Riyadh: The National Center for Environmental Compliance (NCEC) has announced a 20% increase in the issuance of environmental permits for facilities with environmental impact during the first half of 2026, compared with the same period last year - a surge that brings the total number of permits issued over the past five years to 64,000.
According to Saudi Press Agency, Director General of Permits and Licenses at NCEC Eng. Al-Kaabi Abdullah said the number of permitted facilities over the past 180 days exceeded 9,200 across a range of development activities. He noted that permit applications were distributed across a wider geographic scope, extending into the Kingdom's northern and southern regions, while 60% of applications came from facilities operating in Riyadh and Makkah regions.
Outlining the key drivers behind the increase, Al-Kaabi pointed to the implementation of dust-control measures in Riyadh during the first quarter, alongside a more than 30% rise in inspection visits to facilities during this year's Hajj season compared with the previous one. He added that the continued development and streamlining of the environmental permitting ecosystem, together with the center's responsiveness to more than 20,000 facility inquiries, indirectly contributed to faster turnaround times for permit issuance.
Al-Kaabi stated: "The growing participation of the private sector in delivering environmental services - now exceeding 750 consulting offices - combined with opening the freelance market to nearly 100 citizens, has elevated service quality by enabling facilities to obtain permits and submit the periodic reports required to strengthen compliance."