2022-07-04 Bdc Amla Trep Esia Staff Village Main Works Rev03

Environmental and Social Impact
Assessment
Staff Village Main Works
July 2022
Company Name Beacon Development Company
Document Number 83137-AMLA-TREP-04JULY22-053-Rev03

Document Title Assessment
Report Date July 04, 2022
Prepared by David Wells
Reviewed by David McGrath
Submitted to AMAALA
Revision Number 03
Date of Revision July 04, 2022
Revised by David Wells
Approved by Andrew Booth, PhD
Date of Approval July 04, 2022
Date of Transmission July 04, 2022
Copyright © 2022 BDC-KAUST
This is a proprietary document of the Beacon Development Company - King Abdullah

University of Science and Technology. It is not to be disclosed to other party(s) or
reproduced without prior written permission of the Beacon Development Company .
Cover Photo
Mesa Cliffs, AMAALA Staff Village, BDC

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Revision No.
Revision following
Revision following Revision following
receipt of Client, SEZ Reason for Revision
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REVISION HISTORY
NCEC Comments Client comments

and NCEC Comments
July 04, 2022 May 19, 2022 Apr 26, 2022 NA Date of Revision
Name and Signature of

David Wells David Wells David Wells
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the Author

David McGrath David McGrath David McGrath
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the Reviewer

Andrew Booth, PhD Andrew Booth, PhD Andrew Booth, PhD
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the Approver
July 04, 2022 May 19, 2022 Apr 26, 2022 Date of Approval
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Contents
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................................................................................. I

1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................ 1
1.1 General Information ................................................................................... 1
1.2 Objectives ................................................................................................. 3
1.3 Report Structure ........................................................................................ 4
ESIA Report Format ............................................................................... 4
Links to Other AMAALA Developments and Projects ............................... 5
Limitations and Assumptions .................................................................. 6
1.4 Project Proponent ...................................................................................... 7
1.5 Environmental and Social Impact Assessment Consultant ........................... 7
2 POLICY, LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE FRAMEWORK .................. 8
2.1 Institutional Framework .............................................................................. 8
Vision 2030 ............................................................................................ 9
TRSDC Environmental and Social Policies .............................................. 9
Management of Change........................................................................ 10
Ecological Setbacks ............................................................................. 12
2.2 Organisational Framework........................................................................ 12
National Laws, Regulations, Standards and Requirements .................... 12
Regional Laws, Regulations, Standards and Requirements ................... 18
International Laws, Regulations, Standards and Requirements .............. 18
International Agreements and Treaties to which the Kingdom is a Party . 21
3 PROJECT DESCRIPTION ................................................................ 28
3.1 Objectives and Project Need .................................................................... 28
3.2 Project Location ....................................................................................... 28
3.3 Project Activities ...................................................................................... 33
Construction Activities .......................................................................... 33
Operational Phase ................................................................................ 37
Manpower ............................................................................................ 51
Equipment and Plant ............................................................................ 52
3.4 Geographical Scope ................................................................................. 52
3.5 Project Footprint ...................................................................................... 53
Space Required ................................................................................... 53
Activity Resources, Types and Sources ................................................ 53
Wastes ................................................................................................ 53
3.6 Schedule ................................................................................................. 56
4 ALTERNATIVES .............................................................................. 57
4.1 Methodology ............................................................................................ 57
4.2 Do Nothing Option ................................................................................... 58
4.3 Alternate Locations .................................................................................. 58
4.4 Technical Alternatives .............................................................................. 61
Interim Concept Masterplan Iterations ................................................... 61
Utilities................................................................................................. 64
Access Roads ...................................................................................... 67
Temporary Laydown and Storage Areas ................................................ 67
4.5 Comparison of Alternatives ...................................................................... 69
5 BASELINE DESCRIPTION ............................................................... 70
5.1 Project Area ............................................................................................. 70
Source Data ......................................................................................... 70
5.2 Physical Environment ............................................................................... 71
Air Quality ............................................................................................ 71
Climate Change ................................................................................... 81
Coastal Processes ............................................................................... 83
Geology and Soils ................................................................................ 87
Hydrology ............................................................................................ 93
Landscape and Visual .......................................................................... 93
Light Spill ............................................................................................. 95
Meteorological Conditions .................................................................... 95
Noise ................................................................................................... 99
Seawater and Sediment Quality .......................................................... 110
5.3 Biodiversity ............................................................................................ 113
Terrestrial Biodiversity, Flora and Fauna ............................................. 113
Marine Biodiversity, Flora and Fauna .................................................. 122
Critical Habitat ................................................................................... 136
Ecosystem Services ........................................................................... 139
5.4 Archaeological and Cultural Environment ................................................ 144
5.5 Social and Economic Environment .......................................................... 145
Traffic and Transport .......................................................................... 145
Socio-Economics ................................................................................ 146
Waste Management ............................................................................ 153
Worker Welfare and Public Health ...................................................... 156
5.6 Sensitive Receptors ............................................................................... 156
Project Valued Environmental Receptors ............................................ 157
6 IDENTIFYING IMPACTS, ANALYSIS AND ASSESSMENT ............ 159
6.1 Methodology .......................................................................................... 159
General Approach .............................................................................. 159
ESIA as a Process ............................................................................. 159
International Best Practice .................................................................. 159
Environmental Design Approach ......................................................... 160
Process of Determining Effects ........................................................... 161
Identifying Receptors .......................................................................... 162
Characterising Environmental and Social Impacts ............................... 162
Assessment of Significance ................................................................ 166
Hierarchy of Mitigation ........................................................................ 167
6.2 Impact Assessment ................................................................................ 168
Valued Environmental Receptors ........................................................ 168
Impact Types ..................................................................................... 175
Mitigation ........................................................................................... 176
Monitoring .......................................................................................... 176
Residual Significant Effects ................................................................ 176
Significant Impacts and Proposed Mitigation ....................................... 177
Technical Scope ................................................................................. 177
Summary of Identified Impacts ............................................................ 178
6.3 Summary of Project Impacts ................................................................... 262
Residual Significant Effects ................................................................ 263
Cumulative Impacts ............................................................................ 264
7 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL MANAGEMENT PLANS ............ 282
7.1 Environmental Impact Mitigation Plan ..................................................... 282
7.2 Environmental Control Plan .................................................................... 282
Construction Environmental and Social Management Plan ................... 282
Operational Environmental and Social Management Plan .................... 283
7.3 Assessment Summary after Mitigation .................................................... 284
7.4 Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan ........................................ 284
7.5 Environmental Rehabilitation and Remediation Plan ............................... 285
7.6 Environmental Management Plan Framework ......................................... 285
Roles and Responsibilities for Implementing the Environmental
Management Plan......................................................................................... 285
Capacity Building ............................................................................... 291
Communication .................................................................................. 292
Control and Reporting ........................................................................ 293
Data Management .............................................................................. 294
Auditing and Inspection ...................................................................... 295
7.7 Monitoring Programme ........................................................................... 296
Preamble ........................................................................................... 296
Monitoring Requirements .................................................................... 296
8 CONCLUSION ............................................................................... 302
8.1 The Environmentally, Socially and Economically "Preferred" Alternative .. 302
8.2 Summary of the Environmental, Social and Economic Losses and Gains that
Justify the Establishment of the Proposed Business Activity ............................ 302
8.3 Summary of How the Negative Impacts Are Addressed and to What Extent
They Will Be Mitigated, Improved or Controlled ............................................... 302
8.4 Summary of the Environmental Management Plan .................................. 303
8.5 Roles of the Various Relevant Authorities ............................................... 303
Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture ................................... 303
National Centre for Environmental Compliance.................................... 303
National Centre for Wildlife ................................................................. 303
Heritage Commission ......................................................................... 304
Permanent Committee for Coastal Zone Protection ............................. 304
Prince Mohammed Bin Salman Nature Reserve Authority .................... 304
Stakeholder Consultation and Disclosure ............................................ 304
9 APPENDICES ................................................................................ 305
9.1 References ............................................................................................ 305
9.2 Curriculum Vitae of EIA Authors ............................................................. 311
9.3 Technical Documents of the Project........................................................ 312
Staff Village Main Works Environmental Classification Form ................ 313
Staff Village Main Works Category 3 Scoping Report ........................... 314
Staff Village Marine Environmental Baseline Survey ............................ 315
Vegetation, Reptile and Avifauna Baseline Surveys, AMAALA Staff Village
316
Public Participation ............................................................................. 317
AMAALA CESMP Template ................................................................ 318
TRSDC OESMP Template .................................................................. 319
9.4 Project Area ........................................................................................... 320
9.5 Material Safety Data Sheets ................................................................... 321
9.6 Scoping Report NCEC Comments .......................................................... 322
List of Tables
Table 1-1 ESIA Report Structure ............................................................................. 4

Table 1-2 Approved and Ongoing AMAALA Impact Assessments ............................. 5
Table 1-3 AMAALA Contact Details ......................................................................... 7
Table 1-4 BDC Contact Details ............................................................................... 7
Table 2-1 Biodiversity Setbacks ............................................................................ 12
Table 2-2 Executive Regulations of the New Environment Law ............................... 14
Table 2-3 Environmental Permitting Requirements ................................................ 15
Table 2-4 IFC Performance Standards and Applicability ......................................... 19
Table 2-5 WBG EHS Guidelines Relevant to the Project ........................................ 21
Table 2-6 Summary of Relevant International Agreements ..................................... 22
Table 2-7 Summary of ILO Conventions Ratified by Saudi Arabia .......................... 27
Table 3-1 Development Breakdown (SIE, 2022) ..................................................... 37
Table 3-2 Indicative Plant, Equipment and Vehicles Required ................................ 52
Table 3-3 Staff Village Predicted Annual Waste Generation Rates and Composition
(SIE, 2022) ........................................................................................................... 55
Table 3-4 Permitting Schedule .............................................................................. 56
Table 4-1 Staff Village Alternative Locations Specifications ................................... 59
Table 5-1 NEOM and RSP Baseline Air Quality Monitoring Data ............................ 76
Table 5-2 AECOM Diffusion Tube Monitoring Results (AECOM, 2021b) ................. 78
Table 5-3 Localised Particulate Monitoring ............................................................ 81
Table 5-4 Tidal Average Data for Miraya and the Island and Comparison with Triple
Bay (Buro Happold, 2019) ..................................................................................... 84
Table 5-5 Residual Area-Average Tracer Concentration (24-hour average) ............ 86
Table 5-6 Encountered Ground Conditions (RGJ, 2021) ......................................... 89
Table 5-7 Soil Chemical Data ................................................................................ 93
Table 5-8 Noise Monitoring Locations (AECOM, 2021b) ......................................... 99
Table 5-9 Noise Monitoring Results (AECOM, 2021b) .......................................... 103
Table 5-10 Noise Baseline Data Comparison ....................................................... 107
Table 5-11 Noise Baseline Data Comparison ....................................................... 110
Table 5-12 Plant Diversity of Survey Locations .................................................... 117
Table 5-13 Ornithological Survey Results, Staff Village ........................................ 121
Table 5-14 Ornithological Survey Results, Wadi Valleys ...................................... 122
Table 5-15 Biodiversity Features for which AMAALA Qualifies for Designation as
Critical Habitat (Buro Happold and Five Oceans, August 2021) ............................ 138
Table 5-16 Summary of Ecosystem Services based on CICES Approach ............. 140
Table 5-17 2021 Archaeological Survey Data ...................................................... 144
Table 5-18 Road Traffic Deaths and Injuries (Ministry of Health, 2022) ................ 145
Table 5-19 Highway 5 Traffic Counts ................................................................... 145
Table 5-20 Population of Saudi Arabia (General Authority for Statistics, 2019a) ... 146
Table 5-21 Tabuk AR Demographics 2017 (General Authority for Statistics, 2017) 147
Table 5-22 Al Wajh Governorate Demographics 2010 (General Authority for
Statistics, n.d.) ................................................................................................... 148
Table 5-23 Employment Statistics (Q1, 2019) (General Authority for Statistics,
2019a) ............................................................................................................... 149
Table 5-24 Employment Statistics (Q1, 2019) for Tabuk AR (General Authority for
Statistics, 2019b) ................................................................................................ 149
Table 5-25 Employment by Economic Sector (Q1, 2019) for Tabuk AR (General
Authority for Statistics, 2019b) ............................................................................ 150
Table 5-26 Value and Sensitivity of VERs used in the ESIA ................................. 156
Table 5-27 Potential Project Valued Environmental Receptors ............................. 157
Table 6-1 Classification of Extent of Impact and Assigned Scores ........................ 163
Table 6-2 Classification of Duration of Impact and Assigned Scores ..................... 164
Table 6-3 Classification of Frequency of Impact and Assigned Scores.................. 164
Table 6-4 Criteria for Magnitude of Impacts used in the ESIA ............................... 166
Table 6-5 Matrix for Determining the Significance of Environmental Impacts ........ 166
Table 6-6 Identified Project-specific Valued Environmental Receptors .................. 169
Table 6-7 Summary of ESIA Scope ..................................................................... 177
Table 6-8 Abbreviations Used for Impact Identification ......................................... 178
Table 6-9 Abbreviations Used in Impact and Mitigation Summary Tables ............. 179
Table 6-10 Air Quality Construction Phase Impacts and Mitigation ....................... 182
Table 6-11 Air Quality Operational Impacts and Mitigation ................................... 183
Table 6-12 Potential Project Contributions to GHG Emissions .............................. 184
Table 6-13 Project Contribution to Saudi Arabia’s Emissions Inventory ................ 185
Table 6-14 Climate Change Impacts Construction Impacts and Mitigation ............ 186
Table 6-15 Climate Change Impacts Operational Impacts and Mitigation .............. 187
Table 6-16 Coastal Processes Construction Impacts and Mitigation ..................... 189
Table 6-17 Coastal Processes Operational Impacts and Mitigation ....................... 189
Table 6-18 Community Health, Safety and Security Construction Impacts and
Mitigation ........................................................................................................... 191
Table 6-19 Community Health, Safety and Security Operational Impacts and
Mitigation ........................................................................................................... 193
Table 6-20 Hydrology Construction Impacts and Mitigation .................................. 198
Table 6-21 Labour and Working Conditions and Workers’ Accommodation
Construction Impacts and Mitigation .................................................................... 200
Table 6-22 Labour and Working Conditions and Workers’ Accommodation
Operational Impacts and Mitigation ..................................................................... 201
Table 6-23 Light Spill Construction Impacts and Mitigation................................... 206
Table 6-24 Light Spill Operational Impacts and Mitigation .................................... 206
Table 6-25 Marine Quality Construction Impacts and Mitigation ........................... 209
Table 6-26 Marine Quality Operational Impacts and Mitigation ............................. 213
Table 6-27 Ambient Noise - Typical Cut-off Levels ............................................... 217
Table 6-28 Typical Construction Equipment Noise Emission Levels (dBA) ............ 217
Table 6-29 Distances at Which Vibration May Just be Perceptible (based upon BS
5228) ................................................................................................................. 219
Table 6-30 Noise and Vibration Impacts Construction Impacts and Mitigation ....... 220
Table 6-31 Noise and Vibration Operational Impacts and Mitigation ..................... 221
Table 6-32 Seawater and Sediment Quality Construction Impacts and Mitigation .. 223
Table 6-33 Seawater and Sediment Quality Operational Impacts and Mitigation ... 228
Table 6-34 Social Construction Impacts and Mitigation ........................................ 234
Table 6-35 Social Operational Impacts and Mitigation .......................................... 234
Table 6-36 Soils and Groundwater Construction Impacts and Mitigation ............... 238
Table 6-37 Soil and Groundwater Operational Impacts and Mitigation .................. 241
Table 6-38 Terrestrial Ecology Impacts Construction Impacts and Mitigation ........ 245
Table 6-39 Terrestrial Ecology Operational Impacts and Mitigation ...................... 246
Table 6-40 Traffic and Transport Construction Impacts and Mitigation .................. 249
Table 6-41 Traffic and Transport Operational Impacts and Mitigation ................... 249
Table 6-42 Preliminary Construction Waste Management Options ........................ 250
Table 6-43 Standard, Good and Best Practice Recovery Rates by Material
(WRAP) .............................................................................................................. 252
Table 6-44 Waste Management Construction Impacts and Mitigation ................... 255
Table 6-45 Waste Management Operational Impacts and Mitigation ..................... 257
Table 6-46 Water Resources Construction Impacts and Mitigation ....................... 261
Table 6-47 Water Resources Operational Impacts and Mitigation ......................... 261
Table 6-48 Summary of Project Impacts by Topic before Mitigation ...................... 262
Table 6-49 Table of Construction Phase Residual Significant Effects ................... 263
Table 6-50 Table of Operational Phase Residual Significant Effects ..................... 263
Table 6-51 VERs Scoped In and Out ................................................................... 268
Table 6-52 Environmental Drivers ....................................................................... 271
Table 6-53 Potential Cumulative Effects of Identified Priority VERs ...................... 271
Table 6-54 Cumulative Impact Summary ............................................................. 274
Table 7-1 Construction Phase Monitoring Requirements ...................................... 297
Table 7-2 Operational Phase Monitoring Requirements........................................ 300
Table 9-1 Scoping Report Comments .................................................................. 323
List of Figures
Figure 1-1 Project Location ..................................................................................... 2

Figure 1-2 Project Configuration.............................................................................. 3
Figure 2-1 Summary of National Permitting Process .............................................. 17
Figure 3-1 Staff Village Location and Distance to Development Areas .................... 30
Figure 3-2 Staff Village Location ........................................................................... 31
Figure 3-3 Staff Village Ecological Setbacks .......................................................... 32
Figure 3-4 Staff Village Construction Primary Storage and Laydown Area and Office
Accommodation .................................................................................................... 34
Figure 3-5 Staff Village Access Route ................................................................... 36
Figure 3-6 Staff Village Phase 1 and Phase 2 Proposed Layout ............................. 38
Figure 3-7 Staff Village Land Use Zoning .............................................................. 39
Figure 3-8 Staff Village Utility Hubs (SIE, 2022)..................................................... 43
Figure 3-9 Staff Village Outfalls (SIE, 2022) .......................................................... 44
Figure 3-10 Staff Village Power and Telecommunications Infrastructure ................. 45
Figure 3-11 Proposed Right of Way Cross section - Bioswale located at both side of
the Proposed Road Embankment (SIE, 2022) ........................................................ 46
Figure 3-12 Staff Village Potable Water Supply ..................................................... 47
Figure 3-13 Regional Sewage Treatment Plant ...................................................... 48
Figure 3-14 Staff Village Vehicular Entrances ........................................................ 50
Figure 4-1 Staff Village Alternative Locations ........................................................ 60
Figure 4-2 Staff Village ICMP Iterations ................................................................. 62
Figure 4-3 Staff Village Revised Options ............................................................... 63
Figure 4-4 Alternative Stormwater Bioswale Location............................................. 66
Figure 4-5 Alternative Laydown Area Location Considered .................................... 68
Figure 5-1 Potential Air Quality Pollution Sources .................................................. 72
Figure 5-2 Air Quality Monitoring Locations ........................................................... 73
Figure 5-3 Localised Particulate Matter Monitoring Locations ................................. 80
Figure 5-4 Oceanographic Equipment Deployment ................................................ 85
Figure 5-5 Tracer Concentration at 10 Days after Release ..................................... 86
Figure 5-6 Geological Map Extract Staff Village Project Area ................................. 88
Figure 5-7 Coastguard Facility adjacent to Project Site .......................................... 92
Figure 5-8 Staff Village Current Topography .......................................................... 94
Figure 5-9 Temperature Values, Al Wajh (AECOM, 2021c) .................................... 96
Figure 5-10 Rainfall Values, Al Wajh (AECOM, 2021c) .......................................... 97
Figure 5-11 Al Wajh Wind Direction ....................................................................... 98
Figure 5-12 Sandstorm Frequency Map (Albugami, et al., 2019) ............................ 99
Figure 5-13 AMAALA Noise Monitoring Locations (AECOM, 2021b) ..................... 101
Figure 5-14 Localised Baseline Noise Monitoring Locations ................................. 109
Figure 5-15 Staff Village November 2021 MEBS Seawater and Sediment Sampling
Locations ........................................................................................................... 111
Figure 5-16 Staff Village Terrestrial Habitat Map (AECOM, 2020) ........................ 114
Figure 5-17 Updated Terrestrial Habitat Map (BDC, 2021b) ................................. 116
Figure 5-18 Survey Locations ............................................................................. 119
Figure 5-19 MEBS Stations ................................................................................. 124
Figure 5-20 Supervised Habitat Map ................................................................... 125
Figure 5-21 Large Sea Fan (Gorgonia sp.) Present at ACV DS02 ......................... 127
Figure 5-22 Large Pavona clavus Present at ACV DS02 ...................................... 128
Figure 5-23 Location of the 30m Pavona clavus colony ........................................ 129
Figure 5-24 AMAALA Megafauna Sightings ......................................................... 133
Figure 5-25 Turtle Nesting Sites Near Staff Village .............................................. 135
Figure 5-26 2021 Archaeological Features .......................................................... 144
Figure 5-27 Tabuk AR 2017 Population Pyramid .................................................. 147
Figure 5-28 Waste Management Facilities in Proximity to Project Site .................. 155
Figure 6-1 Environmental Design Approach to ESIA ............................................ 160
Figure 6-2 Source - Pathway - Receptor - Consequence Model as Applied to
ESIA .................................................................................................................. 161
Figure 6-3 Hierarchy of Mitigation ....................................................................... 167
Figure 6-4 Examples of Project Elements Creating Footprint Impacts ................... 175
Figure 6-5 Examples of Activities and Impacts ..................................................... 175
Figure 6-6 Staff Village Temporary Flooding Mitigation Measures ........................ 197
Figure 6-7 RCIA Process (modified from IFC, 2013) ............................................ 265
Figure 6-8 AMAALA in Relation to other Giga-projects ......................................... 266
Figure 6-9 Projects in Close Proximity ................................................................. 267
Abbreviations
BDC Beacon Development Company
BPEO Best Practicable Environmental Option
CEO Chief Environmental Officer
CESMP Construction Environmental and Social Management Plan
CFC Chlorofluorocarbon
CH 4 Methane
CMS Convention on Migratory Species
CO Carbon Monoxide
COTs Crown of Thorns (starfish)
CO 2 Carbon Dioxide
CR Critical Endangered
DMP Dredge Management Plan
EBRD European Bank of Reconstruction and Development
EHS Environmental, Health, and Safety
EIA Environmental Impact Assessment
EMP Environmental Management Plan
EMS Environmental Management System
EN Endangered
ENVID Environmental Impact Identification
EP Equator Principles
EPRP Emergency Preparedness Response Plan
EPIII Equator Principles III
EP4 Equator Principles 4

ESIA Environmental and Social Impact Assessment
ESMS Environmental and Social Management System
GAMEP General Authority of Meteorology and Environmental Protection
GER General Environmental Regulations
GHG Greenhouse Gas
GIIP Good International Industry Practice
HAZMAT Hazardous Material
HAZOP Hazard and Operability Study
HAZWASTE Hazardous Waste
HCP High Conservation Priority
HFC Hydrofluorocarbon
HFCFC Hydrochlorofluorocarbon
HGV Heavy Goods Vehicle
HSE Health, Safety and Environment
H2S Hydrogen Sulphide
IFC International Finance Corporation
ILO International Labour Organisation
IMO International Maritime Organisation
IUCN International Union for Conservation of Nature
KAUST King Abdullah University of Science and Technology
KSA Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
l Litres
MEWA Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture
MoU Memorandum of Understanding

MP4 Masterplan 4
NCEC National Centre for Environmental Compliance
NCW National Centre for Wildlife
NCWCD National Commission for Wildlife Conservation and Development
NS Non-significant
NSR Noise Sensitive Receptors
N2O Nitrous oxide
OESMP Operational Environmental and Social Management Plan
OHS Occupational Health and Safety
PERSGA Program for the Environment of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden
PFC Perfluorocarbons
PIF Public Investment Fund
PM Particulate Matter
PMBSR Prince Mohammed bin Salman Reserve
PME Presidency for Meteorology and Environment
POP Persistent Organic Pollutant
PPE Personal Protective Equipment
PSU Practical Salinity Unit
PTW Permit to Work
QA Quality Assurance
QC Quality Control
RMO Resettlement Management Office
RSP Red Sea Project
SCTH Saudi Commission for Tourism and Heritage

SDG Sustainable Development Goal
SDS Safety Data Sheet
SEZ Special Economic Zone
SF 6 Sulphur hexafluoride
SPMP Spill Prevention and Management Plan
SPRC Source - Pathway- Receptor - Consequence
SWA Saudi Wildlife Authority
SWCC Saline Water Conversion Company
TMP Traffic Management Plan
UNCBD United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity
UNCCC United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
United Nations Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of

UNCMS
Wild Animals
UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation
UNFCCC UN Framework Convention on Climate Change
VER Valued Environmental receptor
VU Vulnerable
WBG World Bank Group
WEM Weekly Environmental Metrics
WMC Waste Management Contractor
WMP Waste Management Plan
WTN Waste Transfer Note

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
As part of Saudi Arabia’s national policy to di versify its economy, the Kingdom is embarking
on an ambitious programme of development of giga projects relating to tourism, new
technologies and real estate.
AMAALA is a 4,155 km 2 year-round destination, set in The Prince Mohammed bin Salman
Nature Reserve, which will include 2,500 hotel keys and more than 800 residential villas,
apartments and estate homes, alongside 200 high-end retail establishments, fine dining,
wellness and recreation facilities. AMAALA comprises three new integrated luxurious resor t
destinations comprising Triple Bay, Miraya and The Island (Al Nu’man Island), located
approximately 4 km offshore to the west of Miraya (see Figure ES- 1).
AMAALA is expected to be a significant driver of domestic and foreign direct investment that
will stimulate economic growth and job creation within the region, thereby, supporting the
Kingdom’s 2030 Vision by developing and diversifying the Kingdom’s economy, notably
through non-pilgrim related tourism.
The AMAALA Staff Village Main Works (the ‘Project’) will provide office and living
accommodation for personnel during the development of AMAALA. The Staff Village will be
developed in two phases and this ESIA is to cover the construction of Phase 1 and 2 ,
however, it should be noted that the Phase 2 area is to be used for laydown, storage and
office accommodation to enable the construction of Phase 1 prior to the development of
Phase 2. Please note that the Staff Village is set-back from the coastline.
Figure ES- 2 presents the location of the Staff Village. The location has been chosen as it is
midway between Triple Bay and Masterplan Area 4 (MP4) development areas . MP4 is a
potential development area currently in the ear ly masterplanning phase.
An Environmental Classification Form and Category 3 Scoping Report was developed by

Beacon Development Company (BDC) and submitted to N ational Centre for Environmental
Compliance (NCEC) on 31 January 2022. The ESIA Scoping Report was approved, with
comments, by NCEC on 4 April 2022.
This ESIA, and associated documents, will provide an understanding of the environmental
and social sensitivities, clearly define the potential impacts of the Main Works on the
sensitivities found on and around the Staff Village and offer mitigation that is appropriate to
those impacts. The ESIA process undertaken has sought to apply the Hierarchy of
Mitigation, with avoidance of effects being the preferred option.
Please note that BDC prepared an Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA)
Report for the Early Works phase (REF: 13924/1442) which was approved by NCEC in
November 2021.
KAUST BDC I AMAALA | Staff Village Main Works ESIA I

Figure ES- 1 Project Location
KAUST BDC I AMAALA | Staff Village Main Works ESIA II

Figure ES- 2 Staff Village Main Works Phase 1 and 2
Project Need, Location and Description
Project Need
Saudi Arabia has, as part of its established Vision 2030, placed emphasis on diversification
of its income sources to reduce reliance on the traditional sectors of oil and gas and
petrochemicals. One of the areas of focus for diversification is non -pilgrimage related
tourism. The Kingdom’s PIF initiated several giga projects to meet its contribution to Vision
2030, including AMAALA.
In order to support the development of AMAALA, office and living accommodation is required
for AMAALA staff based on the ground.
Project Location
AMAALA is located on the north-west coast of Saudi Arabia, approximately 700 km north -
west of Jeddah. The total Project area is 923,400 m 2 . The Staff Village is set-back from the
coast by approximately 40 m and there will be no access to the beaches from the Staff
Village and Staff Village residents, workers and visitors will not be permitted access to the
beaches.
KAUST BDC I AMAALA | Staff Village Main Works ESIA III

Project Description
The Main Works are to comprise of the following:
 Construction of Staff Village Phase 1 and 2;
 Phase 1 and 2 operational activities;
 Development of an access road from Staff Village to the Public -Private-

Partnership (PPP) Infrastructure; and
 Laydown areas and storage facilities within Phase 1 and Phase 2 area.
This ESIA encompasses all of the above elements.
Please note that this ESIA encompass both terrestrial and marine impacts. However, it
should be noted that the development is set-back 40 m from the coastline.
Legislation, Policy and Procedural Context of ESIA Process
It is intended that AMAALA will be established as a Special Economic Zone (SEZ), however,
at the time of writing this ESIA, the SEZ and its functionality has not been established.
Therefore, national requirements for impact assessment and regulatory standards will apply.
The SEZ-Department of Environment and Sustainability (DES), as the environment Authority

in the SEZ, has the mandate and the role in setting, implementing and operating all
environmental policies, standards and regulatory systems for the permitting and licensing of
operations in the SEZ. It leads on all licensing and permitting of operations environmental
and compliance and enforcement in the SEZ.
In November 2020, the General Authority of Meteorology and Environmental Protection

(GAMEP) was dissolved, and its regulatory role was transferred to the newly established
National Centre for Environmental Compliance (NCEC) within the Ministry of Environment,
Water and Agriculture (MEW A).
In addition to national impact assessment requirements, AMAALA has chosen to align, to the
extent possible, with the requirements of the International Finance Corporation (IFC)
Performance Standards on Environmental and Social Sustainability as part o f the overall
project risk management process.
Saudi Arabia is a signatory to and has ratified a wide range of international conventions that
are relevant to AMAALA including:
 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change; and
 United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity.
The Kingdom is also a member of the International Labour Organization (ILO) and is obliged
to abide by relevant rules within the overall ILO requirements.
KAUST BDC I AMAALA | Staff Village Main Works ESIA IV

Existing Conditions
The Project area forms an extension of the nor thern Tihamah Plain (Tihamat Al-Hejaz). The
Project site varies little in topography, varying from sea level to 10 m. Although set-back, the
Project area surrounds a natural cove with a sandy bay, however, the seaward facing areas
fall to the sea as steep cliffs several metres high.
There is no evidence of any settlement on-site, though human influence is evident in the
form of windblown rubbish in general and flotsam along the sandy beach. Built structures
include a makeshift musalla (prayer area) and a marker post inscribed with ‘TDC 90’.
Grazing is evident, however, vegetation is not sufficient to support a continuous presence of
animals. However, once the Early Works is complete, a flat development platform will have
been created ready for the Main Work s to commence. The Early Works will have removed
any such features.
Table ES- 1 presents identified Valued Environmental Receptors (VERs) of Staff Village
Project site. Although the Project area is setback from the coast, some construction and
operational phase activities will interact with the marine environment. As such, marine
receptors have been included in ES-1.
Table ES- 1 Identified Valued Environmental Receptors
Potential VERs
Critical Habitat
AMAALA has been designated as a Critical Habitat with features essential to the conservation of an
endangered or threatened species and that may require special management and protection. Such
features include:
- Coral and coral reefs;
- Seagrass;
- Sea water and sediment (sea bed) quality; and
- Ecosystems Services.
Macroalgae and Algal Beds
Macroalgae and algal beds are abundant in AMAALA, particularly in shallow water habitats. The
same areas may also provide important nursery areas for fish and invertebrates and there may be
important connectivity between different biotopes.
Avifauna
The site has limited avifauna present, however, these do include migratory species, though all have
been classified by the IUCN as having a conservation status of ‘ Least Concern’. Wadi valleys
adjacent to the Project site provide additional avifaunal habitat where one Eurasian turtle dove
(classified by the IUCN as having a Vulnerable conservation status) has been observed.
Soil and Groundwater
The development during both the construction and operational phases have the potential to
negatively impact soil and groundwater quality.
Hydrology
The development will require a wadi diversion (assessed separately) and will impact the local
hydrological regime.
Workers
During the construction and operational phase, construction workers, site residents, and
operational and maintenance site will be a VERs in respect to working and living conditions.
Air Quality
KAUST BDC I AMAALA | Staff Village Main Works ESIA V

Potential VERs
The development has the potential to degrade the ambient air quality due to the use of fossil-fuel
vehicles and increased PM generation.
Global Atmosphere
The Project will produce GHG emissions which may increase climate change.
Social
Visual evidence suggests that the Project area is used for fishing and grazing.
Evidence of beach driving and camping in the Project area in the form of recent tyre tracks and
extinguished fires. Development will result in loss of leisure amenity space.
Boundary fencing will be installed as part of the Early Works Phase thus li miting access to the
Project site.
Project is supporting the diversification of the national economy in line with Vision 2030. The
Project may help to support local job and business opportunities and provide training to local
people.
Limited waste management facilities in the Project area. Facilities that exist do not meet
international standards. Project could potentially cause illegal deposition of waste and / or reduce
the capacity in these facilities.
Assessment Methodology
The ESIA has used best practice, in line with IFC expectations for an Environmental and
Social Risk assessment process. This process includes an iterative approach referred to in
Figure ES- 3 as the Environmental Design Process and is the st age in which avoidance
measures and inherent mitigation measures are identified.
Following this process, an objective assessment of the likely impacts and risks is conducted
which results in the identification of additional mitigation measures which will become part of
the project description and commitments. Finally, any required offsetting has been identified
as part of the ESIA process.
KAUST BDC I AMAALA | Staff Village Main Works ESIA VI

Figure ES- 3 Overall Approach to ESIA
Scope of the Assessment
Establishing the Scope of the impact assessment is a fundamental stage of the Project and
helps focus the assessment on issues which matter. Table ES- 2 provides a summary of the
technical scope of the impact assessment conducted for the current ESIA.
KAUST BDC I AMAALA | Staff Village Main Works ESIA VII

Table ES- 2 Summary of Technical Scope of this ESIA
Topic Scope in/out Notes
Scoped in for assessment of construction and

operational phase emissions on ambient air quality.
No modelling will be undertaken as construction
activities are short-term in nature and there will be
Air Quality In limited emissions which could impact air quality
during operations. Generators are located on -site,
however, these are only for emergency use and are
not expected to be operated for significant periods
of time.
Archaeology and Cultural Scoped out following the conclusion of the Early
Out
Heritage Works activities.
Scoped in for assessment of extreme water levels
Climate Change In and wave conditions.
GHG Scope 1 emissions assessment undertaken.
Although the wadi diversion is to be assessed
Coastal Processes In separately, the wadi diversion has a potential
impact. A high-level assessment has been included.
Scoped in for assessment of potential social impacts
Community Health,
In associated with the community interaction
Safety, and Security
(particularly with regards to traffic and transport).
Low contamination risk profile on-site.
Geology and Soils In The ESIA will focus on risk and appropriate pollution
prevention measures.
Scoped in for the construction phase as temporary
mitigation measures will be required.
Hydrology In
Scoped out for the operational phase as the wadi
diversion is to be assessed outside of this ESIA.
Scoped in for assessment of working conditions for
Labour and Working construction and operations. Risks relating to
Conditions and Workers’ In worker accommodation has been scoped out for
Accommodation construction as this has been assessed separately
(as part of the Triple Bay Early Works ESIA).
Scoped out due to the low-lying nature of the
Landscape and Visual Out development and that more significant infrastructure
and assets are likely to be developed adjacent.
Scoped in due to the potential to impact upon
Light Spill In
marine and terrestrial ecological resources.
Scoped in due to the sensitive nature of the Red
Marine Ecology In
Sea.
Limited extent of activities are not anticipated to
Material Resources Out give rise to risk of significant effects on supplies of
local resources.
Scoped in. Assessment of noise impacts from
construction and operational phases will be
undertaken.
Noise and vibration In activities are short-term in nature and there will be
limited operational noise sources. Generators are
located on-site, however, these are only for
emergency use and are not expected to be operated
for significant periods of time.
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Population Influx and

Scoped out. The influx of workers is unlikely to
Local Infrastructure and Out
apply pressure on local infrastructure and services.
Services
Seawater and sediment Scoped in due to the sensitive nature of the Red
In
quality Sea.
Scoped in. A high-level assessment of the potential
beneficial and adverse effects of the Project on local
and national socio-economic receptors will be
conducted.
Social In
TRSDC has appointed University of Tabuk to
undertake social baseline assessment for AMAALA.
Social surveys for AMAALA will be undertaken in
March 2022.
No stakeholder engagement will be undertaken.
Stakeholder Engagement Out undertake community stakeholder engagement for
AMAALA. Engagement will be undertaken in March
2022.
Scoped in due to the known presence of common
Terrestrial Ecology In
terrestrial species.
Topic scoped in due to anticipated increase in
Traffic and Transportation In
construction and operational phase traffic.
Scoped in to assess risk from ineffective waste
management practices and provide advice on
Waste Management In
appropriate storage, management and disposal of
waste.
Water is a scarce commodity in Saudi Arabia. The
Water Resources In
ESIA will consider water use of the Project.
Summary of Outcomes of the ESIA Process
The assessment initially identified VERs within the Project area which were relevant to the
ESIA. A total of 50 VERs were identified as part of the study. Not all will be affected by the
Project activities, however, their identification is a fundamental first step in the ESIA
process.
Table ES- 3 provides a summary of identified potential effects or risks of the Project on
VERs, in the absence of mitigation. In total, 72 potential effects or risks were identified,
including two positive effects.
Table ES- 3 Summary of Impacts Prior to Mitigation
Topic NS Low Medium High Total
Air Quality 0 0 4 0 4
Climate Change 0 0 3 4 7
Coastal Processes 0 0 2 0 2
Community Health, Safety

0 0 6 0 6
and Security
KAUST BDC I AMAALA | Staff Village Main Works ESIA IX

Hydrology 0 0 1 0 1
Labour and Working

Conditions and Workers’ 0 0 0 2 2
Accommodation
Light Spill 0 0 2 0 2
Marine Ecology 0 0 8 0 8
Noise and Vibration 0 0 4 0 4
Seawater and Marine

0 2 6 0 8
Sediments
Social 4 0 0 0 4

0 2 2 0 4
Quality
Terrestrial Ecology 0 0 4 4 8
Traffic and Transport 0 0 2 0 2
Waste Management 0 0 7 1 8
Water Resources 0 0 2 0 2
Total 4 4 51 13 72
There were 13 High impacts/risks, 51 Medium, four at Low significance and four Non-
Significant. These represent pre-mitigation effect/risk significance.
The ESIA process identified mitigation measures to reduce the identified effects. The risk or
effect was then reassessed, and the results of the final reassessment of risks and effects
shows a reduction in the number of significant effects and risks. The effects and risks which
remain as significant after mitigation measures are referred to as Residual Significant
Effects. A total of 11 effects are considered to be Residual Significant Effects ( Table ES- 4
(Construction) and ES-5 (Operations)). The majority are considered to have a Low
significance, with two considered to be of Medium (positive) significance.
Table ES- 4 Construction Phase Residual Significant Effects
Impact
VER Impact Description Significance
ID
Changes in hydrodynamics due to wadi
CP001 Critical Habitat diversion resulting in alterations to coastal Low
processes
Changes to hydrological regime prior to the
HG001 Critical Habitat Low
construction of the wadi diversion
Stormwater runoff into the marine
MQ004 Critical Habitat environment causing increase in seawater Low
turbidity
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Impact
ID
IFC Performance
Reduction of landfill life span at municipal
Standard 3 Resource
WM001 landfills due to addition of construction Low
Efficiency and
wastes.
Pollution
Table ES- 5 Operational Phase Residual Significant Effects
Impact
ID
Medium
SE003 Local Communities Employment, Skills and Livelihoods.
(positive)
An influx of the personnel will increase the
demand for goods and services. Increases in
income earning opportunities for local people
will also increase spending potential,
Medium
SE004 National Economy providing opportunities for supply of such
(positive)
services, indirectly increasing the overall
wealth of the area. Economic growth is also
likely to result in increased indirect
employment opportunities.
processes
turbidity
IFC Performance
Displacement of species due to operational
TE005 Standard 6 Low
activities (noise, lighting, visual disturbance).
Biodiversity
IFC Performance Risk of disturbance and killing fauna (roadkill,
TE006 Standard 6 worker interaction with fauna, death due to Low
Biodiversity construction activities).
IFC Performance
Standard 3 Resource Reduction of landfill life span at municipal
WM005 Low
Efficiency and landfills due to input of operational wastes
Pollution
Construction Environmental and Social Management Plan
A Construction Environmental and Social Management Plan (CESMP) will be developed for
the Project, based upon the AMAALA CESMP framework template, which will included the
mitigation measures set out in this ESIA.
The CESMP will set out the mitigation and monitoring requirements which need to be
effectively implemented and will be developed by the appointed Contractor, based on their
existing procedures and bespoke work method statements developed for the Project
activities.
No works will commence until an approved CESMP is in place.
Environmental and Social Training and Awareness
A comprehensive, ongoing training and awareness programme is to be developed by the

Contractor, including environmental and social training, education, and drill management.
KAUST BDC I AMAALA | Staff Village Main Works ESIA XI

The programme must include inductions, toolbox talks, focused training sessions and
planned drills for key planned and unplanned environmental act ivities, addressing all ESIA
requirements.
Conclusions
The implementation of the agreed mitigation measures, site supervision, monitoring,

reporting and the application of an Environmental and Soci al Management System by the
Contractor will ensure that adverse impacts created by Project, construction and operational
phases, activities are minimised.
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1 INTRODUCTION
1.1 General Information

As part of Saudi Arabia’s national policy to diversify its economy, the Kingdom is embarking
on an ambitious programme of development of giga projects relating to tourism, new
technologies and real estate.
AMAALA is a 3,800 km 2 year-round destination, set in The Prince Mohammed bin Salman
Reserve (PMBSR), which will include 2,500 hotel keys and more than 800 residential villa s,
apartments and estate homes, alongside 200 high-end retail establishments, fine dining,
wellness and recreation facilities. AMAALA comprises three new integrated luxurious resort
destinations including Triple Bay, Miraya and The Island (Al Nu’man Island ) which is located
some 4 km west of Miraya.
through non-pilgrim related tourism.
The AMAALA Staff Village Main Works (the ‘Project’) is required in order to support the
development of AMAALA by providing requiring office and living accommoda tion for project
personnel. The location (Figure 1-1) of the Staff Village has been chosen as it is midway
between Triple Bay and Masterplan Area 4 (MP4) development areas. MP4 is a potential
development area currently in the earl y masterplanning phase.
The Staff Village will be developed in two phases (Figure 1-2). This ESIA is to cover the
construction of Phase 1 and 2, however, it should be noted that the Phase 2 area is to be
used for laydown, storage and office accommodation to enable the construction of Phase 1
prior to the development of Phase 2.
The Main Works is to comprise the following activities:
 Phase 1 and 2 operational activities;
 Development of an access road from Staff Village to the Public-Private-

Partnership (PPP) Infrastructure; and
This ESIA will encompass both terrestrial and marine impacts. However, it should be noted
that the development is set-back from the coastline.
The Project site is located within a major wadi which will require diversion. Such a diversion
is to be assessed outside of this ESIA as it is currently at the design stage. Furthermore, to
the north of the Staff Village, is the PPP infrastructure which is also at the design stage. The
wadi diversion will be required to take the PPP Infrastructure into consideration within its
design. The location of the proposed wadi diversion is also shown in Figure 1-2.
KAUST BDC I AMAALA | Staff Village Main Works ESIA Page 1 of 304
Figure 1-1 Project Location
Figure 1-2 Project Configuration
1.2 Objectives
Saudi Arabia has, as part of Vision 2030, plac ed emphasis on diversification of its income
sources to reduce reliance on the traditional sectors of oil and gas and petrochemicals. One
of the areas of focus for diversification is non-pilgrimage related tourism. The Kingdom’s
Public Investment Fund (PIF) initiated several giga projects in order to meet its contribution
to Vision 2030 including AMAALA.
AMAALA has committed to applying international best practice with regard to environmental
and social assessment for all of its development activities. T his includes the requirements of
the Equator Principles 4 (EP4), which became effective on the 1 October 2020, and through
them application of International Finance Corporation (IFC) Environmental and Social
Performance Standards.
This ESIA Report has been prepared to identify and assess potential impacts of the Project
on the biophysical and social environments, and to set out measures to avoid, minimise,
mitigate and manage adverse impacts to acceptable levels as defined by national regulatory
requirements and Good International Industry Practice (GIIP).
During the ESIA process, the following activities have been undertaken:
 Concept description of the Project and a description of the activities;
 Analysis of alternatives including alternative designs, layou ts, and use of different
technologies;
 Presentation of the existing biophysical and social environments as baseline

conditions;
 Identification and assessment of biophysical and social impacts and issues, both
adverse and beneficial, associated with the Project; and
 Presentation of measures to avoid, or where avoidance is not possible, minimise

or mitigate and manage adverse impacts on Project workers, affected
communities, other stakeholders, and the environment.
An Environmental Classification Form and Cat egory 3 Scoping Report was developed by
Beacon Development Company (BDC), in line with the Appendix 3 of the Implementing
Regulation of Environmental Permits for Establishing and Operating Business Activities
(REF: M/165), and submitted to National Centre for Environmental Compliance (NCEC) on
31 January 2022. The ESIA Scoping Report was approved, with comments, on 4 April 2022.
The NCEC reference for this Project is 15415/1443.
The Environmental Classification Form is presented in Appendix 9.3.1 and the ES IA Scoping
Report is presented in Appendix 9.3.2.
1.3 Report Structure

ESIA Report Format
As NCEC has classified the Project as Category 3, the structure of this ESIA Report (Table
1-1) is as per Appendix 4 of the Implementing Regulation of Environmental Permits for
Establishing and Operating Business Activities :
Table 1-1 ESIA Report Structure
Chapter Description
Provides a background to the proposed Project, purpose of the ESIA Report,

1: Introduction need for the Project, the structure of the ESIA Report and links to other
relevant documentation
2: Institutional and Describes the legal and regulatory framework for the ESIA, including
Organisation national requirements, relevant international conventions, AMAALA policies,
Framework and national and international environmental standards
3: Project Describes the concept of the Project and its components. Provides details on
Description Project activities
Provides a review of the alternatives considered for this phase of the
4: Analysis of
Project, including the evaluation process, site locations, site layouts,
Alternatives
technologies and processes, and the no development alternative
5: Baseline Identifies the key biophysical and social conditions and sensitivities in the
Conditions areas potentially affected by the Project
6: Identifying An overview of the ESIA process and detailed methodology for the ESIA.
Impacts, Analysis For each biophysical and social topic, presents the impact assessment for
and Assessment the Project
Chapter Description
7: Environmental
and Social Outlines the environmental and social risk management strategy
Management Plan
8: Conclusions Presents the conclusions of the impact assessment process
9: Appendices Relevant appendices are presented to support the impact assessment
Links to Other AMAALA Developments and Projects

As previously mentioned, AMAALA comprises three main development plans (The Island,
Miraya and Triple Bay). Associated with the three main developments are various
infrastructure including utilities, worker accommodation, office accommodation, roads,
airport, solar farms, etc.
Table 1-2 presents details of the developments, within AMAALA, which have been assessed
and approved by NCEC or undergoing assessment. Please note that BDC prepared an ESIA
for the Staff Village Early Works (REF: 13924/1442) which was approved by NCEC in
November 2021.
Table 1-2 Approved and Ongoing AMAALA Impact Assessments
NCEC Reference
Location Project Name Status
Number
Triple Bay and Miraya Staff Village GI 5355/1442 Approved
Staff Village Early

Triple Bay and Miraya 13924/1442 Approved
Works
Triple Bay Triple Bay Early works 10766/1442 Approved
Airport Airport 10840/1442 Approved
Island GI 12670/1442 Approved
The Island North

The Island 9961/1443 Approved
Marina
Miraya Miraya Marina 9960/1443 Approved
Enabling and Early ESIA submitted to

The Island 8015/1443
Works NCEC for review
Triple Bay Marina Village 12981/1442 Approved
Triple Bay Priority Plots 13456/1442 Approved
Triple Bay Hijaz Island 13599/1442 Approved
Triple Bay Infrastructure Phase 1 13989/1442 In progress
Central Solar Farm

Triple Bay and Miraya
Early Works
In early development
PPP Infrastructure
Triple Bay and Miraya
Early Works
NCEC Reference
Number
Staff Village Seawater
Triple Bay and Miraya Reverse Osmosis
Plant
Limitations and Assumptions

This ESIA will assess the environmental and social issues relating to the Project and its Area
of Influence with the following exceptions:
 At the request of AMAALA, no stakeholder engagement or public participation will

be undertaken as part of this ESIA by the consultant. AMAALA has a project wide
stakeholder engagement and public engagement process which is outlined in the
Appendix 9.3.6 of this report. Please note that The Red Sea Development
Company (TRSDC) has appointed University of Tabuk to undertake stakeholder
engagement and social baseline assessment for AMAALA. Public stakeholder
engagement and social surveys for AMAALA will be undertaken in March 2022.
 AMAALA is now following TRSDC Special Economic Zone (SEZ) draft procedures
whilst awaiting for the SEZ to be formally adopted.
 Accommodation, catering and welfare facilities are not included in this ESIA
scope as the facilities are included in the existing construction facilities at the
nearby AMAALA Construction Village which is subject to a separate assessment
(Early Works ESIA, NCEC Reference: 10766/1442).
 An ESIA for the Staff Village Early Works has been developed and approved
(NCEC reference: 13924/1442). The Early Works comprises the main earthworks
element for the development of Staff Village, adjacent construction offices and
layout areas as well as the upgrade to the access road.
 Risks relating to construction phase worker accommodation has been addressed

and approved as part of the Triple Bay Early Works ESIA (NCEC reference:
10766/1442).
 Impacts from Associated Facilities (e.g., provision of utilities) are not included in
this assessment. During the operational phase, power, water and
telecommunications shall be provided from AMAALA facilities and will be
assessed as part of the Regional Infrastructure programme. Solid wast e and
wastewater will be processed at the Shared Hub Facility and assessed
separately.
 A wadi diversion will be required and is currently being designed. This will be
assessed outside of this ESIA once the PPP Infrastructure design information is
available and the wadi diversion design can be progressed. However, a high-level
assessment of potential impacts and proposed measures to mitigate any impacts
relating to heavy rainfall or flooding are included within this ESIA. Please note
that that this ESIA will be reviewed, and if necessary, revised once the wadi
diversion design has been completed.
 There has been an adherence to the general approach presented in the IFC
Performance Environmental and Social Standards as AMAALA is aiming towards
compliance with EP4 and the IFC Performance Standards.
1.4 Project Proponent

PIF has appointed AMAALA to develop a 7-star luxury hospitality experience on the Red
Sea. AMAALA is the Project proponent.
Contact details of the applicant are presented in Table 1-3.
Table 1-3 AMAALA Contact Details
Name Address Telephone Number Email Address
Ruba Farkh -
Environmental The Red Sea Development
+966 11 212 7231 Ruba.farkh@theredsea.sa
Assessment Company
Director
1.5 Environmental and Social Impact Assessment

Consultant
This ESIA Report has been developed by BDC (Company Registration Number:
4030293826), a registered impact assessment practitioner with the NCEC.
BDC has been supporting AMAALA since 2016 by providing environmental consultancy
services to support the Masterplan, including ESIAs, environmental baseline studies and
framework environmental and social management plans.
BDC will submit the environmental documentation for this Project to N CEC.
Contact details of BDC are presented in Table 1-4.
Table 1-4 BDC Contact Details
Dr Andrew 4700 King Abdullah

Booth, University of Science and
+966 54 504 5956 andrew.booth@kaust.edu.sa
Technical Technology, Thuwal
Director 23955-6900
2 POLICY, LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE
FRAMEWORK
2.1 Institutional Framework

It is intended that AMAALA will be established as a SEZ, although at the time of writing this
ESIA, the SEZ and its functionality has not been established, however, it will govern
AMAALA in the future. As such, national requirements for impact assessment and regulatory
standards will apply.

and compliance and enforcement in the SEZ .
The concept of environmental protection is enshrined in Saudi National Policy and

Legislation. Article 32 of the Constitution states:
“The State shall endeavour to preserve, protect and improve the environment and prevent its
pollution.”
Furthermore, the principles of Islam which include consideration of environmental protection

are enshrined within the Saudi legislation and constitution.
The highest environmental governance authority within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is The
Ministerial Committee on Environment.
There are a wide range of Saudi Ministries of agents with responsibility for environ mental
management of the Kingdom’s resources. These include the Ministry of Environment, Water
and Agriculture (MEWA), a relatively newly established Ministry which is active in developing
the Kingdom’s strategies on sustainability, and which recently pub lished the National
Environmental Strategy (Saudi Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, 2017) .

