Environmental Standards

Mobile Source Emissions

KSA Presidency of Meteorology and Environment PME Reference

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia National Environmental Standard

Mobile Source Emissions

the development of environmental protection

Article I – Preliminary standards in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia;

‘pollutant' shall mean any substance introduced

1) Definitions directly or indirectly by man into the ambient air and
likely to have harmful effects on human health and/or
‘Competent Agency’ Refers to the Presidency of the environment as a whole.
Meteorology and Environment (PME), previously the
Meteorology and Environmental Protection
Administration (MEPA); 2) Citation

‘emission-related maintenance’ refers to a) This document should be cited as the Standard for
maintenance that substantially affects emissions or is Control of Emissions from Mobile Sources. This
likely to substantially affect emission deterioration; standard revises the current General Standards for
the Environment (specifically document number
‘GER’ Refers to the General Environmental 1409-01) issued by the Presidency of Meteorology
regulation; and Environment (PME).

‘KSA’ Refers to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia;

‘level' shall mean the concentration of a pollutant in

ambient air or the deposition thereof on surfaces in a 3) Timescales for implementation
given time;
a) The effective date of this standard is after 90 days
of PME president approval.
‘large sites’ shall refer to those sites that have 5 or
more engines, equipment and/or vehicles that have
the potential to be operational at the same time; 3) Purpose
‘limit value' shall mean a level fixed on the basis of
a) The objective of this standard is to set the
scientific knowledge, with the aim of avoiding,
framework and activities required to enable
preventing or reducing harmful effects on human
sustainable management of mobile source emissions
health and/or the environment as a whole, to be
within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
attained within a given period and not to be
exceeded once attained;
b) This standard introduces emission limits for
3 individual pieces of equipment used outdoors and
‘normal cubic metre (Nm )’ means that volume of
aims to protect, maintain and improve the Kingdom’s
dry gas which occupies a cubic metre at a
quality of life, human health, occupational health and
temperature of zero degrees Celsius and at an
natural ecosystems including croplands, forests and
absolute pressure equivalent to one atmosphere;
deserts whilst maintaining appropriate economic and
social development.
‘oxides of nitrogen' shall mean the sum of nitric
oxide and nitrogen dioxide added as particles per
c) The Competent Agency shall liaise with relevant
billion and expressed as nitrogen dioxide in
bodies responsible for the protection of nationally
micrograms per cubic meter;
and internationally designated sites and species to
ensure that mobile source emission standards are
‘PM2.5' is particulate matter with an aerodynamic
appropriate to maintain and improve air quality.
diameter of up to 2.5 µm, referred to as the fine
particle fraction;
4) Scope
‘PM10' is particulate matter with an aerodynamic
diameter of up to 10 µm, the fine and coarse particle
a) This standard refers to air emissions from non-
fractions combined;
road engines, equipment and vehicles. This includes
sources such as mobile generators, agricultural
‘PME’ Refers to the Presidency of Meteorology and
machinery and large earth-moving equipment.
Environment who are designated as the responsible
authority for the protection of the environment and
b) This standard includes emission limits for diesel
(compression-ignition) engines, small and large petrol
(spark-ignition) engines, and other recreational
vehicles not included in SASO standards.

