Ministry of Environment Water and Agriculture

New Well Drilling License

The New Well Drilling License service is provided by the Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture in Saudi Arabia through the 'Nama' digital platform. It targets individuals, corporations, government entities, and agricultural investors, permitting official authorization to drill new or replacement wells, either manual or tubular. The service plays a vital role in regulating groundwater use, ensuring resource sustainability, land ownership protection, and proper location compliance.

Applications are submitted online, requiring fulfillment of key regulatory conditions such as:

Completing the license form detailing geographic location, intended use (agriculture, drinking water, industry, municipal, monitoring), and daily water needs.
Submitting valid property deeds or documented lease agreements with written landlord consent.
Attaching approved engineering maps indicating well location and coordinates.
Providing legal authorization and inheritance documentation for agents or heirs.
Uploading the updated agricultural registry for farming purposes.
Providing prior licenses/disclosure records or status correction for renewal/replacement/deepening/cleaning requests.
Submitting official correspondence outlining the water usage purpose.

The ministry’s technical committee reviews applications for compliance. Upon approval, the license is issued, allowing drilling operations to commence via qualified contractors. Compliance is ensured through governmental inspections, with all technical requirements and risk mitigation in place. Applicants pay applicable fees, and must post clear signage at the drilling site displaying license details.

Importance

Regulates groundwater extraction in line with resource sustainability policies.
Protects ownership and prevents unauthorized or hazardous drilling.
Supports development of agricultural, industrial, and municipal projects.
Enforces compliance with technical specifications and facilitates inspection.

Challenges

Ensuring complete and accurate documentation to avoid rejection.
Navigating drilling restrictions in protected or infrastructure-heavy areas.
Coordinating with oversight bodies for inspections and technical review.
Maintaining and updating license status when reusing or modifying wells.
Target Sector General
Affiliated Authority Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture
Estimated Duration10 days
Gov Approval Window5 working days
Service Pricing2488
Government FeeNo Fee

Mandatory Conditions

  • ✓ Do not drill the well unless you obtain a new well drilling license and the contractor’s approval.
  • ✓ Approval of the terms and conditions for issuing groundwater resource licenses (wells) and classifying their violations.
  • ✓ Approval of the Ministry of Transport and Logistics Services to drill the well for the purpose of drilling a new well for road construction projects.

Required Documents

  • ✓ Property title deed, lease contract or ministerial decision.
  • ✓ A building permit from the municipality and a photo showing that the land is fenced in any way for the purposes of washing and irrigating crops in residential lands located in the Arabian Shield and in the exempted area on the sedimentary shelf and in the cities of (Riyadh, Buraidah, Dammam, Khobar, Dhahran, Jubail).
  • ✓ A valid commercial register with the activity of producing purified water for the purpose of adding potable water.
  • ✓ Permission from the Ministry of Municipalities and Housing to withdraw groundwater and drain it using a flood drainage network, allowing the license applicant to drain the water through the sewage network or via tankers.
  • ✓ Industrial license to establish a factory for the purpose of drilling a new well for bottled drinking water factories, ice factories, food factories, and juice factories.
  • ✓ A valid project establishment license from the competent authority for the purpose of drilling a new well for mining projects, crushers, block and brick factories, cement and ready-mix concrete factories, and other factories.