Disasters, Conflicts and Migration

 

For a more detailed database on disasters by country, please see the Centre for Research on Epidemiology of Disasters Country Profile.

Seasonal Effects on Logistics Capacities

 

Saudi Arabia has a desert climate characterized by extremely high temperatures during the day, a sudden drop in temperature at night, very low annual rainfall, and average humidity. The country has mainly two seasons: summer and winter. The average summer temperature is around 45 ◦C (from May to September) for most regions, but it can be as high as 54 ◦C. In the month of February, March, April, and November, it is neither too cold nor too hot. During peak winter (December to January), the temperature usually drops at night quite rapidly. The annual rainfall is extremely low, especially in the central region. Although sand/dust storms occur throughout the entire year the eastern part experiences the highest number of dust storms per year (i.e., 10 to 60 events), and the west part has fewer dust storm events (i.e., 5 to 15 events per year).

 

Capacity and Contacts for In-Country Emergency Response

Government

In 1965, the General Directorate of Civil Defense (GDCD) was formed with the role of protecting the civilians as well as public and private properties from the dangers of fires, natural disasters, wars and other accidents. It also encompasses rescuing those afflicted by such catastrophes, ensuring transportation safety, and protecting national resources in times of peace and emergency. The role of the GDCD in emergencies and wars can be summarized as following:

• Organizing and operating the national alarm system in cases of emergencies or attacks by a foreign army.
• Managing electrical power and organizing evacuation and shelter plans.
• Extinguishing fires and rescuing civilians and providing basic life-support measures in damaged areas.
• Marking areas afflicted by nuclear damage and directing civilians away from them.
• Corresponding with other governmental bodies (e.g. Ministry of Transportation) to ensure safe transportation of civilians
• Removing debris from damaged areas and rehabilitating them for safe use as soon as possible.

The current structure of the GDCD is divided into three levels:

1. Board of GDCD: This is made up of the Minister of Interior as Chairman, Assistant Minister of Interior as Deputy-Chairman and a number of members who represent divisions of the GDCD or sectors that work closely with the GDCD, such as fire services, police and emergency medical services. Those members are appointed by a Royal Decree often after the recommendation of the Chairman or his deputy. The Board of GDCD is responsible for:
   1. Establishing general GDCD policies and planning future projects.
   2. Establishing safety and fitness standards that must be met in all projects to ensure civilian safety and protect public and private properties.
   3. Establishing guidelines for training programs for GDCD personnel.
   4. Establishing policies for the recruitment of GDCD volunteers and defining their roles and rights.
   5. Forming divisions of the GDCD, defining their responsibilities and appointing a manager to each division.
   6. Reviewing the suggested budget annually before seeking approval from the Ministry of Finance.
2. Executive Committee: This committee consists of members appointed by the Board according to GDCD policies. A president of the committee ensures that projects are executed in a timely and efficient manner, and that the workload is divided equally between all members. The Executive Committee is responsible for:
   1. Enacting policies established by the GDCD Board, following up on current projects.
   2. Suggesting new or alternative projects and liaising with Ministries and other governmental bodies for cooperation.
   3. Enacting safety measures in response to emergencies (once declared by the Board).
   4. Providing food, clothes, shelter and first aid for those in need in times of emergencies.
   5. Representing Saudi Arabia in national and international conferences and courses.
   6. Providing the Board with a suggested budget on an annual basis.
3. GDCD volunteers: These are citizens and residents who are willing to help with the GDCD tasks during times of increased demand, such as natural disasters. They can apply online through the GDCD’s website and receive some training upon acceptance.

General Directorate of Civil Defense (GDCD) contact info:

Address: Eastern Ring Road – Between Exit 10 & 11 Riyadh

Office hours: Sunday to Thursday 8 a.m.  to 2:30 p.m.

Website: https://www.998.gov.sa/English/Pages/Default.aspx

Email: 998@998.gov.sa

Tel:  011-4925033

Fax:  011-4925041

PO Box 11174

Zip code 12451 – 3792

For more information on government contact details, please see the following link: 4.1 Government Contact List.

Humanitarian Community

Saudi Arabia joined the United Nations as a Charter Member on 26 June 1945. There are currently 22 UN Agencies, Funds and Programmes working with Saudi Arabia, including regional offices. The UN agencies plan and work together, as part of the UN Development System lead by the Resident Coordinator, to ensure the delivery of tangible results in support of Vision 2030 and the National Transformation Programme, and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted in 2015. The country team (known by its acronym UNCT) is made up of representatives of these organisations. As head of the country team, the UN Resident Coordinator (RC) guides and supports the work of the UNCT, ensuring effective coordination and cooperation across the mandates of each organisation.

UN Entities in Saudi Arabia: https://saudiarabia.un.org/en/contact-us

King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center

Source: ksrelief website

The King Salman Center for Relief and Humanitarian Action specializes in relief and humanitarian work and seeks to be a leading international center for the relief of communities suffering from disasters in order to help them and raise their suffering to lead a decent life. It has a capital of one billion riyals.

Since its inception, the center has contributed to the completion of 1,050 projects in various sectors including food security, health, education, water, environmental sanitation, logistics and other services at a total cost of SR 3,542,362,920 billion.

Most Prominent KS Relief Programs:

1. Child Soldiers Rehabilitation Program: This project was launched in September 2017, focuses on the rehabilitation of child soldiers and those affected by the armed conflict in Yemen.
2. Saudi Project for Landmine Clearance: It is a Saudi humanitarian project to clear and clear Yemeni land mines.
3. Artificial Limbs Program: KS Relief has supported and funded prosthetic centers that provide free services to amputees in Yemen.