NCEC within the MEWA.
Reference is made to the Presidency of Meteorology and Environment (PME) and the
GAMEP when discussing regulations. The PME and the GAMEP are predecessors of the
NCEC, the current national regulator for environmental affairs and reviewer of Environmental
Impact Assessment (EIA) reports. However, regulations and standards were developed by
the PME and GAMEP, so are still referred to under these names.
In addition, the Project has adopted an approach to environmental sustainability which is

based on alignment with the IFC Sustainability Framework, principally IFC Environmental
and Social Performance Standards 1 - 8 (International Finance Corporation, 2012).
This Section of the ESIA Report sets out the legislative, policy and administrative framework,
with regard to environmental protection, within which the Project will take place.
Vision 2030
As noted, a major driver for AMAALA are the goals set out in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.
The development of AMAALA, along with other mega projects and Kingdom wide initiatives,
will support the goals of the Vision 2030 (Government of Saudi Arabia, 2017):
 To increase non-oil government revenue from SAR 163 billion to SAR 1 trillion;
 To increase the private sector's contribution from 40% to 65% of GDP;
 To increase the PIF’s assets, from SAR 600 billion to over 7 trillion;
 To increase foreign direct investment from 3.8% to the intern ational level of 5.7%
of GDP;
 To increase women’s participation in the workforce from 22% to 30%;
 To lower the rate of unemployment from 11.6% to 7%;
 To increase household spending on cultural and entertainment activities inside

the Kingdom from the current level of 2.9% to 6%;
 Produce 50% of Saudi Arabia’s electricity from renewable sources by 2030; and
 85% of recyclable waste to be recycled.
TRSDC Environmental and Social Policies
TRSDC has issued the Environment and Sustainability Policy, and related E nvironment and
Sustainability Principles for the Red Sea Project, which will be applicable to AMAALA as the
two giga projects merge.
The TRSDC Environment and Sustainability Policy is aimed at ‘ delivering a global

destination while conserving and enhancing the environment and biodiversity, unique in
attracting sustainable destination tourism, while also setting a new global standard for
sustainable environmental management based on the precautionary principle using an
integrated masterplan design, construction, and operations aimed at generating net positive
conservation benefits’.
TRSDC defined ten Environment and Sustainability Principles to outline the commitments
towards sustainability and environmental management, which include:
 Environment and Sustainability Principles. This outlines TRSDC (and AMAALA’s)

commitment to protect and conserve the environment;
 Water Consumption Management Principle. This principle states that TRSDC and
AMAALA are to achieve outdoor, indoor, and process water efficiency and
savings by optimising systems and processes. TRSDC and AMAALA will achieve
near-zero disposal of water by focusing on water efficiency strategies;
 Solid Waste Management Principle. States a commitment to zero discharge to

oceans, zero solid waste to landfill during operation, zero single-use plastics,
60% diversion from landfill during construction and avoid hazardous waste
generation;
 Energy Efficiency Principle. TRSDC and AMAALA aspires to have net zero
carbon emissions over the lifetime of the Project;
 Green Certification Principle. TRSDC and AMAALA assets to have third -party
assurance on sustainability performance through globally recognised Green
Certification schemes. Green Certification scheme standards will provide a
minimum measurement of best international practices in terms of the quality and
design of assets against environmental, social, and sustainability;
 Greenhouse Gas Emission Principle. This principle states that by the utilisation of
the embedded renewable energy power network, is targeting “net zero carbon
emissions” for the building assets of the development. Furthermore, commitments
to utilise refrigerants with a minimal impact to climate change, use insulation
materials with a low global warming potential, use of biofuels, zero solid was te to
landfill during operations, low energy demand of asserts by optimising building
services, systems, and processes, during both design and operations;
 Socio-environmental Internal Governance Principle. TRSDC has established an

environmental, social, and governance Taskforce that is responsible for
achievement of the high standards and approving all of the socio-environmental
related disclosures;
 Stakeholder Engagement Principle. TRSDC and AMAALA is committed to

engaging cooperatively and reliably with our stakeholders to develop mutually
supportive relationships;
 Site Selection Principle. Development impacts will be offset while protecting and
restoring ecosystem functions and services. As part of the site selection process,
TRSDC and AMAALA will employ the precautionary principle to channel
development to sites that do not include sensitive terrestrial or marine habitats
needed to support conservation of biodiversity and threatened or endangered
plant and animal species; and
 Sustainable Procurement Principle. TRSDC and AMAALA recognises the

necessity of achieving all sustainability requirements throughout the supply chain,
through purchasing and contracting, to develop assets in line with and exceeding
green certification and relevant sustainability targe ts.
Management of Change
The design phases, construction methods and operational requirements are at various
stages of development for Staff Village Main Works and associated infrastructure (such as
the wadi diversion). Thus, it is recognised that this iteration of the ESIA presents a Concept
Master Plan level assessment of the Project based on professional judgement with key
worst-case assumptions (such as the footprint, gross floor areas, height and massing, site
access and population density) in order to identify key impacts that could result from the
Project. This assessment approach is an accepted practice and ensures that the ESIA is
robust thereby limiting deviation of the maximum amount of development within the Master
Plan.
Adopting this approach allows some flexibility in the detailed design of those elements for
future development. This approach also enables the AMAALA design, engineering,
construction and environmental teams to develop robust approaches to design and in -built
mitigation measures during the evolution of the master plans and detailed designs.
However, as the detailed design evolves and construction and operational activities become
more defined, the assumptions and professional judgements made in this ESIA needs to be
checked to ensure these are still valid, the proposed mitigation has been fully included and
integrated in the design and that the Project’s environmental and social impact assessment
remains true. This is particularly relevant to the wadi diversion design and once the design is
complete, this ESIA needs to be reviewed to ensure its validity and any changes made. At
project construction and operational stages, the mitigation identified in this ESIA is
implemented through Environmental and Social Management Plans on site.
Furthermore, a number of further management plans and strategies require to be developed

and these too should evolve through design, construction and operation. Therefore, it is
imperative that the interactive nature of the documents be controlled throug h a formalised
change management process.
Any further design iterations will follow a formal process to manage and track any change
arising during the Project execution implemented through an “Environmental Risk Register”
process. The intention of the implementation of this process will also focus on:
 Assessment of the potential consequences with respect to environmental and

social impact;
 Liaise with the Competent Authority to ensure that any essential changes are
implemented with the minimum practicable impact; and
 Report the evolving environmental findings, recommendations and mitigation as

part of the iterative ESIA process.
Through the management of change process, changes will be communicated to the

responsible AMAALA leadership. Then, the proposed cha nges will be reviewed and
assessed for its potential in creating environmental or social interactions.
In cases where the review and assessment indicates that a new or significantly increased
impact may occur, the following criteria will be used to manage the changes:
 Categorise the impacts;
 Assessment of impacts;
 Propose mitigation measures; and
 Re-assessment of the impact with mitigation measures in place.
These changes will then be reviewed by the ESIA Assessor to determine that the
environmental risk has been appropriately assessed and agree on a way forward (if
required). Once the ESIA has been finalised it will then be submitted to NCEC, who is
designated the competent authority.
Ecological Setbacks
AMAALA is set within a sensitive ecological environme nt, therefore, general development
setbacks, following international best practices and relevant codes and standards where
appropriate, have been established to minimise biodiversity impacts. Although not all
sensitive areas can be avoided the designers wi ll have to demonstrate how they have gone
through the process of avoidance and minimisation of impacts.
Details of the biodiversity setbacks are presented in Table 2-1.
Table 2-1 Biodiversity Setbacks
Aspect Setbacks
Marine
50 m minimum setbacks (in the marine environment) and 100 m

Seagrass recommended setbacks for seagrass areas which are greater than 1
ha in extent
50 m minimum setbacks and 100 m recommended setbacks (in the
marine environment) except for essential infrastructure. There may be
Coral
some instances where these setbacks can be relaxed, however these
will be considered on a case by case basis
Terrestrial
40 m minimum setback and 60 m recommended around low

lying/beach shoreline areas measured from highest astronomical tide
Shoreline setbacks
(HAT) to provide sufficient beach depth to account for future sea level
for low lying areas
rise (SLR). Golf courses and other highly irrigated landscape areas in
low lying areas are required to observe a 60 m buffer
10 m minimum setback and 20 m recommended. No development,
with the exception of essential infrastructure, is to occur within 20 m
Coastal setbacks
of the top of the slope/cliff. No heavily landscaped areas/landscaping
from top of
requiring irrigation is to be placed within the 20 m setback. Indigenous
cliff/slope edge
landscaping only, which does not require irrigation/fertiliser can be
placed within the 10 – 20 m setback area
Development setbacks areas are for flood risk areas and to protect
Wadi channels the wadi habitats. A development setback of 30 m will be implemented
for wadi flood areas
Threatened and
Preservation areas containing known nest sites and suitable nesting
restricted range bird
habitats with appropriate development setbacks to minimise human
species nesting
disturbance will be established on the Island
sites
2.2 Organisational Framework

National Laws, Regulations, Standards and Requirements
The NCEC is the Competent Authority for Environmental issues. The Competent Authority
may designate Licensed Authorities to be responsible for project approvals and other
elements of environmental protection.
Environmental Law
In July 2020, the Environmental Law (Royal Decree 165 of 19/11/1441H) was published
which consolidated and superseded much of the existing national legislation, including the
GER and conservation legislation, into a single piece of legislation. The Environmental Law
came into force on the 17 th January 2021.
The law revoked the following legislation:
 Hunting of Wild Birds and Animals Act, July 1999
 Saudi Wildlife Authority Law, March 2000
 Trade Act of Endangered Species and their Products, September 2000
 The General Environmental Regulations (GER), October 2001
 Pastures and Forests Act, December 2004
 Protected Areas of Wildlife Act, August 2015
 Council of Ministers Decision No. (22) dated 26 January 2009 regarding the
establishment of the Environmental Council
 Council of Ministers Decision No. (90) dated 08 July 2016 regarding the
amendment of governance the Environmental Council and its functions
 Provisions concerning waste in the GER remain valid
The Environmental Law has designated the MEWA to achieve the objectives of the Law by:
 Preparing national strategies for the environment sector;
 Preparing studies with a national and strategic dimension for the environment
sector;
 Representing the Kingdom in regional and international bodies, organisations and

forums;
 Putting incentives to improve environmental performance, stimulate the transition

to environmentally friendly technologies, and use the best available technologies;
 Raising the level of environmental awareness, and encouraging social

participation, to enhance environmental protection;
 Working to enhance the participation of the private sector in order to find job and
investment opportunities in the environmental sector, and raise the level and
quality of environmental services; and
 Publishing indicators and reports relate d to environmental quality.
The Environmental Law comprises the following Chapters:
 Chapter 1, Articles 1 - 5: General Provisions. Provides definitions of terms
outlined in the legislation, aims and objectives of the law and states no activities
that have an environmental impact should take place within a licence or permit.
 Chapter 2, Articles 6 - 11: Ecological Communities and Water Resources, and its
Protection. States any harmful activities that may impact upon ecological
resources are prohibited.
 Chapter 3, Articles 12 - 20: Land Vegetation. Presents the prohibited activities.
 Chapter 4, Articles 21 - 22: Marine and Coastal Environment. States any harmful
activities to the marine or coastal environment are prohibited.
 Chapter 5, Articles 23 - 28: Wildlife. The Competent Authority is to state the

species that are prohibited from being killed, hunted and/or trafficked.
 Chapter 6, Articles 29 - 32: Protected Areas. Presents the prohibited activities

within a Protected Area.
 Chapter 7, Articles 33 - 34: Emergency and Environmental Disasters. States that

measures will be taken to reduce the impact of an environmental incident.
 Chapter 8, Articles 35 - 44: Violations and Penalties. Outlines potential penalties

in the case of violations of the Environmental Law.
 Chapter 9, Articles 45 - 49: Final Provisions. It should be noted that Article 45 of

the Environmental Law states that lenders should take environmental
considerations into account with regards to the projects they finance.
Executive Regulations of the Environmental Law
Implementing regulations for the Environmental Law are expected, however, at the time of
writing (September 2021) only some Regulations have been published on the MEWA
website, written in Arabic. Other Regulations are available in draf t version (as part of public
consultation prior to publication 1). The regulations are listed in Table 2-2.
Table 2-2 Executive Regulations of the New Environment Law
Publication on MEWA
Executive Regulation
Website (Arabic)
Executive Regulations of Environment Law for Noise Published
Executive Regulations of Environment Law to control violations and

Published
impose penalties
Executive Regulations of Environment Law covering fees for
Published
licences, permits and environmental services
Executive Regulations of Environment Law to prepare for and
responds to environmental emergencies and disasters for Draft for consultation
environment management
Executive Regulations of Environment Law on ozone-depleting
Published
substances and HFCs
1
https://www.mewa.gov.sa/ar/MediaCenter/eParticipation/OnlineConsulting/Pages/OnlineConsulting12.aspx#0
Publication on MEWA
Website (Arabic)
Executive Regulations of Environment Law for environmental
rehabilitation of degraded sites and remediation of contaminated Published
sites
Executive Regulations of Environment Law to protect water
Published
resources from pollution
Executive Regulations of Environment Law on Air Quality Published
Executive Regulations of Environment Law for Establishing and

Published
Operating Business Activities
Executive Regulations of Environment Law to control environmental
Published
compliance
Executive Regulations of Environment Law to manage the marine
Published
and coastal environment
Executive Regulations of Environment Law for protected areas Published
Executive Regulations of Environment Law regarding trade in wild

Published
organisms, their products and derivatives
Executive Regulations of Environment Law regarding huntin g of wild
Published
species
Executive Regulations of Environment Law regarding logging (tree
Published
cutting) violations
Executive Regulations of Environment Law on developing vegetation
Published
cover and combating desertification
Executive Regulations for Soil Contamination and Treatment Published
Executive Regulations for Water Quality Published
Executive Regulations for Environmental Inspection and Auditing Published
National EIA Requirements and Approval
The Competent Authority, currently the NCEC, has responsibility for ensuring the
environmental protection of the Kingdom and can make rules and laws as required. With
respect to EIA, the Competent Authority can licence bodies within the Kingdom to approve
EIA’s and projects. For example, the Minister of Energy is the Licensed Agency responsible.
Executive Regulations for Establishing and Operating Business Activities
These Executive Regulations divide activities into three categories depending on the level of
impact on the environment. Category 1 projects have lowest environmental impact and
Category 3 projects have the highest impact.
Table 2-3 summarises the permit requirements according to the different categories.
Table 2-3 Environmental Permitting Requirements
Category Requirements
Category 1 Agreement of NCEC upon receipt of Environmental Management Plan (EMP)
Category 2 Agreement of NCEC upon receipt of a Category 2 EIA
The first step to gain environmental approval, is an Environmental Classification Form needs
to be completed (presented in Appendix 1 of the Regulation) and supplied to NCEC. The
NCEC, after reviewing the form, decide what category the Project falls under.
The NCEC will review the Environmental Classification Form and issue its decision within a
period of 10 working days from the date of its receipt and after payment of any fees. Its
response may include the decision to request information to be corrected or deficiencies
completed.
The final decision will be made within 10 working days from the date of re ceiving all the
required information or modified Environmental Classification Form:
 Category 1 Activities - If the activity falls within the activities of Category 1, the
environmental permit will be issued once the EMP has been approved by NCEC.
 Category 2 Activities - If the activity falls within the activities of Category 2 it will
require a Category 2 EIA (in accordance with Appendix 2 of the Regulation). The
completed EIA needs to be submitted to the NCEC, who will then issue their
decision within 30 working days from the date of receiving all required
information. The required fees also need to be paid.
 Category 3 Activities - If the activity falls within the activities of Category 3, it

will require the preparation of two reports:
o Scoping Report. This is to follow the structure and information set forth in
Appendix 3 of the Regulations; and
o Category 3 EIA. This is to follow the structure and information set forth in
Appendix 4 of the Regulations.
The NCEC review the Scoping Report and if no comments a re made, the EIA can be
prepared.
The NCEC will review this Category 3 EIA Report and issue its decision within a period of 60
working days from the date of receiving the report and after the specified fee has been paid.
Upon approval, the applicant is required to implement the results and recommendations of
the study and the requirements of the environmental permit.
A summary of the permitting process is set out in Figure 2-1.
Figure 2-1 Summary of National Permitting Process
Construction works must begin within a year of obtaining the environmental permit. If the
permit expires before construction, the permit is considered null and a new permit must be
applied for. The NCEC issues an environmental approval for operation after the completion
of the construction, site inspection, and other works once the applicant has complied with all
permit requirements.
Other Statutory Consultees
It should be noted that ESIAs may be reviewed by other authorities besides the NCEC.
These include the Permanent Committee for the Protection of the Marine Environment (also
known as the Committee of Eight) which comprises eight governmental entities:
 NCEC;
 Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs;
 Ministry of Energy;
 Ministry of Tourism;
 Ministry of Finance;
 Ministry of Interior (General Directorate of Border Guard);
 National Centre for Wildlife Development (NCW); and
 MEWA.
The Committee aims to reduce environmental impacts of developmenta l projects offshore

and within 400 m of the coastal zone and the marine wildlife such as the mangroves and
corals reefs, by reviewing ESIAs and permitting all projects that contain dredging, backfilling,
burial or bulldozing activities. In addition to that , it monitors the implementation of
environmental standards and criteria on these projects by site visits and inspections. Any
projects within the marine environment or within 400 m above high tide are referred to the
Committee with the requirement of agreement of all parties for the approval to proceed.
Please note that AMAALA has applied for approval from The Committee and this is awaited.
Other statutory consultees include:
 The recently established national departments concerning environmental matters

such as National Centre for Wildlife and National Centre for Waste Management;
and
 The Heritage Commission (formerly known as the Saudi Commission for Tourism
and Heritage) is part of the Ministry of Culture. This Commission is responsible
for the protection of the Kingdom’s archaeological and heritage resource. The
Heritage Commission has an absolute right to conduct archaeological
investigations and determine best approaches for protection of resources within
project developments; and
 The PMBSR. In June 2018, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud issued a royal
order establishing the Council of Royal Reserves at the Royal Court. AMAALA is
located within the Reserve.
Regional Laws, Regulations, Standards and Requirements
Saudi Arabia is a member of a key regional convention relating to the protection of the Red
Sea and its biodiversity. The Program for the Environment of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden
(PERSGA) was commenced in 1974. The intent to protect the marine environment in these
areas was formalised through the development of The Regional Convention for the
Conservation of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden Environment, generally referred to as the
Jeddah Convention. The convention is aimed at protecting the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and
Gulf of Aqaba.
The convention was signed in 1982 and has subsequently developed a number of protocols
for the protection of the marine waters within these areas. This includes the Protocol
Concerning the Conservation of Biological Diversity and the Establishment of Network of
Protected Areas in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden which was signed in 2005 (PERSGA,
2004).
Parties to the Jeddah Convention, in addition to Saudi Arabia are Djibouti, Egypt, Jordan,
Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.
The Convention is legally binding on parties and establishes a framework for protection and
procedures within which parties are required to develop their own legislation, protected
areas etc. to ensure that the intent of the Jeddah Convention is met.
The Biodiversity Protocol includes specific provisions for the protection of species and
biomes, and specifically mentions sea, grass, corals and mangroves as requiring protection
from harm both from marine-based developments and activities and land-based discharges
into the marine waters.
International Laws, Regulations, Standards and Requirements

Applicability of IFC Performance Standards
The Project proponents have established that the development shall be conducted in
accordance with international best practices for all aspects of environmental, social and
sustainability performance.
For the purposes of impact assessment, best practice is considered to be in alignment with
the requirements of the EP4, and through them application of IFC Environmental and Social
EP4 are benchmarks for the financial industry to manage social and environmental issues
associated with projects that they sponsor or finance. EP4 have been designed to ensure
that adverse social and environmental impacts resulting from the developm ent are
appropriately identified and managed throughout construction and operation. EP4 replaces
the third version of the Equator Principles (EPIII) and became effective on 1 st October 2020.
The overall Project Environmental and Social Risk Assessment process will be aligned with
the requirements of EP4. These require a formal ESIA to be conducted for the project, and
any sub-projects. EP4 does not set out how the ESIA shall be produced, however, it states
that for designated countries with well-developed and comprehensive environmental
regulations and environmental planning approaches that include comprehensive ESIA then a
national level ESIA will meet EP4 requirements. Saudi Arabia is not considered a
designated country and, therefore, in order to dem onstrate compliance with EP4, there is a
requirement to implement the IFC Environmental and Social Risk Framework. This includes
a full ESIA using the approach set out in the IFC Performance Standard 1 and application of
Performance Standard’s 2 - 8 (where applicable).
The following Section provides a summary of the applicability of each Performance Standard
to the Project and anticipated activities (Table 2-4). The Project proponent will need to
ensure that all applicable Performance Standards are adhered to throughout the project
development and implementation. Where considered applicable, the topics have been
covered within this ESIA.
Table 2-4 IFC Performance Standards and Applicability
No. Title Aim Applicability
Underscores the
importance of identifying
Assessment and
Environmental and
Management of
social risks and impacts
1 Environmental and Yes. This is the basic ESIA requirement.
and managing
Social Risks and
environmental and social
Impacts
performance throughout
the life of a project
Recognises that the Yes. Although not a central part of the

pursuit of economic ESIA process, the project proponents
growth through shall ensure that the requirements of
Labour and Working employment creation Performance Standard 2 are fully
2 understood and the requirements within
Conditions and income generation
should be balanced with it are passed into the supply chain.
protection of basic rights This includes the requirement for best
for workers practice for Worker Health and Safety.
Recognises that Yes. Prevention of pollution is of
increased industrial paramount importance. For example, all
activity and urbanisation vehicles, plant and equipment will
Resource Efficiency
often generate higher comply with applicable regulations to
3 and Pollution
levels of air, water and minimise pollution and the
Prevention
land pollution, and that implementation of the waste hierarchy.
there are efficiency Transboundary restrictions of movement
opportunities must be considered.
Recognises that projects Yes. Although public access to the

can bring benefits to Project area is prohibited, communities
Community Health,
4 communities but can may be impacted by Project activities
Safety and Security
also increase potential such as transportation of people, goods,
exposure to risks and equipment and wastes.
impacts from incidents,
structural failures, and
hazardous materials
Applies to physical or
economic displacement
Land Acquisition No. The Project area is uninhabited, and
resulting from land
5 and Involuntary the ownership has been transferred to
transactions such as
Resettlement AMAALA.
expropriation or
negotiated settlements
Biodiversity
Promotes the protection
Conservation and
of biodiversity and the Yes. AMAALA contains important
Sustainable
6 Sustainable species or habitats within a national and
Management of
management and use of international context.
Living Natural
natural resources
Resources
Not applicable for this Project - there are
no indigenous people affected by this
project.
In Performance Standard 7, indigenous
Aims to ensure that the peoples are generally defined as ‘social
development process groups with identities that are distinct
7 Indigenous Peoples
fosters full respect for from mainstream groups in national
Indigenous Peoples societies’.
It is considered that the people and
tribes of Saudi Arabia would not be
defined as indigenous peoples in the
same way as islanders and aboriginals.
Aims to protect cultural
heritage from adverse
Yes. The Project area may include
8 Cultural Heritage impacts of project
heritage and archaeological resources.
activities and support its
preservation
World Bank Group Environmental, Health, and Safety Guidelines
The WBG’s Environmental, Health, and Safety (EHS) Guidelines are technical reference
documents on cross-cutting environmental, health, and safety issues applicable to all
industry sectors. They cover general and industry-specific examples of GIIP.
The EHS Guidelines contain the performance levels and measures that are normally
acceptable to IFC and are generally considered to be achievable in new facilities at
reasonable costs by existing technology.
When host country regulations differ from the levels and measures presented in the EHS
Guidelines, projects are expected to achieve whichever is more stringent. If less stringent
levels or measures are appropriate in view of specific project circumstances, a full and
detailed justification for any proposed alternatives is needed as part of the site -specific
environmental assessment. This justification should demonstrate that the choice for any
alternate performance levels is protective of human health and the environment.
The WBG EHS Guidelines applicable to this Project are outlined in Table 2-5.
Table 2-5 WBG EHS Guidelines Relevant to the Project
Title Description
Provide general guidelines for environmental, occupational

General EHS Guidelines,
health and safety, community health and safety as well as
2007
construction and decommissioning.
Covers facilities or projects dedicated to the management of
municipal solid waste and industrial waste, including waste
Waste Management
collection and transport; waste receipt, unloading,
Facilities, 2007
processing, and storage; landfill disposal; physico-chemical
and biological treatment; and incineration projects.
Include information relevant to the operation and
maintenance of (i) potable water treatment and distribution
systems, and (ii) collection of sewage in centralised systems
Water and Sanitation, 2007 (such as piped sewer collection networks) or decentralised
systems (such as septic tanks subsequently serviced by
pump trucks) and treatment of collected sewage at
centralised facilities.
United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by all United Nations Member
States in 2015, provides a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the
planet, now and into the future. At its heart are the 17 Sustainable Development Goals
(SDGs), which are an urgent call for action by all countries - developed and developing - in a
global partnership.
The SDGs are a key element of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, and the Kingdom has a
commitment to these SDGs.
International Agreements and Treaties to which the Kingdom is a

Party
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is a signatory to a wide range of international agreements

related to environmental and social aspects.
Table 2-6 provides a summary of those which are considered pertinent to this ESIA.
Table 2-6 Summary of Relevant International Agreements
Date of
No. Agreement Name Agreement Summary Relevance to Project
Signature
The Centre was established to conduct regional
studies on barren areas in Arab countries, This agreement established a specialist
Agreement for the Establishment for
including e.g., studies of soils, studies on the institution for the study of land utilisation
1 Arab Centre for the Studies of Dry 03/09/1968
degree of soil erosion and studies on the aspects, particularly concerning soil and
and Barren Land
geological and geomorphological aspects of the water management.
different areas.
Established to protect and enhance cultural and Each State Party to this Convention
natural heritage, whilst there has been a focus on should do all it can to ensure the
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural identification, protection, conservation,
Organisation (UNESCO) designated sites, the presentation and transmission to future
Convention for the Protection of the generations of cultural and natural
2 23/11/1972 convention requires member states to protect all
World Cultural and Natural Heritage heritage situated on its territory.
relevant resources. Furthermore, it specifically
states that because a resource is not listed it AMAALA is known to contain
should not be implied that the resource has no archaeological and cultural heritage
value. receptors.
Its aim is to ensure that international
trade in specimens of wild animals and
Convention on International Trade
plants does not threaten the survival of
in Endangered Species of Wild CITES was established to identify species at risk
3 03/03/1973 the species in the wild, and it accords
Fauna and Flora and Subsequent and control trade in endangered species.
varying degrees of protection to more
Amendments (CITES)
than 35,000 species of animals and
plants.
Established to coordinate conservation measures The CMS or the Bonn Convention is an

for migratory species. This covers a wide range of international agreement that aims to
species, including birds, marine mammals, sea conserve migratory species within their
Convention on the Conservation of migratory ranges. Currently there are
turtles and bats. Requires member states to
Migratory Species of Wild Animals also twelve individual agreements under
preserve and protect species and habitats which
4 and all amendments including 23/06/1979 CMS, which are explicitly aimed at
occur regularly in their area. Through linkage with
Memorandum of Understanding on marine taxonomic groups, such as turtles,
the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD),
Turtles (CMS) whales, dolphins, sharks, dugongs,
Saudi Arabia is also required to provide protection
to range species of bats under the Eurobat albatrosses and petrels.
protocol of the CMS. AMAALA is an ecologically sensitive site.
Date of
Signature
Multilateral treaty overseen by the Food
and Agriculture Organisation that aims to
secure coordinated, effective action to
prevent and to control the introduction
and spread of pests of plants and plant
A convention established to protect the genetic products. The Convention extends
International Plant Protection beyond the protection of cultivated plants
5 28/11/1979 resources of native plant species for agricultural
Convention (1979 Revised Text) to the protection of natural flora and plant
and biological conservation purposes.
products. It also takes into consideration
both direct and indirect damage by pests,
so it includes weeds.
The Project has the potential for pests
and invasive species.
The protocol aims to enhance measures
Protocol Concerning Regional Contracting Parties undertake to cooperate in for responding to pollution emergencies
Cooperation in Combating Pollution combating pollution by oil and other harmful on a national and regional basis.
6 14/02/1982
by Oil and Other Harmful substances and maintain and promote
Substances in Cases of Emergency contingency plans. The Project will require the use of
hazardous materials.
International treaty brought into force
globally designed to protect the ozone
layer by phasing out the production of
CFC's (Chlorofluorocarbons),
Montreal Protocol on Substances Established to reduce emissions of chemicals Hydrofluorocarbons (HFC's),
7 16/09/1987 Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HFCFC's),
that Deplete the Ozone Layer harmful to the upper ozone layer.
Halons, etc. that are responsible for
global ozone depletion.
Relevant to the types of equipment
proposed for the Project.
The overarching objective of the Basel Convention Convention applies to the control of
is to protect human health and the environment transboundary movements of hazardous
Convention on the Control of against the adverse effects of hazardous wastes. wastes and their disposal. The scope of
Transboundary Movements of Includes restrictions on exporting of wastes but application covers a broad spectrum of
8 22/03/1989 wastes identified as hazardous, defined
Hazardous Wastes and their also includes requirements on member states to
Disposal minimise production of hazardous waste and by origin, composition and
manage appropriately regardless of disposal characteristics, also other wastes
location. comprising domestic waste and
incinerator ash. The convention’s aim is
Date of
Signature
to reduce hazardous waste generation,
restrict transboundary waste movements
whilst promoting sustainable
management of wastes
The types and nature of the wastes will
be assessed as part of the ESIA, and
mitigation measures will be identified for
the management of waste streams.
Negotiated at The United Nations
Conference on Environment and
Development (June 1992), the treaty
objective is to stabilise anthropogenically
induced GHG concentrations in
atmosphere at a level that is suggested
UNCCC is the main convention addressing the would not undermine the global climate
United Nations Framework impacts and causes of climate change and aimed system. UNCCC convention, established
9 Convention on Climate Change 09/05/1992 at returning global temperatures to a level which Kyoto protocol aiming at an 18%
(UNCCC) will not cause irreversible significant harm to reduction in GHG emissions by 2020,
ecosystem functioning. including: Carbon dioxide (CO 2 ); Methane
(CH 4 ); Nitrous oxide (N 2 O); HFCs;
Perfluorocarbons (PFCs); and Sulphur
hexafluoride (SF 6 ).
This is relevant in relation to air and GHG
emissions arising from Project activities.
Biological diversity underpins ecosystem
functioning and the provision of
ecosystem services essential for human
wellbeing. It provides for food security,
human health, the provision of clean air
and water; it contributes to local
Convention on Biological Diversity livelihoods, and economic development,
10 05/06/1992 Established to protect wildlife and ecosystems.
(CBD) and is essential in the progress towards
poverty reduction. The CBD aim is to take
effective action to halt biodiversity loss,
minimise pressures on biodiversity,
restore ecosystems, ensuring biological
resources are sustainably used based on
sound scientific evidence and the
Date of
Signature
precautionary approach, to ensure by
2020 ecosystems are resilient and
continue to provide essential services.
The potential for the Project to affect
biodiversity will be assessed.
The Convention addresses specifically
the arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid
areas, known as the drylands, where
some of the most vulnerable ecosystems
and peoples can be found. In the 10-Year
Strategy of the UNCCD (2008-2018) that
Convention to Combat was adopted in 2007, Parties to the
Desertification in Those Countries Convention further specified their goals:
Aims to conduct research and prevent/reverse
11 Experiencing Serious Drought 17/06/1994 "to forge a global partnership to reverse
desertification of natural habitats.
and/or Desertification, particularly in and prevent desertification/land
Africa (UNCCD) degradation and to mitigate the effects of
drought in affected areas in order to
support poverty reduction and
environmental sustainability".
The potential for the Project to affect land
use will be assessed.
The Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety to
the Convention on Biological Diversity is
an international agreement which aims to
ensure the safe handling, transport and
Relates to the transfer and use of living modified use of living modified organisms resulting
Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety to
organisms and may apply to any hybrid species from modern biotechnology that may
12 the Convention on Biological 29/01/2000
which are imported for planting if genetically have adverse effects on biological
Diversity
modified. diversity, taking also into account risks to
human health.
AMAALA is in a sensitive ecological
environment.
Requires member states to eliminate use of The Convention, also known as the
Convention on Persistent Organic Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), mainly Stockholm Convention, is a treaty to
13 22/05/2001 protect human health and the
Pollutants focused on herbicides but now extended to other
substances. environment from chemicals that remain
intact in the environment for long periods,
Date of
Signature
become widely distributed geographically,
accumulate in the fatty tissue of humans
and wildlife, and have harmful impacts on
human health or on the environment.
Project may require the use of POPs.
The Paris Agreement's long-term
temperature goal is to keep the rise in
mean global temperature to well below
2°C above pre-industrial levels, and
preferably limit the increase to 1.5°C,
recognising that this would substantially
The Paris Agreement, UN reduce the impacts of climate change.
Empowers all countries to act to prevent average
14 Framework Convention on Climate 03/11/2016 Emissions should be reduced as soon as
global temperatures rising above 2ºC.
Change (UNFCCC) possible and reach net zero in the second
half of the 21st century. It aims to
increase the ability of parties to adapt to
climate change impacts and mobilise
sufficient finance.
The Project will generate emissions.
International Labour Organization
Saudi Arabia is a member of the International Labour Organization (ILO) and has obliga tions
to meet under the ILO requirements. A summary of the ILO conventions ratified by Saudi
Arabia is detailed in Table 2-7. The AMAALA development is required to comply with these
conventions.
Table 2-7 Summary of ILO Conventions Ratified by Saudi Arabia
Convention Ratification Date Status
C029 - Forced Labour Convention, 1930 15 June 1978 In force
C100 - Equal Remuneration convention, 1951 15 June 1978 In force
C105 - Abolition of Forced Labour Convention,

15 June 1978 In force
1957
C111 - Discrimination (Employment and
Occupation) Convention, 1958
C138 - Minimum Age Convention, 1973 2 April 2014 In force
C182 - Worst Forms of Child Labour convention,

8 October 2001 In force
1999
C081 - Labour Inspection Convention, 1947 15 June 1978 In force
C001 - Hours of Work (Industry) Convention, 1919 15 June 1978 In force
C014 - Weekly Rest (Industry) Convention, 1921 15 June 1978 In force
C030 - Hours of Work (Commerce and Offices)

Convention, 1930
C045 - Underground Work (Women) Convention,
1935
C090 - Night Work of Young Persons (Industry)
Convention (Revised), 1948
Enter force on 7
C095 - Protection of Wages Convention, 1949 7 December 2020
December 2021
C106 - Weekly Rest (Commerce and Offices)
Convention, 1957
C120 - Hygiene (Commerce and Offices) Enter force on 7
7 December 2020
Convention, 1964 December 2021
C123 - Minimum Age (Underground Work)
Convention, 1965
C174 - Prevention of Major Industrial Accidents
Conventions, 1993
3 PROJECT DESCRIPTION
3.1 Objectives and Project Need

Saudi Arabia has, as part of Vision 2030, placed emphasis on diversification of its income
sources to reduce reliance on the traditional sectors of oil and gas and petrochemicals. One
of the areas of focus for diversification is non-pilgrimage related tourism. PIF has initiated
several giga projects, including AMAALA, to meet PIF’s contribution to Vision 2030.
The AMAALA Staff Village is required in order to support the development of AM AALA by
providing office and living accommodation for project personnel . Once AMAALA is
constructed, the Staff Village will be occupied by Operator personnel. The total Project area
is 923,400 m 2 .
 Construction of the Staff Village;
 Use of Phase 1 and 2 for temporary laydown areas and storage facilities to
enable construction;
 Development of an access road from Staff Village to the PPP Infrastructure; and
 Operation of the Staff Village.
During the operational phase, power, water and telecommunications shall be provided from
AMAALA facilities. Solid waste and wastewater will be processed at the Shared Hub Facility.
Such facilities shall be assessed separately and are not included within the scope of this
assessment.
The access to the Staff Village was assessed and approved as part of the Staff Village Early
Works ESIA (NCEC reference: 13924/1442) and is not included in the scope of this
assessment.
Accommodation, catering and welfare facilities are not include d in this ESIA scope as the
facilities are included in the existing construction facilities at the nearby AMAALA
Construction Village which is subject to a separate assessment (Early Works ESIA, NCEC
Reference: 10766/1442).
The Staff Village is located within a wadi and a wadi diversion will be required which is
currently being designed. This will be assessed outside of this ESIA , however, temporary
mitigation measures relating to hydrology have been included within this ESIA. In line with
the Management of Change procedure presented in Section 2.1.3, please note that that this
ESIA will be reviewed, and if necessary, revised once the wadi diversion design has been
completed.
3.2 Project Location

AMAALA is set in The Prince Mohammed bin Salman Nature Reserve (PMBSR)
approximately 700 km north-west of Jeddah and 160 km south of the Gulf of Suez. The
location of the Staff Village within the wider AMAALA development is shown in Figure 3-1,
whilst Figure 3-2 shows the local setting of the Project site. The Project is 70 km north-west
of Al Wajh and 80 km to south-east of Duba. Access to the Project site is via an access road
off Highway 5. The distance along the access road from Highway 5 to the Project site is
approximately 6.8 km.
The Staff Village is set-back from the coast by approximately 40 m (Figure 3-3). Staff Village
residents, workers and visitors will have limited access to the beaches and lagoon.
Figure 3-1 Staff Village Location and Distance to Development Areas
Figure 3-2 Staff Village Location
Figure 3-3 Staff Village Ecological Setbacks
3.3 Project Activities
Construction Activities
The construction activities are to comprise the following:
 Construction of the Staff Village using standard in-situ, pre-cast and modular
construction techniques;
 Construction of utilities and infrastructure; and
 Construction of temporary laydown and storage area within the Project boundary .
Construction Utilities
Diesel-fuel generators will be utilised to serve the power requirements during the
construction works. Approximately 130,000 litres of diesel will be used per day, however, this
includes demand for refuelling plant, equipment and vehicles as well as power ge neration.
In order to ensure two day contingency of fuel storage is maintained, a total of 260,000 litres
of storage capacity will be required.
Approximately 1,000 m 3 of wastewater will be generated per day at the peak of the Project.
Wastewater from the sewer holding tanks will be removed on a daily basis by tankers and
transported to the Sewage Treatment Plant located outside of the Triple Bay Development
site.
An estimated 1,800 m 3 / day of water will be required at the peak of the Project. This will be
obtained from Duba or Al Wajh desalination plants. Two days’ worth of on -site storage
capacity will be required in case of emergency.
Temporary Construction Laydown and Office Accommodation

The Project will require temporary construction storage and laydown area within the Phase 1
and 2 areas (115,000m 2 ). The Project will also utilise the office accommodation (18,000m 2 )
which was approved during the Early Works ESIA (NCEC reference: 13924/1442).
The location of the contractor primary storage and laydow n area is presented in Figure 3-4.
The site office accommodation approved during the Early Works ESIA is also shown.
Figure 3-4 Staff Village Construction Primary Storage and Laydow n Area and Office Accommodation
Access Road Construction
Access to the Staff Village will be via existing access roads from Highway 5 ( Figure 3-5).
Please note access to the Staff Village was assessed as part of the Staff Village Early Works
ESIA (NCEC reference: 13924/1442), however, this ESIA includes a short length of road
from Staff Village northwards towards the PPP Infrastructure.
Dewatering
Dewatering of groundwater may be required during construction works which shall be
managed through the following options.
 Provide pre-treatment through filtration / oil water separators or other on -site

treatment or dispose with Wastewater if required; or
 Land-based management of dewatering water by means of utilising temporary

lagoons or evaporation ponds will be considered.
Direct discharge to the marine environment will not be permitted.
Figure 3-5 Staff Village Access Route
Operational Phase
The Staff Village has been perceived and designed as a low rise development, reaching a
maximum of three stories. The Staff Village, with a total developable area of 1,358,400 m 2 ,
will comprise the following:
 12,354 residential units across 225 residential buildings for 19,789 people
comprising:
o 23 villas (0.19%);
o 45 townhouses (0.36%);
o 882 apartments (7.12%);
o 1,404 studios (11.34%); and
o 9,966 dormitories (80.73%).
 A total of 204 support buildings, hospitality, medical and education buildings,

retail, commercial and public facilities, services , and leisure facilities. A total of
3,630 support workers will be required.
Staff Village will have a total Gross External Area (GEA) of 609,478 m 2 . Table 3-1 presents
the land use breakdown of the Staff Village.
Table 3-1 Development Breakdown (SIE, 2022)
Land Use Percentage
Hospitality 1.9
Roads / parking 19.8
Open space 7.3
Retail / food and drink 4.7
Offices 0.6
Residential 57.0
Utilities 2.2
Facilities 6.4
Figure 3-6 presents the Phase 1 and Phase 2 layout whilst Figure 3-7 presents the land use
zones.
Figure 3-6 Staff Village Phase 1 and Phase 2 Proposed Layout
Figure 3-7 Staff Village Land Use Zoning
Operational Utilities
Electricity and Communications
On the north-east of the Project site is the Primary Utility Hub which comprises centr al water
tanks, and pumping stations. The hubs will include infrastructure for electricity as well as
communications (telecommunications, security and smart services network). The hubs will
include a main telecom room, security control rooms and server roo m. In additional, there
will be Local Utility Hub locations located across the Project area. The locations of the hubs
are shown in Figure 3-8.
The Staff Village will receive Medium Voltage (MV) supply from the primary 132/33 kV
substation located adjacent to the Staff Village Shared Facilities Hub.
The 33 kV MW network will be terminated at the Saudi Electricity Company (SEC) room at
the plot boundary. The supply from the SEC room will then enter into the adjacent MW room
and it will be further terminated at the secondary substations (33 kV/4kV) located within
Local Utility Hubs strategically located along the Project site (shown in Figure 3-8).
The Staff Village Shared Facilities Hub will include a Regional Data Center which will tie into
the Primary Utility Hub (see Figure 3-8). Cabling will be placed underground around the Staff
Village.
It is understood that standby generators will be located in Local Utility Hub locations for
emergency usage in case of outages from the regional network. Approximately 2,600 litres of
fuel shall be stored on-site for use by the standby generators.
Stormwater
The Proposed Stormwater Drainage Design Strategy considers two components: minor and
major drainage systems. The minor drainage system collects and conveys runoff from minor
rainfall events.
Considering that the site is located on the coast of the Red Sea and between major wadis,
and considering the proposed site grading following the philosophy of the existing site
topography allowing for discharge of surface runoff into the sea, the stormwater runoff from
all storm events shall be collected and discharged into the western and eastern wadis and
then into the sea.
The stormwater runoff from the development shall be managed by providing a Low Impact
Development (LID), integrating sustainable measures accomplished through the coordination
of appropriate on-site landscape stormwater practices and techniques that effectively
capture, filter, store, evaporate, detain and infiltrate runoff close to its source.
An application of LID and treatment have been considered to handle the increased run-off
from the new development by using uniformly distributed decentralized micro-scale runoff
controls. LID’s goal is to mimic a site’s pre-development water balance. Rather than
conveying the runoff from small frequent storm events directly into underground pipes and
drainage systems for discharge offsite, LID shall dissipate and infiltrate stormwater runoff at
the landscape features, use permeable surfaces thereby reducing runoff volumes and
filtering the runoff before it leaves the site.
Based on the Sustainability Implementation Plan for the Staff Village:
 The stormwater runoff volume generates from the building plots during the minor
storm event shall be managed at source.
 The stormwater runoff within the Masterplan development (Right of Way) shall be
managed by roadside bioswales within the road right of ways, bioretention areas,
flow and pollutant control devices at the discharge locations to the wadi and to
the sea.
Roadside Bioswales are swales with grass and other vegetation enhanced topsoil, and an
underlying infiltration layer with a perforated pipe for drainage. They will be located along the
roads either on both sides or only on one side of the carriageways (Figure 3-11). The
bioswales will be designed to slow runoff velocities, allowing more infiltration, evaporation,
transportation, and water quality management prior to runoff discharge. Roadside Bioswales
with grass and other vegetation, enhanced topsoil, and a n underlying infiltration layer with
perforated pipe for drainage, will be located along the roads either on both sides or only on
one side of the carriageways within the road right of ways for the collection and conveyance
of all stormwater runoff from the right of way during the minor storm event to the major wadi
at east side and towards the sea through the proposed outfalls located at 13 locations
(Figure 3-9).
In the event of a major rainfall, the Roadside bioswale may overflow to the road, building
plots may overflow to the road and a safe overland flow route shall be provided to avoid
costly negative impacts to the site. The proposed masterplan grading allows for the overland
flows to be permitted only through the walkways and within the road right -of-way allowances
and discharged to the east side wadi and to the sea.
In addition to the bioswales, Rain Gardens have been proposed as integrated part of th e
LID. Rain Gardens are shallow landscaped depressions within pedestrian and Electric
Vehicle Access (EVA) roads on the other side of the bioswale. They will collect stormwater
runoff from the walkways and allow stormwater runoff to pond temporarily on the surface
before filtering through vegetation and underlying bioretention soil, which shall filter out
sediments. A perforated pipe shall also be provide beneath the Rain Garden for drainage.
Both bioswales and Rain Gardens shall be planted with native ve getation that requires no
irrigation or nutrient/fertiliser application and has no requirement for imported growing
medium. Vegetated drainage systems (bioswales and Rain Garden) will also have an
underlying, engineering substrata of filter medium, to assi st in nutrient and pollutant removal.
Potable Water
Potable water shall be provided from the AMAALA’s Regional Infrastructure to a centralised
storage tank in the Primary Utility Hub. The water supply will be from a regional desalination
plant and conveyed to the site through the regional transmission network (see Figure 3-12).
On-site water storage will ensure there is sufficient capacity to meet demand for two days of
average domestic use. The central storage tank (8,357 m 3 ) shall provide a combined storage
volume for one average day demand for domestic needs plus the firefighting and fire
protection requirements for the entire Masterplan. The remaining one -day storage shall be
provided within the storage tanks at the Local Utility Hubs. These storage tanks shall be
placed underground with pump rooms at each location.
Firefighting Water
A firefighting system will be established with a firewater supply network for external fire
hydrants, sprinkler systems and standpipes. Firefighting water will be supplied in a central
storage tank in the Primary Utility Hub.
Wastewater
Wastewater will be collected from each building and discharged into a lifting station wet well,
from there, the wastewater will be pumped to a central utility hub lifting station wet well and
then to a regional sewage treatment plant located at the Sta ff Village Shared Facilities Hub
(see Figure 3-13). Odour units will be present at the valve chambers of each lifting station to
prevent the release of odours.
Wastewater will not be stored on-site.
Lighting
A lighting strategy has been developed taking into account TRSDC and International best
practice guidelines to ensuring the preservation of E0 Environmental Zone per the
International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) and TRSDC Dark Sky Guidelines.
All outdoor seating spaces and relaxation areas will be designed to 2700K since lighting will
come on at dusk and switch off/dim down to curfew. Street lighting and circulation areas will
be designed to 3000K which is still within the boundary of colour temperatures that is
recommended for Dark Sky Environmental Zones 0 and 1.
Waste Management
The waste collection and facility building management access will be made via primary roads
and local road networks. Service vehicles will also use the public realm green corridors to
access the canteen buildings which are setback from the primary road network. The Staff
Village buildings will be serviced by small electric vehicles.
Figure 3-8 Staff Village Utility Hubs (SIE, 2022)
Figure 3-9 Staff Village Outfalls (SIE, 2022)
Figure 3-10 Staff Village Power and Telecommunications Infrastructure
Figure 3-11 Proposed Right of Way Cross section - Bioswale located at both side of the Proposed Road Embankment (SIE, 2022)
Figure 3-12 Staff Village Potable Water Supply
Figure 3-13 Regional Sewage Treatment Plant
Operational Traffic and Transportation
There are to be two main vehicle entrance points, located north and nort h-east of the Project
site (see Figure 3-14). The north road access will provide access to the PPP utility hub.
Please note that the Access Road has been assessed as part of the Staff Village Early
Works ESIA (Staff Village Early Works ESIA, NCEC reference: 13924/1442).
Adjacent to the north road access will be a bus depot for the estimated 155 buses and a
17,000 m 2 parking area for private vehicles. Buses will be used to transfer personnel from
the Staff Village to development areas.
It is understood that refuelling on-site will take place during the operational phase. The
location of the refuelling is not yet known , however, it is likely to be along the northern
proportion of the site, in close proximity to the parking and bus depot.
The results of a traffic assessment (Jacobs, October 2020) undertaken for the Staff Village
indicated that proposed junction will have significant spare capacity to accommodation the
Staff Village and the future annual background traffic on Highway 5. Please note that at the
time of the traffic assessment, the road alignment and routing between the Staff Village and
Highway 5 was not confirmed, however, the requirement for a new junction on Highway 5
was assumed.
Figure 3-14 Staff Village Vehicular Entrances
As previously mentioned, the Staff Village will be virtually car f ree, however parking facilities
will be provided where motorists can park and change to shared mobility transport options or
continue on foot, shuttle, bicycle or buggy. Three parking areas are proposed:
 The largest parking area is proposed east of the nor thern plot access location,
next to the bus interchange. An area is reserved for approximately 540 parking
bays. This will be used by visitors, servicing vehicles and residents with private
vehicle access. This parking area will be shaded and include electric vehicle
charging facilities for the AMAALA fleet cars;
 A secondary parking area is proposed at the eastern plot access. An area for
approximately 122 vehicles is proposed. This will be mainly used by the
professional residents with access to fleet cars and visitors; and
 A third parking area is proposed next to the hospital development. An area for
approximately 180 vehicles is proposed. Vehicles can access this area without
having to pass through the security and can freely access the hospital, police and
fire station.
Operational Security
Two main security points provide the main access to the development with few secondary
roads that have a strict controlled access. The boundary will be secured by a fence and
checkpoints to ensure that vehicles access ing the Staff Village will reach their intended
destination safely. In addition, the checkpoints will ensure that fuel powered vehicles are
parked in a designated area on the periphery.
Manpower
Construction
The exact numbers of personnel, materials and eq uipment are yet to be confirmed, however,
it is anticipated that at the peak of construction activities, approximately 10,000 construction
workers will be required. These are to be accommodated at the existing construction camp,
which was subject to a separate impact assessment process (Early Works ESIA, NCEC
Reference: 10766/1442). Site transport will be facilitated by crew transfer minibuses and
coaches.
It is anticipated that construction activities will occur for six days a week (Saturday to
Thursday). Working hours will typically be 07:00 – 17:00 with night time works only where
necessary. Between 15 June and 15 September, no work shall take place between 12:00
and 15:00.
Please note that during some construction activities, the working week may increa se to
seven days.
Operation
Once operational, approximately 12,000 people will live within the Staff Village with 20,780
visitors and 2,343 workers. It will operate 7 days a week for 24 hours per day.
Equipment and Plant
Construction
A range of vehicles, plant and equipment will be used for the site preparation and
construction stages of the Project. Table 3-2 provides an indicative list of equipment, plant
and vehicles which shall be confirmed by the Contractor o nce appointed.
Table 3-2 Indicative Plant, Equipment and Vehicles Required
Bulldozer Road lorry Concrete pump
Crusher Diesel generator Air compressor
Wheeled loader Mechanical water bowser Backhoe loader
Tracked excavator Tracked mobile crane Welding set
Dump truck Mobile telescopic crane Compactor plate
Motor grader Earthworks compactor/roller JCB tractor
Road roller Large lorry concrete mixer Tilting drum mixer
Sheep footed roller/vibro roller Fork lift truck Fuel bowser
Asphalt paver Water pump Earthworks grader
Operation
The overall road network has been planned to support the objective of creating a walkable,
and predominantly car-free community that is primarily serviced by buses and micro-mobility
options (i.e. bikes, buggies, electric scooters). There will be limited private vehicle
movement with access to the main parking plots only (except for service and emergency
vehicles).
3.4 Geographical Scope

