The regulatory framework for waste management in Saudi Arabia
The waste sector in the Kingdom is governed by the "Waste Management Law" issued by Royal Decree No. (M/3) dated 5/1/1443 AH and published on 10/2/1443 AH on the National Legislation Portal. It is an "in force" law that replaced the previous Municipal Solid Waste Management Law issued by Royal Decree No. (M/48) of 1434 AH. According to its official published summary, the law includes chapters covering: definitions, general provisions, the waste producer's responsibility, contracting for waste management services, the service provider's responsibility, waste import and export, handling emergencies, fees, civil and criminal liability, rehabilitation and compensation, and recording violations and imposing penalties.
Which authority oversees waste management?
The National Center for Waste Management, "MWAN" (mwan.gov.sa), is the authority responsible for regulating the waste sector in the Kingdom. According to its official "About us" page, the Center was established by Council of Ministers Resolution No. (457) dated 11/8/1440 AH "to regulate and supervise waste management activities, stimulate investment in them and raise their quality based on the circular economy principle in waste management to achieve the sustainable development goals". The Center's officially stated vision is "leadership in regulating the waste management sector by adopting circular economy principles to achieve sustainability and enhance environmental protection and quality of life".
The establishment's responsibility as a "waste producer"
The Waste Management Law dedicates a full chapter (Chapter Three) to the "waste producer's responsibility", which applies to any establishment that produces waste from its operational, industrial or commercial activity. The law also includes a separate chapter (Chapter Four) titled "Contracting for waste management services", meaning establishments that do not manage their own waste are legally required to contract with waste management service providers according to the provisions of that chapter.
Licenses and permits required by activity type
On its official "Conditions and Requirements" page, the National Center for Waste Management published a detailed list of the types of licenses and permits required to carry out waste management activities, divided into "Licenses" and "Permits". Among what has been officially published: a license for collecting and transporting hazardous and non-hazardous waste, a license for final disposal of municipal solid waste, a license for importing and exporting hazardous and non-hazardous waste, temporary storage of hazardous waste, hazardous waste treatment, treatment of hazardous healthcare waste, sorting, preparing, storing and trading recyclable materials, and a permit for waste recycling facilities, among other licenses and permits. This means any establishment that carries out one of these activities itself (and not only as a waste producer contracting a third party) needs a separate license or permit from the Center.
Practical steps to manage your establishment's waste in line with the official framework
Based on what is officially documented above, an establishment can follow this path:
- Identify the nature of the waste it produces (hazardous, non-hazardous, recyclable, healthcare waste...), because the law and the official requirements handle each type through a different license/permit mechanism.
- Decide whether it will manage waste internally or through contracting, because the law dedicates a separate chapter to the provisions on contracting for waste management services.
- Make sure any service provider it contracts (collection, transport, treatment, recycling) holds the matching license or permit from the official list published on the MWAN website, because the service provider's responsibility is set out as a separate chapter of the law.
- Follow up on any obligations relating to the fees covered as a separate chapter of the law (Chapter Eight), without assuming any specific amount unless officially published.
How Beati helps
Beati connects your establishment with waste collection, transport, treatment and recycling service providers within a network of providers. This helps you make sure the party you contract to manage your waste works within the activities and licenses officially recognised by the National Center for Waste Management (MWAN), and makes it easier to match the waste type (hazardous, non-hazardous, recyclable) with the right service provider.
Frequently asked questions
Which authority regulates the waste sector in Saudi Arabia?
The National Center for Waste Management (MWAN), established by Council of Ministers Resolution No. (457) dated 11/8/1440 AH to regulate and supervise waste management activities.
Must an establishment hold a separate license for each type of waste it handles?
According to the official list published on the MWAN website, there are separate licenses and permits by type of activity (collection and transport, treatment, recycling, import/export...) and type of waste (hazardous/non-hazardous).
May an establishment contract an external party to manage its waste instead of doing it internally?
Yes. The Waste Management Law includes a separate chapter titled "Contracting for waste management services" that governs this relationship.
Official sources
Sources verified on 9 October 2026.
- National Legislation Portal — Waste Management Law (in Arabic) (opens in a new tab)
- National Center for Waste Management (MWAN) — Waste Management Law (in Arabic) (opens in a new tab)
- National Center for Waste Management (MWAN) (in Arabic) (opens in a new tab)
- National Center for Waste Management (MWAN) — Conditions and requirements (in Arabic) (opens in a new tab)
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