1- The license applicant must be a Saudi legal entity with a valid commercial registration, or a foreign investor licensed to engage in the activity of (well drilling profession) (whether tubular wells or manual wells) in accordance with the Foreign Investment System.

2- The activity of (well drilling profession) to provide services (drilling, deepening, cleaning, backfilling) of wells may not be practiced without obtaining the necessary license from the Ministry.

3- A license to practice the activity of (tubular well drilling profession) does not authorize the provision of services (drilling, deepening, cleaning) in manual wells.

4- A license to practice the activity of (manual well drilling profession) does not authorize the provision of services (drilling, deepening, cleaning) in tubular wells.

5- The licensee must provide a location (office) for their establishment and designate an area associated with the location or separate from it for the purpose of parking drilling rigs and storing drilling equipment.

6- The licensee is obligated to provide the Ministry with clear and accurate contact information and national address, and to inform it of any updates.

7- The licensee must provide proof of the availability of an electronic payment device (Mada point of sale) at the establishment's location, and is obligated to maintain it and provide it continuously for beneficiaries.

8- The licensee is obligated to install a tracking device on their drilling equipment that is capable of transmitting data to the Ministry's site according to the Ministry's specifications and under its supervision, and to maintain the device, provide a power source (battery) for the device at their own expense, and ensure continuous maintenance of this battery, ensuring it continues to supply power to the device. The Ministry will provide the data transmission chips.

9- The licensee is obligated to provide a power source (battery) at their own expense to supply the tracking device that the Ministry will install on their drilling equipment, and to ensure continuous maintenance of this battery, ensuring it continues to supply power to the device.

10- The licensee is obligated to install a metal plate on the drilling equipment platform (fixed and mobile), indicating the owner's name, license number, and chassis number.

11- The licensee must not rent, sell, or lend the equipment and supplies (drilling/maintenance/backfilling) for the purpose of well drilling without the Ministry's approval.

12- Each piece of drilling equipment must have a separate registration card.

13- The duration of the license to practice the activity of (well drilling profession) is (three) years, renewable.

14- The Ministry has the right to suspend the license or all drilling operations in the event of harm to water sources.

15- In the event of violations issued against the licensed entity to practice the activity of (well drilling profession), the license will not be canceled or renewed until the violations and the resulting dues are settled.

16- Employees of the Ministry, or its branches, or its affiliated offices, or those authorized by the Ministry must be enabled and secured access to the drilling site to carry out monitoring and inspection tasks at any time without prior notice, to ensure compliance with the regulations, rules, and license conditions.

Apply for the License through the electronic licensing system on the Ministry's website (Namaa), and attach the following documents and data:

1- A valid commercial registration or foreign investor license, including the field of activity for well drilling (tubular, manual).

2- Registration of all drilling equipment used in well drilling (owned) in the License to Practice Activity System (Well Drilling Profession) according to the following requirements:

• A- Ownership data for all drilling equipment.

• B- A valid operating form for mobile equipment (drilling rigs) classified as (Public Works Equipment) under the name (Well Driller).

• C- In case of importing fixed equipment (drilling rigs) from abroad, a certified sale document from the Chamber of Commerce or the customs card must be provided.

• D- Technical specifications (catalog) for the drilling equipment from the manufacturer, translated into Arabic by an accredited office.

The following documents and data must be submitted through the electronic licensing system on the Ministry's website (Namaa):

1- The drilling equipment card owned by the licensee, and the year of manufacture of the equipment.

2- The number of wells and their depths that the licensee has previously executed.

1- Present a valid license for conducting the activity (practicing the profession of drilling wells), and a license for the well(s) currently being executed at the site.

2- The licensee must comply with the conditions, requirements, and technical specifications related to the well license (drilling, deepening, cleaning, backfilling) approved by the Ministry.

3- The licensee for conducting the activity (practicing the profession of drilling wells) must sign to acknowledge receipt of the well license (drilling, deepening, cleaning, backfilling).

4- Supervision of all operations (drilling, deepening, cleaning, backfilling) of wells located on the sedimentary shelf must be conducted by (a geologist from the Ministry or one of its branches, or by a geologist affiliated with the licensee for conducting the activity (practicing the profession of drilling wells) approved by the Ministry, or by contracting with one of the accredited geological offices) as specified in the technical specifications approved by the Ministry.

