The Saudi Arabian Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs and Housing has unveiled the executive rules for the Utilities Protection System. It mandates that violators must compensate for all damages caused to the utility or others, including the costs of repairing the damage they caused. The competent authority may require the violator to repair the damage resulting from their violation or carry out the repairs at the violator’s expense, reclaiming all necessary expenses and costs for removing the encroachment and repairing the damage. If the violator does not pay, the expenses will be collected according to the kingdom’s revenue system.
The ministry clarified that damages to roads or their facilities resulting from traffic accidents require the violator to pay the repair costs and damages resulting from the violation proportional to their responsibility for the accident.
Anyone who deliberately damages, cuts, or obstructs the road or stormwater drainage channels will be fined 75% of the repair costs, not exceeding 100,000 riyals. If multiple violators are involved, they will share the penalty amount and may still face legal proceedings for referral to the competent court.
Anyone who causes damage or disruption to road extensions or stormwater drainage channels due to carrying out other work on any public utilities without prior coordination with the competent authority and obtaining a permit will be fined 10% of the repair costs, not exceeding 100,000 riyals.
Anyone who encroaches on the road or stormwater drainage channels intending to benefit unlawfully from their services or causing cuts or excavations will be fined an amount equivalent to the cost of removing the encroachment and restoring the situation to its original state, not exceeding 50,000 riyals.
