- Home
- NCEC library
- Glossary
NCEC glossary
49 terms as the NCEC regulations define them. Where a regulation is written in Arabic, we give the Arabic term and what it means word for word, so you can find it in the official text.
- Addition of an activity
- Adding an activity of a different type from the facility's main activity (translated from the Arabic guide).
- Arabic: إضافة نشاط (meaning “addition of an activity”)
- Source: Permit guide, definitions
- Used in
- Category 1 activities
- Activities expected to produce low environmental impact that does not exceed the perimeter of the activity's site.
- Arabic: أنشطة الفئة الأولى (meaning “activities of the first category”)
- Source: Permits reg. Art. 4(4), First
- Used in
- Category 2 activities
- Activities expected to produce moderate environmental impact throughout the different stages of the activity. The impact may be alleviated and controlled, and does not largely exceed the perimeter of the activity's site.
- Arabic: أنشطة الفئة الثانية (meaning “activities of the second category”)
- Source: Permits reg. Art. 4(4), Second
- Used in
- Category 3 activities
- Activities expected to produce significant environmental, social and economic impact, which may exceed the perimeter of the activity's site and adversely affect the sustainability of environmentally sensitive areas and receptors.
- Arabic: أنشطة الفئة الثالثة (meaning “activities of the third category”)
- Source: Permits reg. Art. 4(4), Third
- Used in
- Closure of an activity
- Complete closure or removal of an activity (translated from the Arabic guide).
- Arabic: إغلاق نشاط (meaning “closure of an activity”)
- Source: Permit guide, definitions
- Used in
- Compensation
- Monetary amount paid by the person who causes the damage, pollution or environmental degradation, to compensate for or eliminate the resulting deterioration. It includes rehabilitation expenses if the person causing the damage did not carry out the rehabilitation.
- Arabic: التعويضات (meaning “the compensations”)
- Source: Aqueous reg. Art. 1
- Used in
- Confidentiality charter
- A document NCEC gives an activity at the activity's request. It sets out the information, data or technologies that are confidential and protects property rights. Inspectors keep copies of records and take photographs subject to it. Other pages of this knowledge base call it a confidentiality disclaimer.
- Arabic: ميثاق السرية (meaning “the charter of confidentiality”)
- Source: Audit reg. (1446H) Art. 1 and Art. 4, Second (1)(b) and (c)
- Detailed environmental impact assessment study
- A study explaining the environmental impacts resulting from the activity and including the basic elements of an EIA (translated from the Arabic guide). Activities within environmentally sensitive areas, or within 500 meters of them or of receptors, must conduct one.
- Arabic: دراسة مفصلة لتقييم الأثر البيئي (meaning “a detailed study for assessing the environmental impact”)
- Source: Permits reg. Art. 6, Second (6) and Permit guide, definitions
- Used in
- Dewatering
- Lowering groundwater to a safe level to allow excavation below natural groundwater level in dry and stable conditions, and drawing collected water from the surface layer of the soil when this water appears as a result of digging and establishing development projects in coastal cities.
- Arabic: نزح المياه (meaning “drawing off (pumping out) water”)
- Source: Aqueous reg. Art. 1
- Used in
- Environmental audit study
- The study that Category 2 and 3 activities, and any activity NCEC names in a reasoned decision, submit with the renewal of the permit to operate. It is prepared by an NCEC licensed provider using the structure in Appendix 1 of the Audit regulation. The 1446H regulation no longer defines the term.
- Arabic: دراسة التدقيق البيئي (meaning “environmental audit study”)
- Source: Audit reg. (1446H) Art. 5 and Appendix 1
- Used in
- Environmental classification form
- A form submitted to the Center used to determine the category of the suggested activity in terms of environmental impact.
- Arabic: استمارة التصنيف البيئي (meaning “the environmental classification form”)
- Source: Permits reg. Art. 1
- Used in
- Environmental compliance certificate (ECC)
- Document NCEC grants as proof that the permittee complies with the Law, the executive regulations and the requirements of the environmental permits.