King Abdullah Road, Riyadh 12371 7046

Phone: +966 920 008 554​

Fax: +966 112 074 203​

Email: info@ksrelief.org

Website:  https://www.ksrelief.org/home/index

Saudi Fund for Development (SFD)

The Saudi Fund for Development was founded by virtue of Royal Decree No. M/48, issued on 01/09/1997. The Fund commenced its activities with a capital of ten million Saudi Riyals provided by the Saudi government. This capital had since been increased in three phases to reach thirty one thousand million Saudi Riyals. The Fund is considered the main channel through which the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia dispenses humanitarian aid. Loans provided by this Fund are characterized as soft loans, often unconditional; these loans typically focus on infrastructure sectors which are essential to improving living standards in developing countries, such as health, education, safe drinking water, housing, roadworks, and agriculture. 

Since its inception, the fund has financed 582 projects and 27 development programs in 82 developing countries, between Africa, Asia and other regions with a total amount of more than 51 billion riyals, of which 27 billion were allocated to finance 359 projects and development programs in 45 countries. Africa and more than 23 billion riyals to finance 232 projects and development programs in 29 countries in Asia, and 18 projects in other regions of the world at the expenditure of over one billion riyals.

The Fund’s role is not limited to providing loans to help developing countries improve the standard of living of their people, but also includes contributing to the implementation of grants from the Government of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques to support countries in need to cope with difficult living conditions. This program, implemented in five phases with more than $330 million, has helped to dig more than 6,300 wells in 12 African countries to provide drinking water to more than 3 million Africans suffering from drought and water scarcity.

SFD continues to translate the directives of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques in order to help countries in need to improve their living conditions and fight poverty in concert with international efforts to help developing countries directly or through international or regional development institutions to achieve sustainable development goals.

The Saudi Fund for Development

King Fhad Road , P.O 50483 , Saudi Arabia, Riyadh 11523

T: +966 11 279 4000 . F: +966 11 464 7450

E: info@sfd.gov.sa

Website: https://www.sfd.gov.sa/en/what-is-sfd

KSA Civil Society

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia realizes that building an ambitious and integrated society is done through effective partnerships with the civil society in the private sector and non-profit organizations. Thus achieving an increase in the domestic product and economic growth that is reflected in the quality of life, and maximizing the social impact in building a stable, balanced and united nation. The non-profit sector in the Kingdom keeps pace with Vision 2030, which seeks to increase the sector’s contribution to the GDP to 5%, and to raise the number of volunteers to one million male and female volunteers by 2030.

The sector contributes effectively to the development of various areas that serve the community and consolidates the culture of social responsibility, in addition to the fact that this sector is a key focus for achieving sustainable development in light of the continuous support witnessed by the Kingdom that enhances the values of humanitarian work for members of society through integration with various government agencies and maximizing their benefit.

There are 3,156 non-profit organizations in the Kingdom spread throughout the governorates and regions, seeking to implement social solidarity by providing various assistance to the poor and the needy, and consolidating the principle of coexistence, tolerance, cooperation, solidarity and cohesion, especially in light of the global crises and pandemics that the world is witnessing.

National Centre for Non-Profit Sector

The National Centre for Non-Profit Sector was established by Cabinet Resolution No. (459) dated 11/8/1440 AH. The Centre aims to organize, activate and expand the role of non-profit sector organizations in the development fields, and work to integrate government efforts in providing licensing services to these organizations, financial, administrative and technical supervision of the sector, and increasing coordination and support.

The Kingdom has a role and major contributions to charitable work through a group of state institutions, including the Social Development Sector in the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development and others. The responsibility of these institutions is about supervising civil bodies, such as charitable societies, institutions, cooperative societies, committees and centers for social and civil development, and the consolidation of these concepts among segments of society, in addition to supporting the establishment of funds that contribute to meeting societal and development needs.

The National Initiatives to Support the non-Profit Organizations

Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture’s Initiatives

Udhwi (Organic)

An initiative aims at developing organic farming techniques to serve the environment and society.  Cooperation is presented by providing electronic services for organic farms and farms under transition to organic farms in these areas:

Providing the Saudi national logo for organic products.

Providing the Saudi national logo for organic production inputs.

Providing direct support to the cultivated areas of organic and under transition farms.

Providing support for documentation and inspection costs for organic and rms under transition to organic farms.

Tashjeer (Planting)

Regulations that allow requesting to support environmental efforts in vegetation cover and participating in afforestation campaigns. It also provides the possibility of providing financial support to the Vegetation Fund.

Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development’s Initiatives

National Volunteer Portal:

A Saudi incubator for volunteer work that provides a safe environment that serves and regulates the relationship between providers of volunteer opportunities and volunteers in the Kingdom.

The Societies' Financial Sustainability Fund:

A non-profit fund was established in 2011 with a capital of 100 million riyals at the initiative and funding of the Sulaiman bin Abdulaziz Al-Rajhi Charitable Foundation and in strategic partnership with the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development. It aims to finance investment projects for charitable organizations in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as a good loan with the aim of contributing to achieving the financial sustainability of these bodies.

Marketing Association:

A civil association licensed by the Ministry of Human Resources, and it is a marketing platform for all practitioners and those who are interested. The association provides those who are interested in services to spread awareness of the science of marketing and its multiple applications, and support the career future of marketing professionals.

Electronic Commerce and Retail Association:

A civil association licensed by the Ministry of Human Resources aims to develop scientific thought and educate the community about the concept of e-commerce. It provides awareness, education, studies, research services, programs and events, in addition to preparing platforms for practicing e-commerce.

