RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has unveiled a voluntary disclosure project designed to improve compliance with environmental rules and reduce the harm caused by violations.
The initiative, which was announced by the National Center for Environmental Compliance on Monday and will undergo a public consultation process through the national “Istitlaa” platform before it is implemented, will allow facilities to proactively report and rectify any environmental breaches.
Saad Al-Mutrafi, a spokesperson for the center, urged all stakeholders to take part in the survey and share their views on the proposed controls designed to limit environmental damage.
Under the scheme, facilities will be granted a grace period of up to 20 days from the date of a violation to correct it, provided the center had not previously identified the breach.
Organizations will have to submit a remediation and correction plan, Al-Mutrafi said, and cooperate with the regulator to verify the accuracy of data and implement required measures. He reiterated that disclosures would only be accepted if the violation was not previously known to the center or reported through other mechanisms.
Facilities will also be required to report violations through the center’s official channels and present corrective action plans within legally specified time frames.
The aim of the initiative is to encourage companies that have environmental impacts to strengthen their internal monitoring systems while balancing voluntary compliance with effective environmental protections.
It is also designed to ensure fair and transparent application of regulations by enabling facilities to report any noncompliance at an early stage and address issues before they escalate.