- Arabic: شهادة الالتزام البيئي (meaning “environmental compliance certificate”)
- Source: Audit reg. (1446H) Art. 1
- Used in
- Environmental degradation
- Severe damage to the environment caused by the depletion of natural resources, the destruction of natural habitats, the extinction of wildlife species, or the pollution of environmental media and the deterioration of air, water and soil quality.
- Arabic: التدهور البيئي (meaning “environmental deterioration”)
- Source: Permits reg. Art. 1
- Used in
- Environmental emergency
- An environmental incident that poses an immediate danger causing or threatening serious environmental damage, a threat to people, or destruction of ecosystems or wildlife habitats, and that needs urgent intervention to stop it becoming a disaster. The Audit regulation (1446H) uses a shorter definition: any operational incident within an activity or facility that threatens environmental habitats or harms the environment.
- Arabic: الطوارئ البيئية (meaning “environmental emergencies”)
- Source: Emergency reg. Art. 1, Audit reg. (1446H) Art. 1
- Used in
- Environmental field surveys
- Field and laboratory studies and research, including descriptive statistics and the range of measures, standards, environmental indicators and other economic and social criteria (translated from the Arabic regulation).
- Arabic: المسوح الميدانية البيئية (meaning “environmental field surveys”)
- Source: SP reg. (1446H) Art. 1
- Environmental impact assessment (EIA) study
- Study aimed at determining, estimating and evaluating the environmental impact of any activity classified by the Center as category 2 or 3, with the objective of incorporating environmental considerations into the final design of the activity, along with economic, social and security considerations, and identifying the necessary alternatives and measures to protect the environment.
- Arabic: دراسة تقييم الأثر البيئي (meaning “study of the assessment of the environmental impact”)
- Source: Permits reg. Art. 1
- Used in
- Environmental incident
- An event caused by natural or operational factors within an activity, facility or marine vessel that has caused or may cause damage resulting in a spill or leak of harmful substances into the environment. Any incident, whatever its size or type, must be reported to NCEC immediately.
- Arabic: الحادثة البيئية (meaning “the environmental incident”)
- Source: Emergency reg. Art. 1 and Art. 6(2)
- Used in
- Environmental management plan (EMP)
- Measures taken by the person to ensure and sustain environmental compliance. It is submitted as part of the procedures to obtain the environmental permit.
- Arabic: خطة الإدارة البيئية (meaning “the environmental management plan”)
- Source: Permits reg. Art. 1
- Used in
- Environmental monitoring reports
- Reports that facilities must submit through environmental service providers based on the permit conditions, presenting monitoring results for a set period (weekly, half-monthly, monthly, quarterly or annual) as stated in the permit conditions (translated from the Arabic guide).
- Arabic: تقارير المراقبة البيئية (meaning “environmental monitoring reports”)
- Source: Monitoring report guide, sections 2 and 4
- Used in
- Environmental permit (general)
- Document issued by the Center to a person before undertaking an activity.
- Arabic: التصريح (meaning “the permit (authorisation)”)
- Source: Permits reg. Art. 1
- Used in
- Environmental permit to establish
- Document issued by the Center to a person granting him the permission to initiate the establishment of an activity following the completion of its classification and environmental impact assessment, and the prescription of environmental requirements and conditions to comply with during establishment.
- Arabic: التصريح البيئي للإنشاء (meaning “the environmental permit for construction (establishment)”)
- Source: Permits reg. Art. 1
- Used in
- Environmental permit to operate
- A document issued by the Center to a person granting him the permission to operate the activity.
- Arabic: التصريح البيئي للتشغيل (meaning “the environmental permit for operation”)
- Source: Permits reg. Art. 1
- Used in
- Environmental rehabilitation
- Any procedure conducted on an environmentally degraded site or one that is affected by environmental damage or pollution, to restore its natural state of environmental balance, in accordance with the standards set by the competent authority.
- Arabic: إعادة التأهيل البيئي (meaning “environmental re-qualification (restoring to a fit state)”)
- Source: Rehab reg. Art. 1
- Used in
- Environmentally sensitive areas
- Areas with environmental significance whose degradation has negative repercussions for the environment. They include protected areas, parks, forests, wetlands, significant bird habitat, mangroves, landscaped sites, watersheds, water catchment and run-off areas, beaches, waterways, aquifers or any other area identified or declared as environmentally sensitive by the State, the Ministry or the national environmental centers.