Fikra (Idea) Association for Innovation and Social Entrepreneurship:

An under-establishment civil association seeks to solve social problems and issues with innovative solutions in the form of a financially sustainable service or product, taking advantage of local resources in the community to maximize the positive impact by using concepts and ideas in commercial companies and the private sector to solve environmental, social and economic problems.

Business Women Association:

An under-establishment civil association aims to empower women’s enterprises, develop and raise the efficiency of the performance of women’s business enterprises to ensure the continuity of the success of the operational processes and raise awareness and contributions of women to professional free work according to an integrated institutional methodology to practice their own business.

Franchise Association:

A civil association that educates the community on the role and importance of franchising, prepares qualified national youth working in franchising projects, and encourages local scientific research in the field of franchising.

Attaa Organization (services to needy families):

In partnership with the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development, the Organization manages and directs the charitable sector for the services of needy families to benefit from its services, and aims at :

• Achieving privacy in serving families.
• Immediately Registering families and providing the necessary services for them.
• Following up on families' affairs and the developments and living conditions.
• Establishing a unified database for charities.
• Integrating the charitable work between associations.
• Technically linking charitable societies and relevant government departments.

Al-Mawaddah Association for Family Development:

It is a non-profit association licensed by the Ministry of Human Resources that enable the family to build sustainable and stable relationships through (providing programs, initiatives, and educational campaigns aimed at serving and stabilizing the community, building family capabilities, increasing family awareness, and creating an opportunity to empower the family) through a set of initiatives including:

• an academy to enhance the family's skills in quality of life.
• Itmae'n (be assured) Initiative for family counseling.
• Protection of women and children.
• Shaml (Joining) Initiative to implement the courts' decisions of visiting for separated families.
• Al Hayat (Life) Academy for Women Empowerment.

Handasyah (Engineering) Charitable Society for Engineering Services:

It is a non-profit association specializing in the engineering field, licensed by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It aims to provide engineering services to the third sector and work to develop it in a way that serves its interests and maximizes the charitable return of donors. The association seeks to achieve its goals that include:

• Supervising and coordinating of urban, architectural, engineering, information and other studies.
• Supervising the preparation of feasibility studies for charitable projects.
• Coordinating supervision of implementation and processing works.
• Coordinating supervision of planning and managing the implementation of maintenance and restoration work.
• Supporting and encouraging studies and research that contribute to the development of the mechanisms and means concerned with the implementation of charitable projects in line with social, economic and environmental requirements.
• Providing information and educational ideas to individuals and charities that help them achieve their goals.

Abdullah Ibrahim Al-Subaie Charitable Foundation:

It is a donor institution that integrates with others to enable charitable work and create a developmental impact that contributes to achieving Vision 2030 through specific services and programs, types, and multiple grant areas to achieve multiple development goals.

Sulaiman bin Abdulaziz Al-Rajhi Charitable Foundation:

In cooperation with the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development, the Sulaiman Bin Abdulaziz Al-Rajhi Charitable Foundation provides many services, including but not limited to:

• Financial support, including financial and in-kind grants for the beneficiary societies.
• Knowledge support, including advisory services and management of charitable projects for donor agencies and institutions.
• Building partnerships and alliances to solve societal issues and meet the needs of the Saudi regions.
• Contributing to empowering the non-profit sector and building its capabilities through initiatives directed to the development and development of civil societies and institutions.
• Contributing to the preparation of studies and research in the charitable field and the third sector for development and improvement.

Princess Seetah bint Abdulaziz Award for Excellence in Social Work:

This award comes to encourage social charitable work that aims to provide aid and assistance to the needy, and the desire to find a prize for excellence in social work, bearing the name of Princess Seetah bint Abdulaziz, may God have mercy on her. The articles of association of the Foundation included that it has an independent legal personality that is not for financial profit. The Prizes' objectives are:

• Establishing a culture of social, charitable, humanitarian and voluntary work, and reinforcing its noble values.
• Rooting and developing social institutional work in all its forms.
• Appreciating and encouraging distinguished people of both sexes in social work.
• Motivating governmental and private bodies to excel and innovate in social work.
• Supporting the Islamic endowment and encouraging it to be the first promoter of social work.
• Highlight pioneering and distinguished initiatives.
• Highlighting the bright aspects and the bright efforts for social work.
• Governance of the social work system in all its fields.
• Building a national heritage in social work.
• Encouraging distinguished national achievements and social programs.
• Promoting the concept of corporate social responsibility and support it to be an important promoter of community development.

General Authority for Awqaf’s Initiatives

Endowment Investment funds:

The General Authority for Awqaf (Endowments ) launched its first development initiatives, represented in the endowment investment funds project in cooperation with the Capital Market Authority. The funds aim to contribute to meeting societal and development needs, and to raise the non-profit sector's contribution to the GDP. They also adhere to the requirements contained in the investment funds regulations issued by the Commission Financial market.

The Ministry of Justice's Initiatives

Shaml Initiative:

The Ministry of Justice has provided specialized centers to facilitate the beneficiaries' implementation of custody and visiting decisions in the Kingdom, within a family-friendly environment and without the need for implementation in courts or police stations. It aims to:

• Facilitating the implementation of custody and visiting decisions for citizens in an environment suitable for family members (eligible centers).
• Creating job opportunities in the field of community service.
• Improving the level of cooperation between the Ministry of Justice, government agencies and the third sector in providing integrated services to serve the community.