The geographical scope of the Impact Assessment defines the project extent in terms of
what is to be developed/constructed. In general terms, good practice for Impact Assessment
would expect all elements which are directly related to the project; and any other elements
which are either a consequence of the project or which the project relies upon will be
included in the Impact Assessment process.
The physical scope for the Project is, therefore, considered to be:
 Use of Phase 1 and 2 for temporary laydown areas and sto rage facilities to
enable construction;
 Development of an access road from Staff Village to the PPP Infrastructure; and
 Operation of the Staff Village.
Please note the following:
 Construction workers will be accommodated in the AMAALA Construction Village
which was assessed and approved under a different ESIA process (Triple Bay
Early Works ESIA, NCEC reference: 10766/1442).
 The access road has been assessed and approved under a different ESIA
process (Staff Village Early Works ESIA, NCEC reference: 13924/1442).
 Regional infrastructure will provide power, water, wastewater and

telecommunications to the Project site. Such infrastructure is to be assessed
separately.
assessed outside of this ESIA. However, a high-level assessment of potential
impacts is included within this ESIA.
3.5 Project Footprint

Space Required
The approximate footprint of the Staff Village is 923,400 m 2 .
Activity Resources, Types and Sources
The estimated quantities of resources to be used during the construction phase are as
follows:
 Cement. 50,000 m 3 ;
 Sand. 228,890 m 3 ;
 Aggregate. 154,183 m 3 ;
 Water: 1,143,183 m 3 ;
 Diesel. 130,000 litres per day; and
 Petrol. 90,000 litres per year.
According to calculations by the engineering consultants, there will be a cut and fill balance,
therefore, no fill material will be sourced from external areas.
Wastes
Construction Wastes
The likely quantities of construction waste are not yet available. It is, however, likely that
construction activities will give rise to a range of wastes including waste soils, brick and
block offcuts, scrap metals, plastic, wood, waste concrete, canteen waste and domestic
sewerage, office waste and limited amounts of hazardous materials. Hazardous m aterials
are likely to include used batteries, paint, bitumen, fuel, oils, batteries, thinners, oily waste
from servicing equipment and used florescent light tubes.
Exact details regarding waste management measures to be implemented during the

construction phase are not yet available. However, contractors will be required to segregate
wastes on-site before transportation off-site for re-use, recycling, recovery or disposal. Staff
Village will be following the overall Triple Bay-wide waste management strategy.
The recyclable portion of the waste generated during the construction of the Staff Village will
be segregated and treated within a Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) that will be operated
by a specialist waste contractor. AMAALA will follow the waste m anagement and recycling
contract model already in service at TRSDC. The facility will be designed to segregate out
recyclable materials into numerous fractions from a range of recyclable streams. Once the
materials are segregated, they will be baled to fac ilitate easy handling and transportation.
These will be sent to secondary recyclers for further processing or sold directly on the
recyclable material market. Non-recyclable waste will be conveyed from the Project in
enclosed skips and then transported to Duba landfill by National Centre for Waste
Management (NCWM) registered service providers.
Operational Wastes
As per the TRSDC waste management strategy, the Project shall have a waste diversion
target of 90% for non-hazardous waste. In addition, the NCWM has set out a recycling target
of 42% to be achieved by 2035.
Similar to the construction phase, exact details regarding waste management measures to
be implemented during the operational phase are not yet available. However, the Operator
will be required to segregate wastes on-site before transportation off-site for re-use,
recycling, recovery or disposal. Staff Village will be following the overall Triple Bay -wide
waste management strategy.
The recyclable portion of the waste generated during the operat ion of the Staff Village will be
segregated and treated within a Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) that will be operated by a
specialist waste contractor. AMAALA will follow the waste management and recycling
contract model already in service at TRSDC. The facility will be designed to segregate out
recyclable materials into numerous fractions from a range of recyclable streams. Once the
materials are segregated, they will be baled to facilitate easy handling and transportation.
These will be sent to secondary recyclers for further processing or sold directly on the
recyclable material market. Non-recyclable waste will be conveyed from the Project in
enclosed skips and then transported to Duba landfill by NCWM registered service providers.
Based upon national waste composition and densities presented in the CMP (SIE, 2022),
Table 3-3 presents the annual quantities of waste predicted to be generated by the
operational activities:
Table 3-3 Staff Village Predicted Annual Waste Generation Rates and Composition (SIE, 2022)
Paper /
Land Use Generation Rate Metal Glass Plastic Organic Residual
Cardboard
Residential 1.46 kg/capita/day 15.0 5.0 5.0 15.0 50.0 10.0
Residential (dormitory) 0.73 kg/capita/day 15.0 5.0 5.0 15.0 50.0 10.0
Retail 0.11 kg/m 2 /day 62.0 1.5 0.0 28.0 3.5 5.0
Offices 0.21 kg/m 2 /day 59.0 1.0 2.0 9.0 19.0 10.0
Hotel 2.47 kg/room/day 37.2 7.5 0.9 11.4 35.3 7.7
Commercial Recreation 0.60 l/m 2 /day 19.6 1.8 6.2 6.7 60.3 5.4
Community Centres / Facilities 0.21 kg/m 2 /day 59.0 1.0 2.0 9.0 19.0 10.0
School 2.0 l/student/day 55.0 2.0 0.0 17.0 18.0 8.0
Healthcare (non-hazardous/
0.16 kg/visitor/day 30.0 4.7 6.6 15.2 15.0 28.5
non-hazardous waste)
Worship Places 0.60 l/m 2 /day 59.0 1.0 2.0 9.0 19.0 10.0
Visitor Centres 0.21 kg/m 2 /day 59.0 1.0 2.0 9.0 19.0 10.0
Food and Beverages 8.1 l/m 2 /day 19.6 1.8 6.2 6.7 60.3 5.4
Canteen 2.3 l/m 2 /day 19.6 1.8 6.2 6.7 60.3 5.4
TOTAL 509.0 35.1 44.1 157.7 428.7 125.4
3.6 Schedule
With regards to this ESIA, the schedule is as follows:
Table 3-4 Permitting Schedule
Task Date of Submission Date of NCEC Response
Environmental Classification
Form
30 January 2022 04 April 2022
ESIA Scoping Report
ESIA Report 24 May 2022 1 st round of comments: 22 June 2022
60 workings days from date of ESIA

Approval
Report submission: 18 August 2022
For the development itself, approximate timelines are as follows:
 Construction of primary infrastructure to start in April 2023 and finish in June

2024;
 Construction of buildings will start in September 2022 and finish in February

2026;
 Operations to start in August 2024; and
 The Staff Village is intended for a lifespan of 50 years before decommissioning.
4 ALTERNATIVES
4.1 Methodology
The assessment of alternatives helps establish the most appropriate method of developing a
project and can help identify the option(s) with the least environmental and social impacts.
Alternatives include consideration of different means to meet the purpose and requirements
of the Project activities, and may include alternatives to:
1. Activity - change in the nature of the proposed activity without changing

the project objective, for example, the development of a solar farm instead
of utilising diesel generators.
2. Site location - alternative locations for the entire project proposal, or for
components of the project proposal. For some projects, it may not be
possible to consider alternative locations as there may be spatial
constraints. As such, the ‘do nothing’ alternative assumes importance in
the ESIA.
3. Routes to/from site - alternative options for transporting people,

equipment and materials to/from site.
4. Routing alternatives - consideration of alternative routes generally

applies to linear developments such as power lines, transport and pipeline
routes.
5. Layout of the activity - this considers different spatial configurations of

an activity on a particular site. This may include particular components of
a proposed development or may include the entire activity.
6. Process and operational aspects of the activit y - the purpose is to

consider alternatives that achieve the same goal by using a different
method or process. Typically, specialist input is required to identify
process alternatives such as the Best Practicable Environmental Option
(BPEO).
7. Scale - projects with adverse impacts may be reduced in size or scale in

order to reduce impacts.
8. Scheduling/timing - a project may comprise a number of components,

which can be scheduled in a different order or at different times and as
such produce different impacts. Such alternatives could be incorporated
into the project proposal and so be part of the project description,
therefore, these may not necessarily be evaluated as separate
alternatives.
9. Design - design alternatives include the consideration of different designs

for aesthetic purposes or different construction materials in an attempt to
optimise local benefits. Similar to scheduling, design alternatives can be
incorporated into the project proposal and project description. Therefore,
design may need not to be evaluated as a separate alternative.
10. Do nothing option - this assumes that the activity does not go ahead.
The ‘do nothing’ alternative is also regarded as a type of alternative;
however, it should be described separately to emphasise its importance
(see Section 4.2 for more details).
4.2 Do Nothing Option

The Do Nothing option is the option of not implementing the activity or executing the
proposed development. If AMAALA is not develop ed, it would result in the loss of potential
contribution and support to socio-economic growth and diversification goals of the Kingdom’s
Vision 2030 Plan particularly concerning the growth and development of the non -pilgrimage
tourism sector. However, implementation of the project is under the control of the Ministry of
Cultural Affairs and the Private Office. As a result, the Do Nothing Option is not in AMAALA’s
remit.
The Staff Village will provide AMAALA with staffing resources and base of operations to
manage the development without causing any socio-economic issues related to an influx of
workers in a relatively remote and undeveloped area.
The current status quo of the site includes marginal use of land which would continue,
current climate change impacts and consequential sea -level rise projections which would
change the landscape character would still occur if the Do Nothing Alternative is realised.
4.3 Alternate Locations

AMAALA bought forward three Staff Village locations for an optioneering assessment.
Details of the three locations presented in Table 4-1and the three locations are shown in
Figure 4-1.
Table 4-1 Staff Village Alternative Locations Specifications
Visibility from Travel time from Travel time from

Option Location Optioneering Assessment Conclusion
Triple Bay Triple Bay MP4
Midway between
Remote from existing or proposed roads and allows for
Option 1 MP4 and Triple None +25 minutes +27 minutes
opportunity to expand Triple Bay.
Bay
Smallest impact on proposed regional infrastructure,
North of Triple
Option 2 Medium +7 minutes +40 minutes however, it is in the location of a proposed desalination
Bay
plant.
South of Triple Main impact is on power and water. Changes needed to
Option 3 High +5 minutes +52 minutes
Bay Regional Infrastructure strategy.
Figure 4-1 Staff Village Alternative Locations
4.4 Technical Alternatives
Interim Concept Masterplan Iterations
The Interim Concept Masterplan (ICMP) layout went through seve ral variations with design
meetings demonstrating the pros and cons of each proposed option and the
recommendations from AMAALA were carried forward into the next stage of design.
The masterplan boundary line was amended following the study of the topogra phy and the
existing conditions, this included removing land from the northern boundary due to
undulating topography and adding in a flatter area closer to the coastal zone. In addition, the
wadi setback (20 m) is also a factor in defining the eastern plot boundary of the masterplan.
Figure 4-2 presents the iterations in the ICMP process. More obvious changes during the
masterplan evolution and design development include the hotel and villa area, school
positioning, linear buildings rotation, Z clusters configuration, Central Village layout along
with the neighbourhood centres.
Figure 4-2 Staff Village ICMP Iterations
Source: AMAALA Staff Village Interim Concept Ma sterplan, SIE, 16 September 2021
Following the completion of the ICMP, a strategic decision was undertaken, by AMAALA, for
the Construction Village personnel to be accommodated at the Staff Village, as such, the
design has been amended. Three options were evaluated, as depicted in Figure 4-3.
Figure 4-3 Staff Village Revised Options
Option 1
Option 2
Option 3
Source: AMAALA Staff Village Focus Group Meeting Masterplan Options, SIE Consultants,
17 November 2021
Option 3 was selected by AMAALA for the following reasons:
 Clear layout for infrastructure and utility easement;
 Provides clear circulation for mobility and bus movements;
 Provides equal living qualities for non-professionals;
 Suitable for construction phasing in terms of roa ds and clusters;
 Main car park connected to the security gate; and
 No cul-de-sacs.
Utilities
Stormwater
An alternative stormwater drainage design considered the bioswales in the middle of the
right of way with Rain Gardens on both sides (see Figure 4-4). However, the Masterplanners
recommended that the use of roadside bioswales either side of the road as this would
consume less space (right of way of 23.8 m versus 28.3 m). The accepted design is shown
in Figure 3-11.
Potable Water
Details provided in the ICMP (SIE, September 2021) indicate that two options for the potable
water supply where discussed:
 OPTION 1: Potable water distribution from a centralised storage tank (Primary

Utility Hub) to the storage tanks at the Local Utility Hubs and dedicated potable
water supply from local storage tanks to the buildings.
 OPTION 2: Potable water distribution network from centralised storage tank

(Primary Utility Hub) to the storage tanks at the Local Utility Hubs and combined
potable water distribution network for domestic needs and fire protection for
buildings from Local Utility Hubs storage tanks to the buildings within plots.
It is understood that Option 2 was selected.
Firefighting
Two options for the firewater distribution systems were presented:
 OPTION 1: Combined firefighting network for fire hydrants and fire protection for
buildings (standpipes and sprinkler system) from central combined storage at the
utility compound to all buildings and fire hydrants.
 OPTION 2: Firefighting network for fire hydrants only from central combined
storage tank at the utility compound and fire protection for buildings (standpipes
and sprinkler system) from Local Utility Hubs.
Option 2 was found not to be economical as the Local Utility Hubs would increase in size
due to the additional firewater reserve and pumps.
Figure 4-4 Alternative Stormwater Bioswale Location
Source: AMAALA Staff Village Interim Concept Masterplan, SIE, 16 September 2021
Waste Management
Two options were proposed for a general waste management strategy. Both involve a
centralised waste collection strategy with segregation at source will be applied within the
Project. Generated waste will be transferred from the point of generation to the designated
interim waste rooms (i.e. temporary waste storage facilities) located within the same
building:
 OPTION A: Temporary storage of waste in interim waste rooms prior to collection

by the operator and transfer to the Integrated Waste Management Facility (IWMF)
at Triple Bay. The interim waste rooms will contain colour coded bins for the
segregation of waste into their respective bins. For the buildings with road
access, the designated waste collection vehicles are to collect the waste directly
from the interim waste rooms via the Back of House (BoH) pathway. For the
buildings that do not have road access, the Facility Management (FM) team are
to collect the waste from the interim waste room and subsequently transport the
waste to the curb for kerbside collection by the designated waste collection
vehicles. This strategy is in line with the TRSDC waste management strategy.
 OPTION B: Temporary storage of waste in interim waste rooms prior to the final
collection and transfer to IWMF. Subsequently, electric waste buggies are
proposed for the final transfer of waste from the interim waste rooms to the
central waste room, where they will be collected by vehicles to be transferred
either for treatment or to their final disposal point.
Option B was recommended mainly due to the adverse visual impact resulting from the
waste bins located at the development, as well as the exhaust emissions resulting from the
collection vehicles which can be avoided by implementing a more efficient collection
strategy.
Access Roads
Access to the Staff Village will be via an existing access road from Highway 5. An alternative
access via the Coast Guard road has been reviewed, however, considering the distance and
the proximity to the coastline, this will only be considered as a short term option while the
traffic volume is still low.
Temporary Laydown and Storage Areas

It was originally proposed that the temporary laydown and storage areas for the Staff Village
be outside of Project footprint (Figure 4-5), however, this would result in additional habitat
loss, therefore, and it was decided to utilise the Phase 2 area (which would be developed
later as part of the Project) for temporary laydown areas and storage facilities. Furthermore,
the existing office accommodation, developed during the Early Works, will be utilised during
the Main Works.
Figure 4-5 Alternative Laydown Area Location Considered
4.5 Comparison of Alternatives
Three alternative locations for the Staff Village were assessed, the chosen location has
similar travel times to both MP4 and Triple Bay as well as offering a remote location away
from settlements. The location is also hidden from the Triple Bay facilities ensuring that
there are no impacts upon guest views.
Where possible, AMAALA have tried to reduce environmental impacts of the construction
and operation of the Project, for example, positioning the laydown areas within the Phase 2
area to reduce any habitat loss outside of the Project boundary. In addition, AMAALA have
chosen a site that is away from turtle nesting areas and no significant archaeological
artefacts or features.
The current status quo of the site includes marginal use of land which would continue,
current climate change impacts and consequential sea-level rise projections which would
change the landscape character would still occur if the Do Nothing Alternative is realised.
5 BASELINE DESCRIPTION
5.1 Project Area

Source Data
Baseline data collection for the ESIA involve d identification of key themes and receptors,
definition of temporal and geographical (spatial) boundaries of the assessment, and
collection and compilation of baseline information. Baseline information was obtained from
primary data generation and secondary data available from existing databases and previous
reports.
AMAALA has been engaged in baseline data collection since 2017. Reports that are used to
complete this ESIA are as follows:
Regional
 Rapid Environmental Baseline Assessment of AMAALA area (BDC, 2019a)
 AMAALA Turtle Nesting Survey 2018 and June 2019 and Mitigation Report (BDC,
2019b)
 Avifauna Survey AMAALA (BDC, 2019c)
 Sooty Falcon Survey and Mitigation Measures (BDC, 2020a)
 AMAALA Invertebrate and Reptile Risk Assessment and Survey (BDC, 2020d)
 AMAALA Regional Marine Habitat Mapping (BDC, 2020e)
 AMAALA Marine Megafauna Review and Observational Reporting (BDC, 2021a)
 Extreme Water Levels along the Amaala Coastline (DHI, October 2021)
Project Specific
 Staff Village Vegetation, Reptile and Avifauna Baseline Surveys (BDC, 2021b).
Please note that this report also included archaeological and cultural heritage
observations as well as land quality.
 Staff Village Traffic Assessment (Jacobs, October 2020).
 Factual Geotechnical Site Investigation Report (RGF, 2021a)
 Interpretative Geotechnical Site Investigation Report (RGJ, 2021b)
 Marine Environmental Baseline Survey, Staff Village (5OES, January 2022)
 Water Renewal (Flushing) Study (CWP, February 2022)
5.2 Physical Environment
Air Quality
There are limited sources of airborne pollution surrounding AMAALA, except the Duba
Municipality Waste Facility which occasionally burns waste material.
Elevated concentrations of Particulate Matter (PM) are common throughout Saudi Arabia.
This is due to the arid, sandy environment, which may be aggravated by habitat degradation
and poor land management within the Project surroundings. Furthermore, fugitive dust
emissions from exposed dry soil surfaces and unpaved roads are likely to contribute to
localised ambient concentrations of particulate matter. During dry weather, vehicular traffic
using unpaved roads will be an appreciable source of dust at roadside properties. In
addition, sand and dust storms could contribute to increased quantities of suspended
particulate matter, particularly in the dry summer months. In addition, Duba has industrial
activities including Duba Cement Factory (likely to emit Sulphur dioxide (SO 2 ), nitrogen oxide
(NOx), and carbon monoxide (CO) and an Open Cycle Gas Turbine (OCGT) Power Plant
which will contribute to CO, carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) and NOx emissions. In addition, there is
also Al Wajh OCGT Power Plant to the south-east of Staff Village.
Ongoing construction activities at Triple Bay, AMAALA Construction Village and at the Red
Sea Project (RSP) may also impact upon local ambient air quality.
Potential air pollution sources are shown in Figure 5-1.
Figure 5-1 Potential Air Quality Pollution Sources
No project-specific baseline air quality monitoring has been collected for the Staff Village;
however, monitoring has been undertaken at Duba , to the north of AMAALA, and at Al Wajh
to the south of AMAALA, part of the Red Sea Project (RSP). Furthermore, AECOM has
installed passive diffusion tubes at three locations across AMAALA. Details of the monitoring
locations are shown in Figure 5-2.
Figure 5-2 Air Quality Monitoring Locations
NEOM and Red Sea Project Air Quality Monitoring
GACS, an NCEC-approved air quality monitoring service provider, undertook baseline air
quality monitoring in NEOM on behalf of BDC-KAUST and was reported by Enstec Services
(Enstec Services Limited, 2018a) including within an industrial area in Duba for a one -month
period (see Figure 5-2). Concentrations of sulphur dioxide (SO 2 ), hydrogen sulphide (H 2 S),
carbon monoxide (CO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ) were below national air quality standards
in place at time of reporting, however, concentrations of SO 2 at the Duba monitoring site
exhibited several large but intermittent peaks resulting in a maximum 1-hour averaged
concentration of 55.4 ppb. A potential source is the Duba Cement Plant which is
approximately 3.2 km distant. This level of concentration at over 3 km from the plant
suggests that conditions closer to the plant may well exceed the standard. With regards to
NO 2 , there were also intermittent peaks at Duba which were most likely associated with
emissions from vehicles. The Duba monitoring location is approximately 100 km north -west
of the Project site.
Background air quality monitoring data, between September and October 2018, is available
from the RSP at Al Wajh. This data was also collected by GACS on behalf of BDC -KAUST
and reported by Enstec Services (Enstec Services Limited, 2018b). The Al Wajh monitoring
was undertaken in a relatively open and exposed area some 4 km from the coast,
approximately 75 km to the south-east of the Project site (the location is shown in Figure
5-2). The data collected are described below and were compared to the national standards in
place at that time:
 SO 2 concentrations are low with an average over the monitoring period of less
than 1ppb (average of 0.5ppb over the one-month monitoring period) and are well
within the annual air quality standard of 30ppb. The main source of SO 2 in and
around the Project area is the use of sulphur -containing fossil fuels for power
generation and to a lesser extent in motor vehicles. Given that there are few
power plants and other industrial sources, it can be concluded that for most of the
Project area, SO 2 concentrations will be well below the air quality standards.
During the sampling period the 24-hour maximum was 2.3ppb well below the
relevant standard of 83 ppb.
 Hydrogen sulphide (H 2 S) concentrations are low with the average over the
monitoring period less than 1 ppb (average of 0.5 ppb over the one -month
monitoring period) well within the annual air quality standard of 30 ppb. H 2 S can
be as a result of the breakdown of organic matter and wastes such as sewage. It
also occurs in petroleum and natural gas and associated industries. There are
few known sources of significant H 2 S within the area, so it can be concluded that
H 2 S within the Project area is likely to be very low and well within the air quality
standards. However, around any sewage treatment plants, gas and petroleum
processing facilities or large-scale composting facilities, higher H 2 S
concentrations are likely. During the sampling period the 24 -hour maximum was
1.0 ppb, well below the levels associated with impacts to human health or where
nuisance odour compliant may be likely.
 CO concentrations are lower than in urban areas and are well within the air
quality standards. Since CO is usually a result of incomplete combusti on of
carbon fuel, within the Project area the main sources will be from motor vehicles,
marine vessels and aeroplanes. The one-hour maximum CO concentration
recorded was 400 ppb, while the 24-hour maximum concentration was 300 ppb,
both well within the 1-hour and 8-hour standards of 34,946 and 8,737 ppb,
respectively. Average CO concentrations over the monitoring period was 100ppb.
 Average NO x concentrations were 3.9 ppb with an hourly maximum of 55 ppb,
while average NO 2 was 3.4 ppb with maximum hourly concentrations of 54.3 ppb,
well below the applicable annual and hourly standards of 53 ppb and 106 ppb,
respectively. NO x is produced during combustion with the main sources being
traffic and energy production.
 PM concentrations exceeded the daily and annua l average air quality standards
of 35μg/m 3 and 15μg/m 3 , respectively, however, it is a common phenomenon for
both PM 10 and PM 2.5 to exceed their respective air quality criteria due to the hot
and dry nature of the area and amount of open exposed land in th e region with
most particulate matter due to natural sources rather than anthropogenic sources.
Table 5-1 presents a summary of the NEOM and RSP air quality baseline monitoring results
with comparison to the latest national air quality standards (Annex 1 of Implementing
Regulation on Air Quality (REF: M/165)) and to the 2021 WHO Global Air Quality Guidelines
(AQG) (World Health Organization, 2021). At both locations, the PM 10 and PM 2.5
concentrations were found to be above WHO Global AQGs for 24 hours averaging time.
Table 5-1 NEOM and RSP Baseline Air Quality Monitoring Data
National Guideline WHO Global AQG (1- 1-hour Maximum National Guideline 8-hour Maximum National Guideline WHO Global AQG (24- 24-hour Maximum
Parameter
Value (1-hour) hour) Concentration Value (8-hour) Concentration Value (24-hour) hour) Concentration
NEOM (10 July - 9 August 2018)
CO 40,000 µg/m 3 35,000 µg/m 3 0.11 µg/m 3 NG 0.34 µg/m 3 10,000 µg/m 3 4 µg/m 3 NS
NO 2 200 µg/m 3 200 µg/m 3 44.5 µg/m 3 NG NS NG 25 µg/m 3 NS
SO 2 441 µg/m 3 500* 2 µg/m 3 144.92 µg/m 3 NG NS 217 µg/m 3 40 µg/m 3 18.052 µg/m 3
Ozone (O 3 ) NG NG 133.39 µg/m 3 NG 117.31 µg/m 3 157 µg/m 3 100* 1 µg/m 3 NS
PM10 NG NG 252.3 µg/m 3 340 NS NG 45 µg/m 3 81.1 µg/m 3
PM2.5 NG NG 52.7 µg/m 3 35 NS NG 15 µg/m 3 21.2 µg/m 3
RSP (12 September - 12 October 2018)
CO 40,000 µg/m 3 35,000 µg/m 3 0.46 µg/m 3 NG 0.34 µg/m 3 10,000 µg/m 3 4 µg/m 3 NS
PM10 NG NG 916.0 µg/m 3 340 µg/m 3 NS NG 45 µg/m 3 142.2 µg/m 3
PM2.5 NG NG 148.3 µg/m 3 35 µg/m 3 NS NG 15 µg/m 3 38.5 µg/m 3
Notes:
Figures in bold indicate the standard was exceeded
* 1 8-hour average
*2 10-minute average
NG - no available guideline
NS - not sampled
Conversion from ppb to µg/m 3 assumes 25ºC in line with WHO guidance
AECOM Air Quality Monitoring
AECOM undertook passive diffusion tube monitoring at three locations (Figure 5-2) within
AMAALA.
The diffusion tubes were installed for two, two week periods. Diffusion tube sampling results
for NO 2 , SO 2 , H 2 S and VOCs (BTEX) show that ‘existing concentrations of these pollutants
are below the air quality standards in line with p ublished literature results’. Despite
measurements not spanning a full year of assessment, it ‘is considered that NO 2 , SO 2 and
H 2 S concentrations are meeting the Project ambient air quality standards respectively’
(AECOM, 2021b). Further analysis by BDC has indicated that some of the concentrations of
O 3 were detected above the latest national air quality standards and the 2021 WHO Global
Air Quality Guidelines.
Table 5-2 presents the results compared to relevant standards. Please note that
ethylbenzene, m,p-xylene and o-xylene have not been tabulated as they were not detected
above the laboratory’s Method Detection Limit (MDL).
Table 5-2 AECOM Diffusion Tube Monitoring Results (AECOM, 2021b)
Period 1 (24 Dec Period 2 (7 Jan

National Guideline WHO Global AQG
Pollutant Location 2019 - 07 Jan 2020 - 21 Jan Average
Value (24-hour) (24-hour)
2020) 2020)
AML 1 10.1 µg/m 3 12.8 µg/m 3 11.4 µg/m 3
AML 2 1.7 µg/m 3 5.2 µg/m 3 3.5 µg/m 3

NO 2 NG 25 µg/m 3
AML 3(a) 6.4 µg/m 3 6.3 µg/m 3 6.4 µg/m 3
AML 3(b) 6.0 µg/m 3 5.4 µg/m 3 5.7 µg/m 3
AML 1 1.6 µg/m 3 1.9 µg/m 3 1.8 µg/m 3
AML 2 3.5 µg/m 3 6.0 µg/m 3 4.8 µg/m 3

SO 2 217 µg/m 3 40 µg/m 3
AML 3(a) 1.8 µg/m 3 2.5 µg/m 3 2.2 µg/m 3
AML 3(b) 5.1 µg/m 3 37.3 µg/m 3 21.2 µg/m 3
AML 1 <MDL 0.14 µg/m 3 N/A
AML 2 <MDL <MDL N/A

H2S 4 µg/m 3 NG
AML 3(a) <MDL <MDL N/A
AML 3(b) <MDL <MDL N/A
AML 1 0.48 µg/m 3 0.55 µg/m 3 0.52 µg/m 3
AML 2 <MDL <MDL N/A

Benzene 3 µg/m 3 *1 NG
Toluene AML 1 400 µg/m 3 NG 0.45 µg/m 3 0.82 µg/m 3 0.64 µg/m 3
Period 1 (24 Dec Period 2 (7 Jan
National Guideline WHO Global AQG
Pollutant Location 2019 - 07 Jan 2020 - 21 Jan Average
Value (24-hour) (24-hour)
2020) 2020)
AML 2 <MDL <MDL N/A
AML 1 100.7 µg/m 3 87.6 µg/m 3 93.1 µg/m 3
AML 2 86.2 µg/m 3 71.4 µg/m 3 78.8 µg/m 3

O3 157 µg/m 3 100 µg/m 3 *2
AML 3(a) 87.4 µg/m 3 104.7 µg/m 3 96.5 µg/m 3
AML 3(b) 88.3 µg/m 3 112.2 µg/m 3 99.8 µg/m 3
Notes:
NG - no guideline
<MDL - below Method Detection Limit
*1 Annual average
*2 8-hour average
BOLD - above the guideline value
Localised Particulate Matter Monitoring
A series of PM measurements across on the Project area and other development areas in
close proximity including the Staff Village, Solar Farm and PPP infrastructure as well as
along Highway 5 has been undertaken (Figure 5-3).
Figure 5-3 Localised Particulate Matter Monitoring Locations
As shown in Table 5-3, none of the results were above the national guideline values.
Table 5-3 Localised Particulate Monitoring
Location PM10 (µg/m 3 ) PM2.5 (µg/m 3 )
1-hour Maximum Concentration 916.0 148.3
PPP Infrastructure PPP1 162.6 23.8
CR1 63.0 19.8

Coast Road
CR2 155.9 37.6
RO Plant R01 113.7 38.8
Staff Village SV1 218.3 57.5
SF1 332.4 78.9

Solar Farm
SF2 329.2 84.9
H5.1 340.7 94.9

Highway 5
H5.2 181.7 58.7
XXXX = closest monitoring location to Project site
Climate Change
It is widely recognised that climate change has environmental and social consequences, and
that ignoring climate change will eventually damage economic growth as well as impact
people and the environment.
Saudi Arabia is particularly vulnerable to climate change as most of its ecosystems are
sensitive, its renewable water resources are limited, and its economy remains highly
dependent on fossil fuel exports. The country is arid, and the sand d esert renders several
regions susceptible to flooding and desertification.
Key vulnerabilities:
 Heavy rainfall in Saudi Arabia sometimes results in flash floods. The country
receives intense rainfall especially in the mountainous south -western region,
which tends to flood seasonal watercourses;
 Future climate scenarios indicate an increase in the length of dry periods, and
high aridity, rapidly depleting groundwater reserves, and projected temperature
increases indicate that water stress is bound to increas e. Greater rainfall
variability may also result in prolonged droughts;
 Sand and dust storms are frequent mainly due to the country’s desert soils and
landscape. High winds carrying sand and dust rise into the air forming clouds that
often reduce visibility to zero. These storms disrupt transport and communication
and increase respiratory health-related diseases. They also contribute to the
spread of desertification by transporting and depositing sand and sediments,
which destroy crops, natural habitats and infrastructure;
 As average temperatures rise as a result of climate change in the future, internal
and external overheating is likely to become an increasing issue. Heatwaves
causing risk to health, limits on activity and productivity and disruption to r ail,
road and underground networks are likely to increase in terms of frequency and
duration;
 Sea level rise, storm surge and / or flooding could cause damage to buildings,
infrastructure or utilities as well as endangering life and potentially causing
environmental damage, for example, increasing the erosional and polluting
impact of storm waters;
 Climate change can alter where species live, how they interact, and the timing of
biological events, which could fundamentally transform current ecosystems and
food webs. Climate change can overwhelm the capacity of ecosystems to mitigate
extreme events and disturbance, such as wildfires, floods, and drought. Climate
change, along with habitat destruction and pollution, is one of the important
stressors that can contribute to species extinction. The Intergovernmental Panel
on Climate Change estimates that 20 - 30 % of the plant and animal species
evaluated so far in climate change studies are at risk of extinction if temperatures
reach the levels projected to occur by the end of this century;
 The World Health Organisation say that climate change is likely to alter the
geographic range (latitude and altitude) and seasonality of certain infectious
diseases - including vector-borne infections such as malaria and dengue fever,
and food-borne infections (e.g. salmonellosis) which peak in the warmer months;
and
 Observed climate change is already affecting food security through increasing

temperatures, changing precipitation patterns, and greater frequency of some
extreme events. Studies that separate out climate change from other factors
affecting crop yields have shown that yields of some crops (e.g., maize and
wheat) in many lower-latitude regions have been affected negatively by observed
climate changes, while in many higher-latitude regions, yields of some crops
(e.g., maize, wheat, and sugar beets) have been affected positively over recent
decades. As such, national and global food security will be increasingly affected
by projected future climate change.
Predictions on the changes likely in Saudi Arabia due to Climate Change indicate that there
will be a rise in temperatures across the country. However, predictive modelling outputs
provide two possible scenarios regarding rainfall with some suggesting a decrease in r ainfall
and increased drought, while other studies suggest marginal increases in total rainfall but
with increased intensity.
Saudi Arabia’s electricity is primarily composed of fossil fuel sources - particularly natural
gas and crude oil - with a small but increasing amount from solar energy. However, the
Kingdom aims to generate 50% of the nations’ power needs using renewable energy by
2030.
Saudi Arabia has acknowledged that the Kingdom requires a carbon management system.
The Kingdom’s system has been designed to enable the Kingdom to reduce the emissions of
GHGs, through the promotion of technological solutions. The system includes organisational
structure for emission control, aspirational avoidance actions and goals, assessment of
carbon risks, GHG accounting, carbon performance evaluation and reporting.
Saudi Arabia is also promoting research and development of technologies that can alleviate
these concerns, including carbon capture and storage. Additionally, it supports the promotion
of international cooperation in climate change.
The Kingdom has developed technology roadmap targets creating a forward -looking
research and development program that provides economically sound carbon management
technological solutions, and which maximises the value creat ed from the carbon cycle.
It should be noted that the PIF, in collaboration with Saudi Tadawul Group, has announced
plans to roll out a voluntary exchange platform for carbon offsets and credits in the Middle
East and North African region, with the new ex change platform coming as part of the
Kingdom’s extended efforts to face climate change and encourage establishments to reduce
carbon emissions.
Coastal Processes
The Red Sea is a narrow, partially isolated water body surrounded by arid land, desert and
semi-desert. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia and Yemen to the east, Sudan, Eritrea and
Djibouti to the west. It extends over 1,900 km in length and ranges in width from just 29 km
to 354 km (Bruckner, et al., 2011). It has a maximum water depth exceeding 2,200 m, an
average of 490 m and is characterised by coastal fringing reefs, extending tens of metres
from shore before plummeting to deep water.
The Red Sea is located in an arid region characterised by high temperatures and solar
radiation, limited rainfall, an absence of major riverine inputs and seasonally variable winds
(Bruckner, et al., 2011). Consequently, the Red Sea is highly oligotrophic with nutrient
cycling driven by deep water regeneration, and the limited intrusion of nutrient-rich Gulf of
Aden intermediate water from the Indian Ocean (Devassy, et al., 2017).
Summer winds in the south drive upwelling, while strong winter winds in the north cause
significant evaporation and alter salinity. Density gradients in the water column, which vary
seasonally due to changes in temperature, prevailing winds and evaporation, are the primary
drivers for water circulation patterns in the Red Sea. Generally, surface waters move
northward with dense water returning south below the thermocline (250 - 300 m) (Bruckner,
et al., 2011).
Tidal regimes in the Red Sea are generally semi-diurnal, with average tides ranging from 0.6
m in the north and 0.9 m in the south, with minimum ranges (0.2 - 0.3 m) recorded around a
nodal point in the central Red Sea (Gharbi, et al., 2018).
The Red Sea is one of the most saline water bodies in the world due to water circulation
patterns, evaporation and wind stress. In the north, persistent northwest winds drive high
evaporation rates and increase surface salinities.
As such, surface water salinity gradients increase from 36.5 Practical Salinity Unit (PSU) in
the south to 40.5 PSU recorded in the northern Gulf of Suez. Salinity in the Red Sea basin
(>300 m depth) is consistent throughout the year at 40.5 to 40.6 PSU. Due to the increase in
surface salinities from the south to the north and the mass of high salinity water at depth,
vertical gradients of salinity in the water column are largest in the south but almost non -
existent in the north (Sofianos & Johns, 2003).
A storm surge assessment has been taken along the AMAALA coastline to determine
extreme water levels corresponding to 1, 10, 50, 100 and 200 year return. The models
indicated that all extreme water levels will be 0.35 m higher in 2080, 0.49 m higher in 2100
and 0.62 m higher in 2120 compared to present day values (2020) (DHI, October 2021).
Oceanography
An oceanography study for AMAALA was completed in 2018 which was summarised by the
design consultants (Buro Happold, 2019).
Observed current speeds are typically less than 80 mm/s although exceed 2 00 mm/s for
short durations. The current direction (i.e. the direction the water is travelling in) was found
to be uniform direction throughout the water column at both IS -01 and IS-03. IS-01 has two
dominant directions of south and northwest, whereas IS -03 has only a single dominant
direction of northeast.
Wave heights are predominantly between 0m to 0.25m with a mean wave height of 0.20m
and a mean wave period of 4.5 seconds (this is for three months of data and therefore does
not represent extreme conditions).
Temperature and salinity readings on any given day show little variation through the water
column but showed variations in temperature and salinity of up to 2°C and 1 PSU
respectively.
Outside of the trend of salinity decreasing with rising temperat ure no other trends were
identified.
The water levels presented in Table 5-4 for The Island and Miraya (northern development
areas) and for Triple Bay (to the south of the Project area). Although it is worth noting that
these levels are based solely on two months of data collection and so do not take account of
seasonal variation which makes up a significant component of the tidal signal.
These values will be updated following receipt of the 12 months of tidal data being collected
by the permanent tide gauges. The levels presented above are in mean Local Duo Vertical
Datum (mLDVD) and are compared with the other permanent unit at Triple Bay.
Table 5-4 Tidal Average Data for Miraya and the Island and Comparison with Triple Bay
(Buro Happold, 2019)
Tide Level (mLDVD) Tide Level (mLDVD)

Tidal Reference
The Island and Miraya Triple Bay
HAT +1.16 +0.56
MHHW +0.86 +0.27
MLHW +0.76 +0.07
MSL +0.55 -0.05
MHLW +0.36 -0.23
MLLW +0.26 -0.33
LAT -0.04 -0.63
The location of deployment oceanographic equipment is shown in Figure 5-4.
Figure 5-4 Oceanographic Equipment Deployment
A flushing study of the lagoon (CWP, February 2022) has been undertaken. A TELEMAC-2D
model study was performed to simulate the water renew al (flushing) considering the existing
baseline conditions. The values of 24-hour area-averaged tracer concentration at lagoon
after different days from the initial release are reported in Table 5-5. The AMAALA
development is required to comply with these conventions.
Table 5-5 Residual Area-Average Tracer Concentration (24-hour average)
24-hour Area-average Residual

Days After Release
Concentration
1 93.78 %
2 89.74 %
5 83.27 %
10 74.52 %
14.5 69.77 %
As shown in Figure 5-5, the results indicate that water renewal at the lagoon is rather
limited.
Figure 5-5 Tracer Concentration at 10 Days after Release
Geology and Soils
The western part of KSA bordering the Red Sea consists of a mountainous zone underlain
by Precambrian rocks and the coastal plain areas comprising Cenozoic marine and
continental deposits. The Arabian Shield underlying the region consists of folded and
metamorphosed sedimentary rocks with extensive intrusive plutonic and extrusive volcanic
rocks.
The Staff Village Project site is likely to be formed by Quaternary raised reef limestone
deposits, overlain by Aeolian Sands (Figure 5-6). Please note that due to the scale of the
source map, the outline of the Project area extends slightly into the Red Sea.
KSA is a country of low seismic activity (Al-Haddad, et al., 1992). Along the Red Sea coast,
the northern region experiences lower seismic activity as compared to the southern Red Sea
region. This may be due to seismic gaps where faults are locked a nd do not generate
earthquakes.
Figure 5-6 Geological Map Extract Staff Village Project Area
Source: Geological Map of the Al Muwaylih Quadrangle, Sheet 27A, F. B. Davies ad D. J. Grainger, 1985
Riyadh Geotechnique & Foundations (RGF) undertook a geotechnical s ite investigation of
the Staff Village Project area in July - August 2021. The investigation comprised the
following pertinent aspects:
 34 boreholes to a depth of 15 m below ground level (bgl);
 31 trial pits to a maximum depth of 4 m bgl;
 Installation of six groundwater monitoring wells; and
 Laboratory testing.
Table 5-6 provides an overview of the strata encountered:
Table 5-6 Encountered Ground Conditions (RGJ, 2021)
Name Strata Thickness
Below a thin layer of Aeolian sand deposits comprises granular

material generally classified as silty/clayey SAND (SM & SC) and
poorly graded SAND with silt (SP-SM).
Layer 1 2 - 8 m bgl
Layer-1 can be described as light brown to brown, silty/clayey SAND
or poorly graded SAND with silt. The in situ compactness of Lay er-1
was found to be in loose to dense condition.
Coral formation is described as creamish brown in colour,
moderately to highly weathered, fissured, fossiliferous coralline
Layer 2 LIMESTONE. Unproven
Coral formation was encountered only in borehole drilled in low lying
(Zone-1) near the shoreline.
Alluvial was encountered below coral formation and continued down
to maximum terminated depth of each boreholes i.e. 5.0 m bgl.
Layer-3 is described as greyish brown to brown, medium dense to
Layer 3 very dense weakly cemented silty/clayey SAND. Layer -3 changed to Unproven
a fairly consolidated sedimentary rock described as soft to medium
hard, weakly to moderately cemented, highly weathered,
SILTSTONE / MUDSTONE / SANDSTONE.
It shall be noted that RGF is part of the ERI Group. ERI Group is a registered service
provider with the NCEC.
RGF’s data also informed the ESIAs for the following permitted projects within the Triple Bay
Master Plan area:
 Triple Bay Marina (ref no: 12981/1442);
 Triple Bay Priority Plots (ref no: 13456/1442); and
 Triple Bay Hijaz Island (13599/1442).
Groundwater
The Arabian Peninsula has enormous reserves of groundwater. The most active aquifers
(main aquifers) in Saudi Arabia lie within the sedimentary strata and underli e two-thirds of
the Kingdom. Sandstone and limestone formations in the sedimentary basin provide the main
source of water, however, they vary in quality and quantity between and within aquifers.
The eight main aquifers in the Kingdom, are the Saq aquifer, Wajid aquifer, Tabuk aquifer,
Minjur and Minjur/Dhruma aquifers, Wasia-Biyadh and Cretaceous sands aquifers, Umm Er
Radhuma aquifer, Dammam aquifer, and the Neogene Aquifer, while secondary aquifers
include the Jauf, Aburwath, Khuff, Jilh, Dhruma, Upper Ju rassic and Lower Cretaceous
Limestone, Sakaka, Aruma, Basalt, and alluvial aquifers.
The water quality of the main aquifers varies from place to place and partly depends on the
depth of extraction. Water suitable for domestic consumption is stored in the S aq, Tabuk,
Wajid and Neogene aquifers. Most other aquifers, such as the Minjur, Wasia, Dammam,
Umm Er Radhuma, produce water which usually requires treatment for high concentrations
of ions. The overuse of groundwater resources, predominantly for agricultu ral and irrigation
purposes, has led to a depletion of reserves and subsequently lead to a virtual ban on the
domestic production of wheat (Reidy, 2019). In 2017, MEWA stated that 84% of total
consumption was for agriculture and at the current rate of consumption, Saudi Arabia’s
groundwater resources would be consumed in 60 years. The issues around groundwater
depletion are further compounded by groundwater abstractions not been properly monitored
and the presence of illegal wells (MEWA, 2017).
As such, water is a constrained natural resource in Saudi Arabia, and much of the Kingdom’s
supply of water is from desalination processes which is possible as Saudi has abundant
relatively low cost energy and access to two major marine water bodies. However,
desalination is not without its financial and environmental costs.
Groundwater was encountered in most of the boreholes drilled as part of the geotechnical
site investigation. The groundwater depth ranged from 2.75 to 11.27 meters below existing
ground surface level. This corresponds to groundwater elevation from +0.13 to +0.21 m
above LDVD. RGF stated that ‘dewatering will be required if excavation exceeds by +0.13m
LDVD. RGF recommends installation of a well point system prior to any excavation below
groundwater table. Dewatering shall be coupled with a suitable shoring system’ (RGJ, 2021).
Gravel aquifers are present within wadis and have historically been used for access to
shallow water for animal and crop irrigation in the wider catchment area.
In general, groundwater flow tends to follow natural topography, this can be highly influenced
by tidal changes (Buro Happold, 2019). The interpretative report did not include any
groundwater directional flow data, however, it is assumed that groundwater would flow
towards the Red Sea as well as being tidally influenced.
Soil and Groundwater Quality

Natural coastal groundwater quality in Saudi Arab ia does not satisfy drinking water
standards, mainly due to natural high salinity within the superficial layers and coastal lenses
(Buro Happold, 2019). Gravel aquifers do occur in some coastal areas of AMAALA
associated with wadi systems, however, none are present at the Staff Village site footprint
and no abstraction is recorded. Observations in the nearby wadi system to the south of the
site does show anecdotal evidence of seasonal extraction from the gravel bed.
Some anthropogenic pollution does occur, and the aquifer is vulnerable to pollution from
agricultural practices. In this regard, possible pesticides, salinity and nitrogen species are
the most dominant pollutants impacting groundwater quality. Due to the high extraction of
groundwater for agricultural purposes, most water wells have been drying up. In certain parts
of the country closer to the coastal areas, sea water intrusion in the fresh water (fossil water)
has been observed. As a result, water quality has deteriorated with high total dissolved
solids levels measured (Buro Happold, 2020). Within the Project area, no groundwater use
has been reported. However, on a regional scale, the aquifer is mostly used for agricultural
purposes.
The Project area is considered to have a low risk profile for existing contamination of soils
and groundwater due to the limited activities undertaken on -site or in close proximity to the
Project site with the exception of the Coastguard facilit y located to the extreme south of the
Project site (Figure 5-7). It is likely that the facility will be equipped with a generator and a
storage tank for diesel. These would represent a potential contamination source.
Figure 5-7 Coastguard Facility adjacent to Project Site
Field surveys, undertaken in April, May and August 2021, have indicated the presence of off
road driving as well as the remnants of camp fires. As with many part s of the region,
scattered litter has also been noted on-site.
BDC has reviewed the logs from the boreholes and trial pits from the RGF site investigation
and no visual or olfactory evidence of contamination was noted. BDC has also compared the
limited chemical data obtained from the RGF site investigation with the generic guidelines
values presented in the Executive Regulation for Preventing and Treating Soil Pollution
(Table 5-7).
Table 5-7 Soil Chemical Data
Parameter Guideline Value Detected Range
pH 8.5 8.67 – 8.78
All soil samples were found to slightly exceed the pH guideline value presented in the
regulations, this is not unexpected due to the high saline environment of the Red Sea.
Hydrology
AMAALA is bounded by the Red Sea to the west and the Hejaz Mountains to the east. The
Hejaz Mountains run parallel to the Red Sea rift along the western coast of the Arabian
Peninsula. The mountains run to the north of the site and influence the hydrology of the
region.
Within AMAALA there several large, complex catchments that convey flows from the Hejaz
Mountains. In the mountains, the wadis tend to exhibit a more typical V -type cross section
and are bounded by a rock and gravel wadi bed created from “flashy” rainfall runoff. As the
wadis flow towards the coast, they become wider and shallower, with a more extensive and
thicker sandy/silty alluvial bed. High intensity rainfall, typical of the region, combined with
dry, heat-baked ground and steep slopes within the upper catchments contribute to high flow
rates in the natural wadis.
Please note that once the Early Works is complete, the site will be a flat, development
platform ready for construction.
Landscape and Visual
At present, the Project site varies little in topography with the seaward facing areas fall to
the sea as steep cliffs several metres high ( Figure 5-9). However, once the Early Works
activities are complete, the Project area will be a flat platform ready for development.
Figure 5-8 Staff Village Current Topography
Light Spill
Artificial light is known to adversely affect many species and e cological communities. It can
change behaviour and/or physiology, reducing survivorship or reproductive output. It can
also have the indirect effect of changing the availability of habitat or food resources,
furthermore, it can attract predators and invasi ve pests, both of which may pose a threat to
species.
On Project site and within AMAALA, there are minimal artificial light sources with the urban
centres of Duba and Al-Wajh as well as vehicles using Highway 5 the dominant light sources
during the night.
Meteorological Conditions
Climate
The Saudi Arabian climate varies greatly, depending on the geography and the season.
According to Koppen and Geiger, the climate of Saudi Arabia is a “desert climate”. The
analysis of the seasonal rainfall detects that spr ing and winter seasons have the highest
rainfall incidence, respectively. Through the summer, small quantities of precipitation are
observed, while autumn received more precipitation than the summer season.
The Tabuk province is characterised with highly variable temperature conditions which
fluctuate between extremely low to extremely high. Between the driest and wettest months,
the variance in the precipitation is between 0 mm - 13 mm. The average temperature ranges
between 9ºC - 34ºC, with maximum temperatures reaching 41ºC and minimum temperatures
dropping to 4ºC.
The average annual temperature at Al Wajh is 24.1°C (approximately 120 km south -east of
the Project site). With an average of 29°C, August is the warmest month. In January, the
average temperature is 18.4ºC which is the lowest average temperature of the whole year
(see Figure 5-9).
Figure 5-9 Temperature Values, Al Wajh (AECOM, 2021c)
Despite the low mean annual rainfall, isolated storm events characterised by high -intensity
rainfall do occur from time to time. These are typically recorded during the winter months
when weather systems move from west to east, rising into the mountainou s areas. According
to the analysis of rainfall data recorded at the Tabuk Gauging Station, a 6 -hour duration
storm will yield approximately 60 mm of rainfall on average once every 50 years, with the
possibility of a rainfall intensity of almost 100 mm/hour during the peak of the storm.
The Project area experiences irregular occurrences of rainfall of high intensity, short -
duration rainfall, mainly during the winter months when weather systems move from west to
east. These intense rainfall events coupled wit h sparse vegetation cover may result in flash
flooding. At Al Wajh, the annual rainfall is 24 mm. The driest month is June with mean
precipitation of 0 mm. Most precipitation falls in November, with an average of 8 mm.
Rainfall recorded at Al Wajh is presented in Figure 5-10.
Figure 5-10 Rainfall Values, Al Wajh (AECOM, 2021c)
Wind Speed and Direction
Meteorological conditions in the Al Wajh area during the monitoring period showed average
wind speeds were relatively slow, 2.0 m/s, with a maximum wind speed of 5.3 m/s recorded.
Figure 5-11 shows the wind rose produced using wind data for 2014 - 2019.
Although Al Wajh is to the south of AMAALA, it is a low-lying coastal location, so the wind
characteristics are likely to be very similar.
Figure 5-11 Al Wajh Wind Direction
Dust and Sand Storms
Dust storms naturally occur in desert areas, with the African and Asian deserts being the
major sources of dust worldwide. Environmental drivers such as temperature, precipitation,
wind speed, and wind direction all contribute towards spatial and temporal variations in the
incidence of dust storms.
The Arabian Peninsula possesses vast dunes and deserts, with very low amounts of
precipitation and sparse vegetation cover. There are also dominant north -westerly winds
which allow the mobilization of dust across the area. In Saudi Arabia, d ust storms are
considered to take place through-out year, however there are variations in frequencies at the
local scale, with different peak periods in different regions. Figure 5-12 shows the seasonal
frequency of dust storms over Saudi Arabia for the period 2000-2016 (Albugami, et al.,
2019).
The highest frequency of dust storms occurs in the east and south of the country during the
spring and the summer while, in other part of Kingdom where the fre quency is of dust storms
is lower, the seasonal differences appear to be less remarkable.
Figure 5-12 Sandstorm Frequency Map (Albugami, et al., 2019)
Noise
Regional Baseline Noise Monitoring
Baseline noise monitoring surveys were undertaken from 7 - 11 November 2019 during
daytime, evening and night-time periods at various locations in AMAALA. The monitoring
locations is presented in Table 5-8 and Figure 5-13. The closest monitoring location to the
Project site is NML5 and is highlighted in Table 5-8.
Table 5-8 Noise Monitoring Locations (AECOM, 2021b)
Monitoring
Co-ordinates Rationale
Location
Located in the town of Al Amood. Al Amood is in close
proximity to the Miraya site and as such a baseline noise
779667.00 m E
NML1 level survey is required. The presence of sensitive
3013823.00 m N
receptors such as schools and mosques also justify a
noise survey.
Miraya Road side. Location was chosen to identify the
789896.00 m E
NML2 baseline noise levels close to Highway 5 (separation
3003537.00 m N
distance of approximately 35m from the road edge).
Miraya Coastline. Location was chosen to get a
representative noise sample of the exposed coastline.
781718.00 m E
NML3 Noise levels are expected to be representative of the entire
2998534.00 m N
Miraya coastline, as well as ambient noise levels on The
Island.
209434.00 m E Airport Central Point. A monitoring location near the centre