- Arabic: المناطق الحساسة بيئياً (meaning “areas sensitive environmentally”)
- Source: Permits reg. Art. 1
- Used in
- Expansion
- Any action that increases the size of the activity, such as adding a production line (translated from the Arabic guide).
- Arabic: توسعة (meaning “expansion (widening)”)
- Source: Permit guide, definitions
- Used in
- Financial dues
- An amount of money collected by the competent center from a person for the purpose of issuing or renewing licenses or permits or for providing environmental services.
- Arabic: المقابل المالي (meaning “the financial consideration”)
- Source: Fees reg. Art. 1
- Used in
- Licence
- A document issued by the Center authorizing a person to undertake an environmental activity.
- Arabic: الترخيص (meaning “the licence”)
- Source: Permits reg. Art. 1
- Used in
- Major change
- Any expansion or change in the design, operation, or nature of any existing activity, which is likely to induce a negative impact on the environment. The Arabic text of the permits regulation is not among the sources, so no Arabic term is given.
- Source: Permits reg. Art. 1
- Used in
- Mixing zone
- The area where the treated wastewater effluent is mixed with the receiving water.
- Arabic: منطقة الخلط (meaning “the zone of mixing”)
- Source: Aqueous reg. Art. 1
- Used in
- Modification of an activity
- Any action that modifies the designs of the activity without changing the type of activity (translated from the Arabic guide).
- Arabic: تعديل نشاط (meaning “modification of an activity”)
- Source: Permit guide, definitions
- Used in
- Plan completion notice
- Notice obtained after a rehabilitation or remediation plan has been implemented. Approval of the plan does not release the bank guarantee until the plan is implemented and this notice is obtained.
- Arabic: إشعار إتمام تنفيذ الخطة (meaning “notice of completion of implementing the plan”)
- Source: Rehab guide, section 2 (d)
- Used in
- Point source
- Permanent or semi-permanent activities resulting in the emission of air pollutants, such as industrial stacks, energy production plants, and the dust resulting from mining activities and construction works, amongst others.
- Arabic: المصادر الثابتة (meaning “the fixed (stationary) sources”)
- Source: Air reg. Art. 1
- Used in
- Polluter-pays principle
- The polluter incurs the expenses of field environmental studies, remedial activities, pollution control and reduction, environmental rehabilitation, and the necessary compensation.
- Arabic: مبدأ الملوث يدفع (meaning “the principle that the polluter pays”)
- Source: Rehab reg. Art. 1
- Used in
- Rehabilitation plan
- Plan that must be submitted to NCEC for certain Category 1 activities designated at classification, as part of a Category 2 or 3 EIA, whenever an incident requires rehabilitation of the damaged site, or on NCEC request after inspections or audits.
- Arabic: خطة إعادة التأهيل البيئي للمواقع المتدهورة (meaning “plan for the environmental rehabilitation of degraded sites”)
- Source: Rehab reg. Art. 5, First (1)
- Used in
- Remediation of polluted sites
- Any procedure conducted on a polluted site to restore it to its natural state of environmental balance in accordance with the requirements of the competent authority.
- Arabic: معالجة المواقع الملوثة (meaning “treatment of polluted sites”)
- Source: Rehab reg. Art. 1
- Used in
- Remediation plan
- Plan that must be developed and submitted to NCEC when any environmental pollution incident occurs while the activity is being set up, operated or closed, or on NCEC request after inspections or audits.
- Arabic: خطة معالجة المواقع الملوثة (meaning “plan for treating polluted sites”)
- Source: Rehab reg. Art. 5, Second (1)
- Used in
- Scoping report
- Report detailing the scope of work of the environmental impact assessment of category 3 activities.