The Ministry of Health's Initiatives

Haroun Professional Volunteer Initiative:

The community partnership agreement between the Ministry of Health and Bank Al-Jazira to train staff of health institutions and NGOs supports Haroun Professional Volunteer Initiative by investing the energies and professional competencies of people with specializations and skills working in the private sector and retirees, supporting 22 private health NGOs, besides an Academy for Professional Development and Policies and Research.

• The Community Empowerment Initiative, whose role is to empower community members in the health reinforcement process. It does that by giving them a leadership role to formulate the health problems they face within their neighborhood, define priorities, make decisions, and work to implement them alongside the neighborhood’s concerned health center. This aims to deepen the pioneering role of primary health care. This type of health care aims to enhance the concept of self-care among community members. It is line with the national transformation initiatives and the Saudi Vision 2030.
• Wateen Initiative, which seeks to reduce the communication gap between donors and blood banks; making the blood donation process much easier.
• Shefa Electronic Platform, which aims to facilitate providing treatment to the needy, stranded people, and emergency cases.
• A Partnership agreement with Tawahud Steps National Organization in Makkah to rehabilitate Saudi autistic individuals, free of charge.
• A Partnership agreement with Rohama'a Health Association to perform 1,000 eye operations on individuals on MOH’s list of hospitals, in specialized medical centers in the private sector.
• Partnership agreement with Al-Eradah Organization for Talented People with disability. It aims to provide health services and medical coordination to beneficiaries, based on the concept of social responsibility.

 The Ministry of Education's Initiatives

Partnerships with Saudi Associations for Rehabilitation and Development:

The Ministry of Education, represented by the General Administration of Special Education in the agency for Educational Programs, concluded communications related to a mutual understanding with Saudi charitable societies to rehabilitate and educate students with special needs and special education. The department concluded a cooperative agreement with the Saudi Society for Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder in the field of educational services and rehabilitation for people with ADHD, serving people with ADHD in a number of areas represented in the exchange of technical and advisory expertise, awareness fields, measurement and diagnosis, development of evidence for people with ADHD, specialized workshops and training programs, and cooperation in the field of research of common interest, in addition to improving the school and classroom environment in ADHD programs, and providing strategies and skill training to families in the comprehensive channel of special education in a number of areas of education through recreational, social, media design, language and mathematics skills, in addition to early intervention, and modification and behavioural, functional and physical rehabilitation. Based on that agreement, awareness films, specialized guides, and training courses were issued to rehabilitate and educate students with special needs and special education.

UNESCO Learning Cities:

The Ministry of Education, represented by the agency for Educational Programs, signed an agreement with the UNESCO Regional Center for Quality and Excellence in Education, an agreement to launch and accredit learning cities in the Kingdom, with the possibility of studying the nomination of learning cities, with the aim of launching the Learning Cities project in all regions of the Kingdom, and one of the first results of that agreement was the adoption of Jubail Industrial City and Yanbu Industrial City as learning cities within the UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities.

UNESCO's classification of Jubail Industrial City and Yanbu Industrial City as Saudi learning cities within its global network is one of the Ministry of Education's goals in integrating with all other sectors to build an integrated educational journey that promotes a culture of continuing education and lifelong learning. This classification also achieves comprehensive development goals and highlights the role of the Kingdom in preparing a globally competitive citizen.

The mechanism for accrediting learning cities in the Kingdom is in line with Vision 2030 in terms of ensuring the development of human capabilities and improving learning outcomes, which contributes to empowering the sons and daughters of the country, achieving harmonization between education outcomes, labor market requirements and future jobs, and creating a vibrant community capable of improving learning outcomes, in addition to qualifying and training members of the local community, as well as creating innovative practices for continuing education, and providing attractive educational environments.

The Ministry of Municipal, Rural Affairs and Housing's Initiatives

Owners' Union:

The Owners Union Program of the Ministry of Housing seeks to regulate the relationship between the owners and occupants of jointly owned housing units by establishing systems, regulations and control mechanisms, organizing property and facilities management services, and playing an educational and awareness role in a manner that guarantees the preservation of rights and good use and promotes a culture of coexistence.

Joud (generosity) of Housing:

One of the initiatives of the National Developmental Housing Corporation affiliated with the Ministry of Housing. It aims to involve the community (individuals / organizations) to provide a helping hand to charitable housing tender through an electronic platform that achieves transparency, accuracy and professionalism in providing charitable contribution, through several initiatives such as:

• Supporting housing: it is provided to the families most in need of families covered by social care in the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development. You can make a donation through the link.
• Rent subsidy: it is provided to families most in need of families covered by social care in the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development, and they have failed on paying the rent. You can make a donation through the link.
• Public participation: In public participation, you can provide a cash amount without specifying a beneficiary, as well as an in-kind contribution such as housing units or a land to be built on. You can make a donation through in-kind donations or general financial contributions.
• Housing projects

https://www.my.gov.sa/wps/portal/snp/eParticipation/civilSocietyPartnership

For more information on humanitarian agency contact details, please see the following link: 4.2 Humanitarian Agency Contact List.

 

Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources

A royal decree No. (A/472) on 29/12/1440 AH, 30 August, 2019, which adopted establishing the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources and transferring competences, tasks and responsibilities related to the industry and mineral resources sectors. As of 1/1/ 2020 the ministry shall begin its tasks. According to the new development of the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources aims to promote the industrial and mining sectors and to contribute for achieving sustainable development according to Saudi Vision 2030. As it adopted these two sectors as strategic options to diversify the national economy and to raise the gross domestic product by implementing the initiatives of the national industrial development program and logistics services (one of Saudi Vision 2030 programs), which aims to transform Saudi Arabia into a leading industrial and mining powerhouse, also a global platform for logistics services.