NML4 of the Airport location was chosen as the area is an open
2995434.00 m N
area with no permanent structures or residents that will
Monitoring
Location
affect noise levels. The location is considered to be
representative of the entire Airport site (maximum distance
from the site proposed boundaries is 2km from the NW and
SE, and 1km from the NE and SW).
Triple Bay. Located in Triple Bay near the north bay (coast
222894.00 m E guard station approximately 300 - 350 m south southwest
NML5
2950088.00 m N of noise monitoring location). NML5 is the closest noise
monitoring location to the Project area.
Triple Bay. Near the shoreline between the north and
223813.00 m E central bays. This location was chosen due to its proximity
NML6
2948589.00 m N to the entrance to Bay 1 and 2 and is considered to be
representative of the noise levels across the three bays.
Triple Bay. Located in Wadi Antar (South Bay). This
226380.00 m E location was chosen due to the variations in topography
NML7
2944347.00 m N and presence of physical screening that might have
implications on noise levels.
Figure 5-13 AMAALA Noise Monitoring Locations (AECOM, 2021b)
Given the coastal nature of the Project area, no notable sources of anthropogenic sound
such as industrial facilities, busy traffic ro utes, or airports were identified.
Highway 5 runs roughly parallel to the coastline at distances ranging from approximately five
to 10 km from the coastline. It is not identified to be a busy traffic route and, therefore, is not
a notable source of ambient sound.
Al Wajh Domestic Airport is located approximately 45 km southeast of the Triple Bay

Masterplan area. Flight services operate to Jeddah and Riyadh with flightpaths away from
the Project area; and is, therefore, not a notable source of ambient sound across the Project
area.
The main sound sources at AMAALA were identified to be natural , ambient, coastal sounds
e.g. waves crashing on the shore and any local wildlife, which is representative of an
uninhabited island. Other sounds came from the occasiona l boat and small airplane passbys.
Ambient noise levels at the AMAALA project are relatively low, ranging from 35 to 41dB L Aeq .
At urban receptor locations ambient noise levels are relatively higher, ranging from 46 to
55dB L Aeq , due to typical urban sound sources such as road traffic, people, and calls for
prayer. At urban receptor locations (e.g. represented by monitoring locations NML1 and
NML2) ambient noise levels are relatively higher, ranging from 46 to 57 dB L Aeq , due to
typical urban sound sources such as road traffic.
The results of the monitoring are presented in Table 5-9. NML5, the closest monitoring
location to the Project site, is highlighted in Table 5-9.
Table 5-9 Noise Monitoring Results (AECOM, 2021b)
Monitoring
Period Date /Time Sound Level (dB) Observations
Location
Daytime recording. Located in an open space within a residential area (Al
Amood). The noise monitor was placed on a tripod with no ref lective surfaces
46 L Aeq , nearby. The noise monitor was located approximately 10 -15m from a nearby
Day 07/11/2019 14:23 69 L AMAX , road. The weather was dry with a slight breeze. The area was observed to have
low ambient noise. Interference from individuals curious about the noise
37 L A90
monitoring activity was captured during the monitoring period.
Approximately 10 cars passed by on nearby roads.
Evening recording. Located in an open space within a residential area (Al
Amood). The noise monitor was placed on a tripod with no reflective surfaces
nearby. The noise monitor was located approximately 10 -15m from a nearby
road. Weather conditions were cool and humid with a minor breeze. The area
53 L Aeq , was observed to have low ambient noise with additional peopl e talking and
shouting in the distance captured during monitoring. Additionally, monitoring
NML1 Evening 07/11/2019 19:25 84 L AMAX , was disturbed by people inquisitively approaching the noise monitoring
38 L A90 locations, which was captured during the survey. The call for prayer at 7:40 pm
can be heard in the distance.
An adolescent male approached and interfered directly with monitoring
(speaking directly into the microphone). The survey was cut short by 12 minutes
because of this direct interference continuing.
Night Recording. Located in an open space within a residential area (Al Amood).
The noise monitor was placed on a tripod with no reflective surfaces nearby.
55 L Aeq , The noise monitor was located approximately 10-15m from a nearby road.
Night 08/11/2019 00:32 91 L AMAX , Weather conditions were cool with a minor breeze. The area was observed to
36 L A90 have low ambient noise. Background noise consisted of dogs barking in the
distance (approximately 200-250m) away and firecrackers could also be heard
approximately 150m away.
Daytime recording. Located near Highway 5 (minimum of 35m away). The noise
57 L Aeq , monitor was placed on a tripod in an open area with no reflective surfaces. The
Day 08/11/2019 14:48 91 L AMAX , weather was dry and sunny with no breeze. The dominant source of n oise
36 L A90 during the survey was traffic movement noise. Approximately 100 to 115
NML2 vehicles (cars and trucks) passed on the highway during the recording period.
55 L Aeq , Evening recording. The noise monitor was placed on a tripod in an open area
Evening 08/11/2019 19:59 72 L AMAX , with no reflective surfaces. The weather was cool with no breeze. Located near
33 L A90 Highway 5 (minimum of 35m away) which was the dominant source of noise
Monitoring
Location
during the survey. Approximately 250-300 cars passed on the highway during
the recording period.
Night recording. The noise monitor was placed on a tripod in an open area with
53 L Aeq , no reflective surfaces. The weather was cool with no breeze. Located near
Night 09/11/2019 00:27 72 L AMAX , Highway 5 (minimum of 35m away) which was the dominant source of noise
31 L A90 during the survey. Approximately 100 to 115 cars passed on the highway during
the recording period.
Daytime recording. Located near the Miraya coastline. The noise monitor was
41 L Aeq , placed on a tripod in an open area with no reflective surfaces. The weather was
dry and sunny with a moderate breeze. The area was observed to have low
Day 08/11/2019 16:18 59 L AMAX , ambient noise with wave noise in the background.
38 L A90 A fisherman’s car passed nearby early in the recording period and an airplane
passed overhead midway through the recording.
Evening recording. Located near the Miraya coastline. The noise monitor was
placed on a tripod in an open area with no reflective surfaces. The weather was
35 L Aeq , cool with a moderate breeze. The area was observed to have low ambient noise
NML3 with wave noise in the background. Fishermen were identified near the shoreline
Evening 08/11/2019 21:35 65 L AMAX , approximately 100m from the noise monitor. Fishermen re mained on shore for
26 L A90 about 10/15 minutes, after which they left the area.
The coast guard passed by and inquired about the activities being carried out,
which was captured during the survey.
Night recording. Located near the Miraya coastline. The noise monitor was
35 L Aeq , placed on a tripod in an open area with no reflective surfaces. The weather was
Night 08/11/2019 23:01 59 L AMAX , cool with a moderate breeze. The area was observed to have low ambient noise
29 L A90 with wave noise in the background. Intermittent animal or bird noise was
recorded during the last 15 to 20 minutes of monitoring.
Daytime recording. The noise monitor was placed on a tripod in an open plain
39 L Aeq , far away from any reflective surfaces within the AMAALA Airport site. Terrain is
Day 07/11/2019 12:22 63 L AMAX , a flat desert plain. Weather conditions were sunny and dry with a minor breeze.
23 L A90 General noise environment was calm and undisturbed. No irregular disturbances
recorded.
NML4
Evening recording. The noise monitor was placed on a tripod in an open plain
38 L Aeq , far away from any reflective surfaces within the AMAALA Airport site. Terrain is
Evening 07/11/2019 21:34 51 L AMAX , a flat desert plain. Weather conditions were cool and dry with a minor breeze.
The surveyors were not able to access the original NML4 location due to health
29 L A90 and safety concerns. The surveyors recorded noise at the closest point that was
possible to access, relocating the monitoring location approximately 1.5 -1.7km
Monitoring
Location
east-northeast of Highway 5, in an area considered representative of the same
conditions as the original monitoring location.
The area was observed to have low ambient noise, with no disturbances during
the survey event. The dominant source of noise was distant traffic move ments
on Highway 5.
Night recording. The noise monitor was placed on a tripod in an open plain far
away from any reflective surfaces within the AMAALA Airport site. Terrain is a
flat desert plain. Weather conditions were cool and dry with a minor breeze. The
surveyors were not able to access the original NML4 location due to health and
36 L Aeq , safety concerns. The surveyors recorded noise at the closest point that was
Night 07/11/2019 23:00 52 L AMAX , possible to access, relocating the monitoring location approximately 1.5-1.7km
east-northeast of Highway 5, in an area considered representative of the same
26 L A90
conditions as the original monitoring location.
The area was observed to have low ambient noise, with no disturbances during
the survey event. The dominant source of noise was distant traffic movements
on Highway 5.
Daytime recording. Located in Triple Bay near the north bay (Hijaz Cove) (coast
40 L Aeq , guard station approximately 300-350m south southwest of noise monitoring
location). The noise monitor was placed on a tripod in an open area with no
Day 09/11/2019 17:11 56 L AMAX ,
reflective surfaces nearby. The area was observed to have low ambient noise.
35 L A90 Background noise consisted of one boat passing along the shoreline
approximately 400m west of the monitoring location.
Evening recording. Located in Triple Bay near the north bay (Hijaz Cove) (coast
guard station approximately 300-350m south southwest of noise monitoring
39 L Aeq , location). The noise monitor was placed on a tripod in an open area with no
NML5 Evening 10/11/2019 21:41 62 L AMAX ,
Background noise consisted of six cars (coast guard vehicles) passing by on a
33 L A90 nearby coastal dirt road approximately 80-90m from the noise monitoring
location, and generator noise was heard from nearby coast guard facility
halfway through the recording.
Night recording. Located in Triple Bay near the north ba y (Hijaz Cove) (coast
39 L Aeq , guard station approximately 300-350m south southwest of the noise monitoring
location). The noise monitor was placed on a tripod in an open area with no
Night 10/11/2019 23:01 66 L AMAX ,
35 L A90 Background noise consisted of generator noise heard from nearby coast guard
facility that occurred throughout the entire recording period.
Monitoring
Location
Daytime recording. Located in Triple Bay near the shoreline betwe en the north
50 L Aeq , and central bays. The noise monitor was placed on a tripod in an open area with
Day 10/11/2019 15:54 63 L AMAX , no reflective surfaces nearby. Weather was dry with a moderate breeze. The
43 L A90 area was observed to have low ambient noise with wave noise in the
background.
Evening recording. Located in Triple Bay near the shoreline between the north
33 L Aeq , and central bays. The noise monitor was placed on a tripod in an open area with
NML6 Evening 10/11/2019 20:25 60 L AMAX , no reflective surfaces nearby. Weather was cool and clear skies with a slight
30 L A90 breeze. The area was observed to have low ambient noise. One plane passed
overhead during the latter stages of recording.
Night recording. Located in Triple Bay near the shoreline between the north and
52 L Aeq , central bays. The noise monitor was placed on a tripod in an open area with no
Night 11/11/2019 01:52 79 L AMAX , reflective surfaces nearby. Weather was cool and clear skies with strong winds.
35 L A90 The area was observed to have low ambient noise. Background noise cons isted
of coastal noise (waves).
Daytime recording. Located in Wadi Antar (southern bay). The noise monitor
was placed on a tripod in an open area with no reflective surfaces nearby.
47 L Aeq , Weather was dry with a moderate breeze. The area was observed to have low
Day 10/11/2019 17:33 64 L AMAX , ambient noise. Background noise consisted of animal or bird noise. One car
36 L A90 passed by on the dirt road located approximately 102m west of the noise
monitoring point half way through the recording. A pl ane passed overhead
around the same time as the car.
Evening recording. Located in Wadi Antar (southern bay). The noise monitor
was placed on a tripod in an open area with no reflective surfaces nearb y.
NML7 38 L Aeq , Weather was cool and clear skies with no breeze. The area was observed to
Evening 10/11/2019 19:00 57 L AMAX , have low ambient noise. Background noise consisted of animal or bird noise.
28 L A90 One car passed on dirt road located approximately 102m west of the noise
monitoring point at the beginning of the recording. A plane passed overhead
halfway through the monitoring.
Night recording. Located in Wadi Antar (southern bay). The noise monitor was
32 L Aeq , placed on a tripod in an open area with no reflective surfaces nearby. Weather
Night 11/11/2019 00:31 60 L AMAX , was cool and clear skies with slight breeze. The area was observed to have low
26 L A90 ambient noise. Background noise consisted of animal or bird noise. A plane
passed overhead during the early stages of recording.
Table 5-10 presents a review of the baseline noise data with respect to the 2021 Executive
Regulations for Noise and relevant WBG EHS standards for residential/commercial
receptors. Please note that neither the WBG nor the national regulations provides standar ds
relating to evening noise, only day (07:00 - 19-00) and night time (19:00 - 07:00).
Table 5-10 Noise Baseline Data Comparison
Executive
Monitoring Sound level L Aeq WBG EHS
Period Regulations for
Location (dB) Guideline * 1
Noise * 2
Day 46 55 60
NML1 Evening* 3 53 45 50
Night 55 45 50
Day 57 55 60
Night 53 45 50
Day 41 55 60
Night 35 45 50
Day 39 55 60
Night 36 45 50
Day 40 55 60
Night 39 45 50
Day 50 55 60
Night 52 45 50
Day 47 55 60
Night 32 45 50
* 1 Guideline for ‘residential; institutional; educational’

* 2 Guideline for residential and commercial areas (Group C: Includes high -density residential areas
and areas that include a mix of residential and commercial activities)
* 3 Night time guidelines have been used
BOLD = exceedances of guideline values
As outlined in Table 5-10, locations NML1, NML2 and NML6 were found to be elevated
above guideline values. Dogs barking, call to prayer, people talking and firecrackers were
noted during the monitoring at NML1, while the exceedances at NML2 are likely to be
attributable to vehicles using Highway 5. NML6 was located near to the shoreline with
background noise relating to the waves crashing.
No exceedances of guideline values were noted at NML5, the closest location to the Project
Site.
Localised Baseline Noise Monitoring

In addition to the regional monitoring, BDC has undertaken baseline noise monitoring of the
Project area and other development areas in close proximity including the Staff Village, Solar
Farm and PPP infrastructure as well as along Highway 5 ( Figure 5-14).
Figure 5-14 Localised Baseline Noise Monitoring Locations
Table 5-11 presents a review of the baseline noise data with respect to the 202 1 Executive
receptors. Please note that neither the WBG nor the national regulations provide standards
relating to evening noise, only day (07:00 - 19-00) and night time (19:00 - 07:00). The only
exceedances of the guidelines values was from location H5.1 along Highway 5 where the
dominant noise source was traffic.
Executive
Sound level WBG EHS
Monitoring Location Period Regulations for
L Aeq (dB) Guideline * 1
Noise * 2
Day 42.7 55 60
SWRO Plant RO1
Night 42.6 45 50
Day 52.7 55 60
PPP
PP1
Infrastructure
Night 33.1 45 50
CR1 Day 51.9 55 60
Coast Road Day 46.2 55 60

CR2
Night 34.3 45 50
SF1 Day 39.5 55 60
Solar Farm Day 48.8 55 60

SF2
Night 51.7 45 50
Day 34.3 55 60
Staff Village SV1
Night 39.3 45 50
Day 68.6 55 60
H5.1
Highway 5 Night 68.3 45 50
H5.2 Day 48.4 55 60

* 2 Guideline for residential and commercial areas (Group C: Includes high -density residential areas
and areas that include a mix of residential and commerc ial activities)
XXXX = closest monitoring location to Project site
Seawater and Sediment Quality

A Project-specific MEBS has been undertaken in November 2021 which included sea water
profiling as well as seawater and sediment analysis by an appropriately accredited
laboratory. The report is presented in Appendix 9.3. 3 with pertinent information presented
here. The seawater and sediment sampling locations are presented in Figure 5-15.
Figure 5-15 Staff Village November 2021 MEBS Seawater and Sediment Sampling Locations
Seawater Quality
Seawater Profiles
Seawater column profiles were considered to be largel y representative of the area at the
time of sampling, with expected variation recorded with increasing depth for the majority of
parameters. Recorded parameters were broadly in line with those reported in the literature
from other areas of the Red Sea (Mohorjy & Khan, 2006) (Fahmy, 2010) (Abdelmongy & El-
Mosehly, 2015), in addition to data previously recorded during 2019 and 2020 survey efforts
elsewhere in the wider area. Profiles from V01 diverged from other sites for most
parameters, which is likely attributable its location within a shallow , lagoonal bay, and the
differing conditions of wind and wave mixing that it experiences as a consequence.
Seawater Quality
Boron was the only trace and heavy metal parameter detected above the laboratory’s
method of detection in samples. There are no Australia and New Zealand Guidelines (ANZG)
or national thresholds against which to compare boron concentrations in seawater. The lack
of detected heavy and trace metal parameters is supported by the fact that there are
currently no known major sources of possible heavy metal contamination within the sampling
area at the time of sampling. Concentration ranges for boron are comparable to r esults
collected during previous survey efforts from the wider northern Red Sea.
Ammonia and total nitrogen were detected in all seawater samples; there are no available
ANZG or national guideline thresholds for total nitrogen against which to compare val ues.
Ammonia concentrations fell below the ANZG guideline threshold of 0.91 mg/L at all sites;
however, concentrations exceeded the KSA guideline of 0.05 mg/L at all sites. Ammonia
concentrations were similar to those reported for the Red Sea at Jeddah (Omar, et al.,
2013), and fell within a broader range measured along the north -west coast of the Red Sea
(0.03 – 0.244 mg/L (Abdelmongy & El-Mosehly, 2015) and previous surveys within the wider
area. Nitrate, nitrite, reactive phosphorus, and silicate were undetected in all seawater
samples.
There was no detected biological oxygen demand (BOD) in any samples. However , chemical
oxygen demand (COD) was detected in all seawater samples, with concentration s that
exceeded the national guideline of 20 mg/L in all samples. COD measures the oxygen
demand of pollutants (including non-biodegradable oxidizable pollutants), giving an
indication of the presence of oxidizable chemicals in a water body. Measurements o f COD in
seawater regularly exceed national guidelines – even in relatively undeveloped areas such
as is currently found around Al Wajh. A possible explanation for the exceeded concentration
levels may be in part due to interference due to salinity and chl orides/halide (Kayaalp, et al.,
2010) (Li, et al., 2015). Due to this interference COD concentrations appear magnified
compared to true values.
Total organic carbon (TOC) was detected in all seawat er samples, with a detected
concentration range similar to that documented elsewhere for waters of the Red Sea
(Dehwah, et al., 2015) and slightly lower compared to values recorded elsewhere in the Red
Sea during 2021 surveys. This may be as a result of seasonal variability or may imply an
increase in natural organic matter within the water column. The lack of a detected BOD
however, suggests that the marine waters surrounding the Staff Village area remain, at
present, unpolluted.
Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons (TPH), Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH) fractions,
benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene (BTEX), and oil and grease were all found below
the laboratory’s method of detection limit in all samples.
Marine Sediments
The mean particle size at the majority of sites was classified as either Medium Sand (1
sites), Fine Sand (2 sites), and Coarse Sand (3 sites). Sediments from the majority of sites
were comprised of >80 % sand size particles, with sorting in all of the sa mples being
deemed as poorly sorted, indicating a low-energy environment.
Concentrations of aluminium, chromium, iron, manganese, nickel, and zinc were detected in
sediments from all sites, whilst cadmium, copper, lead, and mercury were undetected in all
samples. Arsenic was detected in sediment from a single sample only. Concentrations of
detected metals were notably higher in sediments from V01, located within the lagoonal bay,
and V06, located in the mouth of the wider bay area to the east. These areas are likely to be
subject to slightly different oceanographic forces such as mixing due to current and wave
activity, and are potentially more susceptible to wadi sedimentation inputs after periods of
rain. Analysis of detected metal concentrations indicate d significant correlations between
every detected metal except arsenic which was correlated to chromium only, indicating the
potential for a common source for the majority of detected metals. Given the presence of
metals in sediments from the majority of s ites at comparable values, and the relatively lack
of heavy development within the wider area, the relevant contributions of the various metals
are assumed to be geological in origin. The concentrations of detected heavy metals at the
majority of coastal sites were broadly similar to those recorded within sediments from the
wider Red Sea area in recent years, however concentrations recorded at V01 and V06 were
higher than those recorded previously elsewhere in the wider Red Sea area.
TPH, PAH, and BTEX were undetected in all sediment samples. No anthropogenic sources
of hydrocarbons, beyond small day boats, operate in the area. Other sources might include
offshore maritime activities, however, the results indicate there was no documented
contamination in the samples collected.
5.3 Biodiversity
Terrestrial Biodiversity, Flora and Fauna
Preamble
Baseline surveys for vegetation (undertaken in May 2021), reptiles (August 2021) and
avifauna (April 2021) have been completed. The baseline survey report is presented in
Appendix 9.3.4.
Vegetation
Habitat mapping (Figure 5-16) of the Project site has identified five different habitats within
the project boundary; these are Coastal Plains on Well -drained Rocky or Gravelly Terrain,
Coastal Plains on Well-drained Sandy Ground, Mesa Cliffs South Aspect, Other Industry (in
this case a coastguard station), and Wadis in Open Terrain, and Drainage Channels. The
dominant habitat type within the project area is the Coastal Plains on Well -drained Rocky or
Gravelly Terrain (AECOM, 2020).
Please note that due to the increase in the Project site boundary, the habitat mapping does
not currently extend to the entire site.
Figure 5-16 Staff Village Terrestrial Habitat Map (AECOM, 2020)
Based on the evidence collected from the baseline survey, the habitat map has subsequently
been updated by BDC (Figure 5-17) and 10 different habitat classes have been identified
within the Project site and a 100 m buffer:
 Beach Rock and Gravelly Beaches;
 Coastal Plains on Well-drained Rocky or Gravelly Terrain;
 Coastal Plains on Well-drained Sandy Ground;
 Mesa Cliffs East Aspect;
 Mesa Cliffs North Aspect;
 Mesa Cliffs South Aspect;
 Mesa Cliffs West Aspect;
 Other Industry (in this case a Coastguard station);
 Sandy Beaches; and
 Wadis in Open Terrain and Drainage Channels.
Figure 5-17 Updated Terrestrial Habitat Map (BDC, 2021b)
Status of Plants
Across the majority of the Project area, plants were confined to runnels or wadis where
moisture availability was greater. Els ewhere, plants were virtually non-existent, apart from
along the littoral. There was no evidence of recent rainfall, however, grazing (likely to be
camels) was apparent on the larger shrubs and Cyperus conglomeratus.
Degradation of Site
The Project site includes a coastal road, used by Coastguard and hunters for reaching
coastal areas, however, there was also evidence of off road driving throughout the site.
Hunting has been recorded on the site and there was evidence of ammunition shells etc .
present.
Apart from this, there was no other evidence of degradation, due to the remoteness of the
area. As in most places in Saudi Arabia, scattered litter was found.
Abundance of Plants
Abundance was recorded using the DAFOR scale (Kent & Coker, 1992), where for each
survey point, a letter is recorded to note the degree of rarity of the plant at that point as
follows:
 D - Species observed is "Dominant" in a given area;
 A - Species observed is "Abundant" in a given area;
 F - Species observed is "Frequent" in a given area;
 O - Species observed is "Occasional" in a given area; and
 R - Species observed is "Rare" in a given area.
A total of 22 species were recorded at the Project site. Table 5-12 lists the species found
and shows the level of abundance (according to the DAFOR scale) at each quadrat or
transect. The much higher diversity at the wadi habitat compared to the other habitat types is
notable. Locations of the transects are presented in Figure 5-18.
Table 5-12 Plant Diversity of Survey Locations
Species T1 T2 P1 P2 P3 P4 P5 P6 P7
Aizoon canariense R
Anastatica
O
hierochuntica
Cyperus conglomeratus R
Erodium laciniatum R
Euphorbia retusa R
Fagonia paulayana R
Haloxylon salicornicum R
Limonium axillare O O R R O R
Lotononis platycarpa R
Lotus glinoides R
Lycium shawii R
Panicum turgidum R
Polycarpaea robbairea R
Salsola imbricata R
Salsola vermiculata R
Senna italica R
Tetraena alba R
Tetraena coccinea R
Tetraena decumbens R
Tetraena propinqua R R
Tetraena simplex O
Vachellia gerrardii O
Figure 5-18 Survey Locations
Conservation Status of Plants
When examining the conservation status of plants, it should be noted that most plant species
have yet to be evaluated by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and
Nature (IUCN), and this is the reason that all species found within the Project site remain in
the Not Evaluated (NE) category. No species, therefore, fell under any of IUCN’s threatened
Categories.
Spiny-tailed Lizards
The Spiny-tailed Lizard (Uromastyx aegyptia) is endemic across much of the Arabian
Peninsula as well as east of the Nile in Egypt, southern Israel, and north -eastern and
southern Jordan.
According to the IUCN, the Spiny-tailed Lizard is classified as Vulnerable with a suspected
population decline of over 30% over the past 15 years (three generations) and this is
expected to continue into the future (Wilms, et al., 2012). The species is declining due to
pressure from the international pet and medicinal trade as well as disappearing habitat due
to over-grazing, human development, agricultural expansion, and reclamation, waste
deposition, hunting and off road driving. The Spiny-tailed Lizard is also a national High
Conservation Priority species.
During the vegetation baseline survey of the Staff Village site, locations were noted where
the Spiny-tailed Lizard may occur and there was some evidence for low density presence to
the east of the Project site. A survey by a reptile specialist was undertaken on 23 rd August
2021 in the morning hours to cover morning activity patterns of diurnal lizards (lacertids,
Acanthodactylus spp. or Mesalina spp. and agamids, Trapelus sp.) and snakes (such as
Sand Snake, Psammophis schokari), given the time of the year.
No reptile activity was detected, except at one location where a single reptile species was
recorded. A small sized lacertid lizard, possibly Mesalina sp. was recorded, however, it
evaded capture in a burrow and therefore full identification was not possible. No evidence of
Spiny-tailed Lizards (Uromastyx aegyptia) was recorded.
Avifauna
Birds are probably the most extensive and potentially the most important terrestrial ecology
receptor group with AMAALA. Birds are present as residents, as breeding species and on
passage as migrants along the Red Sea coast during the Palearctic migrating seasons
(spring and autumn).
Previous AMAALA-wide undertaken (particularly at The Island, which has been the main
focus of previous studies), found that the majority of species in the region are defined as
being Least Concern on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as well as the regional
red list.
A number of species are described as Near Threatened, but the Sooty falcon is defined as
Vulnerable on a global scale but Endangered at a regional level. Numerous (from a minimum
of 10 pairs in some years up to 16) sooty falcons are recorded as nesting and breeding on
cliffs on The Island and during field surveys, a number of pairs were seen feeding across
AMAALA (AECOM, 2021). Osprey are the only other coastal nesting bird noted in the area,
with pairs reported in Triple Bay and MP4, however, not at the Staff Village site.
In addition to threatened species there are likely to be significant numbers of bird species
(particularly waders, gulls, terns and other coastal birds during the migration periods) in
certain areas that, although not individually threatened species, are important because they
comprise important congregatory groupings that may trigger criteria defined in IFC
Performance Standard 6. However, there is no evidence of significant congregations of
coastal birds at Triple Bay or The Island (AECOM, 2021).
The avifauna survey included the Project site as well the wadi valleys to the north and south
as these are often important bird habitats. These surveys provided site -specific data on the
Project site as well as any seasonal migratory birds of interest. The survey or undertook a
site walkover and using binoculars, recorded all contacts with birds. In addition, 30 -minute
point counts were conducted, where all contacts made with birds were recorded in each
particular location.
Parameters recorded include: species, num ber of individuals and any noteworthy behaviour
e.g. raptors actively hunting or any breeding displays where applicable or relevant.
Staff Village
All species found on the Staff Village Project site are classified by the IUCN as having a
conservation status of Least Concern. The counts in spring included migratory birds so it is
anticipated that the resident birds on-site are few in number (Table 5-13).
Table 5-13 Ornithological Survey Results, Staff Village
Staff Village Site Scientific Name Count IUCN Status
Barn swallow Hirundo rustica 4 LC
Desert lark Ammomanes deserti 2 LC
woodchat shrike Lanius senator 1 LC
Black-crowned sparrow lark Eremopterix nigriceps 4 LC
greater hoopoe lark Alaemon alaudipes 2 LC
Southern grey shrike Lanius meridionalis 1 LC
Lesser whitethroat Sylvia curruca 2 LC
Yellow wagtails Motacilla flava 1 LC
Kentish plover Charadrius alexandrinus 1 LC
Squacco heron Ardeola ralloides 2 LC
Little egret Egretta garzetta 1 LC
Garganey Spatula querquedula 2 LC
Wadi Valleys
The wadi valleys, especially in spring, provide additional plant cover and feeding grounds for
migratory and resident birds. As such, the wadi valleys adjacent to the Project site were also
surveyed to ensure that nearby habitats that may be affected by the Early Works were fully
considered.
The survey recorded a number of species which were also of Lea st Concern (Table 5-14)
with only the Eurasian turtle dove (Streptopelia turtur) classed by IUCN as Vulnerable. The
turtle dove is a migratory species with a western Palearctic range covering most of Europe
and the Middle East and including Turkey and north Africa, although it is rare in northern
Scandinavia and Russia. It winters south of the Sahara and breeds in northern Europe.
(BirdLife International, 2017). Changing farming practices and sport hunting along its
migratory routes to Europe for breeding are thought to be responsible for its decline.
Table 5-14 Ornithological Survey Results, Wadi Valleys
Wadis Scientific Name Count IUCN Red List Classification
Common kestrel Falco tinnunculus 1 LC
Green bee eater Merops cyanophrys 1 LC
Blackstart Oenanthe melanura 2 LC
Eurasian Golden Oriole Oriolus 4 LC
Masked shrike Lanius nubicus 1 LC
Spotted flycatcher Muscicapa striata 1 LC
Osprey Pandion haliaetus 1 LC
Black red start Phoenicurus ochruros 1 LC
Barred warbler Curruca nisoria 2 LC
Eurasian turtle dove Streptopelia turtur 1 Vu
As highlighted by the vegetation survey, there is limited habitat on -site which are unlikely to
encourage the presence of avifauna. Furthermore, the vegetation baseline survey indicated
that the plants were confined to runnels or wadis where moisture availability was greater.
Elsewhere, plants were virtually non-existent, apart from along the littoral. Hunting and off -
road driving is likely to deter the presence of avifauna.
Marine Biodiversity, Flora and Fauna

BDC commissioned 5OES to undertake a Marine Environmental Baseline Survey (MEBS) of
the Staff Village. The report is presented in Appendix 9.3. 3, however, pertinent information is
summarised within this section.
The survey stations are presented in Figure 5-19.
Habitats
The habitat map produced based on the site surveys in shown in Figure 5-20. In total during
this MEBS, around 5.88 km 2 of marine and intertidal habitats were classified and a total of
17 habitat classes were represented in the habitat map, covering intertidal habitats including
sand flats, subtidal sands, seagrass/macroalgae beds and patchy coral and mac roalgal
assemblages, with coral reefs dominating the deeper marine areas.
Macroalgae were also recorded in shallow marine areas, where the underlying rock platform
was either exposed, covered by a thin veneer of sand, or where coral rubble or fossilised
coral reef rock was present. The presence of macroalgae intermixed with seagrass was also
recorded in a few areas. Seagrass habitats were present throughout the area, including
seagrass beds and mixed coral/seagrass areas, which covered an estimated total ar ea of
0.12 km 2 .
Seagrass beds are ecologically significant not just for their role as carbon sinks but also in
providing foraging habitat for marine megafauna such as green turtles and dugongs.
Seagrass was documented from the shallows (<1 m) down to a de pth of 20 m; it is possible
that deeper seagrass beds may also be present within the wider area. Seagrass live cover
ranged from 1 – 100 %, with dense seagrass beds (75 – 100 % live cover) being present
within relatively small areas, the majority of the co ver however, ranged between 1- 50 %.
Seagrass species which were documented during this MEBS included Halophila stipulacea,
Cymodocea rotundata, Halodule uninervis, Syringodium isoetifolium, Halophila ovalis ,
Thalassodendron ciliatum, and Halodule pinifolia, though, this is not a comprehensive list
and more seagrass species maybe present within the wider area.
Coral communities typically supported the highest diversity of species. The coral
communities in the area tended to be very diverse, supporting many species of associated
marine algae, hard corals, soft corals, and other invertebrate groups. Hard coral cover was
typically low to moderate across most of the site (1%≥ Coral ≤ 50 %), with Stylophora the
most common genus on the reef flat, Acropora and Pocillopora on the upper reef slope and
Porites, Acropora, and Pocillopora on the lower reef slope.
Figure 5-19 MEBS Stations
Figure 5-20 Supervised Habitat Map
Coral Reefs
Coral reefs were widespread along the coast adjacent to the Project site, with corals present
in a relatively narrow band mixed with macroalgae, before transitioning to a coral dominated
habitat as distance from shore increased. Reef area s were generally ecologically diverse
and largely intact. Live coral cover was average across the entire site (12.6 – 38.1 %), while
diversity was considered normal for this area of the Red Sea (151 species of hard corals,
representing 51 genera), indicating a relatively healthy reef environment.
Dead and impacted corals (live corals but with areas of some mortality) within the survey
area accounted for very low proportions of benthic cover across each site. Bleached corals
were present at just over half of the sites surveyed - with corals present on the lower reef
slopes having a greater chance of bleaching in comparison to the reef crest and upper reef
slope. The underlying geology, coastal, and bay formation in this area of the Red Sea, in
addition to possible currents and meteorological patterns may play a role in the low levels of
coral bleaching documented during this MEBS. During the summer months where sea
surface temperatures (SSTs) are elevated, especially in enclosed seas such as the Red Sea,
exceeding the corals’ upper or lower habitual temperature range by as little as 1 - 2 °C can
result in the expulsion of the zooxanthellae and lead to eventual coral mortality (Jaap, 1979)
(Mayor, 1914). Further investigation is needed to explain why these relatively low levels of
bleaching have occurred in comparison to other sites around the Red Sea (where some reefs
have documented bleaching of up to 55.6 %) (Monroe, et al., 2018).
During the survey large sea fans (Gorgonia sp.), greater than 2 m in diameter were
documented within transect ACV DS02 (Figure 5-21). Sea fans are ecologically important
filter feedings within the marine environment, the diversity of sea fans and octocorals are
poorly known and as a result many new species are regularly being described (Bryce &
Poliseno, 2014) (Bryce, et al., 2015). Further surveys into the octocorals and sea fans
present within the area would be fundamental in assessing the long -term changes in the
coral reef community structure in addition to monitoring and assessing any coral reef habitat
restoration (Chanmethakul, et al., 2010) (Benayahu, et al., 2021) (Shackleton & Rees, 2016).
Figure 5-21 Large Sea Fan (Gorgonia sp.) Present at ACV DS02
Coral Size and Frequency

Coral recruits (<5.0 cm) were present at all locations surveyed, with an increase in recruit
density occurring towards the south of the survey area. Recruit densities across the current
survey sites were in line with historical measurements from the area, possibly indicating that
coral recruitment within the wider Amaala project area is relatively stable on mainland reefs.
High numbers of sea urchins were present within the areas of reef, research has shown that
there is a positive correlation between diadematids and coral recruitment, with greater
subsequent coral recovery recorded on these reefs relative to those with lower urchin
abundances (Nozawa, et al., 2020).
Larger coral colonies (> 10.0 cm) were determined to be in overall good health, with the
majority comprising either branching, encrusting or massive coral colonies. In terms of
colony size frequency, no large coral colonies (> 160 cm) were recorded, although a number
of corals were present that exceeded 100 cm in length. The majority of the corals present
were between 11-20 cm in length (63 % of all corals counted). The large proportion of corals
in smaller size classes may be linked to the spawning rates of different coral genera and
their relative adult sizes. Studies have suggested that smaller corals rely on spawning and
recruitment to a greater extent than their larger counterparts, which are longer li ved and
recruit less frequently (Meesters, et al., 2001). In effect, this may reflect contrasting ‘R’
selected and ‘K’ selected life history strategies, with smaller corals favouring rapid
recruitment rates and frequent mortality relative to slower reproduction and greater longevity
in larger corals.
Encrusting coral growth forms were the most abundant, with 320 individuals recorded,
followed by massive and branching growth forms, with 281 and 268 individuals, respectively.
There were notable differences in growth forms between the reef crest (dominated by
Acropora digitate corals, followed by branching corals), the upper reef slope (dominated by
encrusting corals followed by massive corals), and the lower reef slope which was d ominated
by massive corals, followed by encrusting corals. Laminate corals and mushroom corals
were recorded only at the deeper sites.
Encrusting coral growth forms were the most abundant, with 320 individuals recorded,
followed by massive and branching growth forms, with 281 and 268 individuals, respectively.
There were notable differences in growth forms between the reef crest/flat (dominated by
Acropora digitate corals, followed by branching corals), the upper reef slope (dominated by
encrusting corals followed by massive corals), and the lower reef slope which was dominated
by massive corals, followed by encrusting corals. Laminate corals and mushroom corals
were present only at the deeper sites, whilst foliose coral growth forms were not recorded at
any depth zone.
At ACV DS02 a very large coral colony was documented but not on the transect (Figure 5-22
and Figure 5-23). This coral colony was a Pavona clavus with an estimated length of 30.00
m by 5.00 m by 7.00 m consisting of two large colonies at 25 m depth. Research into the
growth rates of P.clavus have documented a growth range of 4.86 mm yr -1 (Wellington,
1982) to 23.00 mm yr -1 (Jimenez & Cortes, 2003), with a possible average growth rate of
14.20 mm yr -1 (based on 31 growth rates attained from literature). Based on available growth
estimates for this species, this coral colony is likely to be at least 1,000 years old, and
potentially 2,000 years old or more. These age estimates do not take into account sea
surface temperatures or any other stress that the corals may have encountered (i.e. increase
in turbidity, growth on soft substrate, growth at depth), or exponential growth that occur in
some larger coral species, therefore further studies and cores would be needed to determine
the true age of the coral. Large corals of this size are very infrequent and noteworthy (and
worthy of protection).
Figure 5-22 Large Pavona clavus Present at ACV DS02
Figure 5-23 Location of the 30m Pavona clavus colony
Seagrass
A total of seven species of seagrass were identified: Halophila stipulacea, Cymodocea

rotundata, Halodule uninervis, Syringodium isoetifolium, Halophila ovalis , Thalassodendron
ciliatum, and Halodule pinifolia.
All of the seagrass beds surveyed were multi-species, with varying degrees of live seagrass
cover (8.17% - 19.31 %). Seagrass beds were present across a wide swath of the survey
areas especially in areas of high alluvial input from adjacent wadis where sufficient soft
sediment was present to allow a foothold to begin, this is especially noticeable at the mo uth
of the bay and to the east of the survey area.
Fish
A total of 140 species of fish were observed across the survey area. This diversity was
considered moderately high, with species richness highest in the reef area at ACV -DS03.
Acanthuridae, Scaridae, and Chaetodontidae were the three most abundant families,
however the abundance of many other common families was low. While smaller site -attached
fish populations appeared generally healthy, larger fish species abundances appeared
depressed and were in many cases absent. Three individuals in the 50 - 100 cm size class of
Lutjanidae were the largest individuals recorded throughout the survey. Fishing activity and
lost fishing gear (primarily hook and line) was present in the area. Families typically more
vulnerable to fishing activities were typically present in low abundance for the majority of the
species present: E.g. sweetlips (Haemulidae), groupers (Serranidae) and snappers
(Lutjanidae) and emperors (Lethrinidae). The IUCN Red List Endangered species Cheilinus
undulatus (Humphead wrasse) was present with three individuals recorded during the
current survey. A single white tip reef shark ( Triaenodon obesus) was also recorded.
Invertebrates
During this survey a total of eleven key invertebrate species we re documented in and around
the reefs surrounding the proposed staff village area. Urchins (Echinometridae) and sea
cucumbers (Holothuridae) were the most abundant in terms of species richness, while the
former was the most abundant, with a mean abundance of up to 7.08 individuals per 50 m
transect. Invertebrates play a significant role in both the regulation of the benthos and the
recycling of nutrients back into marine food chains (Froelich, 1983) (Hughes, 1994).
Invertebrates have also been linked to increased recruitment of corals through either
predation of older coral colonies (in the case of Drupella and Crown of Thorns starfish
(COTs)) or by clearing macroalgae from base carbonate reef rock, in the case of urchins
(Glynn & Enochs, 2010) (Coen, 1988a) (Coen, 1998b). That said, an over abundant
invertebrate corallivore population would clearly be detrimental t o reefs within the vicinity. As
such, further monitoring of the invertebrates present within the area would be beneficial to
monitor the presence of Drupella or COTs populations.
Intertidal
The intertidal zone present within the immediate vicinity of the p roposed staff village were
documented as either rocky cliff or rocky shoreline interspersed with sandy beaches and
fossil reef. Within the bay, rocky cliffs/ledges were still dominate though towards the rear
where alluvial inputs are greater finer sediment/sand beaches are present. In terms of
infrastructure within the area, at the entrance to the bay a local coastguard station is
present. Evidence of a large number of fires and rubbish pits are present across the entire
length of the intertidal walkover covered during this survey. In land halophytes and
xerophytes were the dominate flora types. In addition, the sand beaches present showed no
previous nesting attempts of turtles. Fishing activity is present within the area d ue to a small
shark (identification was not possible due to deterioration of the animal) and numerous
Tridacna clam/ spider conch (Lambis truncata sebae) shells being documented.
Benthic Investigations
Six benthic investigations were carried out within the proposed staff village develo pment
coastal area to help quantify the percentage cover of sessile fauna and flora across the
wider area. Corals were present at all but two sites, with very low (0.1 – 1.5 %) benthic
cover. The majority of BI sites were dominated by algal coverage which ranged from 21.6 %
at the eastern most site to 94.4 % towards the western edge of the survey area. Seagrass
was present at the easternmost site only (BI06) with a benthic cover of 11.8 %. When
detailed benthic investigation data was overlaid with habitat m apping, a benthos comprised
of spare coral mixed with macroalgae, macroalgae at varying percentage covers, and turf
algae dominated reef flat was indicated.
Seagrass
Seven species of seagrass are present in the waters surrounding the proposed development,
out of a possible 55 which exist globally and 12 which are known to inhabit the Red Sea
(Green & Short, 2003) (El Shaffai, 2016). All of the seagrass beds surveyed were multi-
species, with varying degrees of live seagrass cover (8.17% - 19.31 %). Seagrass beds were
present across a wide swath of the survey areas especially in areas of high alluvial input
from adjacent wadis where sufficient soft sediment was present to allow a foothold to begin,
this is especially noticeable at the mouth of the bay (ACV SG01) and to the east of the
survey area (ACV SG02 and ACV SG03).
Seagrass beds are important foraging habitats for both green turtles and dugongs, nursery
areas for fish and invertebrates, and provide habitat for unusual species such as seahorses
(Hearne, et al., 2019) (Lourie, et al., 1999).
Marine Megafauna
MEBSs have been conducted across AMAALA since 2017. Any marine megafauna
observations recorded during these surveys have been compiled to provide an overview of
presence and distribution. Furthermore, diving surveys have been conducted at all
development sites and any other megafauna and fish recorded. From these observations and
research, a baseline assessment of marine megafauna and marine mammals has been
compiled.
Survey records highlight the presence of white tip reef sharks ( Triaenodon obesus), whale
sharks (Rhincodon typus), oceanic manta rays (Mobula birostris), humphead wrasse
(Cheilinus undulatus), hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata) and green (Chelonia mydas)
turtles, bottlenose and humpback dolphins ( Sousa plumbea) within the wider Project area.
Whilst all species are notable with regards to the IUCN Red List: Species of particu lar note /
concern include whale sharks, hawksbill turtles, green turtles, dugongs, and humpback
dolphins; some of which are classified as either Endangered or Critically Endangered.
During recent MEBS (5OES, January 2022), relatively few species of megafauna were
observed. A total of two turtles were observed with one being a green turtle (Chelonia
mydas) and one unidentified turtle (Cheloniidae sp.). Those species of turtles may frequent
the area due to the presence of sandy beaches for nesting (despite no evidence of nests
being present on the beaches walked during the survey), or the turtles may be present due
to the extensive seagrass and coral reef in the area, which provide foraging opportunities
(Hearne, et al., 2019) (Bjorndal & Bolten, 2010). Chelonia mydas is listed on the IUCN Red
List of Endangered Species and is considered to be globally Endangered.
In addition, a small pod of dolphins (Tursiops sp.), whitetip reef shark (Triaenodon obesus),
and three humphead wrasses (Cheilinus undulatus) were recorded. Although limiting, those
sightings provide insight on the importance of the area with respect to various megafaunal
species.
Marine megafauna observations around the Staff Village are presented in Figure 5-24.
Figure 5-24 AMAALA Megafauna Sightings
The presence of coral, seagrass and algal communities in such close proximity is likely to
attract both green turtles and also hawksbill turtles. Whilst both species of turtle have been
sighted in AMAALA, no evidence of nesting has yet been identified in close proximity to the
Staff Village Project site. Turtle nesting sites nearby the Staff Village are presented in Figure
5-25.
Please note that AMAALA has appointed BDC to conduct turtle nesting surveys throughout
the development area between 2017 and 2021. Information of these surveys has allowed for
the identification of those beaches used for turtle nesting. The walkover surveys of the
beaches near to the Project site have not indicated the presence of turtle nesting sites.
Figure 5-25 Turtle Nesting Sites Near Staff Village
Critical Habitat
AMAALA has conducted a Critical Habitat Assessment (CHA) for the whole of the AMAALA
Project area for consideration in planning and development (Buro Happold and Five Oceans,
August 2021).
The core component of the CHA is the evaluation of the significance of the identified Area of
Analysis to species that potentially trigger Criterion 1 (Critically Endangered (CR) and
Endangered (EN) species) by considering the likely proportion of the national, regional and
overall global population that occurs within the project area, as well as the distribution of
habitats. This involves a specialist process requiring access to global and nationa l
biodiversity databases, a network of experts, and an ability to make appropriate value
judgements as baseline data in this case were, despite recent data collection, still equivocal.
As outlined IFC Performance Standard 6 Guidance Note, thresholds which qualify under
Criterion 1 (CR and EN species), are the following:
a) Areas that support globally important concentrations of an IUCN Red -

listed EN or CR species (≥ 0.5% of the global population AND ≥ 5
reproductive units of a CR or EN species) (GN16).
b) Areas that support globally important concentrations of an IUCN Red -

listed Vulnerable (VU) species, the loss of which would result in the
change of the IUCN Red List status to EN or CR and meet the thresholds
in GN72(a).
c) As appropriate, areas containing important concentrations of a nationally

or regionally listed EN or CR species.
The threshold for Criterion 2: Endemic and Restricted -range Species is:
a) Areas regularly holding ≥10 % of the global population size AND ≥10
reproductive units of a species.
For Criterion 3: Migratory and Congregatory Species, the thresholds are:
a) Areas known to sustain (on a cyclical or otherwise regular basis) ≥1 % of

the global population of a migratory or congregatory species at any point
on the species’ lifecycle.
b) Areas predictably supporting ≥10 % of the global population of a species

during periods of environmental stress.
Criterion 4: highly threatened and/or unique eco systems, the thresholds are (GN80):
a) Areas representing ≥5 % of the global extent of an ecosystem type

meeting criteria for IUCN status CR or EN.
Areas not yet assessed by IUCN but determined to be of high priority for conservation at a
regional or national systematic conservation planning level.
Criterion 5 - areas associated with key evolutionary processes. As outlined in the GN81 of
the guidance note, such processes can be attributable to ‘ The structural attributes of a
region, such as its topography, geology, soil, temperature, and vegetation, and combinations
of these variables, can influence the evolutionary processes that give rise to regional
configurations of species and ecological properties. In some cases, spatial features that are
unique or idiosyncratic of the landscape have been associated with genetically unique
populations or subpopulations of plant and animal species. Physical or spatial features have
been described as surrogates or spatial catalysts for evolutionary and ecological processes,
and such features are often associated with species diversification’ .
Table 5-15 presents the species/ecosystems/evolutionary processes for which Critical

Habitat has been determined for the AMAALA project area.
Table 5-15 also provides an implication relates to Net Gain and No Net Loss, Net Gain) is an
approach to development, and/or land management, that aims to leave the natural
environment in a measurably better state than it was beforehand. Whilst No Net Loss' is a
goal in which the impacts on biodiversity are balanced or outweighed by measures taken to
avoid and minimise the impacts, to restore affected areas and finally to offset the residual
impacts, so that no loss remains.
Table 5-15 Biodiversity Features for which AMAALA Qualifies for Designation as Critical Habitat (Buro Happold and Five Oceans, August 2021)
Requirement
Critical Habitat (Yes /
Species Extent of Critical Habitat Relevant IFC Criterion Justification Implications: Net Gain
No)
/ No Net Loss
Golden Sandfish Triggers Criterion 1 as an EN species, based on extensive

Habitat preference is for sandy seabed, seagrass
Yes 1 available habitat implying that >5 reproductive units are highly Net Gain
(Holothuria scabra) beds, in vicinity of mangroves and on coral reefs.
likely to be present.
Black Teatfish Triggers Criterion 1 as an EN species, based on extensive

(Holothuria nobilis) beds, in vicinity of mangroves and on coral reefs.
Prickly Redfish Triggers Criterion 1 as an EN species, based on extensive

(Thelenota ananas) beds, in vicinity of mangroves and on coral reefs.
Humphead Wrasse Listed as an EN species. Highly sought after in local fisheries.

