As part of ongoing efforts to protect vegetation and wildlife in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Special Forces for Environmental Security continued their intensive field campaigns to apprehend violators of the environmental system. They recently managed to detect and apprehend a number of violations in the Riyadh region and the royal reserves, confirming their determination to firmly apply the regulations against anyone who infringes on natural resources.
Controlling violations of overgrazing
The Special Forces for Environmental Security announced the arrest of a citizen who violated environmental regulations by grazing camels in prohibited areas within the King Abdulaziz Royal Reserve . The forces explained that the violation involved grazing 16 camels in areas where grazing is prohibited to preserve plant diversity. Legal procedures were applied to the violator, and the executive regulations of the Environmental Law stipulate a fine of 500 riyals per camel for grazing in prohibited areas.
Vehicles are prohibited from entering nature reserves
In a related incident, authorities apprehended another citizen for driving his vehicle into the meadows and desert areas within the Imam Abdulaziz bin Mohammed Royal Reserve . This action was taken to enforce regulations prohibiting the indiscriminate entry of vehicles into environmentally sensitive areas. Authorities clarified that the penalty for driving vehicles into protected meadows and desert areas is up to 2,000 riyals, due to the damage such actions cause to vegetation and topsoil.
The importance of royal reserves and Vision 2030
These monitoring efforts are of paramount importance within the framework of the Kingdom's Vision 2030 and the "Green Saudi Arabia" initiative, which aims to increase vegetation cover and combat desertification. Royal reserves, such as the King Abdulaziz Reserve and the Imam Abdulaziz bin Mohammed Reserve, are a cornerstone of the Kingdom's biodiversity conservation strategy. Preventing overgrazing and vehicle access directly contributes to restoring ecological balance, protecting wild plants from extinction, and providing a safe environment for wildlife reproduction, thus fostering sustainable ecotourism in the future.
Violations reporting mechanism
The Special Forces for Environmental Security called on all citizens and residents to cooperate in protecting the environment and to report any incidents of environmental or wildlife abuse. They explained that reports can be made by calling 911 in the Makkah, Madinah, Riyadh, and Eastern regions, and by calling 999 or 996 in the rest of the Kingdom. They emphasized that all reports are treated with complete confidentiality and that the reporter bears no responsibility whatsoever.