5- Supervision of all operations (drilling, deepening, cleaning, backfilling) of wells located in the Arabian Shield or in the exempted area on the sedimentary shelf, secondary formations (Hanifa - Jubaila - Tuwaiq - Sulai - Arab), which are not relied upon as sources of drinking water, must be conducted by (a geologist from the Ministry or one of its branches, or by a geologist affiliated with the licensee for conducting the activity (practicing the profession of drilling wells) approved by the Ministry, or by contracting with one of the accredited geological offices) if the approved technical specifications from the Ministry include that.

6- The licensee for conducting the activity (practicing the profession of drilling wells) is obligated to submit a completion report for (drilling, deepening, cleaning) the well, certified by the drilling supervisor and the Ministry branch in the area, within (thirty) working days from the date of completion of the work, including the following:

• A- Coordinates of the well.

• B- Total depth of the well supported by full-depth photography.

• C- Materials used in the well (casing pipes) and their quantities and specifications.

• D- Description of samples and stratigraphic succession.

• E- Results of the pumping test according to the approved specifications.

• F- Chemical, bacteriological, and radiological analysis of samples from the well water.

7- The licensee for conducting the activity (practicing the profession of drilling wells) must submit a completion report for backfilling the well, certified by the drilling supervisor and the Ministry branch in the area, within (thirty) working days from the date of completion of the work.

8- In the case of drilling a (replacement well) for a well that is out of service, the contractor for the replacement well is obligated to backfill the well that is out of service, according to the conditions and specifications of this Ministry and under its supervision.

9- If the well is (drilled, deepened, cleaned, or backfilled) improperly, resulting in contamination or mixing of layers, or if a defect appears that prevents the benefit from that well within (one year) from the date of its drilling, the licensee must repair and rectify it; if this is not possible, they are obligated to drill a replacement well for the beneficiary at their own expense and backfill the damaged well in a secure and proper manner at their own expense, according to the technical specifications approved by the Ministry.

10- The use of contaminated materials is prohibited, and safe methods and means must be ensured to prevent contamination of water sources during the drilling process.

11- The licensee is obligated to remove any contamination and bear all costs of cleaning and the environmental damages resulting from it.

12- The water used in (drilling, disinfection, cementing, and washing the gravel casing around the casing pipes) must be clean and free from any chemical or biological contaminants that could have harmful effects on groundwater.

1- The licensee must place signs and warning indicators to clarify the presence of a well under construction, and erect a warning fence around the site (digging, deepening, cleaning, or filling) of the well.

2- The obligation to ensure the safety of employees by providing safety equipment (helmet - safety shoes - reflective vest).

3- The obligation to place fire extinguishers on site and conduct regular maintenance for them.

4- Fuel and used oils must be stored in sealed tanks, ensuring that there are no fuel leaks on site and disposing of them in an environmentally safe and sound manner.

5- The licensee must stop work during the weekend and after 8 PM each day if the digging is within or around residential areas.

6- The obligation to maintain the safety of the infrastructure and public and private properties surrounding the project operations during excavation (tanks, water networks, sewage networks, and telephone) to protect them and prevent the leakage of pollutants into the well.

7- The casing pipes must be at a height of (1) meter above the ground surface, and the wellhead must be sealed upon completion of all excavation-related works to control gas emissions from the well and prevent the leakage of excavation products into the well.

8- The licensee is obligated to clean the site around the well from excavation products and any related works.

To: Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture        Esteemed Sirs

Peace be upon you and God's mercy and blessings

In reference to my application submitted to the Ministry for obtaining a license to practice the activity of (well drilling profession) under the name (........) Commercial Register No. ........... in the area of ............ in the Governorate of ..........., I hereby pledge before the Ministry that I have reviewed the conditions and regulations for issuing the license to practice the activity of (well drilling profession), and the classification of its violations, and I am committed to implementing what is included therein.

Name of the licensee/authorized representative:

Civil Registration No.:

Commercial Register No: 

Contact Number:

Signature:

Title:

Seal:

Classification of Violations of Activity (Practicing the Profession of Drilling Wells) and Corresponding Penalties

The procedural pathway for issuing licenses to engage in the activity (practicing the profession of well drilling)

Map of the boundaries of the Arabian Shield, the continental shelf, and the excluded area in the continental shelf