Outer slopes, drop offs, passes, channels and lagoon
Yes 1 Highly likely ≥5 reproductive units at AMAALA, and possibly Net Gain
(Cheilinus undulatus) in association with well-developed coral reefs.
≥0.5% of the regional genetically unique population.
Sky Emperor Listed as an EN species. Highly sought after in local fisheries.

Nearshore coral reefs, and adjacent sand and
Yes 1 Highly likely ≥5 reproductive units at AMAALA, and possibl y Net Gain
(Lethrinus mahsena) seagrass habitats.
≥0.5% of the regional genetically unique population.
Red Sea coralgrouper
Red Sea endemic, commonly recorded at project site, likely that
(Plectropomus Yes Bays, lagoons, and seaward reef slopes. 3 Net Gain
AMAALA supports ≥1 % of the global population.
marisrubri)
Hawksbill turtle Triggers Criterion 1 as a CR species. Additionally, triggers
Identified nesting beaches and shallow water
(Eretmochelys Yes 1,2 Criterion 2 due to genetic structure of hawksbill turtle populations Net Gain
foraging environments, including all coral reefs.
imbricata) that implies the AMAALA population to be restricted range.
The Red Sea contains the third largest population of dugongs in

the world. The
Dugong (Dugong AMAALA project site may host ~1-2% of the global dugong stock,
Yes All seagrass habitats. 3 Net Gain
dugon) either as resident foraging animals, and/or during migrations
north and south to optimise foraging strategies and for
reproduction.
Sooty falcon (Falco The population of breeding Sooty falcons in the area represents
Yes Al Nu’man Island nesting habitat. 3 ≥1% of the Sooty falcon’s global population, under most Net Gain
concolor assumptions.
Triggers IFC PS6 guidelines, as included in KSA National
Strategy for the Conservation of Biodiversity.
Data limited, but likely triggers Criteria C & D of the IUCN Red
All coral reef throughout AMAALA project area, List for Threatened Ecosystems over the near future, with
Coral reefs Yes 4,5 Net Gain
estimated at 190.32 km 2 . multiple high severity abiotic and biotic stressors forecast over
next 50 years. Triggers Criterion 5 under Global Screening Layer
for Marine Habitats, due to role in driving speciation and
exporting diversity.
Triggers IFC PS6 guidelines, as included in KSA National
Strategy for the Conservation of Biodiversity.
All seagrasses throughout AMAALA project area, Data limited, but likely triggers Criteria C & D of the IUCN Red
Seagrass Yes 4 Net Gain
estimated at 55.17 km 2 . List for Threatened Ecosystems over the near future, with
multiple high severity abiotic and biotic stressors forecast over
next 50 years.
Ecosystem Services
In addition to Critical Habitat Assessment, the IFC PSs and international best practice to
which AMAALA aspires to adhere includes the need for Ecosystem Services Assessm ent. .
This involves a specialist process requiring access to global and national biodiversity
databases, a network of experts, and an ability to make appropriate value judgements as
baseline data in this case were, despite recent data collection, still eq uivocal.
PS 6 recognises that protecting and conserving biodiversity, maintaining ecosystem

services, and sustainably managing living natural resources are fundamental to sustainable
development. Ecosystem services are the benefits that people, including businesses, derive
from ecosystems.
Ecosystem services are organised into four types:
(i) provisioning services, which are the products people obtain from
ecosystems;
(ii) regulating services, which are the benefits people obtain from the
regulation of ecosystem processes;
(iii) cultural services, which are the nonmaterial benefits people obtain from
ecosystems; and
(iv) supporting services, which are the natural processes that maintain the
other services.
Ecosystem services valued by humans are often underpinned by biodiv ersity. Impacts on
biodiversity can therefore often adversely affect the delivery of ecosystem services. This PS
addresses how clients can sustainably manage and mitigate impacts on biodiversity and
ecosystem services throughout the project’s lifecycle. Table 5-16 outlines the ecosystem
services for the AMAALA masterplan areas. Evaluation has been conducted by BDC using
the Common International Classification of Ecosystem Services (CICES) 2 approach.
2 https://cices.eu/ Version 4.3 accessed December 2020
Table 5-16 Summary of Ecosystem Services based on CICES Approach
Present at Al
Simple Example in
Section Division Group Class Code Class type Ecological clause Use clause Nu’man and
descriptor AMAALA
Miraya
Wild animals Fish and

(terrestrial and …that can be used fishing
Non-domesticated, wild Fish providing present
Provisioning aquatic) for Wild animals (terrestrial and aquatic) used Animals by Food from wild as raw material for
Biomass 1.1.6.1 animal species and their food source for
(Biotic) nutrition, for nutritional purposes amount, type animals the production of Camel
outputs… humans
materials or food grazing at
energy Miraya
Bio-remediation
Mediation of
Transformation By type of living Transformation of an …that mitigates its of any waste Crab and
wastes or toxic
Regulation & of biochemical system or by organic or inorganic harmful effects and entering the seabird
substances of Bio-remediation by micro-organisms, Decomposing
Maintenance or physical 2.1.1.1 waste or substance by a species of reduces the costs marine scavenging,
anthropogenic algae, plants, and animals wastes
(Biotic) inputs to subsistence plant, animal, bacteria, of disposal by other ecosystem by Bio-
origin by living
ecosystems type fungi or algae… means bacteria, remediation,
processes
mangroves etc.
Mediation of Seagrass
Transformation The fixing and storage of …that mitigates its
wastes or toxic By type of living Mangrove beds and
Regulation & of biochemical Filtration/sequestration/storage/accumulati an organic or inorganic harmful effects and
substances of system, or by Filtering filtering and scrub
Maintenance or physical on by micro-organisms, algae, plants, and 2.1.1.2 substance by a species of reduces the costs
anthropogenic water or wastes oxygenation in
(Biotic) inputs to animals plant, animal, bacteria, of disposal by other Mangroves N
origin by living substance type root systems
ecosystems fungi or algae means of Miraya
processes
Mangroves and Scrub
scrub creating present and
visual screening seabird
Transformation
Mediation of …that mitigates its of inner parts of nesting
Regulation & of biochemical Screening The reduction in the visual
nuisances of By type of living harmful or stressful island and
Maintenance or physical Visual screening 2.1.2.3 unsightly impact of human structures
anthropogenic system effect, or the cost of coastline to
(Biotic) inputs to things on people…
origin the nuisance reduce impacts Mangroves N
ecosystems
of boat of Miraya
movements on
breeding birds
Macroalgae, Seagrass and
microphytobenth fringe reef
…that mitigates or os, macrophytes sediment
Regulation of The reduction in the loss of prevents potential and biogenic stabilisation
Regulation of
Regulation & physical, By reduction in Controlling or material by virtue of the damage to human reef structures
baseline flows
Maintenance chemical, Control of erosion rates 2.2.1.1 risk, area preventing soil stabilising effects of the use of the (epifauna and
and extreme
(Biotic) biological protected loss presence of plants and environment or infauna) all Macroalgal
events
conditions animals… human health and contribute and seagrass
safety through beds
sediment
stabilisation
Macroalgae
…that assists beds,
people in managing macrophyte,
The regulation of water and using biogenic reefs
Regulation of Mangrove,
Regulation of Regulating the flows by virtue of the hydrological (epifauna and
Regulation & physical, Hydrological cycle and water flow seagrass and
baseline flows By flows of water chemical and physical systems, and infauna and
Maintenance chemical, regulation (Including flood control, and 2.2.1.3 fringe reef
and extreme depth/volumes in our properties or mitigates or mangrove
(Biotic) biological coastal protection) sediment
events environment characteristics of prevents potential contribute to
conditions stabilisation
ecosystems…. damage to human attenuation of
use, health or wave energy
safety and flood
prevention)
Regulation of
Regulation of The reduction in the speed …that mitigates or Presence of
Regulation & physical, By reduction in Protecting prevents potential Wind breaks scrub and
baseline flows of movement of air by
Maintenance chemical, Wind protection 2.2.1.4 risk, area people from damage to human effect of mangroves.
and extreme virtue of the presence of
(Biotic) biological protected winds use of the mangrove pioneer
events plants and animals…
conditions environment or coastal
Present at Al
Simple Example in
descriptor AMAALA
Miraya
human health and dunes in
safety south Miraya
…that maintains or
Regulation of Life cycle
increases the
Regulation & physical, maintenance, Pollinating our Maintenance of Mangrove
Pollination (or 'gamete' dispersal in a By amount and The fertilisation of crops by abundance and/or
Maintenance chemical, habitat and 2.2.2.1 fruit trees and sea grass beds, seagrass and
marine context) pollinator plants or animals… diversity of other
(Biotic) biological gene pool other plants corals corals
species that people
conditions protection
use or enjoy
Important
nursery habitats
include
Providing seagrass,
Regulation of Lifecycle The presence of ecological Fringe reef,
habitats for macroalgae, soft
Regulation & physical, maintenance, conditions (usually reef shallows
Maintaining nursery populations and By amount and wild plants and …that people use sediment, hard
Maintenance chemical, habitat and 2.2.2.3 habitats) necessary for and
habitats (Including gene pool protection) source animals that or enjoy bottom, shell
(Biotic) biological gene pool sustaining populations of seagrass,
can be useful bottom and
conditions protection species…. nesting sites
to us water column
habitats. Plus,
Mangrove areas
and cliffs
Fish
Regulation of communities
Controlling the Maintenance of the
Regulation & physical, …that enable that regulate the Fish and reef
Water Regulation of the chemical condition of By type of living chemical chemical condition of salt
Maintenance chemical, 2.2.5.2 human use or resilience and communities
conditions salt waters by living processes system quality of salt waters by plant or animal
(Biotic) biological health resistance of present
water species….
conditions coral reefs to
eutrophication
By contribution Bird colony
Bird colony
Regulation of of type of living present,
guano provides
Regulation & physical, Atmospheric system to Regulation of the ….that impact on seagrass
Regulation of chemical composition of Regulating our nutrients in the
Maintenance chemical, composition 2.2.6.1 amount, concentrations of gases in global climate or beds,
atmosphere and oceans global climate water column to
(Biotic) biological and conditions concentration the atmosphere oceans mangroves
be used by
conditions or climatic and sabkha
corals for growth
parameter CO 2 sink
By contribution Scrub and
Mediation of ambient
Regulation of of type of living Evaporative plant life
Regulating the atmospheric conditions
Regulation & physical, Atmospheric system to …that improves cooling and present
Regulation of temperature and humidity, physical (including micro- and
Maintenance chemical, composition 2.2.6.2 amount, living conditions for shading
including ventilation and transpiration quality of air mesoscale climates) by Mangrove
(Biotic) biological and conditions concentration people provided by
for people virtue of presence of stands in N
conditions or climatic mangroves
plants…. Miraya
parameter
Direct, in-situ
and outdoor Using the …. that are
Physical and The biophysical
interactions with Characteristics of living systems that that By type of living environment engaged with, used Swimming,
experiential characteristics or qualities Opportunities for
Cultural living systems enable activities promoting health, system or for sport and or enjoyed in ways diving, water
interactions 3.1.1.1 of species or ecosystems diving,
(Biotic) that depend on recuperation or enjoyment through active environmental recreation; that require sports
with natural (settings/ cultural swimming
presence in the or immersive interactions setting using nature to physical and possible
environment spaces)….
environmental help stay fit cognitive effort
setting
Direct, in-situ
…. that are Presence of
and outdoor Watching
Physical and viewed/observed by key wildlife,
interactions with Characteristics of living systems that By type of living plants and The biophysical Wildlife watching
experiential people or enjoyed marine
Cultural living systems enable activities promoting health, system or animals where characteristics or qualities – marine
interactions 3.1.1.2 in other passive mammals,
(Biotic) that depend on recuperation or enjoyment through passive environmental they live; of species or ecosystems mammals,
with natural ways by virtue of elasmobranc
presence in the or observational interactions setting using nature to (settings/cultural spaces) turtles, birds etc.
environment sounds and smells h turtles and
environmental distress
etc. birds
setting
Present at Al
Simple Example in
descriptor AMAALA
Miraya
Nationally
Direct, in-situ important Sooty
CHA
and outdoor falcon nesting
Intellectual and identified for
interactions with Characteristics of living systems that By type of living The biophysical site, turtle
representative …that are the 13 species
Cultural living systems enable scientific investigation or the system or Researching characteristics or qualities nesting,
interactions 3.1.2.1 subject matter for including
(Biotic) that depend on creation of traditional ecological environmental nature of species or ecosystems migratory routes
with natural in-situ research turtles and
presence in the knowledge setting (settings/cultural spaces) for avifauna,
environment birds in
environmental long term
AMAALA
setting research on
above etc.
Possible site
Direct, in-situ use for voluntary
and outdoor conservation Conservation
Intellectual and
interactions with By type of living The biophysical …that are the activities activities,
representative
Cultural living systems Characteristics of living systems that system or Studying characteristics or qualities subject matter for development
interactions 3.1.2.2 Includes
(Biotic) that depend on enable education and training environmental nature of species or ecosystems in-situ teaching or to be used for
with natural conservation,
presence in the setting (settings/cultural spaces) skill development raising
environment cultural and
environmental awareness
setting wildlife rescue
facilities
Traditional uses
AMAALA
of the islands
The things in development
Direct, in-situ and coastline,
nature that to be used for
and outdoor potential
Intellectual and help people raising
interactions with By type of living The biophysical …that contribute to archaeological
representative identify with awareness
Cultural living systems Characteristics of living systems that are system or characteristics or qualities cultural heritage or artefacts
interactions 3.1.2.3 the history or
(Biotic) that depend on resonant in terms of culture or heritage environmental of species or ecosystems historical Includes
with natural culture of Includes
presence in the setting (settings/cultural spaces) knowledge conservation,
environment where they conservation,
environmental cultural and
live or come cultural and
setting wildlife
from wildlife rescue
rescue
facilities
facilities
Direct, in-situ
and outdoor
Intellectual and
interactions with By type of living The biophysical Inherent beauty Island setting
representative … that are
Cultural living systems Characteristics of living systems that system or The beauty of characteristics or qualities and tranquillity Masterplan
interactions 3.1.2.4 appreciated for their
(Biotic) that depend on enable aesthetic experiences environmental nature of species or ecosystems of islands and and natural
with natural inherent beauty
presence in the setting (settings/cultural spaces) marine setting spaces
environment
environmental
setting
Focus for
Indirect, remote, education, turtle
awareness Conservation
often indoor
programs and activities, in
interactions with The biophysical …..which people
Other biotic By type of living The things in other outreach Al Nu’man
living systems characteristics or qualities seek to preserve
Cultural characteristics Characteristics or features of living system or nature that we programs and Miraya
that do not 3.2.2.1 of species or ecosystems because of their
(Biotic) that have a systems that have an existence value environmental think should development
require (settings/ landscapes non-utilitarian Includes
non-use value setting be conserved to be used for
presence in the /cultural spaces)….. qualities conservation, raising
environmental cultural and awareness
setting wildlife rescue
facilities
Critical Habitat Critical
Indirect, remote, and critically Habitat
often indoor The things in The biophysical endangered present
Other biotic By type of living …..which people
interactions with Characteristics or features of living nature that we characteristics or qualities Hawksbill Turtle
Cultural characteristics system or seek to preserve for
living systems systems that have an option or bequest 3.2.2.2 want future of species or ecosystems and Endangered
(Biotic) that have a environmental future generations Screening
that do not value generations to (settings/landscapes/cultur Green Turtle,
non-use value setting for whatever reason identified
require enjoy or use al spaces)….. Elasmobranchs species or
presence in the (whale shark species
and ray
Present at Al
Simple Example in
descriptor AMAALA
Miraya
environmental migration) plus groups for
setting assemblage of assessment
endemics,
Vulnerable and
Near Threatened
species (marine
mammals, fish
and birds),
Nationally
important
Raptors
Non-mineral
The ways the
substances or
Non-aqueous physical Reference biophysical or
ecosystem
Provisioning natural abiotic Non-mineral substances or ecosystem environment inorganic chemical …that can be used
properties used 4.3.2.1 Amount by type Sunlight Sunlight
(Abiotic) ecosystem properties used for nutritional purposes contribute to mechanism/characteristic/p for nutrition
for nutrition,
outputs our nutritional roperty...
materials or
health
energy
Mediation of
Transformation The reduction in …that mitigates its Marine system
waste, toxics
Regulation & of biochemical concentration of an organic harmful effects and dilution and
and other Dilution by freshwater and marine Diluting Marine
Maintenance or physical 5.1.1.1 Amount by type or inorganic substances by reduces the costs chemical
nuisances by ecosystems wastes system
(Abiotic) inputs to mixing in a fresh water of disposal by other transformation
non-living
ecosystems ecosystem means of pollutants
processes
Regulation of
Regulation of
Regulation & physical, Physical Physical Physical
baseline flows Mediation of liquid flows by … that can protect
Maintenance chemical, Liquid flows 5.2.1.2 Amount by type barriers to protection by old protection by
and extreme natural abiotic structures people
(Abiotic) biological flows coral reefs fringe reef
events
conditions
Regulation of
Regulation of Island is a
Regulation & physical, Physical Mediation of gaseous flows Topographic
baseline flows … that can protect barrier to
Maintenance chemical, Gaseous flows 5.2.1.3 Amount by type barriers to air by natural abiotic control of wind
and extreme people wind and
(Abiotic) biological movements structures velocity
events wave
conditions
Isolated islands,
Isolated
Indirect, remote, uninhabited and
Spiritual, island in
often indoor relatively natural
symbolic and Things in the natural state.
interactions with - provide part of
other physical Some
physical Natural, abiotic characteristics of nature Natural, abiotic the wider
Cultural interactions environment …have symbolic or evidence
systems that do that enable spiritual, symbolic and other 6.2.1.1 Amount by type characteristics of nature seascape views
(Abiotic) with the abiotic that are spiritual importance past symbolic
not require interactions that… from the
components of important as importance
presence in the coastline and
the natural symbols (Al Nu’man
environmental add to the
environment south rock
setting ‘naturalness’ of
site)
the site
5.4 Archaeological and Cultural Environment
Saudi Arabia has, in general terms, a rich cultural heritage resource, with known human
occupation of the Arabian Peninsula extending back some 10,000 years or more. The Red
Sea has an extensive archaeological resource, running from at least Bronze Age sites up to
more recent early pilgrimage route related resources.
The areas along the coastlines and on islands were used by early peoples in order to exploit
the marine food resource. Ancient coastal settlements also occur and became particularly
developed during the Nabataean and Roman periods.
Archaeology and cultural sites within AMAALA have been identif ied through regional survey
work in 2019 and 2020. There are no known above ground artefacts present within the
footprint of the Main Works. However, a more recent survey undertaken by Aram for Heritage
Consultancy indicated the presence of three archaeolo gical features, however, all three were
classified as having no archaeological value. The locations are presented in Figure 5-26 and
information presented in Table 5-17.
Figure 5-26 2021 Archaeological Features
Table 5-17 2021 Archaeological Survey Data
Artefact or Feature ID Description Period Archaeological Vale
AM48 Wind break Modern No value
AM49 Broken Shells Site Modern No value
Artefact or Feature ID Description Period Archaeological Vale
AM50 Praying Place Modern No value
5.5 Social and Economic Environment

Traffic and Transport
The most common mode of transport in the region is the use of private cars for travelling
between major centres and local journeys. Due to high car ownership; there is a significant
lack of public transport in the Region.
Saudi Arabia’s traffic accident statistics are high in com parison to most developed countries
with more than 4,600 deaths and more than 25,500 injuries in 2020 (Ministry of Health,
2022). Due to various public health campaigns and changes to legislation, the number of
road deaths and injuries is slowly declining in Saudi Arabia (Table 5-18).
Table 5-18 Road Traffic Deaths and Injuries (Ministry of Health, 2022)
Year Total Deaths Total Injuries
2018 5,787 30,579
2019 5,784 32,910
2020 4,618 25,561
Highway 5 is a primary arterial highway running parallel to the Red Sea coast and is the
primary north/south highway link through AMAALA. Highway 5 is a dual carriageway with a
design speed of 120 km/hr and a capacity of 4,700 passenger cars/direction/hour. The le vels
of traffic on this road are generally very low and this road is considered to be currently
underused (compared to abovementioned design capacity) with an estimated Average Daily
Traffic of around 1,888 vehicles/day in each direction, with 15% of these vehicles being
heavy load trucks.
In September 2020, classified traffic counts for Highway 5 were collected for the assessment
of the Triple Bay and Airport roundabouts. It can be seen the average peak hour flows are
approximately 100 vehicles per hour, with a peak southbound volume of 159 vehicles during
the weekend evening peak period (Jacobs, October 2020).
Table 5-19 Highway 5 Traffic Counts
Peak Northbound Southbound
AM 65 80
Lunchtime 100 139
PM 95 159
Socio-Economics
Context
The Project area is located within the Tabuk Administrative Region (AR), which is the
country’s sixth largest administrative region in terms of land area comprising 146 ,072m 2 ,
corresponding to 8% of KSA’s territory (MoRA, 2016). The Tabuk AR is bound by Jordan to
the north, Al Jawf and Hail to the east, Al Madinah Al Munawwarah to the south and the Red
Sea to the west. Tabuk is subdivided into six Govern orates of which the Project area in
located in Al-Wajh Governorate.
Population and Demographics

Historically a population that was mostly nomadic or semi -nomadic, the Saudi population has
become more settled since 1938 when vast oil reserves was discovered in the Al -Ahsa
region (CIA, 2019). The recent rapid economic growth has resulted in more than 95% of the
population now being settled.
In 2018, the population of Saudi Arabia was estimated to be 33,413,660, of which 62% were
Saudi Arabian. These figures showcase the popularity and appeal of foreign workers
relocating to Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia has a young population with 6.2 million Saudi
nationals under the age of 15 (30% of the total Saudi national population). It should be noted
that the last national census was undertaken in 2010 and the next is scheduled to be held in
2022.
Saudi Arabia has a population density of 17.1 people per km 2 (Saudi National Portal, 2019),
and as of 2018, urbanisation had reached 83.8% (CIA, 2019), approximately 28 million
people with 5 million people living in rural areas.
The Ministry of Statistics indicate an annual average population growth rate for 2019 as
2.4%.
Table 5-20 outlines the population of Saudi Arabia.
Table 5-20 Population of Saudi Arabia (General Authority for Statistics, 2019a)
Male Female
Saudi nationals 10,575,895 10,192,732
Foreign nationals 8,665,061 4,979,972
Total 19,240,956 15,172,704
Saudi nationals between 0 - 14 age 6,298,475
Saudi nationals 15 - 59 13,110,901
Although, Saudi Arabia’s population is growing, long-term data from the World Bank
indicates that the crude birth rate has declined from 47.6 births per 1,000 people in 1960 to
19.2 in 2017. There is also a corresponding decrease in fertility rates with 5.9 births per
woman in 1990 to 2.5 in 2017 (The World Bank, 2019).
Similar to the rest of the Country, the Tabuk AR is very sparsely populated with a population
density of approximately six people per square kilometre. The population o f Tabuk AR in
2010 was 796,425, of which 84% are Saudi nationals and 55% are males. More recent
estimations indicate that the regional population has increased to approximately 910,030
(General Authority for Statistics, 2017) . Table 5-21 presents the population statistics of
Tabuk AR.
Table 5-21 Tabuk AR Demographics 2017 (General Authority for Statistics, 2017)
Total Saudi Nationals Non-Saudi Nationals
Male Female Total Male Female Total Male Female Total
511,413 398,617 910,030 371,087 351,577 722,664 140,326 47,040 187,366
As previously mentioned, Saudi Arabia has a young population and the demographic
breakup of Tabuk AR is reflective of this situation (Figure 5-27).
Figure 5-27 Tabuk AR 2017 Population Pyramid
Adapted from (General Authority for Statistics, 2017)
The 2010 census indicated that the population of Al Wajh Governorate is 44,811 of which
85% are Saudi (General Authority for Statistics, n.d.) .
Table 5-22 Al Wajh Governorate Demographics 2010 (General Authority for Statistics,
n.d.)
25,002 19,809 44,811 19,619 18,349 37,968 5,383 1,460 6,843
Religion
The KSA is an Islamic theocratic monarchy. Islam is the official religi on of the Kingdom and
it is required by law that all Saudi citizens be Muslims. The Government does not legally
recognise or protect freedom of religion.
It is estimated 85 - 90% are Sunni Muslims and 10 - 15% are Shia. The official and dominant
form of Sunni Islam in Saudi Arabia is Wahhabism. Typically, the minority Shiite population
is mainly concentrated in eastern Saudi Arabia and along the Arabian Gulf coast.
Economy and Livelihoods

The economy of Saudi Arabia was agriculture-based with a largely nomadic population until
oil was discovered in the 1930s, however, it was not until the oil crisis of the 1970s, which
triggered interruptions in Middle Eastern oil exports, which the country’s economy began to
grow rapidly as it benefited from increased pric es and slowing production elsewhere. As
previously mentioned, this growth in the economy resulted in the majority of the population
settling permanently.
Although the country remains a hydrocarbon-based economy, Saudi Arabia possesses

approximately one-fifth of the world’s proven petroleum reserves, is the largest export of oil
and plays a leading role in the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC),
private sector growth, the employment of more Saudi nationals and increased diversificatio n
of the economy are a priority. In 2005, Saudi Arabia acceded to the World Trade
Organization (WTO) in order to attract foreign investment and to help to diversify the
economy. Notwithstanding this effort to diversify, petroleum shipments account for 87% of
total exports and 46% of GDP (Trading Economics, 2019).
In an attempt to reduce the country’s dependence on oil, diversify the economy and develop
public service sectors, Saudi Vision 2030 is a plan announced in April 2016 with an objective
of developing alternative sources of revenue. In addition, the plan is to increase the
employment opportunities in the private sector, reduce public spending and provide
economic growth. Vision 2030 aims to increase the share of non -oil private sector to 65% of
GDP by 2030 and non-oil export share to 50%.
Historically, Saudi Arabia has focused diversification efforts on power generation,

telecommunications, natural gas exploration, and petrochemical sectors, however, more
recently, the government efforts have been made by expanding the private sector in the
healthcare, education and tourism industries (CIA, 2019). Saudi Arabia has instigated a
number of giga-projects as part of fulfilling the objectives of Visio n 2030, including AMAALA,
TRSDC and NEOM. Other examples include the Qiddiya entertainment park on the outskirts
of Riyadh (phase one opening scheduled for 2022), the Jeddah Downtown development
project, and the Riyadh City Park announced in early 2019 (Saudi Gazette, 2019).
Saudi Arabia is encouraging the growth of the private sector in order to diversify its economy
and to employ more Saudi nationals, however, the large number of foreign workers play an
important role in the Saudi economy, particularly in the oil and service sectors. In response
to concerns over unemployment amongst Saudi nationals, coupled with the heavily reliance
on foreign labour, the government encourages Saudi employment through “Saudization”
policies that place quotas on employment of Saudi nationals in certain sectors, coupled with
limits placed on the number of visas for foreign workers available to companies. In 2011, the
Ministry of Labor and Social Development laid out a sophisticated plan known as Nitaqat,
under which companies are divided into categories, each with a different set of quotas for
Saudi employment based on company size. Over the past few years, the government has
taken additional measures to strengthen the Nitaqat program and expand the scope of
Saudization to require the hiring of Saudi nationals. Many elements of Saudization and
Nitaqat have garnered criticism from the private sector, but the Saudi government claims
these policies have substantially increased the percentage of Saudi n ationals working in the
private sector over the last several years, despite near -record unemployment levels (US
Department of States, 2020). Announced in 2016, as part of the Vision 2030, the policy is to
reduce the unemployment rate of Saudi nationals.
According to data provided by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development,
total employed persons in KSA were 13.4 million in 2019, out of which 19% females and 81%
males. Saudi employed persons accounted for 24%, whil e the remaining 76% represented
non-Saudi employed persons. Total employment and unemployment rates were equal to
94.3% and 5.7% respectively in KSA in 2019. Table 5-23 presents employment statistics for
Saudi Arabia.
Table 5-23 Employment Statistics (Q1, 2019) (General Authority for Statistics, 2019a)
Total Saudi Nationals Only
Employment rate (15+ years) 94.3% 87.5%
Total number of employed people 12,765,241 3,112,029
Job Seekers - 945,323
Unemployment rate (15+ years) 5.7% 12.5%
Male Labour Market Participation Rate 79.1% 63.3%
Female Labour Market Participation

22.6% 20.5%
Rate
In Tabuk AR, the total unemployment rate is 4.0% which is lowered than the national
average presented in Table 5-24. The unemployment rate for women in Tabuk AR is 19.0%
and 1.2% for men.
Statistics, 2019b)
110,083 23,663 110,083 33,264 21,506 54,770 76,819 2,157 78,976
Approximately half of people aged over 15 who live within the Tabuk AR as well as the Al
Wajh Governorate are in the labour force. Those who are not part of the labour force, are
mostly housewives/homemakers (23%) or students (18%), with relatively few retirees (4%).
Less than 1% of people in the Al Wajh Governorate were classed as disabled, whic h is
similar to the national average.
Employment in Tabuk AR is primarily dependant on the construction, commercial and

manufacturing sectors (Table 5-25).
Authority for Statistics, 2019b)
Economic Sector Total Number Employed
Construction 27,361
Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor

16,722
vehicles and motorcycles
Manufacturing 10,039
Accommodation and food service activities 8,022
Human health and social work activities 7,564
Other service activities 4,984
Public administration and defence 4,743
Administrative and support service 4,278
Education 3,726
Agriculture, forestry and fishing 3,665
Transportation and storage 2,971
Professional, scientific and technical services 806
Arts, entertainment and recreation 473
Real estate activities 210
Information and communication 209
Financial and insurance activities 118
Mining and quarrying 111
Water supply, sewerage, waste management

110
and remediation activities
Electricity gas, steam and air conditioning
75
supply
The educational status of people in Tabuk AR mimics the national profile, with 11% of people
over the age of 10 being illiterate, 24% and 8% attaining secondary and university education,
respectively. The educational status of people in Al Wajh Govern orate is slightly lower than
that of the AR, it should be noted that the regional level is likely lower due to the fact that it
is compounded by rural populations who would have had less access to education.
The majority of the Project site comprises rocky or gravelly terrain with limited agricultural
potential. Field surveys of the Staff Village Project are a indicate that the area has been used
for hunting with the presence of spent ammunition shells. Evidence of grazing by camels was
also noted.
Other previous activities which have been observed in the area included extensive seismic
surveys in both offshore and nearshore waters, which included coral reef areas in less than
10 m of water. The impacts of the operations are largely unknown although the impacts may
not necessarily have been insignificant given that the operations covered large areas of coral
reefs.
Anthropogenic interactions with reef areas were evident, with hook and line fishing
widespread (all areas had lost fishing gear present). The abundance and species
composition of the reef fish community in the area indicated a moderate level of fishi ng effort
in most areas. In the intertidal area beyond the Project boundary, evidence of reef gleaning
(e.g. gathering of Tridacna clams and other marine molluscs) was apparent in the form of
large piles of discarded and broken shells. In addition, evidenc e of beach driving and
camping was also present in the form of recent tyre tracks and extinguished fires. Evidence
of flotsam and occasional wrecks and cargo from this activity is present in the area.
Please note that there is no evidence that fishing or grazing activities are a significant
source of income or food for local communities.
Incomes and Expenditure

Tabuk AR had the lowest regional average monthly household income within the country,
with households earning on average only 11,024 Riyals. The relatively low-income level is
also reflected in expenditure patterns, with the region also showing the low est monthly
expenditure with 11,466 Riyals per month. Household expenditure was mostly on housing,
water and energy followed by food and transport, whic h mimic national expenditure trends.
Utility Infrastructure
The demand for electricity in Saudi Arabia has increased dramatically over the past decade.
Power consumption is set to continue to increase with forecasts indicating that power usage
will increase from 50,074MW to 75,155MW by 2020.
The largest electricity supplier in Saudi Arabia is Saudi Electricity Company (SEC), formed
as a result of the merger of all existing electricity providers in April 2000. Faced with a fast -
growing population and expanding industrial base, SEC has begun a phased program for
bringing new power stations online through private sector investment. SEC has a total
available generation capacity of 79.07 gigawatts (GW) of power through steam, gas,
combined cycle and diesel to approximately 9 million customers. The national grid is
operated by National Grid SA, a subsidiary of SEC. The transmission network is
approximately 78,000 km (Saudi Electricity Company, 2018).
Given Saudi Arabia’s climate, growing population, large agricultural and industrial
requirements, water supply is a significant challenge. It has been estimated that the average
water consumption in the Kingdom is double the world average (Tago, 2014), 70% of which
is provided by desalinisation. At present, Saudi Arabia is the largest producer of desalinated
water in the world (Center for International Communication, 2018) , however, the production
of desalinated water uses up to eight times more energy than using groundwater and
accounts for up to 20 % of the energy consumption in Saudi Arabia.
The National Water Company (NWC) has been established in 2008 to provide water and
wastewater treatment services to all households in Kingdom . NWC contracts out water
distribution services for individual cities to the private sector under management contracts.
Saline Water Conversion Corporation (SWCC) is an independent government corporation

responsible for the desalination of seawater, produc ing electricity and supplying desalinated
water to various parts of the Kingdom. In 2016, SWCC produced more than 1.3 billion m 2
(BCM) of water and produced 3.6 million m 2 (MCM) per day from approximately 31
desalination and power plants in 17 locations ac ross the Kingdom. Some of the plants are
confined to seawater desalination while others produce drinking water and generate
electricity and in 2016, 42.95MWh were produced by SWCC power plants (Saline Water
Conversation Corporation, 2017). SWCC have plans to increase the number of desalination
plants with an announcement in January 2018 that nine plants are to be built in Jeddah to
provide an additional 240,000m 3 per day (Center for International Communication, 2018) .
Reforms on utility subsidies in Saudi Arabia are slowly being implemented to reduce public
spending and to promote sustainable use of resources. Although, to electricity subsidies will
not be fully implemented until 2025, already almost three-quarters of Saudis are looking to
cut their electricity usage and over half are planning to cut gasoline usage (Wald, 2018).
However, these reforms are not without controversy, for example, in April 2016, the Water
and Electricity Minister was sacked following complaints concerning higher monthly water
bills (Global Water Intelligence, 2016).
Land Use
Prior to commencement of AMAALA, human activity was limited to recreational and artisanal
fishing activities for the most part. These activities were thought to have affected coral reef
fish populations to a degree, with hook and line targeted species the most affected (e.g.
groupers, snappers, and bycatch groups such as triggerfish). However, it s hould be noted
the Red Sea, including the coastal waters around AMAALA are already over -fished
(Tesfamichael, D., et al., 2012). Fishing activities within this area of the Red Sea are
licensed and controlled by the Coastguard a uthorities.
Low incidences of coral damage from the use of anchors, as well as marine litter, were
present in most areas. Local vessel traffic was for the most part relatively light. This
suggests that the offshore area generates some employment opportun ities.
No earlier developments supporting land-based activities were present in the area with the
exception of regional Coastguard outposts – so direct impacts relating to construction
activities or operations (such as discharges) have been largely absent historically.
Duba town and coastal environs include significant activity including desalination, electrical
generation, oil and gas industry storage and servicing, military activity, and coastal plants
including national Gypsum, concrete etc. This activity is north and south of the AMAALA
area and not in immediate proximity to the AMAALA development area or this ESIA Area of
Influence (AoI).
potential. Field surveys of the Staff Village Project area indicate that the area has been used
also noted.
Indigenous People, Minority Groups and Vulnerable People

According to the W orld Directory of Minorities and Indigenous Peoples, Saudi Arabia,
despite having strong regional identities and ethnic diversity, do not have any populations
which could be characterized as indigenous (Minority Rights Group International, 2018).
Bedouin of the Arabian Peninsula are not classified as indigenous.
It should be noted that the true bedu, nomadic lifestyle is no longer common in Saudi Arabia
with most herds of camel, sheep and goats being owned by nationals who live in local towns
and employ expatriates to herd and tend to their animals.
However, Saudi Arabia does have some minority groups including Shia Muslims (especially
Twelver or Ithna’ashari), Isma’ilis (a branch of Shia Islam) and Zaydis Muslims (known as
Fivers, they represent a branch of Shia Islam) (Minority Rights Group International, 2018) .
Waste Management
The overall project area has limited existing waste management facilities. Solid waste in
Saudi Arabia is frequently poorly managed, and good quality waste management and
treatment facilities are limited, especially in the more remote locations away from major
cities. Typically, waste management infrastructure in KSA is in a state of development with a
low level of capture of generated waste to facilities other than landfills. KSA generates
between 1.0 - 1.49 kg/capita/day of waste and waste production is projected to increase
year-on-year.
The site is undeveloped and there are currently no waste management facilities on -site. Site
visits have indicated sparse general littering was observed in different areas and it’s
assumed to be caused by the occasional recreational activities as well as that washed up by
the sea. The litter comprises mainly of plastic pieces, which vary i n size from large
containers to smaller plastic pellets and particles.
In the AMAALA development area, there are limited existing downstream waste management
infrastructure.
No information is currently available regarding the management of waste from exis ting urban
centres (Umluj and Al Wajh) due to limited access to available records on waste types and
volumes; and capacity and remaining airspace of facilities. Two facilities, the Duba Waste
Facility and the Al Amood dumping area, have been identified ( Figure 5-28). It is, however,
unknown if there is capacity in the existing waste management infrastructure to manage
downstream waste material from the Project.
The Duba Waste Facility is operated by the Duba Municipality. Material appears to be
deposited on the ground, burned and covered. Most of the waste identified was domestic
and food waste, with minimal construction waste. Based on observations this facility is not
managed in accordance with best international practice. It is not known if the facility is
licenced in according local requirements.
While there are some indications of material for landfill lining, the waste disposal areas
observed did not appear to be lined. A fenced off lined area was observed, but notification
indicates that this area is under the control of Saudi Aramco. This area did not appear to
contain any solid waste.
An additional waste area was identified in Al Amood; however, this is not a formal disposal
area and is used for fly-tipping. This is not considered an existing facility an d requires
remediation.
It should be noted that AMAALA is developing an IWMF, however, it is still being designed
and will not be operational until 2024.
Figure 5-28 Waste Management Facilities in Proximity to Project Site
Worker Welfare and Public Health
AMAALA includes a number of habitats which may represent a risk to humans from bites,
stings etc. from animals and plants. One of the lesser recognised but perhaps most
significant risk is from insect bites, in particular the phlebotomine sand flies. There are a
number of species recorded in Saudi Arabia. Phlebotomine sand flies require a blood meal
as part of the reproductive c ycle. They bite mammals, including humans, and drink the
blood from the resulting pool. The bites for many people can cause discomfort and itching
for long period. Of more concern is the fact that phlebotomine sand flies in Saudi Arabia are
known to be the vector for cutaneous leishmaniasis. The leishmaniasis parasite causes
ulceration of the skin, and whilst not fatal, can cause significant scarring at the location of
the infection.
5.6 Sensitive Receptors

All Valued Environmental Receptors (VERs) will exhibit a greater or lesser degree of
sensitivity to the changes brought about by the proposed development and defining receptor
‘sensitivity’ as part of the definition of the baseline environment helps to ensure that the
subsequent assessment is transparent and robust. The sensitivity of a VER is a function of
its capacity to accommodate change and reflects its ability to recover if it is affected.
The VERs and their sensitivity to change may not be the same for each discipline. Thus,
each discipline needs to determine its own set of receptors and ascribe values to each of
them.
VERs can be defined as:
 Elements of the environment that are of value to the functioning of natural or

human systems (i.e., areas or elements of ecological, landscape or heritage
value, soil and sediment, air and water bodies); and
 Human receptors, such as people (i.e., users of dwellings, places of recreation,

places of employment and community facilities), and human systems (e.g.,
employment market).
In addition, VERs will include legislative and policy standards and values. For example, air
quality limits, noise standards and planning policy requirements.
The VERs are described in terms of their spatial importance and/or the sensitivity of that
receptor to change due to potential impacts.
The environmental value (or sensitivity) of the VERs identified will be defined using the
criteria in Table 5-26.
Table 5-26 Value and Sensitivity of VERs used in the ESIA
Value / Sensitivity Description of Value
High importance and rarity, international scale and limited potential

International/ Extremely
for substitution (e.g., school or hospital receptor) - extremely sensitive
Sensitive
to change
High importance and rarity, national scale, and limited potential for
National/ Highly sensitive
substitution (e.g., residential receptor) - very sensitive to change
High or medium importance and rarity, regional scale, limited pot ential
Regional/ Moderately
for substitution (e.g., commercial or recreational receptor) -
sensitive
moderately sensitive to change
Local/ Low sensitivity Low importance and rarity, local scale - insensitive to change
Project Valued Environmental Receptors

Based upon the baseline information, with reference to Table 5-26, there are a number of
potentially extremely or highly sensitive VERs which may be impacted by the development
as outlined in Table 5-27.
Table 5-27 Potential Project Valued Environmental Receptors
Potential VERs
Critical Habitat
AMAALA has been designated as a Critical Habitat with features essential to the conservation of an
endangered or threatened species and that may require special management and protection. Such
features include:
- Seagrass;
Macroalgae and algal beds are abundant in AMAALA, particularly in shallow water habitats. The
same areas may also provide important nursery areas for fish and invertebrates and there may be
important connectivity between different biotopes.
Avifauna
The site has limited avifauna present, however, these do include migratory species, though all have
been classified by the IUCN as having a conservation status of ‘Least Concern’. Wadi valleys
adjacent to the Project site provide additional avifaunal habitat where one Eurasian turtle dove
(classified by the IUCN as having a Vulnerable conservation status) has b een observed.
The development during both the construction and operational phases have the potential to
negatively impact soil and groundwater quality.
Hydrology
The development will require a wadi diversion (assessed separately) and will impact the local
hydrological regime.
Workers
During the construction and operational phase, construction workers, site residents, and
operational and maintenance site will be a VERs in respect to working and living conditions.
Air Quality
The development has the potential to degrade the ambient air quality due to the use of fossil -fuel
vehicles and increased PM generation.
Global Atmosphere
The Project will produce GHG emissions which may increase climate change.
Social
Evidence suggests that the Project area is used for fishing and grazing.
Evidence of beach driving and camping in the Project area in the form of recent tyre tracks and
extinguished fires. Development will result in loss of leisure amenity space.
Potential VERs
Boundary fencing will be installed as part of the Early Works Phase thus limiting access to the
Project site.
Project is supporting the diversification of the national economy in line with Vision 2030. The
Project may help to support local job and business opportunities and provid e training to local
people.
international standards. Project could potentially cause illegal deposition of waste and / or reduce
the capacity in these facilities.
6 IDENTIFYING IMPACTS, ANALYSIS AND
ASSESSMENT
6.1 Methodology
General Approach
The general approach for the ESIA process has been to adopt the requirements of the IFC
Environmental and Social Risk Management Framework, as implemented through the eight
IFC Performance Standards.
It should be noted that although adherence to the general approach in IFC Performance
Standards for the ESIA has been adopted, this does not mean that the Project is fully
compliant with IFC requirements (see Section 1.3.3), for example, BDC has not undertaken
any stakeholder engagement which is in direct non-compliance with Performance Standard
1.
Please note that TRSDC has appointed University of Tabuk to undertake stakeholder
engagement and social baseline assessments for AMAALA. Community stakeholder
engagement and social surveys for AMAALA will be undertaken in March 2022.
The format scope and contents of the ESIA is in compliance with the Executive Regulations
for Establishing and Operating Business Activities.
ESIA as a Process
A fundamental aspect of the approach to the ESIA is understanding that ESIA is a process.
It is a process which should start from the earliest concept of a project and continue through
to decommissioning of a project, where possible. This process, when applied correctly
assists the project to ‘design out’ potential impacts, effectively reduce those impacts which
cannot be removed and provide suitable mitigation measures to ensure minimisation of
effects. This ties in with the Hierarchy of Mitigation as set out in the IFC Performance
Standard guidance notes.
International Best Practice
Internationally, best practice for ESIA has taken an approach of enabling the ESIA process
to influence the design. In countries with well-developed ESIA systems and inherent in
approaches taken by WBG, IFC and other Multilateral Institutions, this process has been
adopted for many years.
The essence of this process is the inclusion of environmental and social matters at the
earliest stage of the Project, ideally at concept stage, and allowing environmental factors to
influence the design and development of the Project. At the heart of this process in WBG
and IFC standards is an Environmental Management System (EMS) which establis hes the
Environmental Policy for the Project and then is designed to ensure that the environmental
performance of the Project meets the objectives set out in the policy. Part of the EMS
system is the assessment of impacts and risks that the Project poses to the environment and
the constraints placed on the Project by the existing environment.
Throughout the process, it should be remembered that the purpose of the ESIA process can
be broadly described as improving environmental performance of the Project, a s described
below, and importantly as a source of information for decision makers. The outcomes from
an ESIA shall be objective, based as far as possible on scientific approach, but taking
account of human perceptions of key issues and concerns.
Environmental Design Approach
The environmental design approach is intended to be used across all aspects of the Project
and seeks to identify potential impacts or risk at an early stage and remove or minimise the
impacts or risks through modification of the desig n.
This is an iterative process and Figure 6-1 provides an overview of this process.
Figure 6-1 Environmental Design Approach to ESIA
Any Project will give rise to a number of potential impacts and risks to humans and the
environment. Through the iterative process of identification of these potential impacts and
risks and refinement of the design it can be seen that a number of the potential impacts and
risks can be removed or ‘designed out’ of the Project. This process can be referred to as
‘design or inherent mitigation’, which means the design has taken on board the possible
impact or risk and mitigated it out of the Project.
The iterative process should take place through all stages of the design process, including
site selection, Project processes, alternative layouts etc., however, in the case of this
Project, the highly accelerated programme limited the input from the environmental and
social impacts into design. By conducting the baseline surveys early in the design process,
the location of the Project (rather than redesign) was considered in the final plan.
Process of Determining Effects
A standardised approach based around standard terminology for the det ermination of
impacts and determination of effects, their significance and mitigation or offsetting was used.
The following sections provide an overview of the process of impact assessment used for the
current Project. This Section provides the conceptual model used for determining effects.
The approach for impact identification and assessment of effects relating to air, land and
water was based on the Source - Pathway - Receptor - Consequence Model (SPRC). Such
an approach is commonly used in contamination studies but is highly applicable for many of
the elements considered in an ESIA process. The model is shown diagrammatically in
Figure 6-2.
Figure 6-2 Source - Pathway - Receptor - Consequence Model as Applied to ESIA
The model shows that to have an effect on a receptor you need all elements of the chain to
be present. Therefore, an effect can only occur if there is a source (of change), a receptor
upon which that change acts and a pathway between the source and receptor.
The SPRC conceptual model is less effective on intangible elements of the environment.
These include potential exceedances of legislative standards and topics such where human
perceptions and constructs are considered, for example landscape and visual impacts where
individual perceptions of beauty, scenic value are important.
The SPRC model brings out some important aspects of terminology for the ESIA process.
The first is that the terms impact and effect are not synonymous and cannot be used
interchangeably. As can be seen, the IMPACT is the change in environmental variable. The
size of change can be determined objectively in cases where change can be measured or
predicted, for example increases in emissions to air.
This IMPACT acting on the ASPECT creates a consequence or EFFECT on that

RECEPTOR.
To determine the level or importance of the effects two key aspects need to be determined.
These are:
 Characterisation of the magnitude and nature of the impact; and
 Identification of VERs and their level of importance and/or sensitivity to change.
The following sections show how determination of receptor and ascribing value/sensitivity to
the impact was conducted for the ESIA process.
Identifying Receptors
Based on the SPRC model it is necessary to identify receptors which will be subject to the
change in environmental variable.
The VERs and its sensitivity to change may not be the same for each discipline. Thus, each
discipline needs to determine its own set of VER’s and ascribe values to each of them.
Establishing the VER’s for the project is a fundamental building block of the ESIA process.
Only VER’s are referred to in the determination of significance of effect. VER identification
and evaluation is the first step in the assessment process.
Characterising Environmental and Social Impacts

Size of Impact
As noted above the impact is the change of state of the environment which is caused by a
project activity. In general, this change can be mea sured or estimated in some manner. For
example, a change in sound level of 2 dB(A), or an increase in ground concentration of an
air pollutant of 20 mg/m 3 . For some topics the measure may be an area of land to be
affected or number of trees to be lost etc . Wherever possible the size of the impact should
have a physical measurement.
For the established size of impact, the following values have been ascribed:
 Low 3
 Medium 5
 High 8
For any impacts which do not exceed the threshold of significance then by de finition, the
impact severity must be negligible.
Other Aspects of an Impact
While the size of the change in environmental parameter is an important aspect of an impact,
there are other aspects which will determine the severity of the impact when it acts o n the
receptor.
For this ESIA the following aspects are taken into consideration, in addition to the Size of
Impact as set out above:
 Extent of impact;
 Duration of Impact;
 Frequency of Impact;
 Probability of Impact Occurring; and
 Reversibility of Impact.
The assessment process used in the proposed ESIA process will use a bespoke scoring
system to enable a systematic and transparent process to be undertaken to determine the
impact magnitudes identified.
The following sections provide the scoring system to b e adopted and its rationale.
Extent of Impact or Area of Influence
This relates to the physical extent over which the impact will happen. A larger extent would
tend to lead to increased risk of significant effects occurring than a highly localised Area of
Influence. The classification of this variable and the ascribed scores is shown in Table 6-1.
Table 6-1 Classification of Extent of Impact and Assigned Scores
Classification Description Example/s Score
The Area of Influence is highly

limited, likely to take place only Minor increases in noise levels
Very Local at the point of impact and not during construction not 1
influencing receptors outside of extending from the work site
this immediate area
The Area of Influence is Loss of local and common
Local contained within the project site habitat within the site during 2
or immediate surrounding area clearance works
Changes in property or land
The Area of Influence extends to prices within a region due to the
a regional scale, affecting areas development.
Regional 3
outside the project site and into
the wider environment Air emissions which affect wide
area
Creation of special wastes

The Area of Influence extends to which cannot be handled within
National 5
national scale the nations existing
capacity/capability
Production of Greenhouse
The Area of Influence will be
International Gases which affect global 7
cross boundary
climate
Duration of Impact Effect
An impact’s magnitude will be increased as its duration increases. It is important to note

that the impact duration is not synonymous with th e duration of the event causing the impact.
The duration is defined as how long the impact will last. For example, a loss of containment
event resulting in a chemical spill may last only 5 minutes but the impacts of the chemical
entering the environment will last much longer depending upon the type of chemical, location
and nature of spill and any remediation efforts.
The classification of this variable and the ascribed scores is shown in Table 6-2.
Table 6-2 Classification of Duration of Impact and Assigned Scores
Delivery of single large item of

Transient Less than 1 day equipment affecting local road 1
network
Temporary closure of road or
Very Short Term 1 - 30 days 2
other access
Dust emissions from site
Short term 1 - 12 months 3
clearance
Construction traffic effects on
Medium 1 - 5 years 5
large project
Changes to air quality due to
Long Term Greater than 5 years 7
emissions from process
Clearance of natural vegetation
Permanent Permanent 10
which cannot be recreated
Frequency
An event, such as blasting during site preparation works, may be short term in nature but if
the event is repeated many times during the course of the project, then the magnitude of the
impact would be considered to be increased. The classification of this variable and the
ascribed scores is shown in Table 6-3.
Table 6-3 Classification of Frequency of Impact and Assigned Scores
The event causing the impact

Clearance of soils and habitats
One off occurs only once in the lifetime 1/5 *
at the start of the project
of the project
A rare event in the lifetime of Increased noise or air emissions
Rare 2
the project due to emergency situations
An event which is expected to Increased emissions from a