- Arabic: تقرير نطاق دراسة تقييم الأثر البيئي (meaning “report of the scope of the environmental impact assessment study”)
- Source: Permits reg. Art. 1
- Used in
- Self plan (emergency preparedness and response)
- Measures to manage an activity's or facility's internal environmental emergencies. They cover preparedness for the environmental risks that threaten it and the steps after an emergency or disaster, including rehabilitation of the affected areas.
- Arabic: الخطط الذاتية (meaning “the self plans (own plans)”)
- Source: Emergency reg. Art. 1
- Used in
- Self-inspection
- An internal inspection within the activity to ensure compliance with the Law, the executive regulations and environmental requirements.
- Arabic: التفتيش الذاتي (meaning “self-inspection”)
- Source: Audit reg. (1446H) Art. 1
- Used in
- Self-monitoring reports
- Reports the permittee commits to submit during construction or operation at the frequency NCEC sets in the permit, with measurements and analyses by an NCEC-licensed service provider (translated from the Arabic guide).
- Arabic: تقارير المراقبة الذاتية (meaning “self-monitoring reports”)
- Source: Permit guide, Appendix 1, item 8 and Appendix 2, item 6
- Used in
- Sensitive receptors
- Receptors that are likely to be severely affected by activity or project due to their geographical proximity or sensitive nature. They include environmental elements, living species, archeological, cultural and religious sites, and community groups (such as endangered species, hospitals, elder care centers, schools, residential complexes, and others).
- Arabic: المستقبلات الحساسة (meaning “the sensitive receivers”)
- Source: Permits reg. Art. 1
- Used in
- Serious violation
- A violation involving acts stipulated in Article 35 of the Environmental Law, acts that lead to environmental degradation, or acts that harm sensitive receptors or environmentally sensitive areas. Its penalty is proportional to the damage and is estimated by a committee of experts formed by the NCEC CEO.
- Arabic: المخالفات الجسيمة (meaning “the grave violations”)
- Source: Permits reg. Art. 11(1) to (3)
- Used in
- Service provider
- A person licensed by the competent authority to provide environmental services. The Audit regulation uses the singular مقدم الخدمة (meaning the service provider) for a person licensed by the Center.
- Arabic: مقدمو الخدمات (meaning “the service providers (those who provide the services)”)
- Source: SP reg. (1446H) Art. 1 and Audit reg. (1446H) Art. 1
- Used in
- Strategic environmental assessment study
- A study aimed at identifying, estimating and evaluating the environmental impacts of policies, strategies, plans and programs for sectors or areas that governmental authorities propose to allocate to a developmental or human sector.
- Arabic: دراسة التقييم البيئي الاستراتيجي (meaning “strategic environmental assessment study”)
- Source: Permits reg. Art. 1
- Temporary exceedance permit
- A document NCEC grants to allow environmental standards to be exceeded for a specific, temporary period (translated from the Arabic guide).
- Arabic: التصريح البيئي للتجاوز (meaning “the environmental permit for exceedance”)
- Source: Permit guide, definitions
- Treated wastewater
- Wastewater emerging from a treatment plant or a treatment process, which was treated to reduce the adverse environmental impact in compliance with specific environmental standards and requirements.
- Arabic: مياه الصرف المعالجة (meaning “treated drainage water”)
- Source: Aqueous reg. Art. 1
- Used in
- Warning principle
- Wording in the type of violation column of some penalty table rows ('the warning principle applies'), used in place of 'serious'. The tables do not explain what the principle involves.
- Arabic: مبدأ الإنذار (meaning “the principle of warning”)
- Source: Audit reg. (1446H) Art. 8, Table 1, row 12, SP reg. (1446H) Art. 12, Table 1, rows 1, 3, 4, 5 and 8
- Used in
- Wastewater
- Water whose use has changed its color, taste, odor, or level of health or environmental security. This includes water used for health, industrial or agricultural purposes, including cooling water and water from desalination plants (brine).
- Arabic: مياه الصرف (meaning “drainage water”)
- Source: Aqueous reg. Art. 1
- Used in
No terms match. Try a shorter word, or clear the search.
Short forms in the sources, such as "Permits reg.", are explained on the regulations page. Royal Commission terms are in the Royal Commission glossary. Need help with this? Talk to our team.