The strategic pillars of the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources:

• Organizational Structure and Capacity Development
• Interaction with the industry and mining system entities
• Culture and Change Management
• Investor Central
• Digital Transformation
• Enable Sector

Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization (SASO)

The Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization (SASO) is a technical government body in Saudi Arabia. It was established in 1972 and governs tasks related to standards, metrology, and quality. SASO is administrated by a board of directors headed by the Minister of Commerce and Investment and membership of sectors interested in standardization in the Kingdom.

SASO is a competent authority entrusted with all matters related to standardization, metrology and quality in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It provides the necessary measures for quality control of raw materials and products and set necessary conformity procedures of products based on the verification of quality, legislation and application of the Quality Mark Scheme. It governors the organizational and executive tasks related to standards, metrology and quality, including laying down Saudi standards of goods, products and services, measurement, and setting procedures of conformity evaluation and certification. SASO is also hosting the Saudi Accreditation Committee (SAC) responsible for accrediting laboratories and certification bodies. Moreover, SASO sets methods of sampling, testing, and technical inspection and promotes quality management systems. SASO works closely with the private sector, other government bodies, consumer representatives and other stakeholders, in order to develop the quality infrastructure in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

SASO is a member of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), the International Organization of Legal Metrology (OIML) and International Bureau of weight and Measures (BIPM), which provides a direct link to the international arena and creates further standards development efficiencies.

Saudi Accreditation Centre (SAC)

The Saudi Accreditation Centre was established according to the Honorable Council of Ministers Resolution No. (600) dated 10/22/1440 Hijri (corresponding to 25 June 2019). The main objectives of the centre are:

• Ensuring the competence of conformity assessment bodies.
• Protecting consumers and maintaining the public health and safety.
• Assuring confidence in the services of conformity assessment bodies, in a way that enhances the private sector participation in providing these services.
• Raising the level of quality, efficiency and confidence of provided services and products.

The Saudi Accreditation Centre is the national authority to provide accreditation services for conformity assessment bodies in Saudi Arabia, including:

• Laboratories (testing and calibration laboratories) in all fields (e.g. electrical, construction and building materials, chemical, measurement and calibration, etc.).
• Inspection bodies
• Certification bodies
• Halal bodies

There are two international organizations regulate and supervise the activity to rely on the ​international level in order to unify the standards and procedures for accreditation and encourage mutual recognition agreements among accreditation bodies between its member states, namely:

• International Accreditation Forum IAF (Entities that rely on certification bodies)
• International Federation of laboratory accreditation ILAC (Entities that rely on laboratories and inspection bodies)

Saudi Food And Drug Authority (SFDA)

The Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) is an independent body corporate that directly reports to The President of Council of Ministers. The main purpose of the SFDA establishment is to regulate, oversee, and control food, drug, medical devices, as well as to set mandatory standard specifications thereof, whether they are imported or locally manufactured. The control and/or testing activities can be conducted in the SFDA or other agency's laboratories. Moreover, the SFDA is in charge of consumers awareness on all matters related to food, drug and medical devices and all other products and supplies. The main objectives of SFDA includes but not limited to:

• Launch clear policies and procedures for food and drug, and plan to achieve and implement these policies.
• Conduct research and applied studies to identify health problems, their causes, determine its impact on public, with the consideration of methods for research / studies evaluation. The authority shall establish scientific bases for awareness and consulting services and executive programs in the fields of food and drug. This can be accomplished through the recruitment of experts & specialists or through the partnership with research bodies such as King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) and/or universities research centers.
• Control and supervise licenses procedures for food, drugs and medical devices factories.
• Observe the safety, security, and effectiveness of food and drug for humans and animal.
• Observe the safety of complementary biological and chemical substances, cosmetics and pesticides.

Saudi Authority for Industrial Cities and Technology Zones (MODON)

The Saudi Authority for Industrial Cities and Technology Zones also known simply as MODON is a government organization created by the Government of Saudi Arabia in 2001 through Ministerial Legislation No. 235 dated 27/8/1422H. It is responsible for the regulation and promotion of Industrial Estates and Technology Zones in Saudi Arabia and to encourage the private sector to become involved in the development, operation, and maintenance of Industrial Estates.

For more information on regulatory departments and quality control laboratories’ contact details, please see the following links: 4.1 Government Contact List and 4.3 Laboratory and Quality Testing Company Contact List.

 

Duties and Tax Exemption

For contact information regarding government custom authorities, please follow the following links:

https://zatca.gov.sa/ar/contactus/Pages/default.aspx

4.1 Government Contact List

Emergency Response

In the following table, state which of the following agreements and conventions apply to the country and if there are any other existing ones

Exemption Regular Regime (Non-Emergency Response)

Duties Exemption

A number of goods are exempted from customs duties. Below are some of the applied exemptions:

• Goods addressed to government or semi-government agencies
• Raw materials for manufacturing in Saudi Arabia destined for companies holding industrial license
• Goods originating from any GCC member state as long as 51% of the factory equity is owned by a GCC national
• Personal effects addressed from one individual to another and within a reasonable quantity for personal use only. Personal effects must be second hand
• Companies, agencies or projects that have official exemptions letters from the Saudi Arabia government

Exemption Certificate Application Procedure

Exemption Certificate Document Requirements

Customs Clearance

General Information

Under the electronic data interchange (EDI), the importer does not submit documents for evaluation but submits advertisements in electronic form containing all relevant information to the service center. A signed hard copy of the advertisement is taken by the operator of the service center for not disapproving of the advertisement. A checklist is created to verify the data by the importer. After verification, the data and all Saudi customs procedures are submitted to the system by the service center operator. The system then creates a number, which is approved in the printed checklist and returned to the importer. No documents are taken. Originals at this stage but those original documents are taken at the time of inspection, as the importer also needs to sign the final document after customs clearance.