Infrequent occur but not commonly as part plant during regular 3
of the normal project conditions maintenance and shutdown
Noise from blow down of steam
An event will occur regularly boiler.
throughout a phase of the
Frequent Delivery of raw materials and 5
project or the lifetime of the
project export of products from a facility
on daily basis
An event which by the nature of Noise emissions from
Continuous 7
the project is continuous operational plant
*For one off events, a score of 1 is ascribed if the event does not lead to a permanent non -reversible
impact, if the impact is permanent; a score of 5 is used.
Probability
Impact assessment for some issues is based on risk assessment. Not all predicted impacts
will occur but should be considered in the assessment process. In order to account for this, a
three-point probability scale and scores has been used as follows:
 Certain 5
 High 3
 Low 2
Reversibility
If an impact can be readily reversed, then its overall magnitude would be considered less
than if it cannot be rectified. For example, the loss of natur al habitats can never be fully
reversed but the visual impact of a wind turbine will be reversed at the end of life when the
turbine is dismantled and removed.
For this ESIA process a simple Yes or No scale is used with associated scores of 5 and 1
respectively.
Overall Impact Magnitude Scoring Model
The scoring model for the described variables results in scores across a range of 7 - 41. The
impact assessment uses a four-point terminology to describe impact magnitude. This is
presented in Table 6-4. The model ascribes the outcomes of the scoring of the variables as
follows.
 7 - 16 Negligible
 17 - 25 Minor
 26 - 34 Moderate
 >34 Major
Table 6-4 Criteria for Magnitude of Impacts used in the ESIA
Magnitude Description of Adverse Consequence Description of Beneficial Consequence
Large scale or major improvement of

Loss of resource and/or quality and
resource quality; extensive restoration
Major integrity, severe damage to key
or enhancement; major improvement of
characteristics, features or elements
attribute quality
Significant impact on the resource, but
Benefit to, or addition of, key
not adversely affecting the integrity,
Moderate characteristics, features or elements;
partial loss of/damage to key
improvement of attribute quality
characteristics, features or elements
Minor benefit to, or addition of, one
Some measurable change in attributes
(maybe more) key characteristic,
quality or vulnerability, minor loss of, or
Minor feature or element; some beneficial
alteration to, one (maybe more) key
impact on attribute or a reduced risk of
characteristic, feature or element
negative impact occurring
No loss, or very minor loss or Very minor benefit to or positive
Negligible detrimental alteration to one or more addition of one or more characteristics,
characteristic, feature or element features or elements
Assessment of Significance
A significant effect may be broadly defined as one which should be brought to the attention
of those involved in the decision-making process. The determination of significance of an
effect uses a two-dimensional matrix based on the above parameters of Impact magnitude
and value/sensitivity of the receptor. The proposed assessment will use a matrix for
determining the significance of an effect as presented in Table 6-5
Significance is therefore a function of the value or sensitivity of the receptor being

considered defined in Table 6-1 and the consequence of impacts defined in Table 6-5.
Table 6-5 Matrix for Determining the Significance of Environmental Impacts
International/ Regional/
National/ High Local/Low
Extreme Moderate
Major HIGH HIGH MEDIUM LOW
Moderate HIGH MEDIUM MEDIUM LOW
Minor MEDIUM MEDIUM LOW NS
Negligible NS NS NS NS
The ESIA will utilise the following semantic definitions of the significance terms High,
Moderate and Low. They are based on the terminology used in international principles and
guidance and on the geographical context of the effect:
 High - An environmental effect that has importance at international or national

level and is irreversible or unprecedented;
 Medium - An environmental effect that has importance at a regional scale and/or

one that can be readily reversed with intervention and is limited to the site
boundary and immediate surrounding area;
 Low - An environmental effect that is only important in a local cont ext, which is
readily mitigated, and it occurs only within the boundary of the project; and
 Non-significant (NS) - An environmental effect that is considered non-significant.
Significant adverse effects occur where valuable or sensitive receptors, or numer ous
receptors, are subject to impacts of considerable magnitude and duration. Some effects will
be temporary, others are permanent in nature, and these will be stated in the assessment.
Hierarchy of Mitigation
One of the aims of the ESIA process is to des ign out or otherwise remove significant effects
from the Project. Those which cannot be removed completely should be minimised, and
finally those which remain significant and cannot be reduced further have to be accepted.
For significant residual effects it may be necessary to provide compensation or offsetting.
Offsetting is often used in managing biodiversity effects. As an example, loss of a wooded

area can be offset; given time, by replanting similar species within the area, or by providing
improved management and protection of other areas of similar habitat within the region of
the project.
Figure 6-3 shows the Hierarchy of Mitigation as defined by the WBG.
Figure 6-3 Hierarchy of Mitigation
The above hierarchy is implicit within the proposed approach to ESIA for this Project.
In theory, mitigation would only be required for those effects which had been determined to
be significant in an objective manner. However, within ESIA there is also a need to deal with
human perceptions and emotions and so mitigation may be developed for reasons other than
pure objective ones.
Defining appropriate mitigation is important in the process, however, perhaps more important
is recognising that any mitigation measures must be project commitments. Within the
current ESIA process, a register of commitments will be d eveloped, these will be provided to
the project proponent and the contractor for approval.
6.2 Impact Assessment

An assessment of the environmental and social impacts has been carried out using a
standardised method for impact assessment developed by BDC (refe r to Section 6.1). The
output of the ESIA process are the impacts and mitigation requirements for the construction
and operational phases of the Project.
The following sections provide a discussion on the type of impacts, i.e., “sources”, using the
SPRC model concept of assessment and approaches to mitigation and monitoring for
identified significant effects.
Impacts and mitigation measures are presented in table format for consistency and to
provide information on the impact, the scores used in the determination of t he magnitude of
the impact, the VER to be affected and its status, the resulting level of significance of effects
(Section 6.2.2), approved mitigation measures and finally the significance of effect following
implementation of the mitigation.
Where national or environmental protection standards are relevant, reference is made to

applicable legislation or guidance.
Valued Environmental Receptors
The baseline data set out and from review of other features in the vicinity of Staff Village
have been used to develop a listing of VERs. As noted, these attributes can have
environment and/or social considerations, or legislation, gui dance, treaties or social norms
which are considered to be important in context of the construction and operation of the Staff
Village Main Works.
In total, 50 VERs have been identified within the AoI of the construction and operational
activities. Not all VERs will be affected by the Project as they may not be impacted by
Project activities, however, they remain as VERs and so are listed below in Table 6-6 which
also provides a description of each VER, its ascribe d value or sensitivity and notes on
reasoning for selection and determination of value/sensitivity.
Table 6-6 Identified Project-specific Valued Environmental Receptors
VER No. Description of VER Value/Sensitivity Comments on VER
IFC Performance Standard 8:

1 International/Extreme Covers all aspects of tangible and non-tangible resources
Cultural Heritage
Project personnel - living
conditions not in compliance to
Living conditions to be in compliance to AMAALA Worker Accommodation
2 AMAALA Worker National/High
Welfare Standards
Accommodation Welfare
Standards
Appropriate management of Good waste management practices are essential with regard sustainability
3 National/High
waste and to avoid other environmental effects
4 Common species and habitats Local/Low Common species supporting ecosystem functioning
5 Structures Local/Low Structures.
Covered within IFC Performance Standard 4: Community Health, Safety,

6 Local Communities National/High
and Security
Ecosystem services -
7 supporting services functioning International/Extreme Project area contain several habitats contributing to ecosystem services
of marine ecosystem
Landscape Character and
8 Regional/Moderate
Visual aspects
IFC Performance Standard 6
9 International/Extreme Applicable to terrestrial ecology
Biodiversity
Red Sea coralgrouper
(Plectropomus marisrubri).
Red Sea endemic, commonly recorded at project site, likely that AMAALA
10 Biodiversity feature for which International/Extreme
supports ≥1 % of the global population.
AMAALA qualifies for
designation as Critical Habitat
Important indicator of contamination, where communities such as
11 Benthic infauna Local/Low
amphipods usually disappear when contamination occurs others proliferate.
Coral reef habitats - Critical All coral reef throughout AMAALA project area, estimated at 190.32 km 2 .
12 International/Extreme
Habitat
Triggers IFC PS6 guidelines, as included in KSA National Strategy for the
Conservation of Biodiversity.
Data limited, but likely triggers Criteria C & D of the IUCN Red List for
Threatened Ecosystems over the near future, with multiple high severity
abiotic and biotic stressors forecast over next 50 years. Triggers Criterion 5
under Global Screening Layer for Marine Habitats, due to role in driving
speciation and exporting diversity.
Wadi provide habitats for flora and fauna. When wet, they can be temporary
rainwater pools, bedrock and gravel riffles and gravel pools, creating ideal
13 Wadi Habitats International/Extreme breeding grounds for species such as birds, dragonflies and butterflies.
Wadis also contain relatively-shallow groundwater often allowing for the
presence of more diverse flora.
Golden Sandfish (Holothuria Habitat preference is for sandy seabed, seagrass beds, in vicinity of
scabra). Biodiversity features mangroves and on coral reefs. Triggers Criterion 1 as an EN species, based
for which AMAALA qualifies for on extensive available habitat implying that >5 reproductive units are highly
designation as Critical Habitat likely to be present
Habitat preference is for sandy seabed, seagrass beds, in vicinity of
Prickly Redfish (Thelenota mangroves and on coral reefs.
ananas). Biodiversity feature
for which AMAALA qualifies for
designation as Critical Habitat Triggers Criterion 1 as an EN species, based on extensive available habitat
implying that >5 reproductive units are highly likely to be present.
16 Waste Disposal Facilities Regional/Moderate Impact on capacity
Nearshore coral reefs, and adjacent sand and seagrass habitats.

Sky Emperor (Lethrinus
mahsena). Biodiversity feature
17 International/Extreme Listed as an EN species. Highly sought after in local fisheries. Highly lik ely
for which AMAALA qualifies for
designation as Critical Habitat ≥5 reproductive units at AMAALA, and possibly ≥0.5% of the regional
genetically unique population.
The Red Sea contains the third largest population of dugongs in the world.
Dugong (Dugong dugon). The
Biodiversity feature for which
18 International/Extreme AMAALA project site may host ~1-2% of the global dugong stock, either as
AMAALA qualifies for
designation as Critical Habitat resident foraging animals, and/or during migrations north and south to
optimise foraging strategies and for reproduction.
Outer slopes, drop offs, passes, channels and lagoon in association with
Humphead Wrasse (Cheilinus well-developed coral reefs.
undulatus). Biodiversity feature
for which AMAALA qualifies for Listed as an EN species. Highly sought after in local fisheries. Highly likely
designation as Critical Habitat ≥5 reproductive units at AMAALA, and possibly ≥0.5% of the regional
genetically unique population.
Identified nesting beaches and shallow water foraging environments,
Hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys including all coral reefs.
imbricata). Biodiversity feature
for which AMAALA qualifies for Triggers Criterion 1 as a CR species. Additionally, triggers Criterion 2 due
designation as Critical Habitat to genetic structure of hawksbill turtle populations that implies the AMAALA
population to be restricted range.
The existing sea water within the AoI has little evidence of anthropogenic
Sea water biological impacts. The sea water quality is a primary factor in the marine biodiversity
parameters such as and dynamics of the area, the ability to support rare and uncommon marine
21 Regional/Moderate
concentration of phytoplankton species and ecosystem services. Changes in sea water quality could
and algal blooms potentially destabilise ecosystem and trigger secondary impacts to
biodiversity.
The reefs in terms of structure and species diversity and the mangrove
Reefs provide spawning areas provide important habitat for breeding and nursey areas for species
22 grounds and nursery area for National/High which will move out into more open waters as they mature. Loss of these
commercial fish species sites will create risk of reduction of long term viability of fishing within wider
area
Critical Habitat Assessment process as per IFC Performance Standard 6
23 Critical Habitat International/Extreme
indicates that AMAALA contains Critical Habitats
24 Power and Water Regional/Moderate Power and water supply
United Nations Convention on

Migratory Species and
Includes the need to protect migratory species such as birds, marine
25 associated amendments and International/Extreme
mammals and sea turtles which are present within the project area.
Memorandum of
Understanding's
Program for the Environment of In particular the Protocol Concerning the Conservation of Biological
26 the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden National/High Diversity and the Establishment of Network of Protected Areas in the Red
(PERSGA) Sea and Gulf of Aden which was signed in 2005
IFC Performance Standard No

27 3: Resource Efficiency and International/Extreme Used as surrogate for multiple VERs.
Pollution
Saudi Arabia is a signatory to this international convention and has
obligations through membership to protect species and habitats which are
considered to be threatened. The commitment has been emphasised in
recent targets set in Aichi, of which two of the Strategic Goals are relevant.
United Nations Convention on
Biological Diversity Strategic Goal B: Reduce the direct pressures on biodive rsity and promote
sustainable use
Strategic Goal C: To improve the status of biodiversity by safeguarding

ecosystems, species and genetic diversity
29 Saudi national noise standards National/High As established in Executive Regulations of Environment La w for Noise
Existing high quality sea water with limited evidence of anthropogenic

impacts. The sea water quality is a primary factor in the marine ecology of
30 Sea water chemistry International/Extreme the area, the ability to support rare and uncommon marine species and
ecosystem services. Changes in sea water quality could potentially
destabilise surrounding ecosystem.
All seagrasses throughout AMAALA project area, estimated at 55.17 km 2 .
Seagrasses. Biodiversity Triggers IFC PS6 guidelines, as included in KSA National Strategy for the
feature for which AMAALA Conservation of Biodiversity.
qualifies for designation as
Critical Habitat Data limited, but likely triggers Criteria C & D of the IUCN Red List for
Threatened Ecosystems over the near future, with multiple high severity
abiotic and biotic stressors forecast over next 50 years.
Saudi national water quality
32 National/High As set out in Executive Regulations for Water Quality
standards
Sea water physical parameters Significant changes to sea water physical may cause secondary effects on
33 such as salinity, temperature, National/High marine ecological resources. Potentially destabilising the ecosystem
turbidity and chemistry functioning of the area.
Contamination of marine sediments may cause secondary long term
34 Marine sediment chemistry National/High
impacts on marine ecological receptors.
AMAALA development area is a VER and can be affected adversely or

35 AMAALA development area National/High
positively by other environmental and social aspects
36 Local Economy Local/Low Local businesses
37 AMAALA reputation National/High Reputational Risk for Project proponent
Compression and disturbance can cause loss of soils due to wind and water
38 Soil physical structure Regional/Moderate
erosion and restrict ability to support growth
Changes in soil chemistry may create secondary impacts on local terrestrial
39 Chemical status of soils Regional/Moderate
ecology
Sooty falcon (Falco Concolor).
Biodiversity feature for which The population of breeding Sooty falcons in the area represents ≥1% of the
AMAALA qualifies for Sooty falcon’s global population, under most assumptions.
designation as Critical Habitat
An important feature of the project area; providing structure, function, and
services to wildlife species and humans; support to evolutionary processes
41 Terrestrial Ecology Regional/Moderate
e.g. water retention to avoid flooding; important habitat for birds, small
mammals and reptiles (substrate, cover/shelter, foraging, reproduction) etc.
Wadi gravel water is utilised in some locations by bedu and others as their
42 Wadi Gravel Aquifer National/High main water source. If the Project activities are to utilise the same resource,
this may impact upon the availability of groundwater.
43 International/Extreme Need for project to comply with IFC Performance Standard 2
Labour and Worker Conditions
Project Personnel - OHS
44 National/High OHS impacts
impacts
45 National Air Quality Standards National/High As established in Executive Regulations of Environment Law on Air Quality
Habitat preference is for sandy seabed, seagrass beds, in vicinity of

Black Teatfish (Holothuria mangroves and on coral reefs.
nobilis). Biodiversity feature for
which AMAALA qualifies for
designation as Critical Habitat Triggers Criterion 1 as an EN species, based on extensive available habitat
implying that >5 reproductive units are highly likely to be present
47 Global Atmosphere International/Extreme KSA is a signatory to The Paris Agreement, UNFCCC. The Paris
Agreement's long-term temperature goal is to keep the rise in mean global
temperature to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels, and preferably
limit the increase to 1.5°C, recognising that this would substantially reduce
the impacts of climate change. Emissions should be reduced as soon as
possible and reach net zero in the second half of the 21st century. It aims to
increase the ability of parties to adapt to climate change impacts and
mobilise sufficient finance.
Biological (pathogen) status of
48 Regional/Moderate Current absence of e-coli and other sewage related pathogens
marine waters
Increases in noise from increased level of boat movements etc. will
49 Noise profile within marine area National/High
indirectly affect marine mammals and potential other species.
50 National Economy National/High National economy diversification in-line with Vision 2030.
Impact Types
The following text provides an overview of the impact (activities) which may interact with the
VERs to produce environmental and social effects.
Impacts from the activities can be characterised into two main types with subsets within each
type:
1. footprint impacts; and
2. activity impacts.
The activities can be further broken down into planned and unplanned events.
Examples of the major footprint areas and impacts of activities are provided in Figure 6-4
and Figure 6-5 respectively.
Figure 6-4 Examples of Project Elements Creating Footprint Impacts
Figure 6-5 Examples of Activities and Impacts
Mitigation
Detailed mitigation measures for identified significant effects are presented in the impac t
assessment and mitigation table. The Hierarchy of Mitigation has been used in developing
appropriate mitigation measures and the first stage of mitigation is to avoid effects. Based
on the SPRC model, avoidance of impacts can be achieved by removing th e source of the
impact, removal or interruption of the pathway or removal of the receptor.
Where impacts cannot be completely avoided, mitigation measures are provided which will
reduce the significance of the effects to a level as low as possible. Some effects are
unavoidable and cannot be effectively mitigated, for example, loss of sea turtle nesting areas
(please note that this is a non-project specific example). In some cases, even where the
impact has been assessed as not significant without mitigati on, GIIP measures are stated to
ensure impacts are minimised as far as reasonably practicable.
Mitigation by Design
Wherever possible, ongoing environmental input has been provided throughout the design
and development process and mitigation inputs have in fluenced the final design.
Compensation and Offsetting
The loss of habitats that cannot be avoided should be compensated by offsetting measures
that include:
 Relocation of the habitat, if feasible;
 Creation of new habitat - same habitat type if possible, or creation of other

habitat type of higher ecologic value; and
 Enhancement of existing habitat.
Construction and Operational Environmental and Social Management
A significant part of the mitigation will be implemented through adherence to a project -

specific Construction Environmental and Social Management Plan (CESMP), Operational
Environmental and Social Management Plan (OESMP) and other sub-plans.
Monitoring
Monitoring is separate from mitigation, with monitoring activities designed to ensure that the
implemented mitigation measures are effective and that there are no unanticipated impacts
which were not covered in this ESIA.
Residual Significant Effects
A significant residual impact is generally an adverse impact, whether direct or indirect, that
remains following adoption of avoidance and/or mitigation strategies.
Significant Impacts and Proposed Mitigation
The impact assessment for the activities which have the potential to significantly interact
with identified VER’s within the Project area is provided in this Section. In addition, impacts
may occur away from the actual project boundaries.
Technical Scope
Establishing the scope of the impact assessment is a fundamental stage of the Project and
helps focus the assessment on issues which matter. The techn ical scope of the ESIA was
determined during the ESIA Scoping Phase (BDC, January 2022). A summary is presented
in Table 6-7.
Table 6-7 Summary of ESIA Scope

operational phase emissions on ambient air quality.
activities are short-term in nature and there will be
Air Quality In limited emissions which could impact air quality
during operations. Generators are located on -site,
however, these are only for emergency use and are
not expected to be operated for significant periods
of time.
Archaeology and Cultural Scoped out following the conclusion of the Early
Out
Heritage Works activities.
Scoped in for assessment of extreme water levels
Climate Change In and wave conditions.
GHG Scope 1 emissions assessment undertaken.
Although the wadi diversion is to be assessed
Coastal Processes In separately, the wadi diversion has a potential
impact. A high-level assessment has been included.
Scoped in for assessment of potential social impacts
Community Health,
In associated with the community interaction
Safety, and Security
(particularly with regards to traffic and transport).
Geology and Soils In The ESIA will focus on risk and appropriate pollution
prevention measures.
Scoped in for the construction phase as temporary
mitigation measures will be required.
Hydrology In
Scoped out for the operational phase as the wadi
diversion is to be assessed outside of this ESIA.
Scoped in for assessment of working conditions for
Labour and Working construction and operations. Risks relating to
Conditions and Workers’ In worker accommodation has been scoped out for
Accommodation construction as this has been assessed separately
(as part of the Triple Bay Early Works ESIA).
Landscape and Visual Out development and that more significant infrastructure
and assets are likely to be developed adjacent.
Light Spill In
Scoped in due to the sensitive nature of the marine

Marine Ecology In
environment.
Limited extent of activities are not anticipated to
Material Resources Out give rise to risk of significant effects on supplies of
local resources.
construction and operational phases will be
undertaken.
Noise and vibration In activities are short-term in nature and there will be
limited operational noise sources. Generators are
located on-site, however, these are only for
emergency use and are not expected to be operated
for significant periods of time.
Population Influx and
Scoped out. The influx of workers is unlikely to
Local Infrastructure and Out
apply pressure on local infrastructure and services.
Services
Seawater and sediment Scoped in due to the sensitive nature of the marine
In
quality environment.
Scoped in. A high-level assessment of the potential
beneficial and adverse effects of the Project on local
and national socio-economic receptors will be
conducted.
Social In
undertake social baseline assessment for AMAALA.
Social surveys for AMAALA will be undertaken in
March 2022.
Stakeholder Engagement Out undertake community stakeholder engagement for
AMAALA. Engagement will be undertaken in March
2022.
Scoped in due to the known presence of common
terrestrial species.
Topic scoped in due to anticipated increase in
Traffic and Transportation In
construction and operational phase traffic.
Waste Management In
appropriate storage, management and disposal of
waste.
Water is a scarce commodity in Saudi Arabia. The
Water Resources In
ESIA will consider water use of the Project.
Summary of Identified Impacts
The impact characteristics and impact descriptors used in the impacts and mitigation
summary tables use the following key (Table 6-8).
Table 6-8 Abbreviations Used for Impact Identification
Abbreviation Impact
AQ Air Quality
Abbreviation Impact
AR Archaeology and Cultural Heritage
CC Climate Change
CH Community Health, Safety, and Security
CP Coastal Processes
HG Hydrology
Labour and Working Conditions and Workers’

LB
Accommodation
LS Light Spill
ME Marine Ecology
MQ Seawater and Marine Sediment Quality
NV Noise and Vibration
SE Social
SG Geology and Soils
TE Terrestrial Ecology
TT Traffic and Transportation
WM Waste Management
WR Water Resources
summary tables use the following key (Table 6-9).
Table 6-9 Abbreviations Used in Impact and Mitigation Summary Tables
Impact (Im) Impact Characteristic (C)
Very Local (VL)
Local (Lo)
Extent (E) Regional (Re)
National (N)
International (I)
Transient (T)
Duration (D) Very Short Term (VST)
Short Term (ST)
Medium (M)
Long Term (LT)
Permanent (Per)
One off (OO)
Rare (Ra)
Frequency (F) Infrequent (IF)
Frequent (Fre)
Continuous (Con)
Certain (Cer)
Probability (P) High (H)
Low (L)
Yes (Y)
Reversibility (R)
No (N)
Low (L)
Size (S) Medium (M)
High (H)
Score (SC) -
Air Quality
During construction activities, most of the plant, equipment and vehicles (e.g., trucks,
excavators, graders, etc.) will be powered by diesel engines which will emit NO x , SO 2 , PM,
CO and CO 2 to the atmosphere. Project vehicle movements, material dumping, and
excavation work will also cause emissions of dust to air that may cause nuisance impacts.
During the operational phase, power demand provided directly from AMAALA regional
infrastructure. Standby generators will be present on-site in case for emergency use. The
majority of vehicles on-site will be electric, however, diesel vehicles will be utilised for
AMAALA personnel for travel to other AMAALA development sites as well as by the various
service providers for personnel movements and goods deliveries.
Potential effects on ambient air quality include:
1. Localised change of ambient air and deterioration of air quality resulting

from burning of fossil fuel in engines of mobile and static sources,
including plant, trucks, vehicles and power generators;
2. Exceedance of national air quality standards due to excessive emission of

particulate matters and black smoke from plant and Heavy Goods
Vehicles (HGV) in the Project area and along transportation routes, which
includes unpaved roads;
3. Exceedance of national air quality standards due to fugitive dust

emissions generated during excavations, transportation of materials and
people, earth works, and grading, stockpiling, backfilling and ground
improvement works, and trackout by HGVs;
4. Volatile Organic Compounds emitted from open chemical containers and

fugitive emissions from hydrocarbon storage / refuelling activities;
5. Odour from poorly managed sanitary and waste management facilities;

and
6. Fugitive dust emissions impacting upon the marine environment.
Table 6-10 and Table 6-11 provides a summary of identified impacts, the VER that they act
upon, and the determined significance of the impact based on the matrix presented in
Section 6.1.8. Then committed mitigation measures are set out and this is followed by the
assessment of final significance of the impact based on the mitigation measures being fully
implemented and being effective throughout the Project
Table 6-10 Air Quality Construction Phase Impacts and Mitigation
Impact Receptor No and Receptor Value/ Sig before Sig after

Description Impact Magnitude Approved Mitigation Measures
ID Description Sensitivity mitigation Mitigation
AQ001 Emissions to ambient air from Im C S National Air Quality National/ High Medium  Development and implementation of an Air Quality Management Plan for AMAALA NS
fossil-fuelled mobile and S Lo 3 Standards review and approval. Contractor to ensure adequate resourcing and that relevant
stationary machinery, plant, E Lo 2
D ST 3 personnel are trained in the requirements of the plan.
HGVs and other vehicles
F Con 7  Where possible the use of mains powered electrical equipment shall be used in
P Cer 5 preference to using generators to provide power.
Rev Y 1  Vehicles, plant or stationary equipment observed to have an excessive amount of
Minor 21 emissions, shall be taken out of service immediately until repaired.
 All vehicles, plant or stationary equipment shall be operated by qualified and skilled
AQ002 Fugitive dust emissions Im C S National Air Quality National/ High Medium personnel (as per manufacturer’s instructions). NS
S Lo 3 Standards  Idling of vehicles, plant and equipment shall be prevented.
E Lo 2
D ST 3  Maintain a register of all vehicles, plant or stationary equipment on site for audit. The
F Fre 5 register shall include date of manufacture, engine details, hours of operation,
P Cer 5 maintenance dates, fuel type and emissions control devices installed.
Rev Y 1  All vehicles and plant used during the works shall be maintained to ensure optimum
Minor 19 performance and that no excess exhaust emissions are emitted. Contractors shall keep
records of all maintenance activities on file, for audit.
AQ003 Fugitive dust emissions Im C S Critical Habitat International/ Medium  Emissions from vehicles, plant or stationary equipment (generators, etc.) shall be NS
impacting upon marine water S Med 5 Extreme subject to daily visual inspection for the presence of dark / black emissions.
quality E Lo 2  Conduct emissions monitoring for vehicles, plant or stationary equipment used on site
D ST 3 in order to ensure that they comply with national emissions standards.
F Fre 5
P Cer 5  All vehicles/equipment on site shall be in a good state of repair and suitable for the task
being conducted.
Rev Y 1
 Activities which may contribute to airborne dust (excavating, handling friable materials)
Minor 21
shall be minimised on windy days.
 Provide an adequate number of water suppression trucks on site required for the
regular dampening down of the site road network. Water suppression trucks shall have
suitably manufactured sprinkler bars installed, which are designed to evenly distribute
water on road surfaces.
 All construction temporary access and haul roads shall be clearly demarcated, graded,
stabilised, and capped with suitable materials (crushed asphalt, gravel, etc. )
immediately after grading. All construction temporary access and haul roads shall be
regularly dampened down with water using a water suppression trucks, alternatively,
biodegradable liquid copolymer can be applied to unsurfaced roads for dust control.
 All trucks transporting bulk friable materials to, from and within the Project site shall be
covered with a suitable tarpaulin sheet or similar when in motion.
 Consider applying materials and surfaces that aide dust suppression where activities
have ceased.
 Phase construction activities to progressively execute the work to minimise the area of
land to be disturbed at any one time.
 Point-source dust emitting workplaces shall utilise vacuum collection systems or
surrounded by a fence lined with cloth or fabric to collect and contain dust at the point
of origin and avoid dust migration.
 Contractor to develop a Dust Control Plan for the project, for AMAALA review and
approved before starting works. Contractor to ensure adequate resourcing and that
relevant personnel are trained in the requirements of the plan.
 Verifiable evidence to be submitted to AMAALA to demonstrate appropriate training and
implementation once dust control has commenced.
 Waste areas are continuously inspected and tidied up if found to be untid y.
 Project to be setback 40 m from the coast.
 Dust generating activities will be monitored and / or suspended during periods of high
winds.
 Daily visible dust monitoring at all site boundaries and receptors and record all
monitoring activities.
 Trucks transporting bulk friable materials shall NOT be overfilled. Truck loads shall
NOT be filled within 300 mm of the top of the trucks dump box.
 Powdered materials shall be kept in closed bags / sealed containers when not in use.
 Large quantities of fill, aggregate or other dusty material stored on site shall be stored
within dry storage bunkers, provided with side enclosures.
 The drop height of excavated materials (onto the ground or into vehicles) shall be
minimised to limit dust emissions.
 Friable materials shall be kept moist prior to handling/loading to minimise dust and
control dust emissions.
 At locations where friable materials are loaded, unloaded, stockpiled or excavated,
water cannons and/or misting systems shall be provided to control airborne dust.
 Consider wind direction and the presence of sensitive receptors when planning
activities that generate airborne dust.
 Site inductions and toolbox talks to cover the importance of dust control and available
dust reduction measures.
 Vehicle speeds on all construction temporary access and haul roads shall be regulated
to 30km/h (or less when material is prone to being disturbed or windblown).
 All vehicular movements shall be restricted to defined access routes to minimise dust
emissions.
 The development of an external grievance mechanism will enable any complaints to be
dealt with swiftly and adequately.
 Regular air quality monitoring.
Table 6-11 Air Quality Operational Impacts and Mitigation
Receptor No and Receptor Value/ Sig before Sign after

Impact ID Description Impact Magnitude Approved Mitigation Measures
Description Sensitivity Mitigation Mitigation
AQ004 Emissions to ambient air Im C S National Air Quality National/ High Medium  Use of electric vehicles on-site wherever possible. NS
from fossil-fuelled mobile Standards  Vehicles, plant or stationary equipment observed to have an excessive amount of
and stationary plant, S Med 5
emissions, shall be taken out of service immediately until repaired.
equipment, HGVs and other E Lo 2
vehicles  All vehicles, vessels, plant or stationary equipment shall be operate d by qualified and
D LT 7 skilled personnel (as per manufacturer’s instructions).
F Con 7  Idling of vehicles, plant and equipment shall be prevented.
 Maintain a register of all vehicles, plant or stationary equipment on site for audit. The
P Cer 5
register shall include date of manufacture, engine details, hours of operation,
Rev Y 1 maintenance dates, fuel type and emissions control devices installed.
Moderate 27  All vehicles and plant used during the works shall be maintained to ensure optimum
performance and that no excess exhaust emissions are emitted. Contractors shall keep
records of all maintenance activities on file, for audit.
 Emissions from vehicles, plant or stationary equipment (generators, etc.) shall be
subject to regular visual inspection for the presence of dark / black emissions.
 Conduct emissions monitoring for vehicles, plant or stationary equipment used on site in
order to ensure that they comply with national emissions standards.
 All vehicles, plant or equipment on site shall be in a good state of repair and suitable for
the task being conducted.
 The development of a community grievance mechanism will enable any complaints to be
dealt with swiftly and adequately. Any monitoring undertaken as required.
Climate Change
Table 6-12 outlines the potential contributions of the Project on GHG emissions to the
atmosphere.
Table 6-12 Potential Project Contributions to GHG Emissions
Phase GHG Contributions
 GHG emissions from on-site power generators, heavy machinery and

vehicle movement
Construction
 GHG emissions from embodied carbon through material extraction and
manufacturing processes
 GHG from vehicle movements
Operation  GHG from maintenance of buildings and infrastructure assets
 Impacts to the Project powered by climate change
Lifecycle GHG Impact Assessment
In line with Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA) guidance, the
Lifecycle GHG impact - the impact of GHG emissions arising from the Project on the climate
during the lifecycle stages within the scope of the assessment has been assessed. This is a
business as usual, or ‘do-nothing’ scenario, whereby the Project is not consented, for those
lifecycle stages within the scope of the assessment. The quantity of GHG emissions would,
therefore, remain unchanged from the current level.
As the current land use of the site is undeveloped land, and there is currently no consented
development within the Project boundary, the baseline emissions for the lifecycle GHG
impact assessment are zero.
Scope 1 Emissions – Construction Phase
Scope 1 (all direct emissions from the activities of an organisation under their control - this
includes fuel combustion on site, from owned vehicles and fugitive emissions ) GHG
emissions have been calculated based upon information provided by AMAALA and industry-
standard emissions factors. A number of assumptions regarding construction GHG emissions
have had to be made due to the lack of detailed construction methods not being fully
developed at the time of this report:
 The construction equipment is as presented in Table 3-2, however, exact

numbers are not yet known, as such, estimates of the numbers of equipment
have been made based upon professional judgement ;
 A six day working week comprising 9 hour days for a total of 1,248 days
(construction of buildings will start in June 2022 and finish in January 2026 );
 Fuel usage: Diesel - 130,000 l/day and Gasoline - 90,000 l/day; and
 All electricity to be provided during construction via generators. N o other sources

to be used - therefore, a Scope 2 (indirect emissions from electricity purchased
and used by the organisation) emissions calculations has not been undertaken.
The overall construction emissions equate to approximately 176,686 tCO2e per annum.
Scope 1 Emissions - Operations Phase
As Project-owned vehicles and energy sources will be electric, and therefore will not produce
direct emissions, therefore, only routine maintenance and testing (assumed to be 300 hours
over the project lifespan) of the emergency standby generators is included within this
assessment. Please note that as operational energy use will be from renewable sources,
there are no emissions associated with this purchased energy. Therefore, a Scope 2
assessment has not be undertaken.
The overall operational phase emissions equate to approximately 18,888 tCO2e per annum.
In-built Design Mitigation
Much has been done through the design to build in setback areas for ecological conservation
these should be considered too in terms of adaption for resilience against climate change
effects such as sea level rise, great flood intensity and hotter, drier climates. Further, the
design of assets, particularly infrastructure has and must continue to adopt the 100 -year plus
20% flow requirements. The Green Building principles and Sustainability commitments that
underpin the AMAALA develop also provide a strong basis for resilience.
In-built mitigation has been factored, where possible, into the CO 2 e emissions values.
However, while carbon offsetting will be undertaken in line with the Net Zero Carbon
requirement outlined in the AMAALA Sustainability Framework, the precise approach of the
offsetting is yet to be determined.
The offsetting options are described in more detail within the Sustainabi lity Framework. As a
result of the uncertainty around the specific approach at this stage, this assessment includes
all emissions prior to carbon offsetting, and therefore presents a worst case scenario.
Saudi Arabia Emissions Inventory
The contribution of construction and operational GHG emissions in relation to Saudi Arabia’s
emissions inventory is summarised in Table 6-13.
Table 6-13 Project Contribution to Saudi Arabia’s Emissions Inventory
Annual GHG
Reporting Annual Emissions % of Emissions
Project Phase Emissions for
Year Inventory (tCO2e) Inventory
Reporting Year
Construction 2020 676,000,000 176,686 0.0261%
Operation 2030 815,000,000 18,888 0.0023%
The construction and operation emissions that it has been possible to quantify are well
below the 1% threshold in comparison to Saudi Arabia’s emissions inventories for 2020 and
2030, respectively. Assumptions have been made, therefore, as further information becomes
available these assumptions must continue to be checked to ensure that the commitments to
zero carbon operational energy are upheld.
implemented and being effective throughout the Project .
Table 6-14 Climate Change Impacts Construction Impacts and Mitigation

CC001 Structures impacted by Im C S Structures Local/ Low Medium  Ensure that the development is designed to take sea level rise into consideration . NS
extreme water levels and  Ensure that climate change adaptation and resilience measures are constructed.
waves S Hi 8
E Lo 2  Protect the developed areas from flooding by appropriate stormwater design and layout
planning including land raising.
D LT 7  Setback from major wadis, where not possible, designed interventions to reduce the
F Fre 5 effects of the development should be implemented.
 Access routes and associated road crossings for wadi flows be designed for
P Cer 5
appropriate design flood events.
Rev N 5
Moderate 32
CC002 Impact on working conditions Im C S IFC Performance International/ Medium  Workers Welfare Plan must consider the potential impacts of climate change on the NS
due to hotter conditions Standard 2 Labour Extreme health and safety of construction workers and the suitability of working conditions.
S Hi 8 and Worker
E Lo 2 Conditions
D Med 5
F Fre 5
P Hi 3
Rev Y 1
Minor 24
CC003 Increase in GHGs emissions Im C S Global Atmosphere International/ High  Energy demand and use management. NS
from on-site power Extreme  Use of energy efficient plant, equipment and machinery .
generators, heavy machinery S Hi 8
and vehicle movements E Int 7  Technology or process improvements.
 Management of transport and travel demands.
D Med 5
 Use of buses / coaches to transport large numbers of workers.
F Con 7
P Ce 5
Rev N 5
Major 37
CC004 GHG emissions from Im C S Global Atmosphere International/ High  Apply low carbon solutions to minimise resource consumption. The choices of materials NS
embodied carbon through Extreme and products to be used should be reconsidered through the design development and
material extraction and S Hi 8
procurement strategies, particularly in terms of embodied carbon and lifecycle GHG.
manufacturing processes E Int 7 This is a commitment that emanates through AMAALA’s choice to embody Green
Building and Sustainability Benchmark requirements in their designs.
D Med 5
 Construct efficiently.
F Con 7  Technology or process improvements.
P Ce 5  The circular economy principles must be embedded in procurement
Rev N 5
Major 37
Table 6-15 Climate Change Impacts Operational Impacts and Mitigation

CC005 Impact on working conditions Im C S IFC Performance International/ Medium  Workers Welfare Plan must consider the potential impacts of climate change on the NS
due to hotter conditions Standard 2 Labour Extreme health and safety of construction workers and the suitability of working conditions.
S Hi 8 and Worker
E Lo 2 Conditions
D LT 5
F Fre 5
P Hi 3
Rev Y 1
Minor 24
CC006 Increase in GHGs emissions Im C S Global Atmosphere International/ High  Management of transport and travel demands. NS
from vehicle movement to Extreme  Use of buses / coaches to transport large numbers of workers.
and from the site S Hi 8
E Int 7  Promote use of electric buggies, scooters and bicycles. Minimise use of fossil fuel
vehicles.
D LT 7  Carbon offsetting.
F Con 7
P Ce 5
Rev N 5
Major 39
CC007 GHG emissions from Im C S Global Atmosphere International/ High  Energy demand and use management. NS
maintenance of buildings and Extreme  Energy efficient plant and equipment.
infrastructure/ assets S Hi 8
E Int 7  Technology or process improvements.
 Apply low carbon solutions to minimise resource consumption.
D LT 7
 Carbon offsetting
F Con 7
P Ce 5
Rev N 5
Major 39
Coastal Processes
The development could potentially impact the coastal processes as result of the wadi
diversion (the assessment of the wadi diversion itself is outside the scope of this ESIA) .
Such impacts include:
 Impacts on the hydrodynamic regime and / or geomorphology of the Project area

resulting in alterations to coastal process es (for example, existing patterns of
flushing and circulation of sea water) due to the change in location of the wadi
discharge, by reduced outflow at the current location and increased outflow at the
proposed location; and
 Increased current speeds, due to increased water flow, causing mobilisation of

sediment and scouring as well as potential distribution of additional sediment
load.
The potential impacts and proposed mitigation measures from the construction and
operational phases are shown in Table 6-16 and Table 6-17 respectively.
Table 6-16 Coastal Processes Construction Impacts and Mitigation

CP001 Changes in hydrodynamics Im C S 25. Critical Habitat International/ High  Ensure that the wadi diversion design is assessed through hydrodynamic modelling High – this
due to wadi diversion Extreme and, if deemed necessary, that it is appropriately modified to take account of potential should be re-
resulting in alterations to S Med 5 assessed
impacts that may result from changes to coastal processes.
coastal processes. E Lo 2  The energy dissipation structures, such as gabion baskets, to be utilised where the once the
flow velocity exceeds permissible velocity. wadi
D LT 7 diversion has
 Use of sediment traps to reduce sediment content of the wadi discharge. been
F Con 7
designed and
P Cer 5 assessed.
Rev Y 1
Moderate 27
Table 6-17 Coastal Processes Operational Impacts and Mitigation

CP002 Changes in hydrodynamics Im C S 25. Critical Habitat International/ High  Ensure that the wadi diversion design is assessed through hydrodynamic modelling High – this
due to wadi diversion Extreme and, if deemed necessary, that it is appropriately modified to take account of potential should be re-
resulting in alterations to S Med 5 assessed
impacts that may result from changes to coastal processes.
coastal processes. E Lo 2  The energy dissipation structures, such as gabion baskets, to be utilised where the once the
flow velocity exceeds permissible velocity. wadi
D LT 7 diversion has
 Use of sediment traps to reduce sediment content of the wadi discharge. been
F Con 7
designed and
P Cer 5 assessed.
Rev Y 1
Moderate 27
Community Health, Safety and Security
An assessment of risks to community health, safety, and security is required as per IFC
Performance Standard 4 and relates to public health and potential risks to the community
from major accidents.
The Project activities, both construction and operation, will lead to an increase in vehicular
traffic which will lead to deterioration of the access routes, increase noise impacts and the
creation of dust. Noise, vibration and dust will lead to increased irritation especially in
communities, which may cause social distress, reaction against the Project, and possible
health impacts. Furthermore, increased traffic may also result in road safety risks, especially
in areas where there are pedestrians on the road, for example, near schools where ch ildren
are waiting for transport or are walking home.
Accessing the Project site will require utilisation of the existing road network, which may lead
to nuisance complaints or an increased potential for road traffic accidents – thus affecting
the local community.
The development of an external grievance mechanism will enable any complaints to be dealt
with swiftly and adequately. Toolbox talks regarding community health, safety, and security
should also held during the Project concerning key issues such as road safety awareness,
risks for the transportation and potential spillage of hazardous materials and site safety
awareness and access restrictions. With the implementation of a grievance mechanism and
appropriate training, the impact is considered to b e not significant.
Table 6-18 Community Health, Safety and Security Construction Impacts and Mitigation

CH001 Community Health, Safety, Im C S Local Communities National/ High Medium  The development of an external grievance mechanism will enable any complaints to be NS
and Security. Construction S Hi 8 dealt with swiftly and adequately.
activities will lead to an 2  Toolbox talks regarding community health, safety, and security will also held concerning
E Lo
increase in vehicular traffic key issue such as road safety awareness, risks for the transportation and potential
which will lead to D ST 3
spillage of hazardous materials and site safety awareness and access restrictions.
deterioration of these access F Ra 2
Induction to include the locations of sensitive communities.
routes and the creation of Hi 3
P  The local communities will be made aware of the existence of the Staff Village
dust. Increased terrestrial
traffic may also result in Rev N 5 development advised to keep away from the area. In order to mitigate this, the site will
safety risks. Interaction with 23 be securely fenced, and site security will be provided. Security will be required to
Minor undertake regular patrols around the site to check the integrity of fencing and look for
security personnel.
signs that people have been in the vicinity.
CH002 Hauling of raw sewage along Im C S Local Communities National/ High Medium  Security guards will not carry firearms and security arrangements will be planned using NS
public highways causing S Med 5 licensed businesses, background checked and trained personnel. Site security will be
potential risk of 2 adequately trained in how to interact with the local community should the need arise.
E Lo
contamination after traffic
3  All plant, machinery and vehicles shall be operated efficiently by trained and qualified
incident. D ST
operators and according to the manufacturer’s specifications Project related drivers,
F Ra 2 including third party suppliers, shall have the relevant qualifications and licenses.
P Lo 2  The Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Plan will also include a road safety element
Rev N 5 including maximum speed limits and permissible access routes.
Minor 19  AMAALA to ensure coordination of vehicle traffic and heavy traffic generated from
concurrent construction projects, including Simultaneous Operations (SIMOPS)
meetings on a minimum weekly basis.
CH003 Noise, Vibration and Dust Im C S Local Communities National/ High Medium  All site vehicles to have audible and visual warnings when operating in reverse gear. NS
Impacts. Construction S Med 5  AMAALA Community Liaison Officers (CLOs) to deal with grievances raised by
vehicles and excavations will 2 community members on a case by case basis, monitoring for patterns and taking
E Lo
increase ambient noise and appropriate action where required.
decrease air quality through D ST 3
dust. Noise, vibration and Fre 5  Employment of CLOs, preferably from the local community, to act as liaison between
F
dust will lead to increased AMAALA and the communities during construction. If possible, both male and female
P Hi 3
irritation especially in CLOs will be employed.
Y 1
adjacent communities, which Rev  CLO will deal with grievances raised by community members on a case by case basis,
may cause social distress, Minor 19 monitoring for patterns and taking appropriate action where required.
reaction against the Project,  An Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan for the Project will be developed in
and possible health impacts. collaboration and consultation with local community representatives, especially in areas
where community response and cooperation is required for effective execution of the
Plan. There will be particular emphasis in the discussions with communities placed on
road safety.
 Contractor shall maintain a record of investigation of traffic accidents and near misses
for road traffic related incidents, including a procedure to inform AMAALA and any
competent Authorities of any accidents in a timely manner, and resolve i ssues with
appropriate traffic management measures.
 Develop and implement a Traffic Management Plan (TMP) to a level beyond the
national safety standards. The TMP will be applicable to all lower tier transport service
providers, as well as contractor vehicles and drivers. As a minimum, this will include:
o Contact details for Transportation Managers and Supervisors;
o Mapping of agreed transport routes to site;
o Mapping of obstructions (low bridges, overhead cables, weight restrictions);
o Mapping of sensitive locations along the route that should be avoided, or speed
restricted– schools, clinics, shopping centres etc.;
o Proposals to coordinate traffic movements to avoid congestion or queuing at site
entrances or on public roads to include: dispatching systems, vehi cle holding
areas, allocated time slots, coordination between contractors etc.;
o Safety requirements for vehicles, minimum standards and inspection regime;
o Driver safety measures (e.g. controlling and monitoring working hours, applicable
limits, speed limiters, tachographs, driver training etc.);
o Procedures in the event of an accident or breakdown;
o Separation of pedestrians and vehicles;
o Details of site entrances for various vehicle types;
o Construction site circulation routes; and
o Marshalling and traffic signs on site.
 Ensure all drivers and contractors’ transport managers are trained on the requirements
of the TMP. Verifiable evidence to be submitted to AMAALA to demonstrate appropriate
training and implementation once works have commenced, as part of the We ekly
Environmental Metrics (WEM) reporting.
 Contractor to include appropriate measures for safe transportation of workers onto and
from site in the project Transportation Management Plan
 Contractors to ensure that transportation of materials and workers on to/from site is
optimised so that journey distance and number of journeys are minimised.
 Provision of cultural sensitivity training to all international personnel. This will be done
through the project induction, distribution of information brochures, and training.
 AMAALA and its contractors, as relevant, will be responsible for regular maintenance of
site and access roads to reduce erosion, pot-holing and degradation of drainage
channels to maintain access and road safety. Main roads will be repaired if si gnificantly
damaged by HGVs during construction.
 Contractor shall maintain a record of investigation of traffic accidents and near misses
for road traffic related incidents, including a procedure to inform AMAALA and any
competent Authorities of any accidents in a timely manner, and resolve issues with
appropriate traffic management measures.
 All project related vehicles, transport equipment, signage, etc. shall conform to national
road safety standards and be provided with mandatory insurance coverage.
 No unauthorised off road driving outside of approved haul roads and active work sites,
unless in emergency.
 All vehicles and transport equipment engaged in activities for the Project, including
lower tier service providers, must be in compliance with the ESIA and TMP and comply
with all HSE requirements of AMAALA. All vehicles must leave the contractors, sub -
contractors or lower tier service provider’s maintenance and storage yards in the
standard required to safely operate in AMAALA. Vehicle safety signoff is required prior
to departure for all vehicles. This must include all potential transport issues from faulty
controls on vehicles (particularly windscreens, rear view mirrors and steps) to
homemade fixes, bald tyres, malfunctioning exhaust systems, through to incorrect and
improper load tie down practices.
 Speeds shall be regulated on all site roads to 30km/h or less, as appropriate
 All site vehicles to have audible and visual warnings when operating in reverse gear
 Contractor to conduct systematic risk assessment of transportation routes and manage
risk in accordance with IFC Performance Standard 4 requirements. Noting that
avoidance of risk is the preferred option.
 Contractors to ensure that transportation of materials and workers onto/from site is
optimised so that journey distance and number of journeys are minimised
 The Contractor shall institute driving awareness and education programs.
 All project related vehicles, transport equipment, signage etc shall conform to national
 Conduct emissions monitoring for vehicles, plant or stationary equipment used on site
in order to ensure that they comply with national emissions standards.
 Damaged or defective noise mitigation components shall be replaced immediately.
 All vehicles, compressors and mobile equipment shall be equipped with effective
silencers and noise reducing insulation.
 All plant, machinery and vehicles shall be fitted with appropriate mufflers are
maintained in good working order.
 Maintenance and servicing of noise mitigation on plant, equipment and vehicles shall
be done in accordance with manufacturer’s recommendations.
 Emissions from vehicles, plant or stationary equipment (generators, etc.) shall be
subject to daily visual inspection for the presence of dark / black emissions.
 Vehicles, plant or stationary equipment observed to have an excessive amount of
emissions, shall be taken out of service immediately until repaired.
 Idling of vehicles, plant and equipment shall be prevented.
 Maintain a register of all vehicles, plant or stationary equipment on site for audit. The
register shall include date of manufacture, engine details, hours of operation,
maintenance dates, fuel type and emissions control devices installed.
 Prior to deployment on site, all vehicles and equipment to be in compliance with
national standards. Once on site, vehicles and equipment to undergo regular
maintenance and periodic testing to ensure compliance with National Emissions
Standards. Test certificates to be provided to AMAALA as part of the WEM. Applicable
to both stationary emission sources and mobile plant, such as mobile generators, heavy
duty trucks, and large earthmoving equipment.
 Plants and equipment shall be operated at their optimum rated loads and not beyond
their design values
 Continuous noise sources (such as generators) to have noise hoarding installed, if
national ambient noise standards are exceeded
 Noisy plant or equipment to be situated away from noise sensitive areas. If required,
install temporary noise barriers or create earth bunds to control construction noise
impact in the vicinity of the nearby noise sensitive receptors.
 If possible, haulage routes to avoid local communities are to be developed and utilised
exclusively by the project
Table 6-19 Community Health, Safety and Security Operational Impacts and Mitigation

