Official availability confirmed: we found two official services published on the website of the National Center for Environmental Compliance (NCEC) that cover this topic directly — the "Environmental Permit Modification service" and the "Add Activity service" — so this article is based exclusively on what they state. Details not published on these two pages (such as the exact service duration and fees, whose fields were empty when reviewed) are not mentioned, as no official published text is available for them.
When is a change considered a "modification" of the environmental permit?
According to the official environmental classification form approved by the Center, the "nature of activity" of any existing establishment is classified under specific options including: modification, addition, expansion, rehabilitation or decommissioning. The Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture explained that the Implementing Regulation for Environmental Permits applies to "all persons who own or operate any activity with an environmental impact... including construction, operation, modification, addition, expansion and closure". This means any substantial change to an existing activity — whether expanding production capacity or introducing a new activity not covered by the original permit — falls within the scope of this regulation and must be handled through an official service of the Center.
The official "Environmental Permit Modification" service
According to the official page for this service, the steps are: log in to the permits and licenses platform, choose the service, complete the form, attach the documents, then submit the request. The service is available to individuals, the government sector and the private sector through the e-services portal, and is offered in Arabic and English. At the time of review, no additional detailed requirements specific to this service were published on the official page, so this article does not mention any conditions not stated there.
The "Add Activity" service and its official requirements
The "Add Activity service" page provides broader details. The officially published general requirements include:
The technical requirements also differ according to the classification of the added activity into three categories, as officially published by the Center:
- Completing the environmental activity classification form.
- Attaching one of the official documents (investor ID / commercial registration / unified number for government establishments without a commercial registration).
- Specifying the address of the activity site.
- Attaching a valid environmental permit when requesting an (expansion, modification, addition) of an activity.
- Paying the fees as set out in the Implementing Regulation for Fees.
- Category One: submitting an Environmental Management Plan and an environmental rehabilitation plan according to the list of Category One activities in Annex (4), in addition to any other requirements the Center deems necessary, and paying the fees.
- Category Two: submitting a Category Two Environmental Impact Assessment and an undertaking from the permit applicant to implement the study's findings and recommendations, or confirming this electronically, in addition to paying the fees.
- Category Three: first submitting an Environmental Impact Assessment scoping report, then the full Environmental Impact Assessment after the Center approves the scope, a similar undertaking to implement its findings, and paying the fees.
Why the modification should not be skipped when expanding
Changing an activity without updating the permit effectively means operating an activity that does not match what the Center originally permitted. The official requirements explicitly state the need to "attach a valid environmental permit when requesting an (expansion, modification, addition) of an activity", meaning the Center treats these cases as a required official procedure directly linked to the existing permit, not an optional step.
How Beati helps
When planning to expand your facility or add a new activity, Beati can connect you with qualified environmental service providers to prepare the Environmental Management Plan or Environmental Impact Assessment required for your activity's category, making it easier to meet the official technical requirements before applying for the "Environmental Permit Modification" or "Add Activity" service on the Center's platform.
Frequently asked questions
Does every facility expansion require adding a new activity?
According to the official environmental classification form, "expansion" is a separate option under the nature of activity, alongside "addition" and "modification". The applicable case is determined by completing the environmental classification form when applying.
Do the requirements for adding an activity differ by its category?
Yes. The technical requirements differ substantially between Category One (an Environmental Management Plan) and Categories Two and Three (an Environmental Impact Assessment), as officially published on the Add Activity service page.
Must the current permit be attached when requesting a modification or expansion?
Yes. The officially published general requirements state that a valid environmental permit must be attached when requesting the expansion, modification or addition of an activity.
Official sources
Sources verified on 9 October 2026.
- National Center for Environmental Compliance — Environmental Permit Modification service (in Arabic) (opens in a new tab)
- National Center for Environmental Compliance — Add Activity service (in Arabic) (opens in a new tab)
- Istitlaa platform — Annexes to the Environmental Permits Regulation (in Arabic) (opens in a new tab)
- Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture — Implementing Regulation for Environmental Permits (in Arabic) (opens in a new tab)
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