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Page 1 of 6

KSA Presidency of Meteorology and Environment
c) This standard does not include emissions from
road vehicles, marine vessels, locomotives, and
aircrafts
d) This standard sets out emission limit values
depending on engine type and capacity.
5) Exemptions
a) Exemptions may be applied in circumstances
where the enforcement of this standard impracticable
or inappropriate.
b) Exemption may be made for the activities specified
in, but not restricted to table 1. Only the Competent
Agency will determine where these exemptions apply
and which, if any, activities beyond this list are
included.
.
Table 1 – Exempt activities
Activity Exemption applies
Emergency services for fire At all times
fighting and medical crises
6) Powers of authority
a) Within the scope of these standards the
Competent Agency may:
i) prescribe specific requirements as to the
concentrations of contaminants within
emissions originating from non-road
mobile sources within the Kingdom;
ii) prescribe specific requirements as to
other characteristics of non-road mobile
source emissions; and
iii) authorise a locally designated authority to
exercise any power conferred by
regulations made by virtue of paragraphs
(i)-(iii) above.
b) The Competent Agency may for the purposes of
these Standards appoint persons to act on their
behalf as technical assessors and monitors in
relation to the powers and duties conferred on him by
these standards and/or subsequent amendments.
c) In addition to the powers conferred by other
sections contained within these standards, it shall be
the duty of a relevant party;
i) to give the Competent Agency all such
assistance; and
ii) provide the Competent Agency with all such
information, as may reasonably be required for
the purpose of carrying out an investigation.
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
PME Reference
d) Any Competent Agency, for the purpose of Mobile
source air quality regulation may;
i) enter any site or premises for the purpose of
carrying out any such investigation;
ii) carry out such inspections, measurements
and tests on engines, equipment or vehicles as
that person considers appropriate for the
purpose of enabling him to carry out any such
investigation; or
iii) at any reasonable time require any relevant
party to supply him with copies of, or of extracts
from, the contents of any records kept for the
purpose of complying with mobile source
emission standards.
7) Enforcement procedures
a) Failure to comply with the requirements of these
standards may lead to prosecution by the Competent
Agency and those convicted of such failure may be
subject to fines or periods of imprisonment as laid out
in the General Environmental Regulations.
b) It is anticipated that the requirements of this
standard will be enforced nationally with inspections
taking place to verify their implementation at a
regional and local level.
8) Penalty fines
a) Maximum fines that may be imposed for exceeding
the applicable standard, breach of permit and failure
to comply with an abatement notice are set out in the
General Environmental Regulations.
9) Appeals
a) A right of appeal exists for any organisation or
individual who is required to take action as a
consequence of the implementation of the revised
standard.
b) The right of appeal against conviction or sentence
is available through the appropriate judicial system as
set out in the General Environmental Regulations.
c) All appeals should be fully supported with a
documented case containing as a minimum, the
information required under the appeals process of the
General Environmental Regulations.
10) Periodic review
a) There may be some requirement at a future date to
adjust the standards included to recognise specific
local conditions and or improved understanding of the
effects of mobile source air emissions.
Page 2 of 6
KSA Presidency of Meteorology and Environment
b) As a minimum, the Competent Agency shall
undertake a periodic review of this standard every 5
years.
c) Where new information suggests that adjustments
are required to this standard, all changes will be
subject to the appropriate consultation and will be
notified to facilities by the Competent Agency.
Appropriate implementation time will be allowed.
Article II – General Provisions
1) Units of measurement
a) Air emission from traffic can be calculated by the
use of emission factors usually expressed as
emission in g/KW-hr or as a percentage of fuel used.
b) Where numerical values are stated in relation to
mobile source air emission standards the units are
also present, these may vary according to the
parameter referenced.
c) Where an individual substance is prohibited the
concentration limit may be specified as undetectable
or ‘0’. In cases where there is no provision within the
standard, at this time, for a particular parameter the
limit may be specified as N/A.
Article III – Mobile source emission criteria
1) Prescribed mobile air emission standards
a) Tables 1, 2 and 3 in Appendix A outline the
prescribed mobile air emission standards for:
i) non-road diesel (compression-injection)
engines;
ii) small and large petrol (spark-ignition)
engines; and
iii) non-road recreational vehicles and
engines.
b) The standards prescribed in Appendix A apply to
all new engines produced after the date of
transposition of these standards.
2) General operating conditions
a) The use of non-road engines, equipment and
vehicles must not jeopardize achievement of the
Kingdom’s Ambient Air Quality Standards.
b) Where the Ambient Air Quality Standards are
exceeded or a potential exists for them to be
exceeded in future as a direct result of the use of non-
road engines, equipment or vehicles, operational
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
PME Reference
procedures must be developed to mitigate these
impacts.
3) Emission related maintenance
a) All owners or operators of non-road engines
equipment and vehicles must ensure that they
undertake appropriate emission-related maintenance.
b) Emission-related maintenance includes any
adjustment, cleaning, repair, or replacement of
emission-related components, which include the
following:
i) electronic control units, after treatment
devices, fuel-metering components, EGR-
system components, crankcase-ventilation
valves, all components related to charge-
air compression and cooling, and all
sensors and actuators associated with any
of these components; and
ii) any other component whose primary
purpose is to reduce emissions.
c) Records of all emission-related maintenance must
be held for a period of no less than 5 years.
4) Specific requirements for large sites
a) The owner or operator of a large site or facility
must develop an internal management program. For
the purpose of this standard, large sites are those that
have 5 or more engines, equipment and/or vehicles
that have the potential to be operational at the same
time.
b) This engine emission management programme will
include the following:
i) a list of all applicable engines;
ii) engine maintenance procedures;
iii) procedures to ensure best available
environmental technology are used
where economically feasible; and
iv) potential hazards and emergency
response procedures.
c It is the responsibility of the site owner or his
designated site manager to ensure the
implementation and maintenance of the engine
emission management program;
d) All engine emission management program
documentation should be organised carefully and
made available to the Competent Agency when
required;
e) Failure to submit internal management program
documentation to the Competent Agency, within a 30
day period, will be deemed as a failure to comply with
the standard.
Page 3 of 6
KSA Presidency of Meteorology and Environment PME Reference