CH004 Community Health, Safety, Im C S Local Communities National/ High Medium  The development of an external grievance mechanism will enable any complaints to be NS
and Security. Operational dealt with swiftly and adequately.
activities will lead to an S Hi 8
 Toolbox talks regarding community health, safety, and security will be held concerning
increase in vehicular traffic E Lo 2 key issue such as road safety awareness, risks for the transportation and potential
which will lead to spillage of hazardous materials and site safety awareness and access restrictions.
deterioration of these access D LT 7
Induction is to include the locations of sensitive communities.
routes and the creation of F Ra 2
dust. Increased terrestrial  The local communities will be made aware of the existence of the Project and advised
traffic may also result in P Hi 3 to keep away from the area. In order to mitigate this, the landing site on the mainland
safety risks. Interaction with will be securely fenced, and site security will be provided. Security will be required to
Rev N 5 undertake regular patrols around the site to check the integrity of fencing and look for
security personnel.
Moderate 27 signs that people have been in the vicinity.
 Security guards will not carry firearms and security arrangements wil l be planned using
licensed businesses, background checked and trained personnel. Site security will be
CH005 Hauling of raw sewage along Im C S Local Communities National/ High Medium adequately trained in how to interact with the local community should the need arise. NS
public highways causing
S Med 5  All plant, machinery, vessels and vehicles shall be operated eff iciently by trained and
potential risk of qualified operators and according to the manufacturer’s specifications Project related
contamination after traffic E Lo 2 drivers, including third-party suppliers, shall have the relevant qualifications and
incident. licenses.
D LT 7
 The OHS Plan will also include a road safety element including maximum speed limits
F Ra 2 and permissible access routes.
P Lo 2  AMAALA CLOs to deal with grievances raised by community members on a case by
case basis, monitoring for patterns and taking appropriate action where required.
Rev N 5
 Employment of CLOs, preferably from the local community, to act as liaison between
Minor 23 AMAALA and the communities. If possible, both male and female CLOs will be
employed.
 An EPRP for the Project will be developed in collaboration and consultation with local
CH006 Noise, Vibration and Dust Im C S Local Communities National/ High Medium community representatives, especially in areas where community response and NS
Impacts. Operational cooperation is required for effective execution of the Plan. There will be particular
vehicles, equipment and plant S Med 5
emphasis in the discussions with communities placed on road safety.
will increase ambient noise E Lo 2
and decrease air quality.  Contractor shall maintain a record of investigation of traf fic accidents and near misses
Noise, and vibration will lead D LT 7 for road traffic related incidents, including a procedure to inform AMAALA and any
to increased irritation or
nuisance especially in F Fre 5 competent Authorities of any accidents in a timely manner, and resolve issues with
adjacent communities, which appropriate traffic management measures.
may cause social distress, P Hi 3
 Develop and implement a TMP to a level beyond the national safety standards. The
reaction against the Project, TMP will be applicable to all lower tier transport service providers, as well as
Rev Y 1
and possible health impacts. contractor vehicles and drivers. As a minimum, this will include:
Minor 23
o Contact details for Transportation Managers and Supervisors;
o Mapping of agreed transport routes to site;
o Mapping of obstructions (low bridges, overhead cables, weight restrictions);
o Mapping of sensitive locations along the route that should be avoided, or speed
restricted– schools, clinics, shopping centres etc.;
o Proposals to coordinate traffic movements to avoid congestion or queuing at site
entrances or on public roads to include: dispatching systems, vehicle holding
areas, allocated time slots, coordination between contractors etc.;
o Safety requirements for vehicles, minimum standards and inspection regime;
o Driver safety measures (e.g. controlling and monitoring working hours, applicable
limits, speed limiters, tachographs, driver training etc.);
o Procedures in the event of an accident or breakdown;
o Separation of pedestrians and vehicles;
o Details of site entrances for various vehicle types;
o Construction site circulation routes; and
o Marshalling and traffic signs on site.
 Ensure all drivers and transport managers are trained on the requirements of the TMP.
 Operator to include appropriate measures for safe transportation of workers onto and
from site in the TMP.
 Operator to ensure that transportation of materials and workers onto/from site is
optimised so that journey distance and number of journeys are mini mised.
 Provision of cultural sensitivity training to all international personnel. This will be done
through the project induction, distribution of information brochures, and training.
 AMAALA will be responsible for regular maintenance of site and access ro ads to
reduce erosion, pot-holing and degradation of drainage channels to maintain access
and road safety. Main roads will be repaired if significantly damaged by HGVs.
 All vehicles, vessels and transport equipment engaged in activities for the Project,
including lower tier service providers, must be in compliance with the ESIA and TMP
and comply with all HSE requirements of AMAALA. Vehicle safety signoff is required
prior to departure for all vehicles. This must include all potential transport issues from
faulty controls on vehicles (particularly windscreens, rear view mirrors and steps) to
homemade fixes, bald tyres, malfunctioning exhaust systems, through to incorrect and
improper load tie down practices.
 All site vehicles to have audible and visual warnings when operating in reverse gear.
 Operator to conduct systematic risk assessment of transportation routes and manage
risk in accordance with IFC Performance Standard 4 requirements. Noting that
avoidance of risk is the preferred option.
 Operator shall institute driving awareness and education programmes.
 All project related vehicles, transport equipment, signage etc. shall conform to national
 Conduct emissions monitoring for vehicles, vessels, plant or stationary equipment used
on site in order to ensure that they comply with national emissions standards.
 Damaged or defective noise mitigation components shall be replaced immediately.
 All vehicles, vessels, compressors and mobile equipment shall be equipped with
effective silencers and noise reducing insulation.
 All plant, machinery, vessels, and vehicles shall be fitted with appropriate mufflers
which are maintained in good working order.
 Emissions from vehicles, vessels, plant or stationary equipment (generators, etc.) shall
be subject to daily visual inspection for the presence of dark / blac k emissions.
 Vehicles, vessels, plant or stationary equipment observed to have an excessive
amount of emissions, shall be taken out of service immediately until repaired.
 Idling of vehicles, vessels, plant and equipment shall be prevented.
 Maintain a register of all vehicles, vessels, plant or stationary equipment on site for
audit. The register shall include date of manufacture, engine details, hours of
operation, maintenance dates, fuel type and emissions control devices installed.
 Prior to deployment on site, all vehicles, vessels, plant and equipment to be in
compliance with national standards. Once on site, vehicles and equipment to undergo
regular maintenance and periodic testing to ensure compliance with National
Emissions Standards. Test certificates to be provided to AMAALA as part of the WEM.
Applicable to both stationary emission sources and mobile plant, such as mobile
generators, heavy duty trucks, and large earthmoving equipment.
 Plants and equipment shall be operated at their optimum rated load s and not beyond
their design values.
 Continuous noise sources (such as generators) to have noise hoarding installed, if
national ambient noise standards are exceeded.
 Noisy plant or equipment to be situated away from noise sensitive areas. If required,
install noise barriers or create earth bunds to control noise impact in the vicinity of the
nearby noise sensitive receptors.
 If possible, transportation routes to avoid local communities are to be developed and
utilised exclusively by the Project.
Hydrology
The Project site drains in an easterly direction via a large wadi and drainage line s. Under
normal conditions, this wadi and drainage lines are dry riverbeds. However, during intense
rainfall events, significant runoff volumes have the potential to cause flooding impacts.
Key potential impacts identified prior to the construction of the wadi diversion, which is
outside of this ESIA, include increased sediment loading from runoff due to the removal of
vegetation, bulk earthworks in and around wadis, and suspended solid runoff during rainfall
events. Modifications to the natural catchment runoff characteristics in terms of directions,
velocities, rates and volumes could increase flood risk. Road infrastructure crossing wadis
can impact flow during flood events, causing a backwater effect which increases flood levels
upstream or alters/diverts overland flow routes.
The above impacts can be effectively controlled through the in -built and additional mitigation
measures, the key to which are temporary mitigation measures, such as a cut off channel
and bunds as well as a construction phase maint enance management plan to ensure that the
stormwater infrastructure implemented is regularly checked, particularly following a high -
intensity rainfall event to ensure the system is fully functioning before the next event.
A wadi diversion will be required and is currently being designed. This will be assessed
outside of the ESIA once the PPP Infrastructure design information is available and the wadi
diversion design can be progressed, however, to allow the Main Works to progress
temporary measures to mitigate any construction impacts relating to heavy rainfall or
flooding are presented in Table 6-20. In line with the Management of Change procedure
presented in Section 2.1.3, please note that that this ESIA will be reviewed, and i f
necessary, revised once the wadi diversion design has been completed. Furthermore, it
should be noted that IA is an iterative process and any mitigation measures proposed will be
monitored to ensure their effectiveness once deployed.
The location of mitigation measures such as temporary bunds and cut off channels is shown
in Figure 6-6.
Figure 6-6 Staff Village Temporary Flooding Mitigation Measures
Source: Proposed Short Term Temporary Storm Water Site Protection Measures Sheet (1 -4), Haif Trading and Contracting Company, April 20 22
Table 6-20 Hydrology Construction Impacts and Mitigation

HG001 Changes to hydrological Im C S 25. Critical Habitat International/ Medium  Construction of a cut off channel to provide temporary protection during the summer Low
regime prior to the Extreme months.
construction of the wadi S Med 5
 On the west side of the Project site, earth bunds shall be constructed to divert any
diversion E Lo 2 potential overflow back into the existing wadi.
D Med 5  No discharges to the marine environment of any material s, liquid or solid.
F Inf 3  Stormwater runoff with heavy sediments and particulate matter shall be prevented from
reaching water bodies.
P Cer 5
 Contractor to develop a project-specific EPRP and a Spill Prevention and Management
Rev N 5 Plan (SPMP) for approval prior to the start of works. To include all aspects of
construction, as well as including incident investigation and identification of immediate
2 response actions (site delimitation, emergency response and control measures to
Minor
5 prevent exposure of people and damage to the envi ronment, reporting instructions and
key contact details) and procedures for enacting remediation measures. Contractor to
ensure that they are adequately resourced and implemented. EPRP to include flooding
(from wadis or storm surge).
 All personnel shall be trained in appropriate precautionary and emergency procedures
and in the specific requirements of the EPRP and SPMP. Verifiable evidence to be
submitted to demonstrate appropriate training and implementation once works have
commenced.
 Drained water must be allowed to accumulate and settle prior to discharge.
 Stockpiles should be placed in such a way that it limits excessive runoff by creating
berms around.
 Construction maintenance management plan to ensure that the stormwater
infrastructure implemented is regularly maintained.
 Ensure the design of all waste storage areas, chemical storage areas, fuel tanks and
filling areas, etc. consider stormwater flows and the separation of clean and dirty
water.
 Establish the stormwater system prior to all construction activities to safeguard
equipment and workers as well as to reduce soil erosion and sedimentation impacts
should a high rainfall event occur.
Labour and Working Conditions and Workers’ Accommodation
The Project activities and the use of workers’ acco mmodation pose potential risks to the
health, safety and, therefore, wellbeing of workers if not managed appropriately. It is
assumed that existing worker accommodation camps will be used.
Generic health and safety issues associated with the use of tempora ry accommodation sites
include those relating to sanitation, disease, fire and cultural alienation. Similarly, there is
the risk of adverse occupational health and safety (OHS) impacts related to personal
accident or injury.
Some of the OHS risks which are likely to arise during the Project, include:
 exposure to physical hazards from use of heavy equipment and cranes;
 trip and fall hazards; exposure to dust, noise and vibration;
 falling objects;
 exposure to hazardous materials; and
 exposure to electrical hazards from the use of tools and machinery.
Other likely OHS risks to Project workers include exposure to cold temperatures during
winter or heat during summer.
The health and safety of the workers while at work will be safeguarded through the creation
of a rigorous Health and Safety (H&S) Management System. Among other things, the
contractor will be required to ensure that all staff are appropriately trained for the task in
hand and given the appropriate protective equipment, provide regular performance H &S
updates to AMAALA, and adequately resource and implement the H&S system. All
contractors will be audited relating to their H&S performance.
There are also potentially adverse impacts on workers related to their terms of engagement
and relationship with their employer. Migrant workers may only work in the KSA with prior
approval from the Ministry of Labour and the Ministry of Interior. AMAALA should ensure
that all contractors’ procurement contracts contain clauses banning child and forced labour,
prohibiting the retention of worker’s passports, and that risk assessments are undertaken to
identify any high risk sub-contractors or suppliers. Systems should be put into place to
promote the responsible recruitment of migrant workers, manage fair working co nditions,
inform workers of their rights via a Worker Grievance Mechanism, and develop a non -
discrimination policy.
Project personnel will be housed within AMAALA accommodation and will be transported to
the Project site on a daily basis. There is a risk that the accommodation is not in line with
AMAALA Worker Accommodation Welfare Standards (AMAALA, 2020) and ILO
requirements.
Section 6.1.8. Then committed mitigation measures are set out and this is followed b y the
implemented and being effective throughout the Project.
Table 6-21 Labour and Working Conditions and Workers’ Accommodation Construction Impacts and Mitigation

ID Description Sensitivity Mitigation Mitigation
LB001 Construction activities will Im C S IFC Performance International/ High  Contractor to ensure compliance to IFC Performance Standard 2. NS
pose potential risks to the Standard 2 Labour Extreme  Contractor will undertake an independent multi-disciplinary hazard and
health, safety and, therefore, S Hi 8 and Worker operability (HAZOP) study in order to undertake a systematic review of hazards.
wellbeing of construction E Lo 2 Conditions
workers if not managed  Contractor will provide all required protective equipment free of charge to
appropriately. Living conditions D Med 5 workers.
not in compliance to ILO F Fre 5  AMAALA will review the likelihood of the use of child or forced labour or the
requirements, IFC/EBRD presence of occupational safety issues within their primary supply chain prior to
guidance and AMAALA welfare P Hi 3 engaging suppliers. AMAALA will endeavour to work with sub-contractors and
standards. Generic health and service providers which have systems and procedures that comply with national
Rev Y 1
safety issues associated with laws.
the use of accommodation Minor 24  AMAALA will not deal with companies where there are unacceptable risks. Where
sites include those relating to
AMAALA foresees a lack of control over the selection of primary supply chain
sanitation, disease, fire and
companies, the responsibility for ensuring compliance with the IFC Performance
cultural alienation. Similarly,
Standard 2 requirements in this regard will be passed onto sub -contractors
there is the risk of adverse
through contract clauses.
OHS impacts related to
personal accident or injury.  All workers on the Project will be given basic health and safety training inc luding
There are also potentially use of appropriate PPE. Training will also be given on how to conduct tasks with
adverse impacts on workers specific health and safety risks such as welding, use and storage of explosives
related to their terms of and hazardous chemicals, working with live equipment, working at height,
engagement and relationship working on or near water, road safety and general driver training, use of
with their employer. seatbelts, vehicle checking and dealing with adverse weather conditions on
roads.
 Develop an Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Plan which covers: the
hazards identified for each site, type of work and other Project activities such as
driving on public roads; provision of preventive and protective measures for all
hazards; information about safe working methods including the production of
individual worksheets for discreet hazardous tasks; use of Personal Protective
Equipment (PPE); management and storage of explosives and hazardous
chemicals; and road safety measures such as speed limits on public roads and
on-site, etc. Sub-contractors will be required through contract clauses to monitor
and enforce safety plans and establish penalties for violations and rewards for
good compliance records.
 As part of the OHS Plan, develop and use formal Permit to Work (PTW) system
to ensure that all potentially hazardous work is carried out safely and ensures
effective authorisation of designated work, effective communication of the work
to be carried out including hazards involved, and safe isolation procedures to be
followed before commencing work.
 Where multiple contractors are operating on a single site, estab lish a joint OHS
plan and appoint a single point of final responsibility for health and safety on site
(e.g. site superintendent, permanent OHS committee).
 Contractors to provide key personnel for the management of OHS risks.
 Develop, formalise and disclose worker grievance policies and mechanisms for
complaints about unfair treatment or unsafe living or working conditions without
reprisal and make these available to all Project workers, including sub -contracted
staff. Hold toolbox talks on labour law issues and the Worker Grievance
Mechanism. Details on the Worker Grievance Mechanism presented on Worker
Noticeboards and within accommodation.
 Clauses will be inserted in contractors and sub -contractors contracts to ensure
compliance to ESIA requirements such as the Worker Grievance Mechanism,
Worker Code of Conduct, OHS Plan, etc.
 Worker accommodation shall be in compliance with IFC requirements as set out
in AMAALA Worker Accommodation Welfare Standards (AMAALA, 2020).
 Develop a Human Resources Policy and Procedures detailing the principles
guiding the approach to management of workers, including equal opportunities,
non-discrimination, non- employment of children or forced workers and the
approach to trade unions, collective bargaining and employment of migrant
workers.
 Medical facilities to be provided in accordance with AMAALA Emergency
Response Plan and contract requirements/
 Workers will be given access to shade and plentiful water especially during
summer periods. Bans on outside construction work during midday hours from
12pm to 3pm will be observed, in compliance with the National Regulation during
summer months (15 June - 15 September).
 Develop an Emergency Preparedness Response Plan (EPRP) covering risks to
workers in emergencies, dealing with fire, flood, road accidents, serious personal
injury, etc., and provide Emergency Response Teams.
 Contractor will enforce compulsory wearing of PPE in designated areas.
 Induction and awareness training for staff and visitors. Workers, visitors etc. will
not be allowed on site without initial induction training in HSE matters.
 Construction staff to be made aware of risk of sandfly bites and use proper
protection creams and clothing.
 Contractor to ensure that mandatory worker health check s are made, in
compliance with National Standards and in relation with the Health and Safety
risks associated with the project activities.
 Develop a Worker Code of Conduct to govern the behaviour of workers on site, in
camps and in the local communities. This will cover inter alia: cultural awareness
for workers coming from outside of the area, a drugs and alcohol policy with
information about testing and penalties for contravention. The Worker Code of
Conduct will use an inclusive approach and address behaviour related to equal
opportunity and non-discrimination based on personal characteristics (such as
gender, race, nationality, ethnicity, origin, religion, disability, age or sexual
orientation). The Worker Code of Conduct will have a zero tolerance for
harassment and bullying.
 Develop a Retrenchment Plan for local staff prior to any anticipated
retrenchment.
 Issue all Project staff with an individual contract of employment detailing their
rights and conditions in accordance with the national legislation a nd IFC
requirements related to hours of work, wages, overtime, compensation and
benefits such as maternity or annual leave, and update the contract when
material changes occur.
 Contractor shall develop an ethos of behavioural safety with a no blame culture
to encourage reporting - all workers shall have the right to stop work activities if
they consider a dangerous activity is or may occur.
Table 6-22 Labour and Working Conditions and Workers’ Accommodation Operational Impacts and Mitigation

LB002 Operational activities will pose Im C S IFC Performance International/ High  Operator to ensure compliance to IFC Performance Standard 2. NS
potential risks to the health, Standard 2 Labour Extreme  Operator will provide all required protective equipment free of charge to
safety and, therefore, wellbeing S Hi 8 and Worker workers.
of workers if not managed E Lo 2 Conditions
appropriately. Living conditions  AMAALA will review the likelihood of the use of child or forced labour or the
not in compliance to ILO D LT 7 presence of occupational safety issues within their primary supply chain prior to
requirements, IFC/EBRD engaging suppliers. AMAALA will endeavour to work with sub-contractors and
F Fre 5
guidance and AMAALA welfare service providers which have systems and procedures that comply with national
standards. There are also P Hi 3 laws.
potentially adverse impacts on
Rev Y 1  AMAALA will not deal with companies where there are unacceptable risks.
workers related to their terms Where AMAALA foresees a lack of control over the selection of primary supply
of engagement and Moderate 26 chain companies, the responsibility for ensuring compliance with the IFC
relationship with their Performance Standard 2 requirements in this regard will be passed onto sub -
employer. contractors through contract clauses.
 All workers on the Project will be given basic health and safety training including
use of appropriate PPE. Training will also be given on how to conduct tasks with
specific health and safety risks such as welding, use and storage of explosives
and hazardous chemicals, working with live equipment, working at height,
working on or near water, road safety and general driver training, use of
seatbelts, vehicle checking and dealing with adverse weather conditions on
roads.
 Develop an OHS Plan which covers: the hazards identified for each site, type of
work and other Project activities such as driving on public roads; provision of
preventive and protective measures for all hazards; information about safe
working methods including the production of individual worksheets for discreet
hazardous tasks; use of PPE; management and storage of explosives and
hazardous chemicals; and road safety measures such as speed limits on public
roads and on-site, etc. Sub-contractors will be required through contract clauses
to monitor and enforce safety plans and establish penalties for violations and
rewards for good compliance records.
 As part of the OHS Plan, develop and use formal PTW system to ensure that all
potentially hazardous work is carried out safely and ensures effe ctive
authorisation of designated work, effective communication of the work to be
carried out including hazards involved, and safe isolation procedures to be
followed before commencing work.
 Where multiple contractors are operating on a single site, establ ish a joint OHS
plan and appoint a single point of final responsibility for health and safety on site
(e.g. site superintendent, permanent OHS committee).
 Operator to provide key personnel for the management of OHS risks.
 Develop, formalise and disclose worker grievance policies and mechanisms for
complaints about unfair treatment or unsafe living or working conditions without
reprisal and make these available to all Project workers, including sub -
contracted staff. Hold toolbox talks on labour law issues an d the Worker
Grievance Mechanism. Details on the Worker Grievance Mechanism presented
on Worker Noticeboards and within accommodation.
 Clauses will be inserted in contractors and sub -contractors contracts to ensure
compliance to ESIA requirements such as the Worker Grievance Mechanism,
Worker Code of Conduct, OHS Plan, etc.
 Worker accommodation shall be in compliance with IFC requirements as set out
in AMAALA Worker Accommodation Welfare Standards (AMAALA, 2020).
 Develop a Human Resources Policy and Procedures detailing the principles
guiding the approach to management of workers, including equal opportunities,
non-discrimination, non- employment of children or forced workers and the
approach to trade unions, collective bargaining and employment of migrant
workers.
 Medical facilities to be provided in accordance with AMAALA Emergency
Response Plan and contract requirements/
 Workers will be given access to shade and plentiful water especially during
summer periods.
 Develop an EPRP covering risks to workers in emergencies, dealing with fire,
flood, road accidents, serious personal injury, etc., and provide Emergency
Response Teams.
 Operator will enforce compulsory wearing of PPE in designated areas.
 Induction and awareness training for staff and visitors. Workers, visitors etc. will
not be allowed on site without initial induction training in HSE matters.
 Operator to ensure that mandatory worker health checks are made, in
compliance with National Standards and in relation with the He alth and Safety
risks associated with the project activities.
 Develop a Worker Code of Conduct to govern the behaviour of workers on site,
in camps and in the local communities. This will cover inter alia: cultural
awareness for workers coming from outside of the area, a drugs and alcohol
policy with information about testing and penalties for contravention. The Worker
Code of Conduct will use an inclusive approach and address behaviour related
to equal opportunity and non-discrimination based on personal characteristics
(such as gender, race, nationality, ethnicity, origin, religion, disability, age or
sexual orientation). The Worker Code of Conduct will have a zero tolerance for
harassment and bullying.
 Develop a Retrenchment Plan for local staff prior to any anticipated
retrenchment.
 Issue all Project staff with an individual contract of employment detailing their
rights and conditions in accordance with the national legislation and IFC
requirements related to hours of work, wages, overtime, compensation a nd
benefits such as maternity or annual leave, and update the contract when
material changes occur.
 Operator shall develop an ethos of behavioural safety with a no blame culture to
encourage reporting - all workers shall have the right to stop work activities if
they consider a dangerous activity is or may occur.
Light Spill
Lighting, and in particular over-illumination, has been shown to have a number of

environmental effects. These include visual effects related to landscape and perceived
naturalness of land and seascapes due to direct views of light and indirect through skyglow.
The impacts on ecosystems have been well documented for both the marine environment
and terrestrial species and habitats.
The development, during the entire Project lifec ycle, is likely to generate increased amounts
of artificial lighting compared to current levels. This has the potential to disturb or result in
negative health and behavioural effects to local terrestrial and marine fauna including
disruption to biological clock, changes in foraging, prey detection, anti-predator behaviour
and navigational disorientation if not appropriately managed.
All organisms equipped with an optic orientation system are potentially susceptible to
impacts from light pollution. Lights can disorient flying birds, particularly during migration,
and cause them to divert from efficient migratory routes or collide with infrastructure. Birds
may starve when artificial lighting disrupts foraging, and fledgling seabirds may not be able
to take their first flight if their nesting habitat never becomes dark. Migratory shorebirds may
use less preferable roosting sites to avoid lights and may be exposed to increased predation
where lighting makes them visible at night.
Many species cue their development and behavioural activities on the lunar cycle or use
moon light for navigation during migration. Interference with this process can cause
significant disruption of ecosystems and species population dynamics. As an example, many
corals coordinate their spawning period based on the lunar cycle, often triggering spawning
at full moon. This increases the chance of fertilisation. Changes in ambient light due to
artificial lighting can alter these patterns.
Some insects utilise light to trigger product ion of alatae (winged) stages for dispersion which
may be timed to make maximum use of available resources or colonise new locations.
Artificial lighting can trigger production of alatae which are not synchronised with normal
dispersion periods.
Lighting shall be designed to avoid over-illumination and installed with a smart lighting
system to control its use. Lighting during night-time activities should be designed to minimise
spill outside designated work areas and be based on the minimum light required
commensurate with operational safety requirements. The contractor should avoid all
unnecessary lighting and light spill onto the marine and terrestrial environment. Lighting
should be directed away from sensitive receptors and not spill upwards. These dire ctions
should be applied (where appropriate) to worksites and any vessels which may be sailing or
working at night.
AMAALA are following International Dark Sky Association requirements, with an aim of
becoming the largest certified Dark Sky’s Reserve in th e world. Lighting design should
therefore follow the International Dark Sky Association guidelines and requirements. A
lighting design assessment shall be conducted. In all instances, lighting shall be kept to the
minimum light required commensurate with operational safety requirements and road lighting
shall be automatically controlled so that only sections being used are illuminated.
Table 6-23 Light Spill Construction Impacts and Mitigation

LS001 Nocturnal over-illumination Im C S IFC Performance International/ Medium  Project to be setback 40 m from the coast. NS
from lighting impacting Standard 6 Extreme  Use energy efficient bulbs and lights in all lighting.
terrestrial and / or marine S Med 5 Biodiversity
organisms. IFC Performance E Lo 2  Lights shall be shielded and aimed so that they are not directly visible from adjoining
Standard 6 used as a natural areas, areas of nesting or habitat, roads, and pathways.
surrogate. D Med 5  Evaluate and assess existing lighting plans and adjust plans depending on whe ther
F Fre 5 existing light is actually needed.
 Lights shall be spaced appropriately for maximum efficiency.
P Hi 3
 Turn lights off by using a timer, occupancy sensor or manually when not needed.
Rev Y 1
 Light fittings shall be designed and used to reduce light emitted upwards. E.g. use top-
Minor 21 mounted downward facing rather than ground-mounted upward facing floodlights.
 Lights (especially floodlights) shall be positioned / tilted to direct light more efficiently
towards where it is needed.
 Light-intensive works shall be scheduled during daytime.
 Over-lighting and light spill shall be prevented.
 All lighting that is not essential to ensure site safety and security shall be switched off
when not in active use.
Table 6-24 Light Spill Operational Impacts and Mitigation

LS002 Nocturnal over-illumination Im C S IFC Performance International/ Medium  Project to be setback 40 m from the coast. NS
from lighting impacting Standard 6 Extreme  Use energy efficient bulbs and lights in all lighting.
terrestrial and / or marine S Med 5 Biodiversity
organisms. IFC Performance E Lo 2  Lights shall be shielded and aimed so that they are not directly visible from adjoining
Standard 6 used as a natural areas, areas of nesting or habitat, roads, and pathways.
surrogate. D Med 5  Evaluate and assess existing lighting plans and adjust plans depending on whether
F Fre 5 existing light is actually needed.
 Lights shall be spaced appropriately for maximum efficiency.
P Hi 3
 Turn lights off by using a timer, occupancy sensor or ma nually when not needed.
Rev Y 1
 Lighting shall be angled so as not to impact animals whilst nesting or hatching.
Minor 21
 Light fittings shall be designed and used to reduce light emitted upwards. E.g. use top -
mounted downward facing rather than ground-mounted upward facing floodlights.
 Lights (especially floodlights) shall be positioned / tilted to direct light more efficiently
towards where it is needed.
 Light-intensive works shall be scheduled during daytime.
 Over-lighting and light spill shall be prevented.
 A proper lighting design shall be conducted to ensure that achieved light intensity
meets the working requirements and does not exceed requirements.
 Contractor to avoid unnecessary lighting to prevent light pollution and light spill onto
the marine and terrestrial environment. No lighting shall spill upwards to add to sky
glow. Light beams will be directed away from sensitive receptors.
 AMAALA shall adopt the Illuminating Engineering Society and International Dark Sky
Association (IES/IDA) Model Lighting Ordinance User Guide to identify lighting zones.
 Light fittings shall be in compliance with requirements of IES -IDA, or equivalent body,
to prevent light pollution (i.e. full cut-off lights, shielded lights).
 Design sensibilities put forward are of a reserved approach, ensuring the preservation
of E0 Environmental Zone per the IDA and further developed TRSDC Dark Sky
Guidelines. Obtrusive light, Light Trespass and Light Pollution studies will be observed
in all areas to ensure strict adherence to the Project guidelines.
 With the adoption of the DALI protocol, a control system will have the possibility to
monitor fixtures and other data associated with it so that maintenance and facility
management teams get a live report on any issues on-demand.
 The system will be able to adopt and monitor movements, wherein it can intelligently
change/adjust light levels for different times of the night depending upon traffi c.
 All boardwalk/coastal areas will be designed to 2400K to protect any marine species
due to the close proximity to the sea.
 All outdoor seating spaces and relaxation areas will be designed to 2700K since
lighting will come on at dusk and switch off/dim down to curfew. What this means is
the natural biological clock requires ambient colour temperature to assist in the
maintenance of the residents’ body clocks and well-being - which naturally during the
evening starts to move to warmer colour temperatures. 2700K is also being used
inside the residential units, hence the connectivity is also maintained between the
outside and indoor areas.
Marine Ecology
The marine environment within the northern Red Sea on the Saudi coastline is considered to
be of high value. The ecosystem includes high biodiverse and sensitive biotopes including
extensive areas of corals, coral reefs and seagrass.
The construction and operation of the development could have potential adverse impacts on
marine biodiversity:
 Effects on sensitive marine biotopes - biotope quality and loss;
 Disturbance to biotope dynamics;
 Increased turbidity resulting in shading and smothering of marine organisms;
 Increase in nutrient loading;
 Reduced water quality;
 Releases to marine environment resulting from improper use or management of

hazardous materials, fuels, chemicals or wastes ; and
 Changes to ecological functions and services.
In line with the Management of Change procedure presented in Section 2.1.3, please note
that that this ESIA will be reviewed, and if necessary, revised once the wadi diversion design
has been completed. Furthermore, it should be noted that IA is an iterative process and any
mitigation measures proposed will be monitored to ensure their effectiveness once deployed.
Table 6-25 Marine Quality Construction Impacts and Mitigation

ME001 Increase in seawater turbidity Im C S IFC Performance International/ Medium  The Contractor will practice good housekeeping on site, ensure the site is clean and NS
from runoff causing shading Standard 6 Biodiversity Extreme tidy at all times with no overfilling of waste containers and no uncontained or
or smothering of marine S Hi 8
unsecured materials. The contractor shall inspect and monitor housekeeping. Records
organisms. IFC Performance E Lo 2 shall be made available for inspection.
Standard 6 (biodiversity)  No discharges to the marine environment of any materials, liquid or solid. a drainage
used as a surrogate. D Med 5
system will be implemented on site during the construction phase to avo id discharge of
F Fre 5 potentially contaminated materials or liquids into the marine environment.
P Hi 3  Sewage holding tanks shall be maintained in good condition. Damage to sewage
holding tanks must be immediately addressed to ensure the integrity of the tank and to
Rev Y 1 prevent unplanned releases of wastewater.
Minor 24  All sewage holding tanks shall be fitted with a warning sensor and audible alarm and
inspected regularly and emptied as appropriate to prevent overflow.
ME002 Loss of containment with Im C S IFC Performance International/ Medium NS
hazardous materials entering Standard 6 Biodiversity Extreme  Sewage holding tanks shall NOT be permitted to discharge to a soakage trench.
S Hi 8
the marine environment  Sewage tanks are to be installed in secondary containment. The secondary
impacting upon marine E Lo 2 containment is to be excavated and lined with breeze blocks. This will ensure ease of
ecology inspection and safe removal during demobilisation.
D LT 7
 Individual stand-alone toilets shall be emptied at frequent intervals to prevent potential
F Inf 3 sewage overflows.
P Lo 2  Individual stand-alone toilets shall be anchored to the ground in order to prevent them
from being blown over during windy weather conditions.
Rev Y 1
 There shall be a minimum distance of 100m between any sewage collection system or
Minor 23 septic tank and standing water bodies.
 Workers shall NOT urinate or defecate on the land or in the sea or in any location not
intended as a toilet facility.
ME003 Contaminated stormwater Im C S IFC Performance International/ Medium NS
and / or liquid spills entering Standard 6 Biodiversity Extreme  Toilets shall be provided in appropriate locations and in sufficient numbers for all site
the marine environment S Med 5 office and site workers.
impacting marine ecology E Lo 2  Stormwater runoff with heavy sediments and particulate matter shall be prevented from
reaching water bodies.
D Med 5
 Construction of a cut off channel to provide temporary protection during the summer
F Inf 3 months.
P Lo 2  On the west side of the Project site, earth bunds shall be constructed to divert any
potential overflow back into the existing wadi.
Rev Y 1
 With the wadi diversion, the use of energy dissipation structures, such as gabion
Minor 18 baskets, to be utilised where the flow velocity exceeds permissible velocity.
 Use of sediment traps to reduce sediment content of the wadi discharge.
 Contractor to develop a project-specific EPRP and a SPMP for approval prior to the
ME004 Discharge of raw or partially Im C S IFC Performance International/ Medium start of works. To include all aspects of construction, as well as including incident NS
treated sewage into the Standard 6 Biodiversity Extreme investigation and identification of immediate response actions (site delimitation,
marine environment S Hi 8
emergency response and control measures to prevent exposure of people and damage
impacting marine ecology E Lo 2 to the environment, reporting instructions and key contact de tails) and procedures for
D Med 5 enacting remediation measures. Contractor to ensure that they are adequately
resourced and implemented.
F Ra 2
P Lo 2 and in the specific requirements of the EPRP and SPMP. Verifiable evidence to be
submitted to demonstrate appropriate training and implementation once works have
Rev Y 1 commenced.
Minor 20  EPRP to include flooding (from wadis or storm surge).
 Contractor to ensure that the SPMP and all spill management preparatio ns, facilities,
etc. account for maximum potential spill volume.
 Contractor to ensure adequate resourcing for spill management. Emergency response
and waste management materials will be available on site prior to mobilisation of plant
and vehicles, including an appropriate number / length of booms, fully-stocked spill
kits, waste management facilities, etc.
 The number and size of stockpiles shall be kept to a minimum.
 Stormwater erosion of stockpiles shall be controlled.
 Install collection ditches or silt fences along the toe of the stockpiles
 Drained water must be allowed to accumulate and settle prior to discharge
 Stockpiles shall be sited in locations which do not pose risks to sensitive receptors.
 Stockpile materials shall be kept within designated areas at site, located a minimum of
20m from water bodies or high-tide mark.
 All stockpiles to be located away from drainage channels and outside of wadis.
 Stabilisation measures shall be applied to stockpiles to protect the stockpile from rain
and wind erosion.
 Spill kits shall be provided at all spill sensitive locations on site. Contractor shall
ensure that the correct type of spill kit is available at spill sensitive locations - chemical
spill kits where chemicals are stored and used; oil spill kits where f uels and
hydrocarbons are stored and used.
 Refuelling shall be conducted over a level, reinforced impervious concrete pad (a
‘refuelling apron’), which is able to withstand forces applied by heavy vehicular traffic.
Interlock paving is not permitted.
 Fuel nozzles, funnels and refuelling hoses shall be kept within an adequately bunded
area when not in use.
 All fuel transfers shall be conducted using a fuel nozzle which are equipped with
sensors (inside the nozzle) that senses the back pressure and shuts off, preventing
any overflow.
 Material Safety Data Sheets (SDSs) for diesel, petrol and hydrocarbon products shall
be readily available at locations of fuel storage and transfer.
 Mobile delivery tankers shall be equipped with the following materials:
o Metal Drip tray/s of sufficient capacity;
o Ground protective sheet/s;
o A labelled, sealable container for storing spilled fuel;
o Any equipment required for transferring fuel captured in drip trays into the storage
drum;
o A suitable spill kit;
o A shovel for use in spill clean-up;
o Fire extinguisher.
 A suitably sized drip tray and ground protective sheet shall be placed under the
receiving vehicle’s refuelling point prior to starting pumping of fuel.
 Equipment being refuelled shall be parked on level ground at least 20 met res from
waterways, before commencement of refuelling.
 The use of rotary manual hand crank pumps shall NOT be permitted for any fuel
transfers.
 Where fuel bowsers cannot be used for refuelling, Jerry cans and commercially
manufactured funnels shall be used for fuel transfers.
 Mobile refuelling of heavy equipment shall be done using conventional mobile
refuelling bowsers. Site fabricated and improvised mobile refuelling tanks shall NOT be
permitted.
 All fuel NOT stored in bulk fuel storage tanks, shall be st ored in metal jerry cans or in
containers approved by AMAALA for the storage of fuel.
 Fuel nozzles or delivery hoses shall NOT be removed or disconnected unless fuel flow
has completely stopped, and the delivery pump is no longer operating.
 All fuel spills to bare ground must be prevented.
 Mobile refuelling vehicles shall be periodically inspected for compliance with these
requirements, particularly prior to use on site.
 The refuelling apron shall be surrounded by a bund wall, with concrete ‘vehicle ramp’
providing access for vehicle entry and exit, completing a full perimeter bund.
 All bulk fuel transfers (from vehicles to bulk fuel tanker; or vice -versa) shall take place
only when the vehicle is positioned fully within the refuelling apron.
 The size and layout of the refuelling apron shall take into consideration the size of the
equipment that will be used there, so that fuel spillages will be prevented from running
off onto unsealed ground or into waterways.
 The refuelling aprons shall be built in areas NOT prone to inundation or flooding.
 In the event that fuel spills do occur, all spilled material and contaminated
soil/sediment shall be promptly cleaned and removed for disposal as hazardous waste.
 All fuel spills that meet or exceed reporting thresholds s hall be reported to AMAALA
Environment Department.
 Persons involved in fuel transfer activities and operations shall have received specific
training to do so. Records of such training shall be held on file by the Contractor for
audit.
 All staff handling fuel shall be trained in proper use of the fuel spill clean -up kits.
 Mobile refuelling shall be used for ONLY heavy and slow-moving tracked equipment,
non-mobile equipment such as pumps and generators.
 Fuels and hydrocarbon containers shall be stored in adeq uately sized bunded areas or
metal trays and shall NOT be stored on the ground.
 Fencing or other security measures shall be provided to prevent unauthorised access
to refuelling areas.
 The refuelling apron shall NOT discharge to stormwater, sewer, sewage h olding tanks,
soakaways, trenches or to any other external connection.
 Fuel captured within the drip tray/ container shall be transferred into a storage
container for correct disposal as hazardous waste.
 All refuelling areas shall be located as far as possible from the water channels and
wastewater channels to reduce potential for pollution via spillage or leakages.
 Fuel nozzles shall be clearly placed within the receiving tank before transfer of fuel
starts.
 Refuelling areas shall be clearly identifiable to all site personnel by signs and notice
boards and clearly noted within the site plan.
 Hosing of floors of the refuelling apron shall NOT be permitted. Floors and concrete
pads must only be cleaned using “dry” cleaning methods.
 Fuel / hydrocarbon transfer (terrestrial and marine) methodologies shall be designed
and conducted in a manner that minimises the risk of spills, using suitable and
appropriate equipment.
 Commercially manufactured funnels shall be readily available and used where fuel /
hydrocarbon transfers take place.
 Take all reasonable steps to prevent contamination of land and soils and pollution of
water from spills of fuel or other hazardous liquids.
 Spill kits shall contain adequate and suitable equipment to enable an effective
response to managing spills. Spill kits shall contain the following minimum contents:
o Personal protective equipment (goggles, chemical resistant gloves; plastic, vinyl
or rubber shoe covers; disposable lab coats, aprons, or coveralls).
o Clean-up tools and materials (e.g. thick, heavy duty waste bags; shovel, sealing
tape).
o Booms - ‘sausage’ shaped items that are flexible enough to bend around and
contain a spill and are placed downhill from the spill, flat against the ground, to
stop spill leaking under or around.
o Universal absorbents such as commercial spill pads, pillows, spill socks, and
loose absorbents: - Sorbents are absorbent materials (pads or rolls) or pellets that
attract and hold oils, like a sponge; and Sorbents are placed on top of the spill (on
land or in water) and soak it up. They are used once and then disposed of as
o Marine floating booms.
 Spill kits shall be regularly inspected to ensure that they have adequate stock of spill
response materials. Contractors shall ensure that records of spill kit inspections (spill
kit checklists) shall be available at individual spill kits and for review by AMAALA. All
spill kit checklists must be maintained as records for audit by AMAALA.
 Spill warning/hazard signs and awareness materials shall be clea rly displayed at all
spill sensitive locations.
 Details of Contractors emergency spill response team (person’s name, photograph,
mobile phone number) shall be displayed at all spill sensitive locations.
 Spill kit material shall be suitable for the specific type of fuel/chemical being stored.
 Chemical spill kits will be used in chemical storage locations
 Fuel / oil spill kits used in fuel / oil storage / distribution areas
 Absorbent materials and spill kits shall be provided for all fuel transfer vehicles,
maintenance vehicles, and vehicles designated for emergency response.
 Used items from a spill kit shall be promptly replaced/replenished.
ensure that the correct type of spill kit is available at spill sensitive locations –
chemical spill kits where chemicals are stored and used; oil spill kits where fuels and
 Training on the use of spill kit shall be provided to all response team member s and
records kept on file for audit by AMAALA.
 Spill response drills, terrestrial and marine, shall be undertaken in accordance with the
schedule of emergency drills on the project site. Record of spill response drills shall be
retained by the Contractor for review by AMAALA.
 A site plan, showing the locations of spill kits shall be displayed in the site office. All
spill sensitive locations shall be identified and assessed, to ensure that adequate spill
prevention and control measures are implemented. Spill sensitive locations include:
o Bulk fuel storage areas
o HAZMAT storage facilities
o HAZWASTE storage facilities
o Generators
o Workshops
o Warehouses
o Sewage storage tanks
 Ensure that sand is NOT used as an absorbent.
 Where practical, all light vehicles (saloon cars, 4WDs, and light pick-up trucks) shall be
refuelled at off-site commercial petrol stations.
 All fuel hoses shall be intact and free from damage.
 Stormwater flow, rainwater and other drainage sources from areas outside of the
refuelling area shall be prevented from entering the refuelling area.
 Fill pipes and fuel connection points shall be inside secondary containment bunds and
systems.
 A drip tray shall be provided at the time of fuel delivery to catch any fuel that could be
lost during the coupling and decoupling of the delivery hose.
 Vehicles or equipment being refuelled on site shall be supervised and not left
unattended.
 Mobile refuelling of equipment shall be carried out only after the above options have
been considered and found to be impractical.
 Light vehicles, trucks and wheeled equipment such as loaders and back -hoes are
considered easily mobile and must return to the designated area for refuelling.
 Spills or contaminated surfaces or medium shall be immediately cleaned.
 Contractor to develop a project-specific EPRP for approval prior to the start of works.
Encountering potentially contaminated soils shall be included in the EPRP. Contractor
to ensure that they are adequately resourced and implemented.
ME005 Fugitive dust emissions Im C S IFC Performance International/ Medium  Activities which may contribute to airborne dust (excavating, handling friable materials) NS
impacting upon marine Standard 6 Biodiversity Extreme shall be minimised on windy days.
ecology S Med 5
 Provide an adequate number of water suppression trucks on site required for the
E Lo 2 regular dampening down of the site road network. Water suppression trucks shall have
D Med 5
F Fre 5 suitably manufactured sprinkler bars installed, which are desig ned to evenly distribute
water on road surfaces.
P Hi 3
 All temporary access and haul roads shall be clearly demarcated, graded, stabilised,
Rev Y 1 and capped with suitable materials (crushed asphalt, gravel, etc.) immediately after
grading. All temporary access and haul roads shall be regularly dampened down with
Minor 21 water using a water suppression trucks, alternatively, biodegradable liquid copolymer
can be applied to unsurfaced roads for dust control.
 All trucks transporting bulk friable materials to, from and within the Project site shall be
covered with a suitable tarpaulin sheet or similar when in motion.
 Consider applying materials and surfaces that aide dust suppression where activities
have ceased.
 Phase activities to progressively execute the work to minimise the ar ea of land to be
disturbed at any one time.
 Point-source dust emitting workplaces shall utilise vacuum collection systems or
surrounded by a fence lined with cloth or fabric to collect and contain dust at the point
of origin and avoid dust migration.
 Contractor to develop a Dust Control Plan for the project, for AMAALA review and
approved before starting works. Contractor to ensure adequate resourcing and that
relevant personnel are trained in the requirements of the plan.
 Verifiable evidence to be submitted to AMAALA to demonstrate appropriate training
and implementation once dust control has commenced.
 Dust generating activities will be monitored and / or suspended during periods of high
winds.
 Daily visible dust monitoring at all site boundaries and recep tors and record all
monitoring activities.
 Trucks transporting bulk friable materials shall NOT be overfilled. Truck loads shall
NOT be filled within 300 mm of the top of the trucks dump box.
 Powdered materials shall be kept in closed bags / sealed contain ers when not in use.
 Large quantities of fill, aggregate or other dusty material stored on site shall be stored
within dry storage bunkers, provided with side enclosures.
 The drop height of excavated materials (onto the ground or into vehicles) shall be
minimised to limit dust emissions.
 Friable materials shall be kept moist prior to handling/loading to minimise dust and
control dust emissions.
 Consider wind direction and the presence of sensitive receptors when planning
activities that generate airborne dust.
 Site inductions and toolbox talks to cover the importance of dust control and available
dust reduction measures.
 Vehicle speeds on all temporary access and haul roads shall be regulated to 30 km/hr
(or less when material is prone to being disturbed or wind -blown).
 All vehicular movements shall be restricted to defined access routes to minimi se dust
emissions.
Table 6-26 Marine Quality Operational Impacts and Mitigation

ME006 Loss of containment with Im C S IFC Performance International/ Medium  Use of green stormwater management infrastructure such as bioswales and Rain NS
hazardous materials entering Standard 6 Biodiversity Extreme Gardens
the marine environment S Hi 8
impacting upon marine E Lo 2 baskets, to be utilised where the flow velocit y exceeds permissible velocity.
ecology
D LT 7  Use of sediment traps to reduce sediment content of the wadi discharge.
F Inf 3
P Lo 2  The Operator will practice good housekeeping on site, ensure the site is clean and tidy
at all times with no overfilling of waste containers and no unco ntained or unsecured
Rev Y 1 materials. The contractor shall inspect and monitor housekeeping. Records shall be
Minor 23 made available for inspection.
 No discharges to the marine environment of any materials, liquid or solid (with the
exception of stormwater outfalls).
ME007 Contaminated stormwater Im C S IFC Performance International/ Medium  Sewage holding tanks shall be maintained in good condition. Damage to sewage NS
and / or liquid spills entering Standard 6 Biodiversity Extreme holding tanks must be immediately addressed to ensure the integrity of the tank and to
the marine environment S Med 5
prevent unplanned releases of wastewater.
impacting marine ecology E Lo 2  All sewage holding tanks shall be fitted with a warning sensor and audible alarm and
D Med 5 inspected regularly and emptied as appropriate to prevent overflow.
 Sewage holding tanks shall NOT be permitted to discharge to a soakage trench.
F Inf 3
 Sewage tanks are to be installed in secondary containment. The secondary
P Lo 2 containment is to be excavated and lined with breeze blocks. This will ensure ease of
Rev Y 1 inspection and safe removal during demobilisation.
 There shall be a minimum distance of 100m between any sewage collection system or
Minor 18
septic tank and standing water bodies.
 Stormwater runoff with heavy sediments and particulate matter shall be prevented from
ME008 Discharge of raw or partially Im C S IFC Performance International/ Medium reaching water bodies. NS
treated sewage into the Standard 6 Biodiversity Extreme  Operator to develop a project-specific EPRP and a SPMP for approval. To include all
marine environment S Hi 8 aspects of construction, as well as including incident investigat ion and identification of
impacting marine ecology E Lo 2 immediate response actions (site delimitation, emergency response and control
measures to prevent exposure of people and damage to the environment, reporting
D Med 5 instructions and key contact details) and procedures for enacting remedi ation
F Ra 2 measures. Operator to ensure that they are adequately resourced and implemented.
P Lo 2 and in the specific requirements of the EPRP and SPMP. Verifiable evidence to be
Rev Y 1 submitted to demonstrate appropriate training and implementation once works have
commenced.
Minor 20
 EPRP to include flooding (from wadis or storm surge).
 Operator to ensure that the SPMP and all spill management preparations, facilities,
 Operator to ensure adequate resourcing for spill management. Emergency response
and waste management materials will be available on site prior to mobilisation of plant
and vehicles, including an appropriate number / length of booms, ful ly-stocked spill
kits, waste management facilities, etc.
 Spill kits shall be provided at all spill sensitive locations on site. Operator shall ensure
that the correct type of spill kit is available at spill sensitive locations - chemical spill
kits where chemicals are stored and used; oil spill kits where fuels and hydrocarbons
are stored and used.
‘refuelling apron’), which is able to withstand forces applied by heavy vehicul ar traffic.
Interlock paving is not permitted.
any overflow.
 SDSs for diesel, petrol and hydrocarbon products shall be readily available at locations
of fuel storage and transfer.
 Mobile delivery tankers shall be equipped with the followin g materials:
o Any equipment required for transferring fuel captured in drip trays into the storage
drum;
 Equipment being refuelled shall be parked on level ground at least 20 m from
 All bulk fuel transfers (from vehicles to bulk fuel tanker; or vice -versa) shall take place
 The size and layout of the refuelling apron shall take into co nsideration the size of the
 All fuel spills that meet or exceed reporting thresholds shall be reported to AMAALA
training to do so. Records of such training shall be held on file by the Operator for
audit.
 All staff handling fuel shall be trained in proper use of the fuel spi ll clean-up kits.
 The refuelling apron shall NOT discharge to stormwater, sewer, sewage holding tanks,
starts.
 Fuel / hydrocarbon transfer methodologies shall be designed and conducted in a
manner that minimises the risk of spills, using suitable and appropriate equipment.
tape).
contain a spill and are placed downhill from the spill, flat against the gr ound, to
response materials. Operator shall ensure that records of spill kit inspections (spill kit
checklists) shall be available at individual spill kits and for review by AMAALA. All spill
kit checklists must be maintained as records for audit by AMAALA.
 Spill warning/hazard signs and awareness materials shall be clearly displayed at all
 Details of Operators emergency spill response team (person’s name, photograph,
 Chemical spill kits will be used in chemical storage locations.
 Fuel / oil spill kits used in fuel / oil storage / distribution areas.
 Spill kits shall be provided at all spill sensitive locations on site . Contractor shall
ensure that the correct type of spill kit is available at spill sensitive locations –
 Training on the use of spill kit shall be provided to all response team members and
 Spill response drills, terrestrial and marine, shall be undertaken in accordance with the
schedule of emergency drills on the project site. Record of spill res ponse drills shall be
retained for review by AMAALA.
o Generators
systems.
 Vehicles, vessels or equipment being refuelled on site shall be supervised and not left
unattended.
 Reduce use of fertilisers, herbicides and pesticides for landscaping.
Noise and Vibration
On the Project site, there are no significant noise sources within the vicinity of the Project.
Furthermore, there are no noise sensitive receptors (NSRs) with the exception of Project
personnel present on-site.
Noise emissions during the construction and operational phases will comprise noise from
plant, equipment, generators, and vehicles.
Project Personnel
The reference standard for noise impact assessment is BS 5228-1:2009 Code of practice for
noise and vibration control on construction and open sites - Part 1: Noise. An impact is
deemed significant if pre-construction ambient noise plus construction noise exceeds pre -
construction ambient noise levels by 5 dB or more, subject to lower cut -off values shown in
Table 6-27, and a duration of one month or more.
Table 6-27 Ambient Noise - Typical Cut-off Levels
Day time Evening time Night-time

Ambient noise levels
06:00 to 18:00 18:00 to 22:00 22:00 to 06:00
Lower noise cut-off

