with materials not licensed to enter the Kingdom or mixed with agricultural soil is prohibited the exception of organic plant materials which are free from agricultural soil or any other organic material determined by the Ministry.

Clearance of imported organic plant manures permitted to enter the Kingdom is prohibited except after tested by the Ministry and submission of certificate showing that they are free from different diseases harmful to man, animal and plant or causes pollution to the environment and provided that they do not conflict with the applicable laws and regulations of the Kingdom.

Importation of manures whose origin is the municipal garbage or dangerous to public health such as manures of human origin or in which the rate of radiation or the concentration of heavy minerals is more than the permitted level is prohibited.

Article Five:

Without prejudice to the authorities of the Customs Officers, the manures and agricultural fertilizers imported from abroad or manufactured locally or prepared or circulated in the local market are subject to interview, search, tests and taking samples of them by the competent officers appointed in the quarantine stations in customs outlet or the competent officers of the Ministry or those entrust by the Ministry with this duty in any place where these materials are found. The Ministry is entitled to carry out the test of those samples in its laboratories or in private licensed laboratories to confirm that they are identical with the specifications recorded on them and licensed and the extent to which they satisfy the conditions provided for in this law provided that the incoming consignments are reserve for a period of not more than thirty days. 

Article Six:

The technical officers of the Ministry in coordination with the concerned Government Authorities – are entitled to enter the places that deal with the different activities relating to manures and agricultural fertilizers for the purpose of supervising the application of the provision of this law, its Implementing Regulations and the Ministerial Resolutions and check the violations and the application of the penalties provided for in this law. 

Article Seven:

Publicity, advertisement or publication of commercial information about manures and agricultural fertilizers is prohibited except after registration and license by the Ministry provided that the information relating to the publicity and advertisement are identical with recorded and licensed specifications and agree with the recommendation of the Ministry and the terms and conditions provided for in this law and its Implementing Regulations and the violator of the provisions of this Article is exposed to the penalties provided for in this law after coordinating with the Ministry of Industry and Electricity in relation to the manures and fertilizers manufactured locally. 

Article Eight:

Without prejudice to any other severe punishment provided for in other laws, the person in breach of the provisions of this law or the specifications provided for in the Implementing Regulations shall be responsible for all resulting injuries to others in addition to the following penalties: 

• A financial fine of not more than (SR 50,000) Fifty Thousand Saudi Riyals for each day of dealing with manures or agricultural fertilizers without obtaining the necessary license from the Ministry in addition to holding on reservation the manures and the agricultural the fertilizers concerned. 
• A financial fine of not more than (SR 50,000) Fifty Thousand Saudi Riyals in case of offering, dealing with or manufacturing useless or cheated manure or agricultural fertilizer in addition to keeping on reservation the manures and agricultural fertilizer concerned and its destruction at the expense of its owner. 
• A financial fine of not more than (SR 50,000) Fifty Thousand Saudi Riyals on anyone who advertises any manure or agricultural fertilizer not yet registered or licensed or advertising it in a fraudulent and misleading way that confuses it with a licensed manure or agricultural fertilizer or if the licensee failed to renew the registration or license to carry out the activity within the specified time. 
• A financial fine of not more than (SR 50,000) Fifty Thousand Saudi Riyals on anyone who disposed of the imported consignment during temporary clearance and before final clearance is obtained in addition to attachment of the manure or agricultural fertilizer concerned. 
• A financial fine of not more than (SR 50,000) Fifty Thousand Saudi Riyals for any violation of the provisions of this law for which no penalty is prescribed in the above paragraphs. 
• The penalty decided shall be doubled in case recurrence in addition to the publication of the penalty decision in two daily local newspapers at the expense of the violator and cancellation of the license in case of recurrence for the third time. 

Article Nine:

A committee shall be formed in accordance with a resolution by the Minister of not less than three members one of them must be a legal adviser to examine the violations provided for in this law and determine the penalty and puts its resolution before the Minister for approval and if the committee is of opinion that the violation requires the cancellation of the factory license a representative from the Ministry of Industry and Electricity and the General Investment Authority shall join this committee. 

Article Ten:

Anyone against whom a penalty decision is passed may object before the Board of Grievance within a period of not more than thirty days from the date on which he received the notice of the decision. 

Article Eleven:

The Ministry shall, in coordination with the Saudi Arab Authority for Specifications and Measures – within ninety days from the date of issuance of this law – issue an Implementing Regulations providing for the general specifications and the condition that must be satisfied by the chemical manures and the soil improvers produced locally or imported and the methods of using each. 

Article Twelve:

This law shall be published in the Official Gazette and shall come into force after ninety days from its publication and anything conflicting with its provisions shall be cancelled.