5) Abatement notices

a) Where the Competent Agency identifies activities

that pose significant current or potential risk to the
environment or human health, it may issue an
abatement notice that will detail abatement actions.
These may include the termination of activities which
must be undertaken to reduce that risk.

b) Activities which are not in contravention of mobile

source emission threshold values may still be subject
to the conditions of an abatement notice.

c) The requirements of an abatement notice are

legally enforceable by the Competent Agency.

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Page 4 of 6

KSA Presidency of Meteorology and Environment
PME Reference

Appendix A – Prescribed parameters and limit values

Table 1 – Non Road Petrol (Compression-Ignition) Engines (includes construction,

agricultural, and industrial equipment)

CO HC NOx PM (g/kW-
Rated Power Smoke (%)
(g/kW-hr) (g/kW-hr) (g/kW-hr)) hr)
50 ≤ hp < 100 n/a n/a 9.25 (ABT) n/a 20/15/50
100 ≤ hp < 175 n/a n/a 9.25 (ABT) n/a 20/15/50
175 ≤ hp < 750 11.4 1.34 9.25 (ABT) 0.54 20/15/50
Hp = 750 + 11.4 1.34 9.25 (ABT) 0.54 20/15/50

Table 2 – Non Road Diesel (Spark-ignition Engines) (lawn-mowers, forklifts, generators

etc.)

CO (g/kW- HC (g/kW-
Rated Power NOx (g/kW-hr) HC + NOx (g/kW-hr)
hr) hr)
< 225cc (non-
518.97 n/a n/a n/a
handheld)
≥ 225cc (non
518.97 n/a n/a n/a
handheld)
<20cc (handheld) 804.6 295.02 5.36 0.54
≥20cc >50cc
804.6 241.38 5.36 n/a
(handheld)
≥50cc (handheld) 603.45 160.92 5.36 n/a

Table 3 – Non Road Recreational Vehicles and Engines

Displacement HC HC + NOx (g/kW-

Vehicle CO (g/kW-
(cc) (g/kW- hr) PM (g/kW-hr)
Type hr)
hr)
Specialty < 225 469.35 16.1 1.21
vehicle ≥ 225 469.35 13.41 1.21
n/a
engines all 134.1 4.29 0.34
(<25hp)
Specialty
vehicles
engines all 134.1 n/a 4.29 0.34
and go-
karts
Off-road >90 20.12 1.61
motorcycles
and all- <90 20.12 1.61
n/a n/a
terrain
vehicles

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Page 5 of 6