If the goods are cleared and the Saudi Customs procedures are completed through the EDI system, then no official entry bill will be submitted as it is generated in the computer system, but the importer has to submit a bill of lading specifying the details required to process the entry for customs clearance, after registering the entry bill , sent manually or electronically to the respective Appraisal Group in the Custom House that deals with the ordered item to be removed to the Appraisal Suite in the Custom House, a number of groups that deal with the Dedicated Goods that fall under the headings of different chapters of the tariff, they exercise further scrutiny of the assessment import permit, etc.

The facilitation of international trade by the Saudi Customs goes in the context of the World Customs Organization, which means avoiding unnecessary trade restrictions, this can be achieved through the application of modern technologies in addition to the application of some customs exemptions and also some reductions on customs tariff, while improving the quality of controls in a way Internationally coordinated.

 

Customs Clearance Document Requirements

Transit Regime

30% of global trade crosses the Red Sea and makes Saudi Arabia crucial for goods transit through Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and the wider Middle East. Saudi Arabia announced on March 23, 2017 its ratification of the TIR Convention. The objective of the TIR Convention is to facilitate international transit through a simplified Customs transit procedures and an international guaranteed system.

For the regulations of transit transport please check the following document https://www.customs.gov.sa/themes/custom/customs/files/agreements/transit/en.pdf

Key airport information may also be found at: http://worldaerodata.com/

For more information on government agency and airport company contact information, please see the following links: 4.1 Government Contact List and 4.5 Airport Companies Contact List.

Overview

Saudi Arabia has large road networks covering more than 200,000 kilometers, including 66,000 kilometers of roadways connecting major cities and providing access to railways, ports and airports. This growing ground network benefits from 5,000 kilometers of highways and bridges, providing extensive means to transport passengers and goods.

Under the current development plan, Saudi Arabia has allocated a substantial sum to the creation and renovation of the Kingdom’s roadways, particularly its heavily used inner-city roads, intersections and bridges. Plans are scheduled to build more than 3,500 kilometers of new roads, including 284 highways set to link the country’s main urban centers. Ambitious plans include the design and construction of Obhur Creek Bridge, located 20 kilometers from Jeddah, which would incorporate eight lanes of road traffic, footpaths and two lanes of rail transit. KSA road projects are beginning and include an additional 2,200 kilometers of road construction planned for the next development phase beginning in 2020. Land freight transportation is forecast to rise due to increasing industrial activity and the expansion of e-commerce throughout the region.

The Transport Ministry is planning to implement 23 road safety projects, with investments totaling around $586.67 million. Fifteen plans will be carried out over the next three years to upgrade intersections and junctions, improve street lighting around dangerous intersections, enhance safety facilities at animal crossings, and install protective barriers for lampposts on some roads.

For more information about government contacts, please see the following link: 4.1 Government Contact List.

Distance Matrix

Road Security

The Ministry of Transport pays a great attention to safety on roads. The best technical standards are adopted during the studying and designing of roads that insure implementing those roads using the best modern materials and equipment's that meet safety and security conditions. Beside the appropriate design of roads, other safety factors including various instructive and directive signs, paints, reflective signs, means of drainage, various protectors and fences are provided. In addition, existing roads are being monitored and safety factors are being improved at once. The Ministry also participates with the interested authorities in different committees regarding traffic safety on roads. 

Safety means on roads:

Roads are provided with all safety factors to ensure safety and security of their users, the means that the ministry implements are:

• ​Road shoulders paving and fix their sides. 
• Widening the bridges, equal to the road and its shoulders.
• Building side parking. 
• Painting the middle and the sides of roads and providing them with reflector marks (cat's eye).
• Providing roads with protection fences, informational sings, and direction sings, warning and guiding signs.
• Fencing all highways to prevent loose camels from crossing the road, building crossing points on roads to facilitate the crossing of these animals and put traps on all the sub-exits on the highways.

Weighbridges and Axle Load Limits

In the forties of the last century, with the beginning of the oil extraction, the vital need to establish a port on the coast of the Arabian Gulf to harbor the huge ships that brought in oil drilling equipment, and later the oil tankers and to create of a safe, fast, sustainable and low-cost means of transportation was recognized. In October 1951, the first railway line between Riyadh and Dammam was inaugurated,  with the goals of building an integrated transportation system.

A resolution of the Council of Ministers has been issued on 2/16/2021, assigning Saudi Railways Company (SAR) to take over the operations and management of the network from the Saudi Railway Organization, starting April 1, 2021. SAR, that was established in 2006, is the owner and operator of the North Train Railway Network. SAR trains currently run through three main networks (North - East - Harman) with lengths of more than 5,500 km, through which more than 33 million passengers have been transported.

SAR operates passenger trains through the North Train network, with a speed up to 200 km per hour. All Trains are equipped with facilities such as booths for families, prayer areas, a restaurant car, air conditioning, Wi-Fi and an information system. Regarding the freight trains. more than 2000 freight wagons and 157 locomotives are all geared to transport more than (10) million tons annually. As SAR operates one of the ten longest freight trains in the world, with a length of 3 km. SAR managed to transport more than 58 million tons of minerals from 2011 until the end of 2020, which contributed to displacing more than 4.5 million trucks from the roads. The container shipping service approximately transports 350,000 containers annually. With plans to raise the operational efficiency with the completion of Jubail-Dammam connection project, to reach the 1.1 million containers.

For more information on government contacts, please see the following link: 4.1 Government Contact List.

