This law applies to all maritime areas subject to the sovereignty of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia or its regional jurisdiction in both the Red Sea and the Arabian Gulf according to the Kingdom's regulations, which shall hereinafter be referred to as (maritime areas).

For the purposes of this Law, the following terms shall have the meanings assigned to them below:
1- Marine Scientific Research:
This means all scientific and technical activities conducted in marine areas, including photography and recording for scientific purposes, studies or water research, and the search for marine resources.
2- Vessel:
This means any marine floating object used in marine scientific research activities in accordance with internationally applicable regulations.
3- Person:
This means a natural person or a legal entity.
4- Marine Environmental Pollution:
This means the direct or indirect introduction of any materials or energy that results in or is likely to result in harmful effects, such as damage to marine resources and life, including fishing and other legitimate uses of the seas, and the degradation of the quality of seawater for various uses.
5- Competent Authority:
This means the Military Survey Department of the Ministry of Defense.

• 1- The organization of marine scientific research, its licensing, conduct, and monitoring in marine areas is an exclusive right of the Kingdom.

• 2- Marine scientific research in marine areas shall not be conducted except based on an explicit License issued in accordance with the provisions of this Law, and provided that:

  • A- It is conducted solely for legitimate purposes.

  • B- It does not harm other legitimate uses of the seas.

• 3- Activities of marine scientific research in marine areas do not constitute a legal or factual basis for any claim to any part of the marine environment or its resources.

• 1- The competent authority in the Kingdom must not grant approval for conducting marine scientific research by another country, an international organization, or any other foreign individual, if it is found that the license applicant has provided incorrect information, or if conducting the research would result in any of the following, for example:

  • A- Direct impact on the exploration and exploitation of living or non-living natural resources.

  • B- Deep drilling over the continental shelf.

  • C- Use of explosives that affect living and non-living resources.

  • D- Introduction of harmful substances to the marine environment.

  • E- Creation of artificial islands or permanent installations or structures.

  • F- Violation of the Kingdom's rights over its marine areas.

• 2- Marine scientific research activities related to oil exploration are subject to specific regulations.

1- A license claim must be submitted to the relevant government agency at least sixty days before the specified date for the commencement of marine scientific research if the applicant is a Saudi national, and at least six months if the applicant is a non-Saudi.
2- In the case of non-Saudis contracting with a government agency in the Kingdom or with a Saudi individual, the license claim must be submitted through the government agency or the Saudi individual at least ninety days before the specified date for the commencement of research.
3- A license claim must be submitted at least six months before the specified date for the commencement of research if the proposed marine scientific research is a joint project between Saudi individuals and non-Saudis.

The application for a marine scientific research license must include copies of the research projects to be conducted, containing the following information:
1- A definition of the person who will conduct the research, detailing their previous activities, the locations where they were practiced, and the foreign entities they have previously dealt with in similar projects.
2- Identification of the entity responsible for the project and its funding sources.
3- Naming of the research team, along with the names of the supporting specialists, detailing their specializations, experiences, and nationalities.
4- The nature of the research project, its program, its objectives, and the specified duration for its completion.
5- A precise geographical specification of the marine areas where the research is to be conducted.
6- The methods and scientific and technical means intended to be used in the research activities, including a precise identification of the vessel or vessels to be used in terms of name, type, nationality, capacity, model, and class, along with a complete description of the scientific devices and equipment and their nature.
7- The expected date of the first arrival and the last departure of the research team and the vessels used, or for the installation and removal of equipment and devices as necessary.
8- The extent to which the applicant believes that the Kingdom can participate in the research or be represented therein.
9- A scientific study on the impacts resulting from conducting marine scientific research in the marine areas.

1- The competent authority has the right to suspend and halt any marine scientific research activities conducted within the marine areas if these activities violate the data and commitments upon which the marine scientific research license was granted.
2- The researcher must terminate all suspended or halted activities following notification of the issuance of the competent authority's decision in this regard.
3- The competent authority may lift the suspension or halt decision issued under paragraph (1) as soon as the researcher complies with the required conditions.
4- The researcher has the right to appeal the suspension or halt decision issued under paragraph (1) within sixty days from the date of their knowledge of the decision, and the appeal must be submitted to the Board of Grievances in accordance with its regulations.

• 1- The competent authority, when conducting scientific research in internal waters or the territorial sea, has the right to:

  • A- Terminate the scientific research at any time for any reason deemed appropriate by the competent authority.

  • B- Conduct inspections of the scientific research locations and equipment at any time without prior notice.

  • C- Monitor the entry and exit of vessels and individuals to and from the scientific research area.

  • D- Require the submission of periodic reports from the entity conducting the scientific research on the methods of scientific research in internal waters or the territorial sea and the results obtained, at least every three months.

• 2- If the scientific research in internal waters or the territorial sea is terminated, the decision of the competent authority shall be final and not subject to appeal for annulment.

• 3- The competent authority shall have the right to receive a certain percentage - to be agreed upon - of the revenue from scientific research in internal waters or the territorial sea or from the exploitation of its results.

When using research facilities and equipment, the following must be considered:
1- Research facilities and marine research equipment must bear identification marks that indicate the country in which they are registered or the international entity that owns them, and they must be equipped with appropriate and internationally agreed warning signals to ensure maritime and aerial safety.
2- They must not obstruct the designated routes for international navigation.