Travel Time Matrix

SAR North train comprises five stations (Riyadh, Majmaah, Qassim, Hail , Jauf).

SAR East Train comprises of four stations ( Dammam, Abqaid, Hofuf, Riyadh).

Railway Companies and Consortia

All railway network in the kingdom is operated by the Saudi Arabia Railways (SAR).

For more information on railway company contact details, please see the following link: 4.9 Railway Companies Contact List.

Capacity Table

Key Route Information

Key Stations

For the full list of Railway stations please check the following link https://www.sar.com.sa/en/travel-with-sar/stations

The Saudi dry warehousing market grew by 2.8 percent between 2015 and 2020 and will continue to grow until at least 2025. The industrial and retail industries are responsible for the largest percentage of this expansion. The warehousing market is largest in the cities of Jeddah, Riyadh, and Dammam. While Jeddah has a majority of the warehouse revenue share, all three cities play a key role in the expansion of warehousing in Saudi Arabia.

• Jeddah: Jeddah is a port city on the Red Sea. Its warehousing district is close to the Jeddah Islamic Port. Here, the warehouse and logistics supply districts stretch 26.1 million square meters.
• Riyadh: Located in the center of the country, Riyadh is the capital of Saudi Arabia and its main financial hub. Its warehousing districts are primarily near Riyadh’s dry port. The city dedicates 24.5 million square meters to warehousing and logistics parks.
• Dammam: The Dammam metropolitan area is on the Persian Gulf. Its warehousing and logistics parks cluster among four zones to the north, east, south, and west of the city. Currently, the city uses 20.9 million square meters for its warehouses and logistics parks.

Identifying Saudi Arabian warehousing challenges

As a result of growth in the retail sector, increased manufacturing activity, and expanding international trade, Saudi Arabia’s warehousing needs are growing. The 72 million square meters of warehousing and logistics space in the logistics hubs of Riyadh, King Abdullah Economic City (Jeddah), and Al Khobar (Dammam) are no longer sufficient.

• Beyond dry goods Saudi Arabia’s warehousing challenges go beyond needing space for companies to store dry goods. According to a Research and Markets report, Saudi Arabia’s cold storage market is projected to reach $2.5 billion by 2024. With this growing demand in mind, forecasters see the warehousing market in Saudi Arabia continuing its upward trend. the warehousing market expects a compound annual growth rate increase of 4.1 percent through 2023.
• Realizing revenue: Saudi Arabia, along with the rest of the world, is seeing a rise in e-commerce. The Saudi Gazette reported that e-commerce grew 74 percent during March and April of 2020 alone. This sizzling growth is putting pressure on Saudi Arabia’s warehousing sector to provide more space for online retailers like Namshi and Amazon. Saudi Arabia needs more state-of-the-art facilities. Businesses in the e-commerce space need modern warehouses so that they can receive, process, and ship product efficiently, accurately, and quickly. The retail sector accounted for half of warehousing revenue in 2018. It’s clear that there is a need for additional warehousing space to accommodate projected growth.
• Other immediate challenges: The physical locations of Saudi Arabia’s current warehousing facilities pose another challenge. Most of the nation’s logistics centers are in and around Riyadh, Jeddah, and Dammam. The challenge is heightened by long distances over varied, rugged topography in extreme temperatures as goods are moved between stops along the supply chain. One challenge that companies face related to warehouse management is finding enough workers to staff facilities. Some logistics providers believe Saudi Arabia lacks the labor force it requires to meet the growing needs of the warehousing sector. As a result, warehouse operators sometimes must find ways to operate their facilities with minimal staff.
• e-Commerce: The use of e-commerce has expanded globally and among Saudi Arabian citizens. The market is fast growing, which exposes weaknesses in Saudi Arabian supply chains. Urban centers in Saudi Arabia are not as compact and densely populated as urban environments elsewhere. That lack of density limits efficiency in distribution from the warehouse to the customer. Because of this, suppliers are sometimes unable to meet the demands of e-commerce shoppers for fast shipping.
• Supply chain interruption: COVID-19 revealed vulnerabilities in supply chains. Because their success is dependent upon a variety of uncontrollable variables, warehousing facilities have little power over supply chain interruptions. This means facilities are vulnerable to delays that can result in canceled orders and a lack of customer trust.
• Aging warehouses: Modern, automated warehouses come at a cost. Because of this, many warehousing districts, particularly in Riyadh, contain a large number of aging and outdated structures These are less suited to meet demand and can slow the throughput of goods. Saudi Arabia will need to upgrade these aging warehouses in order to keep up with the global warehousing market.

Source: Ken Research report: https://www.kenresearch.com/automotive-transportation-and-warehousing/logistics-and-shipping/saudi-arabia-warehousing-market/203894-100.html

For more information on storage company contact details, please see the following link: 4.6 Storage and Milling Companies Contact List.

Commercial Storage

On-demand warehousing enables companies in Saudi Arabia to access warehouse solutions on a temporary basis. On-demand warehousing services negotiate with warehouses to build a network of facilities to increase supply chain efficiency. Companies can lease on-demand warehouse space as a way to cost effectively address shifting demand.

[1] Warehouse Type: Open storage, container, rub-hall, silo, concrete, other, unspecified

[2] Warehouse Access: Raised-siding, flat

[3] Warehouse condition: Appears intact, appears damaged, under construction/repair

Public Sector Storage

National Industrial Development and Logistics Program (NIDLP): Saudi Arabia launched NIDLP to improve infrastructure and design new policies related to economic growth. By dedicating financial support to logistics development, NIDLP aims to build Saudi Arabia’s role as a regional logistics hub and improve warehousing.

Al Khomrah Logistics Zone: The Saudi Arabian ministry of transport opened a logistics zone in Jeddah to support shipping, freight distribution, and transport. This is the largest logistics zone in the country.

[1] Warehouse Type: Open storage, container, rub-hall, silo, concrete, other, unspecified

[2] Warehouse Access: Raised-siding, flat

[3] Warehouse condition: Appears intact, appears damaged, under construction/repair

Cold Chain

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the need for a safe and effective way to transport and store vaccines was apparent. To meet global demand for a vaccine, Saudi Arabia built a series of warehouses dedicated to storing pharmaceuticals and other perishables. These refrigerated warehouses enable the country to maintain a cold supply chain.

[1] Cold Room Positive, Cold Room Negative, Refrigerator, Freezer,

[2] Compression, Absorption, Solar, Other, unspecified

 

Overview

The Saudi Grains Organization (SAGO), previously named Grain Silos and Flour Mills Organization, was established by the Royal Decree No. M/14 issued on 25/3/1392 AH which was amended by the Royal Decree No. M/3 issued on 12/2/1406 AH. Subsequently, the Council of Ministers issued resolution No. 35 which approved taking the necessary actions to establish four joint-stock companies for flour mills, amending the name of the Grain Silos and Flour Mills Organization to be (Saudi Grains Organization) and reorganizing it. Therefore, the Council of Ministers’ resolution No. (328) was issued on 2/8/1437 AH to approve the establishment of the Saudi Grains Organization to manage the silos activity, running, development and improvement. In addition to the tasks of organizing, controlling and supervising the activity of flour-producing mills. In order to achieve its objectives, the organization has the following tasks:

• Set up the silos and flour mills activity to become investment attractions for investors.
• Implement the approved policies, plans and programs to improve the silos and flour mills activity, and adopt the appropriate procedures.
• License the practice of silos and flour mills activity and monitor the licensed parties’ performance of their duties.
• Set quality and safety standards regarding the silos and flour mills activity by coordinating with the related ministries and government entities and monitor the implementation of those standards.
• Buy and sell wheat and create a reserve stock of wheat that meets the need of the kingdom and maintain its balance periodically.
• Organize, control and supervise the silos and flour mills activity.
• Control the wheat quality and the production of the flour milling companies.
• Provide the required quantities of wheat to fully operate the flour milling companies according to the pricing policy suggested by the organization as an organizer of the silos and flour mills activity, and in accordance with the government’s market support policies.
• Control the competition regulations in the field of services provision for soils and flour mills activity.
• Protect consumers in matters related to the products of silos and flour mills.
• Suggest pricing policy for the products of flour mills activity.

Privatization of flour mills

The flour milling sector represents one of the targeted sectors for full privatization under the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030, and the as one of the initiatives under the third pillar of the privatization program document. The privatization of the flour milling sector enjoys the support of specialized regulatory and executive authorities led by the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, the NCP and related entities. The privatization had been completed for the four state-owned milling companies as following:

• The First Milling Company is awarded to Raha AlSafi Consortium
• The Second Milling Company is awarded to a consortium of Abdul Aziz Al-Ajlan Sons for Commercial and Real Estate Investments Company, Sulaiman Abdul Aziz Al-Rajhi International Company, National Agricultural Development Company and Olam International Limited.
• The Third Milling Company is awarded to AlRajhi – Ghurair – Masafi Consortium.
• the Forth Milling Company is awarded to the consortium comprised of Allana International, Abdullah Al Othaim Markets, and United Feed Manufacturing Company

For more information on milling company contact details, please see the following link: 4.6 Storage and Milling Companies Contact List.

First Milling Company (MC1)

First milling company (MC1) is one of the largest companies in the Kingdom in terms of production and sales of flour as well as the production of livestock feed and animal bran. The company has four branches in Jeddah, Al-Qassim, Tabuk and Al-Ahsa. In terms of production, the capacity of the silos is 210 thousand metric tons for all branches, while the daily operational capacity is 4200 tons.

Second Milling Company (MC2)

Second milling company (MC2) is one of the largest companies in the Kingdom in terms of production and sales of flour as well as the production of livestock feed and animal bran. The company has three branches in Riyadh, Hail & Jazan. In terms of production, the capacity of the silos is 190 thousand metric tons while the daily operational capacity is 3700 tons for all branches.

 

Third Milling Company (MC3)

Third milling company (MC3) is one of the largest companies in the Kingdom in terms of production and sales of flour as well as the production of livestock feed and animal bran. The company has three branches in Khamis Mushait, Al-Jawf & Al-Jumum. In terms of production, the capacity of the silos is 185 thousand metric tons for all branches, while the daily operational capacity is 3450 tons.

Fourth Milling Company (MC4)

• 1972 The Saudi Grains Organization was established, and its key goals were set around.
• Establishing and operating grain silos, flour and feed mills in the aim of developing the grain, flour and feed industry
• Purchasing and importing grains as well as ensuring required reserves to cater for emergency situations
• 1977 SAGO opened the Dammam branch.
• 1989 SAGO opened the Kharj branch.
• 2008 SAGO opened the Madina branch.
• 2009 SAGO launched its privatization program aiming to increase operational efficiency, improve fiscal performance, support economic growth and enhance operational technology.
• 2011 The Supreme Economic Council – SEC (previously) endorsed SAGO’s privatization strategy to bundle all milling operations under four companies; for Milling Company 4 (MC4), it involved bundling the Dammam, Kharj and Madina branches MC4 commenced operations as a standalone entity operating on commercial bases in preparation for privatization.