65dB 55dB 45dB
values (LAeq)
Source: BS 5228-1:2009
At this stage, details of the construction activities, including information such as the actual
plant and equipment, is not known. To provide a quantitative assessment, noise modelling
software could be used to predict increase in ambient noise levels generated by construction
activities and traffic, based baseline noise data, information on current traffic volumes and
on plant, vehicles and equipment to be used in the works. Detailed informati on required on
plant, duration, method, location of compound, haul routes and other facets of the Project
activities is not available. Therefore, for the assessment process insufficient information is
available to quantify the construction impacts, and these have been addressed in a
qualitative way. Typical noise levels for construction equipment at a distance of 50 feet
(15.24 m) are provided in Table 6-28.
Table 6-28 Typical Construction Equipment Noise Emission Levels (dBA)
Typical Noise Level at

Equipment 50 feet from Source
(dBA)
Rock Drill 98
Scraper 89
Crane, Derrick 88
Jack Hammer 88
Truck 88
Dozer 85
Typical Noise Level at
Equipment 50 feet from Source
(dBA)
Grader 85
Loader 85
Pneumatic Tool 85
Crane, Mobile 83
Shovel 82
Air Compressor 81
Generator 81
Pump 76
Roller 74
Source: Adapted from Federal Transit Administration 2006
From these values, it can be seen that, without mitigation, the Project noise would potentially
exceed the lower cut-off values of 65 dB (daytime) for some tasks, and thus mitigation would
be required for those receptors less than 100 m from the works. BS5228 advises a correction
of -5 dB where the top of plant is just visible to the receptor, and -10 dB where sources are
completely hidden. The extent and nature of mitigation would be determined as data on
construction technique, methodology and duration became available.
Ecological Receptors
Noise pollution can also cause stress in wildlife. Not unlike humans who can become
stressed by the repeated sound of car alarms, animals become equally stressed. With
stress, animals can have increased heart rates, metabolism and hormone imbalance,
nervous system stimulation, increases respiration rates, increased blood pressure and
shrinking of the ovaries and kidneys.
Noise can cause serious damage to wildlife. Animal’s reactions to noise vary from species to
species. There are many health effects on wildlife whe n exposed to noise pollution over a
period of time. Many species learn to adapt and ignore the noise. The effects do vary from
species to species also, so one species may suffer adversely form the noise another may
adapt and show no effects at all. Ways in which animals are adversely affected by noise
pollution include: hearing loss; masking, or the inability to hear important environmental
clues and animal signals; physiological effects, such as increase in heart rate, respiratory
difficulties, and stress; behavioural effects, such as abandonment of territory, loss or inability
to reproduce; ecological effects, such as migration.
Please note that following the conclusion of the Early Works Phase, the Project site will be
fenced, therefore, the potential for terrestrial ecological receptors on-site will be limited.
Most marine fauna depend on sound for vital functions. Studies on fish and invertebrates
show impacts extend beyond individual species to now include communities of species and
how they interact, ecosystem, and ecological services. Noise causes stress and masking in
cetaceans, and likely population consequences, at least in some cases. In extreme cases,
noise can cause death of marine animals. However, due to the setback from the marine
environment, so no significant impact on marine ecological receptors is predicted .
Vibration
Vibration is transmitted through the ground from impact sources. The ground is a poor
medium for the transmission of vibration and vibration levels reduce very rapidly from the
source. Table 6-29 details the distances at which certain activities could give rise to a just
perceptible level of vibration. These figures are from BS 5228-1:2009+A1:2014 Code of
practice for noise and vibration control on construction and open sites and are based on
historical field measurements. The table shows that vibration from significant sources such
as use of hydraulic breakers is only transmitted short distances through the ground.
Table 6-29 Distances at Which Vibration May Just be Perceptible (based upon BS 5228)
Distance from Activity when Vibration may Just be

Construction Activities
Perceptible (m)
Excavation 10 - 15
Heavy Vehicles (e.g. dump trucks) 5 - 10
Hydraulic Breaker 15 - 20
During construction, there are no sensitive human environmental receptors in the vicinity of
the site during construction and therefore there is no predicted impact. During the
operational phase, the Staff Village residents will be a sensitive receptor with respect to the
impact of vibration. However, the any vibration sources will be sited away from sensitive
receptors, therefore, there are no predicted environmental vibration impacts during the
operational phase.
There will be limited terrestrial ecological receptors in the vicinity of the site during
construction and operation, however, as vibration emissions will only transmit a short
distance, so no significant impact of vibration on terrestrial or marine ecological receptors in
the vicinity of the site is predicted.
Table 6-30 Noise and Vibration Impacts Construction Impacts and Mitigation
Valued
Impact Receptor Value/ Sig before Sig after
Description Impact Magnitude Environmental Approved Mitigation Measures
ID Sensitivity mitigation Mitigation
Receptor
NV001 Disturbance to wildlife due to Im C S IFC Performance International/ Medium  Development and implementation of a Noise Management Plan for review and NS
increased ambient noise, Standard 6 Extreme approval by AMAALA. Contractor to ensure adequate resourcing and that relevant
vibration and human S Med 5 Biodiversity personnel are trained in the requirements of the plan.
presence. IFC Performance E Lo 2
Standard 6 used as a  All vehicles, compressors and mobile equipment shall be equipped with effective
surrogate. D ST 3 silencers and noise reducing insulation. Silencers and insulation shall be maintained
in good working order.
F Fre 5
 Portable noise barriers/enclosures shall be used and positioned for noisy
P Hi 3 stationary/mobile plant.
Rev Y 1  All generator sets, and compressors shall be housed in acoustically designed
housing, which must be closed at all times when in use.
Minor 19
 Equipment and plant shall be sited as far as p ractical away from noise sensitive
receptors and shall be oriented to direct noise away from the noise sensitive
NV002 Changes in local noise Im C S Saudi national National/ High Medium receptors. NS
profiles due to operation of noise standards  Noise generating activities shall be scheduled to avoid impacts on NSRs.
construction equipment and S Hi 8
 Noise levels shall be kept to a minimum so as not to impact NSRs.
plant. E Lo 2
D Med 5 be done in accordance with manufacturer’s recommendations.
F Fre 5  Minimise unnecessary operation of machinery which cause vibrations.
 Consider alternative work methodologies which produce lower noise outputs.
P Hi 3
 Noisy activities shall be restricted to daytime periods only, with no night -time working
Rev Y 1 permitted unless approved by AMAALA.
Minor 24  Damaged or defective noise mitigation components shall be replaced immediately.
 All plant, machinery and vehicles shall be operated efficiently by trained and qualified
operators and according to the manufacturer’s specifications. Operators shall shut
down all plant and equipment in intermittent use between work periods or throttled
down to minimum idling speed.
 Consider the position of facilities, such as site buildings or earth stockpiles, which
can act as noise source screening structures which shield the noise sensitive
receivers.
 Where available, electrically powered equipment shall be used i n preference to diesel
or gasoline powered equipment, to reduce noise output.
 Vibrating equipment shall be located as far from sensitive receptors as possible.
 Site roads shall be designed and constructed as level as possible to avoid steep
inclines which contributes to increased engine noise.
 Loading and unloading of vehicles, dismantling of site equipment such as scaffolding
or moving equipment or materials around site shall be conducted in a manner which
minimises noise generation.
 All works and ancillary activities (such as heavy vehicle movement and material
deliveries) that are audible at the site boundary shall be carried out during
designated daytime hours unless otherwise approved by AMAALA.
 Access to the site shall be designed so that the need for vehicles to reverse (and
thus use their reversing alarm) is minimised.
 Access roads to the site shall be positioned such that vehicular movements cause
minimum disturbance to sensitive receptors. Speeds shall be regulated on all site
roads to 30km/h or less, as appropriate.
 Where practicable undertake noisy assembly practices off-site to reduce on-site
noise.
 Regular noise monitoring undertaken.
Table 6-31 Noise and Vibration Operational Impacts and Mitigation
Valued
Receptor
NV003 Disturbance to wildlife due to Im C S IFC Performance International/ Medium  All vehicles, compressors and mobile equipment shall be equipped with effective NS
increased ambient noise, Standard 6 Extreme silencers and noise reducing insulation. Silencers and insulation shall be maintained
vibration and human S Med 5 Biodiversity in good working order.
presence. IFC Performance E Lo 2  Portable noise barriers/enclosures shall be used and positioned for noisy
Standard 6 used as a stationary/mobile plant.
surrogate. D LT 7
 All generator sets, and compressors shall be housed in acoustically designed
F Fre 5
housing, which must be closed at all times when in use.
P Hi 3  Equipment and plant shall be sited as far as practical away from noise sensitive
Rev Y 1 receptors and shall be oriented to direct noise away from the noise sensitive
receptors.
Minor 23  Noise levels shall be kept to a minimum so as not to impact NSRs.
NV004 Changes in local noise Im C S Saudi national noise National/ High Medium NS
profiles due to operation of standards  Minimise unnecessary operation of machinery which ca use vibrations.
S Hi 8
construction equipment and  Damaged or defective noise mitigation components shall be replaced immediately.
plant. E Lo 2  All plant, machinery and vehicles shall be operated efficiently by trained and qualified
D LT 7 operators and according to the manufacturer’s specifications. Operators shall shut
down all plant and equipment in intermittent use between work periods or throttled
F Fre 5 down to minimum idling speed.
P Hi 3  Where available, electrically powered equipment shall be used in preference to diesel
or gasoline powered equipment, to reduce noise output.
Rev Y 1
 Vibrating equipment shall be located as far from sensitive receptors as possible.
Moderate 26
 Access to the site shall be designed so that the need for vehicles to reverse (and
thus use their reversing alarm) is minimised.
 Access roads to the site shall be positioned such that vehicular movements cause
minimum disturbance to sensitive receptors. Speeds shall be regulated on all site
roads to 30km/h or less, as appropriate.
Potential impacts from the construction phase may include spills and leakages of chemicals,
hydrocarbons, sewage or waste from land-based sources as well as increased turbid
stormwater runoff.
Although set back from the coastline, the construction and operational phases of the Project
could potentially impact, directly and indirectly, ma rine water quality (and by association,
marine ecology) from the following:
 Increased suspended solids causing increased turbidity and / or sedimentation;
 Sewage or other discharges from land sources;
 Unplanned events and / or discharges of chemicals and / or fuels;
 Use of inappropriate construction materials;
 Contaminated stormwater; and
 Inadequate waste management controls.
Deterioration of marine water quality could cause a reduction in marine biodiversity which in
turn can disrupt ecosystem dynamics of the area. Increased turbidity can result in a
decrease in the depth that light is able to penetrate water.
In line with the Management of Change procedure presented in Section 2.1.3, p lease note
that that this ESIA will be reviewed, and if necessary, revi sed once the wadi diversion design
has been completed. Furthermore, it should be noted that IA is an iterative process and any
mitigation measures proposed will be monitored to ensure their effectiveness once deployed.
Table 6-32 Seawater and Sediment Quality Construction Impacts and Mitigation
Valued
Receptor
MQ001 Loss of containment with Im C S Critical Habitat International/ Medium  Development of a Seawater and Sediment Quality Monitoring Plan. NS
contaminants entering the Extreme  No discharges to the marine environment of any materials, liquid or solid.
marine environment and S Hi 8
contaminating seawater and / E Lo 2  Construction of a cut off channel to provide temporary protection during the summer
or marine sediments. months.
D LT 7  On the west side of the Project site, earth bunds shall be constructed to divert any
F Inf 3 potential overflow back into the existing wadi.
P Hi 3
baskets, to be utilised where the flow velocity exceeds permissible velocity.
Rev Y 1  Use of sediment traps to reduce sediment content of the wadi discharge.
Minor 24  Contractor shall develop a Waste Management Plan (WMP) for approval. WMP will
outline the requirements and objectives for the handling, transport and stor age of
waste materials.
MQ002 Waste materials entering the Im C S Sea water International/ Medium  The Contractor’s workforce will be trained in the requirements of the WMP, NS
marine environment. chemistry Extreme particularly with regard to waste segregation, storage and handling. Site inductions
S Med 5
and toolbox talks to cover the importance of waste management.
E Lo 2  Purchase materials with minimum packaging waste.
D ST 3  Vehicles shall be appropriately covered, to prevent dropping, leaking, sifting or
F Fre 5 blowing of solid waste from the vehicle.
 A sufficient number of skips shall be provided to ensure adequate waste storage
P Hi 3 capacity is provided.
Rev Y 1  All skips containing light-weight waste shall always be covered with a net to prevent
Minor 19 light-weight waste becoming airborne and escaping the skip.
 Store material at site in a safe and responsible manner to preserve the quality of the
material.
MQ003 Discharge of raw or partially Im C S Biological Regional/ Low  Littering and the generation / accumulation of litter on site shall be prevented. NS
treated sewage into seawater (pathogen) status of Moderate  Contractor will implement litter collection / clean -up programme across the worksite
S Hi 8 marine waters and immediately adjacent areas, undertaken on a regular basis.
E Lo 2 within lagoon
 The Contractor will practice good housekeeping on site, ensure the site is clean and
D ST 3 tidy at all times with no overfilling of waste containers and no uncontained or
unsecured materials. The contractor shall inspect and monitor housekeeping.
F Ra 2 Records shall be made available for inspection.
P Lo 2  Contractor shall ensure that all waste (non-hazardous waste, hazardous waste,
Rev Y 1 sewage waste, and wastewater) is transported to an approved waste facility for
processing / disposal.
Minor 18  No waste shall be removed from the site without the knowledge and approva l of the
Contractor Environmental Manager. Records of approval must be kept on file for
audit.
MQ004 Stormwater runoff into the Im C S Critical Habitat International/ Medium Low
 The Contractor will establish demarcated temporary waste storage areas where
marine environment causing Extreme
S Med 5 waste is stored pending transport to final treatment/disposal location. Fencing with
increase in seawater turbidity
mesh-net screening (or similar) shall be provided to prevent any visual intrusion or
E Lo 2 nuisance.
D ST 3  Sewage holding tanks shall be maintained in good condition. Damage to sewage
holding tanks must be immediately addressed to ensure the integrity of the tank and
F Ra 2
to prevent unplanned releases of wastewater.
P Hi 3  All sewage holding tanks shall be fitted with a warning sensor and audible alarm and
Rev N 5 inspected regularly and emptied as appropriate to prevent overflow.
 Sewage holding tanks shall NOT be permitted to discharge to a soakage trench.
Minor 20
 Individual stand-alone toilets shall be emptied at frequent intervals to prevent
potential sewage overflows.
 Individual stand-alone toilets shall be anchored to the ground in order to prevent
them from being blown over during windy weather conditions.
Valued
Receptor
 There shall be a minimum distance of 100m between any sewage collection system
or septic tank and standing water bodies.
 Workers shall NOT urinate or defecate on the land or in the sea or in any location not
intended as a toilet facility.
 Toilets shall be provided in appropriate locations and in sufficient numbers for all site
office and site workers.
 Contractor to develop a project-specific EPRP and a SPMP for approval prior to the
start of works. To include all aspects of construction, as well as including incident
investigation and identification of immediate response actions (site delimitation,
emergency response and control measures to prevent exposure of people and
damage to the environment, reporting instructions and key contact detai ls) and
procedures for enacting remediation measures. Contractor to ensure that they are
adequately resourced and implemented.
 All personnel shall be trained in appropriate precautionary and emergency
procedures and in the specific requirements of the EPRP and SPMP. Verifiable
evidence to be submitted to demonstrate appropriate training and implementation
once works have commenced.
 Contractor to ensure that the SPMP and all spill management preparations, facilities,
 Contractor to ensure adequate resourcing for spill management. Emergency
response and waste management materials will be available on site prior to
mobilisation of plant and vehicles, including an appropriate number / length of
booms, fully-stocked spill kits, waste management facilities, etc.
 Stormwater runoff with heavy sediments and particulate matter shall be prevented
from reaching water bodies.
 Construction activities shall NOT be scheduled when there is significant potential for
heavy rainfall.
 Construction activities shall be timed, as so far as is possible, so that the area of
exposed soil is minimised during times of the year when the potential for erosion is
high.
 Areas of disturbed land/soil shall be progressively rehabilitated to a stable landform
immediately on completion of construction related activities
 Buffer zones shall be installed in appropriate locations to catch sediment and
decrease velocity of runoff.
 Install linear sediment barriers (such as silt fence, sandbag barrier, etc.) in areas
prone to sediment run-off such as:
o below the toe of exposed and erodible slopes,
o down-slope of exposed soil areas,
o around soil stockpiles, and
o at other appropriate locations along the site perimeter.
 Contractors working in close proximity to water bodies shall maintain a ditch, at least
10m inland from the high tide water mark (recommended dimensions of 30 cm deep ×
30 cm wide) along the side of the water bodies as a minimum control measure to
catch any runoff from reaching the water bodies.
 Stormwater runoff from a rainfall events shall be controlled and managed Construct
and install sediment dams to retain runoff volume from a rainfall event to allow
suspended solids settle to the base of the dam.
 Unused excavations may be used as sediment ponds to collect stormwater run -off
containing excess sediment during construction.
Valued
Receptor
 Sediment-laden stormwater run-off within work areas shall be pumped to adequately
sized gravity-based sediment tanks or ponds prior to reuse as water for dust
suppression.
 Accumulated water shall be stored for sufficient time to allow suspended particles to
settle, prior to prior to reuse as water for dust suppression.
 Sediment tanks / sediment ponds shall be subject to daily visual checks to ensure
that they are effectively performing their intended function.
 In cases where the surface of site roads becomes excessively compacted by heavy
vehicle traffic, the surface shall be periodically lightly rippled to encourage infiltratio n
rather than runoff
 The number and size of stockpiles shall be kept to a minimum.
 Stormwater erosion of stockpiles shall be controlled.
o Install collection ditches or silt fences along the toe of the stockpiles
o Drained water must be allowed to accumulate and settle prior to discharge
 Stockpiles shall be sited in locations which do not pose risks to sensitive receptors.
 Stockpile materials shall be kept within designated areas at site, located a minimum
of 20m from water bodies or high-tide mark.
 All stockpiles to be located away from drainage channels and outside of wadis.
 Stabilisation measures shall be applied to stockpiles to protect the stockpile from rain
and wind erosion.
 Spill kits shall be provided at all spill sensitive locations on site. Contracto r shall
ensure that the correct type of spill kit is available at spill sensitive locations -
‘refuelling apron’), which is able to withstand forces applied by heavy vehicular
traffic. Interlock paving is not permitted.
any overflow.
 SDSs for hazardous materials shall be readily available at locations of fuel storage
and transfer.
o Any equipment required for transferring fuel captured in drip trays into the
storage drum;
 Equipment being refuelled shall be parked on level ground at least 20 metres from
transfers.
Valued
Receptor
refuelling bowsers. Site fabricated and improvised mobile refuelling tanks shall NOT
be permitted.
 All fuel NOT stored in bulk fuel storage tanks, shall be stored in metal jerry cans or in
 Fuel nozzles or delivery hoses shall NOT be removed or disconnected unless fuel
flow has completely stopped, and the delivery pump is no longer operating.
 All bulk fuel transfers (from vehicles to bulk fuel tanker; or vice-versa) shall take
place only when the vehicle is positioned fully within the refuelling apron.
 The size and layout of the refuelling apron shall take into consideration the size of
the equipment that will be used there, so that fuel spillages will be prevented from
running off onto unsealed ground or into waterways.
soil/sediment shall be promptly cleaned and removed for disposal as hazardous
waste.
 Persons involved in fuel transfer activities and operations shall have received
specific training to do so. Records of such training shall be held on file by the
Contractor for audit.
 Fuels and hydrocarbon containers shall be stored in adequately sized bunded areas
or metal trays and shall NOT be stored on the ground.
 The refuelling apron shall NOT discharge to stormwater, sewer, sewage holding
tanks, soakaways, trenches or to any other external connection.
 Fuel captured within the drip tray/ container shall be transfe rred into a storage
starts.
manner that minimises the risk of spills, using suitable and appropriate equipmen t.
Valued
Receptor
tape).
loose absorbents: - Sorbents are absorbent materials (pads or rolls) or pellets
that attract and hold oils, like a sponge; and Sorbents are placed on top of the
spill (on land or in water) and soak it up. They are used once and then disposed
of as hazardous materials.
o Chemical spill kits will be used in chemical storage locations
o Fuel / oil spill kits used in fuel / oil storage / distri bution areas
 Spill response drills, on land and in the water, shall be undertaken in accordance with
the schedule of emergency drills on the project site. Record of spill response drills
shall be retained by the Contractor for review by AMAALA.
spill sensitive locations shall be identified and assessed, to ensure that adequate
spill prevention and control measures are implemented. Spill sensitive locations
include:
o Bulk fuel storage areas (including for marine vessel refuelling)
o Generators
o Workshops
o Warehouses
o Temporary landing platform entrance in case of a marine spill
 Where practical, all light vehicles (saloon cars, 4WDs, and light pick -up trucks) shall
be refuelled at off-site commercial petrol stations.
 Refuelling of vehicles and equipment conducted at the project site shall be done at
the dedicated refuelling area, over an impervious concrete pad.
Valued
Receptor
 Fill pipes and fuel connection points shall be inside secondary containment bunds
and systems.
 A drip tray shall be provided at the time of fuel delivery to catch any fuel that could
be lost during the coupling and decoupling of the delivery hose.
any overflow.
unattended.
 Mobile refuelling of equipment shall be carried out only after the above options have
 Spill kits shall have adequate and suitable contents, appropriate to the quanti ties of
liquid materials in storage / within the system.
 Contractor to develop a project-specific EPRP for approval prior to the start of works.
Encountering potentially contaminated soils shall be included in the EPRP.
Contractor to ensure that they are adequately resourced and implemented.
Table 6-33 Seawater and Sediment Quality Operational Impacts and Mitigation
Valued
Receptor
MQ005 Loss of containment with Im C S Critical Habitat International/ Medium  With the wadi diversion, the use of energy dissipation structures, such as gabion NS
contaminants entering the Extreme baskets, to be utilised where the flow velocity exceeds permissible velocity.
marine environment and S Hi 8
 Use of sediment traps to reduce sediment content of the wadi discharge.
contaminating seawater and / E Lo 2
or marine sediments.  Operator shall develop a WMP for approval. WMP will outline the requirements and
D LT 7 objectives for the handling, transport and storage of waste materials.
F Inf 3  The Operator’s workforce will be trained in the requirements of the WMP, particularly
with regard to waste segregation, storage and handling. Site inductions and toolbox
P Hi 3 talks to cover the importance of waste management.
Rev Y 1  Purchase materials with minimum packaging waste.
Minor 24  Vehicles shall be appropriately covered, to prevent dropping, leaking, sifting or
blowing of solid waste from the vehicle.
MQ006 Waste materials entering the Im C S Sea water International/ Medium capacity is provided. NS
marine environment.
S Med 5
chemistry Extreme  All skips containing light-weight waste shall always be covered with a net to prevent
light-weight waste becoming airborne and escaping the skip.
E Lo 2  Store material at site in a safe and responsible manner to preserve the quality of the
D LT 7 material.
F Fre 5  Littering and the generation / accumulation of litter on site shall be prevented.
 Operator will implement litter collection / clean-up programme across the worksite
P Hi 3 and immediately adjacent areas, undertaken on a regular basis.
Rev Y 1  The Operator will practice good housekeeping on site, ensure the site is clean and
23 tidy at all times with no overfilling of waste containers and no uncontained or
Minor
unsecured materials. The Operator shall inspect and monitor housekeeping. Records
shall be made available for inspection.
MQ007 Discharge of raw or partially Im C S Biological Regional/ Low  No discharges to the marine environment of any materials, liquid or solid (with the NS
treated sewage into seawater (pathogen) status of Moderate exception of the stormwater outfalls).
S Hi 8 marine waters
Valued
Receptor
E Lo 2  Operator shall ensure that all waste (non-hazardous waste, hazardous waste,
sewage waste, and wastewater) is transported to an approved waste facility for
D LT 7 processing / disposal.
F Ra 2  No waste shall be removed from the site without the knowledge and approval of the
Operator Environmental Manager. Records of approval must be kept on file for audit.
P Lo 2
 The Operator will establish demarcated waste storage areas where waste is stored
Rev Y 1 pending transport to final treatment/disposal location. Fencing with mesh-net
Minor 22 screening (or similar) shall be provided to prevent any visual intrusion or nuisance.
 Sewage holding tanks shall be maintained in good condition. Damage to sewage
holding tanks must be immediately addressed to ensure the integrity of the tank and
MQ008 Stormwater runoff into the Im C S Critical Habitat International/ Medium to prevent unplanned releases of wastewater. Low
marine environment causing Extreme  All sewage holding tanks shall be fitted with a warning sensor and audible alarm and
increase in seawater turbidity S Med 5
inspected regularly and emptied as appropriate to prevent overflow.
E Lo 2  Sewage holding tanks shall NOT be permitted to discharge to a soakage trench.
D LT 7  There shall be a minimum distance of 100 m between any sewage collection system
or septic tank and standing water bodies.
F Ra 2
 Stormwater runoff with heavy sediments and particulate matter shall be prevented
P Hi 3 from reaching water bodies.
Rev N 5  Operator to develop a project-specific EPRP and a SPMP for approval. To include all
aspects of operation, as well as including incident investigation and identification of
Minor 24 immediate response actions (site delimitation, emergency response and control
measures to prevent exposure of people and damage to the environment, reporting
instructions and key contact details) and procedures for enacting remediation
measures. Operator to ensure that they are adequately resourced and implemented.
 All personnel shall be trained in appropriate precautionary and emergency
procedures and in the specific requirements of the EPRP and SPMP. Verifiable
evidence to be submitted to demonstrate appropriate training and implementation
once works have commenced.
 Operator to ensure that the SPMP and all spill management preparations, facilities,
 Operator to ensure adequate resourcing for spill management. Emergency response
and waste management materials will be available on site pri or to mobilisation of
plant and vehicles, including an appropriate number / length of booms, fully -stocked
spill kits, waste management facilities, etc.
 Spill kits shall be provided at all spill sensitive locations on site. Operator shall
‘refuelling apron’), which is able to withstand forces applied by heavy vehicular
traffic. Interlock paving is not permitted.
any overflow.
 SDSs for diesel, petrol and hydrocarbon products shall be readily available at
locations of fuel storage and transfer.
o Any equipment required for transferring fuel captured in drip trays into the
storage drum;
Valued
Receptor
 Fuel nozzles or delivery hoses shall NOT be removed or disconnecte d unless fuel
flow has completely stopped, and the delivery pump is no longer operating.
 All bulk fuel transfers shall take place only when the vehicle is positioned fully within
the refuelling apron.
 The size and layout of the refuelling apron shall take into consideration the size of
the equipment that will be used there, so that fuel spillages will be prevented from
running off onto unsealed ground or into waterways.
soil/sediment shall be promptly cleaned and removed for disposal as hazardous
waste.
 Persons involved in fuel transfer activities and operations shall have received
specific training to do so. Records of such training shall be held on file by the
Operator for audit.
 Fuels and hydrocarbon containers shall be stored in adequately sized bunded areas
or metal trays and shall NOT be stored on the ground.
 The refuelling apron shall NOT discharge to stormwater, sewer, sewage holding
tanks, soakaways, trenches or to any other external connection.
starts.
 Take all reasonable steps to prevent contamination of land and soils and polluti on of
tape).
Valued
Receptor
loose absorbents: - Sorbents are absorbent materials (pads or rolls) or pellets
that attract and hold oils, like a sponge; and Sorbents are placed on top of the
spill (on land or in water) and soak it up. They are used once and then disposed
of as hazardous materials.
kit checklists) shall be available at individual spill kits and for revi ew by AMAALA. All
 Details of Operator’s emergency spill response team (p erson’s name, photograph,
 Spill kits shall be provided at all spill sensitive locations on site. Operator shall
 Spill response drills, on land and in the water, shall be undertaken in accordance
with the schedule of emergency drills on the project site. Record of spill response
drills shall be retained by the Operator for review by AMAALA.
 A site plan, showing the locations of spill kits shall be displayed in the site o ffice. All
spill sensitive locations shall be identified and assessed, to ensure that adequate
spill prevention and control measures are implemented. Spill sensitive locations
include:
o Bulk fuel storage areas (including for marine vessel refuelling)
o Generators
o Workshops
o Warehouses
 Refuelling of vehicles and equipment conducted at the project site shall be done at
the dedicated refuelling area, over an impervious concrete pad.
 Fill pipes and fuel connection points shall be inside secondary containment bunds
and systems.
 A drip tray shall be provided at the time of fuel delivery to catch any fuel that could
be lost during the coupling and decoupling of the delivery hose.
Valued
Receptor
any overflow.
 Spill kits shall have adequate and suitable contents, appropriate to the quantities of
Social
Construction as an activity is generally regarded as a positive influence on economic growth.
It will increase the demand for goods and services. Increases in income earning
opportunities will also increase spending potential, providing opportunities for supply of such
services, indirectly increasing the overall wealth of the area. Economic growth is also likely
to result in increased indirect employment opportunities.
The Project provides opportunities for local content management measures, which should be
a key objective for all investment projects and is a key concern of all local stakeholders.
Employment opportunities and local content is typically the most prominent discussion topic
in stakeholder engagement exercises. Providing employment opportunities locally also
reduces the potential for conflict.
Other adverse and positive impacts relating to employment, skill and livelihoods include:
 Resentment between local people employment and those whose applications

were unsuccessful (adverse);
 Increased economic growth, both local and national (positive);
 Improved availability of unskilled and skilled employment (positive);
 Enhanced skills among local workforce (positive); and
 Opportunities for skill development and training (positive).
Table 6-34 Social Construction Impacts and Mitigation
Valued
Receptor
SE001 Employment, Skills and Im C S Local Communities National/ High NS  Development of a Local Resourcing Plan to eliminate discrimination from the NS
Livelihoods. recruitment process, maximise opportunities for project-affected people and community
S Lo 3
stakeholders to gain employment particularly those who have experienced economic
E VL 1 displacement, enhance the capacity of community stakeholders to gain employment
within the project, and ensure that hiring is transparent and is conducted in a manner
D ST 3 that provides opportunities for all.
F Con 7  AMAALA and its sub-contractors will meet the requirements of IFC Performance
Standard 2: Labor and Working Conditions.
P Lo 2
 AMAALA and its sub-contractors will meet all national laws related to labour rights, the
Rev Y 1 provision of satisfactory working conditions and terms of employment, workers’
Negligible 17 organisations, non-discrimination and equal opportunity, and protecting the work force
by not employing child labour or forced labour.
 The Project’s commitment to labour rights, including specific policies, will be identified
SE002 Economic Growth. An influx Im C S Local Economy Local/ Low NS in procurement information and addressed in contracts. NS
of the construction teams will
S Med 5  The Local Resourcing Plan will consider local literacy levels and will be disclosed in
increase the demand for Arabic at the Site Offices. The Local Resourcing Plan will need to reflect national law
goods and services. E Reg 3 and the principles of non-discrimination and equal opportunity.
Increases in income earning
D Med 5  Organise a training programme and maintain individual training registers for each
opportunities for local people
worker which they can have at the end of contract for procu ring future work.
will also increase spending F Con 7
potential, providing  Provision of a description of the types of employment opportunities to be provided to
opportunities for supply of P Hi 3 local people including skills levels, indicative timeframes of recruitment, remuneration
such services, indirectly and benefits packages and likely duration of contracts. This wi ll allow prospective
Rev Y 1 employees to make an informed decision when applying for work, so that they may
increasing the overall wealth
of the area. Economic growth Minor 24 consider their other commitments in order to avoid the risk of short term employment
is also likely to result in resulting in neglect of farming activities which may have a negative e ffect on their
increased indirect livelihoods.
employment opportunities.  The project induction to ensure that contractors and all personnel understand the
environmental and social sensitivities of the Project. Induction to state measures to
reduce noise, vibration and dust impacts and the reasons why . Induction to include the
locations of sensitive communities.
 Some of the business and service opportunities linked to the Project will be accessible
to local businesses and the Project will implement a Local Sourcing and Procurement
Plan to maximise opportunities for local businesses.
Table 6-35 Social Operational Impacts and Mitigation
Valued
Receptor
SE003 Employment, Skills and Im C S Local Communities National/ High NS  Development of a Local Resourcing Plan to eliminate discrimination from the Medium
Livelihoods. recruitment process, maximise opportunities for project-affected people and community (positive)
S Lo 3
stakeholders to gain employment, enhance the capacity of community stakeholders to
E VL 1 gain employment within the project, and ensure that hiring is transparent and is
conducted in a manner that provides opportunities for all.
D ST 3
 AMAALA and its sub-contractors will meet the requirements of IFC Performance
F Con 7 Standard 2: Labor and Working Conditions.
P Lo 2  AMAALA and its sub-contractors will meet all national laws related to labour rights, the
provision of satisfactory working conditions and terms of employment, workers’
Rev Y 1 organisations, non-discrimination and equal opportunity, and protecting the work force
Negligible 17 by not employing child labour or forced labour.
 The Project’s commitment to labour rights, including specific policies , will be identified
in procurement information and addressed in contracts.
SE004 Economic Growth. An influx Im C S National Economy Local/ Low NS Medium
of the personnel will increase (positive)
Valued
Receptor
the demand for goods and S Med 5  The Local Resourcing Plan will consider local literacy levels and will be disclosed in
services. Increases in income Arabic at the Staff Village Reception. The Local Resourcing Plan will need to reflect
earning opportunities for local E Reg 3 national law and the principles of non-discrimination and equal opportunity.
people will also increase  Organise a training programme and maintain individual training registers for each
D Med 5
spending potential, providing worker which they can have at the end of contract for procuring future work.
opportunities for supply of F Con 7
such services, indirectly  Provision of a description of the types of employment opportunities to be provided to
increasing the overall wealth P Hi 3 local people including skills levels, indicative timeframes of recruitment, remuneration
of the area. Economic growth Rev Y 1 and benefits packages and likely duration of contracts. This will allow prospective
is also likely to result in employees to make an informed decision when applying for work, so that they may
increased indirect Minor 24 consider their other commitments in order to avoid the risk of short term employment
employment opportunities. resulting in neglect of farming activities which may have a negative effect on their
livelihoods.
 Project induction to ensure that contractors and all personnel understand the
environmental and social sensitivities of the Project. Induction to state measures to
reduce noise, vibration and dust impacts and the reasons why. Induction to include the
locations of sensitive communities.
 Some of the business and service opportunities linked to the Project will be accessible
to local businesses and the Project will implement a Local Sourcing and Procurement
Plan to maximise opportunities for local businesses.
and groundwater, however, there is likely to be small -scale bulk storage of diesel at the
Coastguard facility and the Early Works will require storage of diesel and other hazardous
materials.
During the Project activities, there is the potential for the development to introduce new
potential sources of soils and groundwater contamination, for example, hydrocarbons and
chemicals will require storage and use. Leakage from storage facilities or spills have the
potential to cause significant contamination. The presence of plant, machinery and
temporary site facilities does introduce the potential for some localised soil and groundwater
impacts from the following sources:
 Accidental spill or leakage of fuel, lubricants or other hazardous chemicals from

vehicles, mobile plant or refuelling activities;
 There is a leak or spill from temporary sewage storage facilities;
 Inadequate storage and management of solid and liquid wastes;
 Increased infiltration (via rainwater runoff and dust mitigation spray) through soils
already impacted by contamination;
 Deliberate discharges of, for example, pumped groundwater and treated effluent;
 Dewatering activities (if required); and
 Disturbance of previously unidentified contaminated soils that may be present on

the Project Site. Mobilisation of contaminants may result in the spread of
contamination, most likely via airborne pathways to clean soil or other s ensitive
receptors.
With consideration of the limited historical use of the area and the mitigation measures
deployed during the Early Works, it is not expected that significant contamination from
anthropogenic sources will be identified in soils on the pr oject site.
During operations, a range of potentially hazardous substances would be used, such as oils,
lubricants, biocides and fuels, as well as waste and sewage generation. Impacts to soil and
groundwater may result from accidental leaks and spills fro m chemical stores, wastewater
collection basins/sumps, waste storage areas and uncontrolled drainage of contaminated
runoff water. Accidental spills or leakages of hazardous substances may result in local
contamination of soils, with potential implications for groundwater, surface water and human
health.
Any hazard materials required during operation e.g. solvents, oils, pesticides etc. that are
stored at the site will be stored in a hazardous materials store and will be labelled and stored
appropriately. Safety Data Sheets (SDS) for all hazardous materials will displayed at the
storage location.
Table 6-36 Soils and Groundwater Construction Impacts and Mitigation
Valued
Receptor Value/ Sig before Sig after
Impact ID Description Impact Magnitude Environmental Approved Mitigation Measures
Sensitivity mitigation Mitigation
Receptor
SG001 Impacts upon soil and Im C S Chemical status of Regional/ Medium  Contractor to develop a project-specific EPRP and a SPMP for approval prior to the NS
groundwater resources from S Hi 8 soils Moderate start of works.
the storage of hazardous  Spill kits shall be provided at all spill sensitive locations on site. Cont ractor shall
materials E Lo 2
ensure that the correct type of spill kit is available at spill sensitive locations - chemical
D LT 7 spill kits where chemicals are stored and used; oil spill kits where fuels and
F Inf 3 hydrocarbons are stored and used.
P Hi 3  Refuelling shall be conducted over a level, reinforced impervious concrete pad (a
Rev N 5 Interlock paving is not permitted.
Moderate 28  Fuel nozzles, funnels and refuelling hoses shall be kept within an adequately bunde d
SG002 Impacts upon soils and Im C S Chemical status of Regional/ Low NS
groundwater resources from S Lo 3 soils Moderate
any overflow.
accidental spills and
leakages from mobile and E Lo 2  SDSs for diesel, petrol and hydrocarbon products shall be readily available at locations
stationary plant and D ST 3 of fuel storage and transfer.
equipment  Mobile delivery tankers shall be equipped with the following materials:
F Fre 5
P Cer 5
Rev Y 1 o A labelled, sealable container for storing spilled fuel;
Minor 19 o Any equipment required for transferring fuel captured in drip trays into the storage
drum;
 A suitably sized drip tray and ground protective sheet shall be placed under t he
transfers.
refuelling bowsers. Site fabricated and improvised mobile refuelling tanks shall NOT be
permitted.
 Fuel nozzles or delivery hoses shall NOT be removed or disconnected unless fuel flow
has completely stopped, and the delivery pump is no longer operating.
 All bulk fuel transfers (from vehicles to bulk fuel tanker; or vice-versa) shall take place
 In the event that fuel spills do occur, all spilled material and contamin ated
Valued
Receptor
 Persons involved in fuel transfer activities and operatio ns shall have received specific
training to do so. Records of such training shall be held on file by the Contractor for
audit.
 Fuels and hydrocarbon containers shall be stored in adequately sized bunded areas or
wastewater channels to reduce potential for pollution via spillage or leaka ges.
starts.
o Personal protective equipment (goggles, chemical resistant gl oves; plastic, vinyl
tape).
o Marine floating booms (only required in marine en vironment) - Floating booms
contain spills in the water.
o Chemical spill kits will be used in chemical storage locations
o Fuel / oil spill kits used in fuel / oil storage / distribution areas
Valued
Receptor
ensure that the correct type of spill kit is available at spill sensitive locati ons –
 Spill response drills shall be undertaken in accordance with the schedule of emergency
drills on the project site. Record of spill response drills shall be retained by the
Contractor for review by AMAALA.
o Generators
o Workshops
o Warehouses
 Where practical, all light vehicles (saloon cars, 4WDs, and light pick -up trucks) shall be
refuelled at off-site commercial petrol stations.
 Refuelling of vehicles and equipment conducted at the project site shall be done at the
dedicated refuelling area, over an impervious concrete pad.
systems.
unattended.
 Mobile refuelling of equipment shall be carried out only af ter the above options have
 Encountering potentially contaminated soils shall be included in the EPRP . Contractor
to ensure that they are adequately resourced and implemented.
 If leaks are suspected, soil sampling will be undertaken, and samples sent to an
accredited laboratory for chemical analysis. Contractor shall utilise standards
presented in the Executive Regulations for Preventing and Treating Soil Pollution to
determine if the soils have become contaminated.
 Where leaks have resulted in contamination of the underlying soils, contaminated soils
removed for disposal as hazardous waste and appropriate ly stored in the HAZWASTE
storage facility. Such soils need to be stored in a fashion (drums or skips) that would
prevent the downward leaching of contaminants to underlying groundwater.
 If potentially contaminated soils are encountered, work is to stop im mediately, and
further investigations undertaken to characterise the soils. If soils have been
excavated, these will be stored separately in skips or in drums away from inert soils
and label appropriately. DO NOT mix with other soils or stockpiles.
 If potentially contaminated soils are encountered, soil sampling will be undertaken, and
samples sent to an accredited laboratory for chemical analysis. Contractor shall utilise
Valued
Receptor
standards presented in the Executive Regulations for Preventing and Treating Soil
Pollution to determine if the soils have become contaminated. If found to be
contaminated, the soils shall be removed for disposal as hazardous waste.
 Removal of contaminated soils must be in accordance with GIIP such as the Land
Contamination Risk Management (LCRM) published by Environment Agency.
 Any materials used for reinstatement should be tested prior to deposition with the
samples sent to an accredited laboratory for chemical analysis . The Contractor shall
utilise standards presented in the Executive Regulations for Preventing and Treating
Soil Pollution to determine the suitability of the material .
Table 6-37 Soil and Groundwater Operational Impacts and Mitigation
Valued
Receptor
SG003 Impacts upon soil and Im C S Chemical status of Regional/ Medium  Operator to develop a project-specific EPRP and a SPMP for approval. NS
groundwater resources from soils Moderate  Operator to develop a maintenance management plan including routine inspections of
the storage of hazardous S Hi 8
discharge points, filters and hazardous substance storage areas particularly after high
materials E Lo 2 wind and rainfall events.
D LT 7  Spill kits shall be provided at all spill sensitive locations on site. Contractor shall
ensure that the correct type of spill kit is available at spi ll sensitive locations - chemical
F Inf 3
spill kits where chemicals are stored and used; oil spill kits where fuels and
P Hi 3 hydrocarbons are stored and used.
Rev N 5  Refuelling shall be conducted over a level, reinforced impervious concrete pad (a
Moderate 28 Interlock paving is not permitted.
SG004 Impacts upon soils and Im C S Chemical status of Regional/ Low NS
groundwater resources from soils Moderate
S Lo 3 sensors (inside the nozzle) that senses the back pressure and shuts off, preventing
accidental spills and
any overflow.
leakages from mobile and E Lo 2
stationary plant and  SDSs for diesel, petrol and hydrocarbon products shall be readily available at locations
equipment D LT 7 of fuel storage and transfer.
F Inf 3  Mobile delivery tankers shall be equipped with the following materials:
P Cer 5 o Metal Drip tray/s of sufficient capacity;
Rev Y 1
Minor 21 o Any equipment required for transferring fuel captured in drip tra ys into the storage
drum;
 All bulk fuel transfers (from vehicles to bulk fuel tanker; or vice-versa) shall take place
Valued
Receptor
 In the event that fuel spills do occur, all spilled material and c ontaminated
training to do so. Records of such training shall be held on file by the Operator for
audit.
 Fuels and hydrocarbon containers shall be stored in adequately sized bunded areas or
starts.
tape).
o Booms - ‘sausage’ shaped items that are flexible enough to bend arou nd and
o Marine floating booms (only required in marine environment) - Floating booms
contain spills in the water.
response materials. Operator shall ensure that records of spill kit inspections (spill kit
checklists) shall be available at individual spill kits and for review by AMAALA. All spill
kit checklists must be maintained as records for audit by AMAALA.
 Details of Operator’s emergency spill response team (person’s name, photograph,
Valued
Receptor
 Spill kits shall be provided at all spill sensitive locations on site. Operator shall ensure
that the correct type of spill kit is available at spill sensitive locations – chemical spill
kits where chemicals are stored and used; oil spill kits where fuels and hydrocarbons
are stored and used.
 Spill response drills shall be undertaken in accordance with the schedule of emergency
drills on the project site. Record of spill response drills shall be retained by the
Operator for review by AMAALA.
o Generators
o Workshops
o Warehouses
o Ensure that sand is NOT used as an absorbent.
 Refuelling of vehicles and equipment conducted at the project site shall be done at the
dedicated refuelling area, over an impervious concrete pad.
systems.
 If leaks are suspected, soil sampling will be undertaken, and samples sent to an
accredited laboratory for chemical analysis. Operator shall utilise standards presented
in the Executive Regulations for Preventing and Treating Soil Pollution to determine if
the soils have become contaminated.
 Where leaks have resulted in contamination of the underlying soils, contaminated soils
removed for disposal as hazardous waste and appropriately stored in the HAZWASTE
storage facility. Such soils need to be stored in a fashion (drums or skips) that would
prevent the downward leaching of contaminants to underlying groundwater.
 Removal of contaminated soils must be in accordance with GIIP such as the Land
Contamination Risk Management (LCRM) published by Environment Agency.
Terrestrial Ecology
The terrestrial ecology can be impacted by the loss, damage or abandonment of nesting
sites. Furthermore, the effects of light, noise and vibration as well as human presence and
disturbance can cause reduced species numbers or localised extinction. Avifauna may also
experience disruption to migratory behaviour.
In addition, the construction activities could lead to the introduction and spread of invasive
species and alien species as well as pests and predators onto the Island which could impact
native fauna and flora.
The construction and operational activities are likely to result in adverse effects on the
surrounding terrestrial environment and ecology through a number of aspects, including:
 Emissions of combustion gases from equipment, machinery, diesel generators,

diesel fuelled pumps and vehicles;
 Dust emissions and deposition from earth works, loading/unloading/transportation

of materials, HGV traffic etc.;
 Noise generating activities, particularly during the breeding season: excavation,

truck traffic, power generator. Increased noise levels will increase environmental
stress for many species of fauna interfering with behavioural responses and their
physiology (Shannon, et al., 2016);
 Presence and visibility of people. Interaction of workers have the potential to

cause disturbance and even fatalities of the general fauna;
 Artificial lighting. Plants and animals depend on the daily cycle of light and dark
rhythm to govern life-sustaining behaviours such as reproduction, nourishment,
sleep and protection from predators. Ar tificial light at night can interfere with the
activities of nocturnal animals;
 Direct loss of habitat;
 Introduction of non-native pest species or predators. There is a risk of introducing

exotic or invasive species to the site. Fauna pest species (e.g. c ats, dogs, rats)
may have a negative impact on the native fauna by direct predation or
competition for resources; and
 Increase risk of road kill of terrestrial fauna.
Please note that due to the Early Works activities and presence of boundary fencing, the
presence of on-site terrestrial receptors will be limited , therefore, impacts such as direct loss
of habitat and direct mortality of small mammals and low mobility reptile species during
construction have not been included in this assessment.
Table 6-38 Terrestrial Ecology Impacts Construction Impacts and Mitigation
Valued
Receptor
TE001 Displacement of species due Im C S Critical Habitat International/ High  40 m set-back from the coastline. NS
to construction (noise, Extreme  Fencing will be provided alongside temporary haul roads to prevent off -roading driving.
lighting, visual disturbance) S Med 5
E Lo 2  Contractor’s staff, sub-contractors and visitors shall be provided with environmental
awareness training which includes procedures in dealing with sightings of animals. Site
D LT 7 inductions to cover the importance of minimising disturbance to habitat and wildlife, the
importance of environmental protection and outline the locations where access is
F Con 7
permitted.
P Hi 3  Overall the principles of ecological good practice will be incorporated into the Project,
Rev N 5 including the use of an Ecological/Environmental Clerk of Works to supervise site
works and to ensure that the contractors conform to the requirements of the CESMP
Moderate 29 and associated plans
 No capture, handling or intentional disruption of wild animals to occur on site by
workers. Contractor’s staff and any sub-contractors shall not cause wilful or reckless
TE002 Risk of disturbance and Im C S Critical Habitat International/ High harm to animals. NS
killing fauna (roadkill, worker Extreme
S Hi 8  Conduct a site check prior to starting surface clearing, to ensure anim als are not
interaction with fauna, death
present.
due to construction activities) E Lo 2
 Where works on site require interference with site flora and/or fauna, Contractors shall
D Per 10 consult with AMAALA Environmental Department for advice on how to proceed.
F Ra 2  No unauthorised off-road driving outside of approved haul roads and active work sites.
P Hi 3  If any animals are detected in the work area, Contractors shall inform AMAALA to
discuss how best to remove them.
Rev N 5
 Nests of breeding birds, or similar and dens of animals shall NOT be disturbed.
Moderate 30  Plan the positioning of all fencing, to avoid trapping larger animals in the area.
 Suitable and adequate arrangements for pest control shall be implemented at Mess
Hall facilities.
TE003 Potential for poor storage and Im C S Critical Habitat International/ Medium NS
waste management activities Extreme  Organic food waste, which is deemed suitable for composting, shall be stored separate
to attract vermin and/or S Med 5 to all other waste. Food containers shall not be disposed of to the food waste skips /
human commensal species bins. These waste skips / bins must be checked routinely and emptied frequently to
E Lo 2
which will alter ecological avoid overfilling, odour problems and pest infestations.
balance of area D ST 3  Mess halls shall be maintained in a clean and hygienic condition , to prevent the
F Con 7 attraction of vermin / pests.
 All food waste shall be stored in bins (rather than skips) with closed metal or hard
P Cer 5
plastic tops to minimise the possibility of vermin infestation or odour emanating. Waste
Rev Y 1 shall be managed to ensure that it does not cause vermin/pests (rats, flies, cats, dogs)
to be attracted to / present on site.
Minor 23
 Domestic and biodegradable waste from offices, canteens and welfare facilities shall
be removed daily from the site.
TE004 Introduction of pest, exotic Im C S Critical Habitat International/ Medium  Bins shall be regularly emptied around the site to prevent the propagation of unwanted NS
and/or invasive species Extreme animals attracted to food waste (rats, dogs, etc.).
S Lo 3
 No pet species (cats or dogs) to be introduced or kept at the Project site.
E Lo 2  Where necessary, trapping programmes will be implemented to remove pest species.
D LT 7  Minimise the working footprint as far as is feasible.
F Fre 5  Clearly demarcate all work areas and site access routes to limit risk of clearance of
non-designated areas.
P Hi 3
 All lighting shall be switched off when not in active use.
Rev Y 1
 A proper lighting design shall be conducted to ensure that achieved light intensity
Minor 21 meets the working requirements and does not exceed requirements.
 Contractor to avoid unnecessary lighting to prevent light pollution and light spill onto
the marine and terrestrial environment. No lighting shall sp ill upwards to add to sky
glow. Light beams will be directed away from sensitive receptors.
 Implement adequate measures to prevent access of wildlife to the active areas (i.e.
Fencing, flagging, reflectors, deterrent noise etc.).
Valued
Receptor
 Work plans to clearly identify areas required for safe and effective work programme
and demarcate clearly areas that are not to be accessed.
 AMAALA shall adopt the Illuminating Engineering Society and International Dark Sky
Association (IES/IDA) Model Lighting Ordinance User Guide to identify lighting zones.
to prevent light pollution (i.e. full cut-off lights, shielded lights).
 All lighting that is not essential to ensure site safety and securit y shall be switched off
 Planting pallets to be subject to review and each species to be subject to Invasive
species assessment.
 All plant waste material from non-native species to be incinerated.
 All mitigation measures to be outlined in a Project-specific terrestrial ecological
management plan.
Table 6-39 Terrestrial Ecology Operational Impacts and Mitigation
Valued
Receptor
TE005 Displacement of species due Im C S IFC Performance International/ High  Operator’s staff, sub-contractors and visitors shall be provided with environmental Low
to operational activities Standard 6 Extreme awareness training which includes procedures in dealing with sightings of animals. Site
(noise, lighting, visual S Med 5 Biodiversity inductions to cover the importance of minimising disturbance to habitat and wildlife, the
disturbance). IFC E Lo 2 importance of environmental protection and outline the locations where access is
Performance Standard 6 permitted.
used as a surrogate. D LT 7
 No capture, handling or intentional disruption of wild animals.
F Con 7  If any animals are detected in the work area, Operator shall inform AMAALA to discuss
P Hi 3 how best to remove them.
Rev N 5  Nests of breeding birds, or similar and dens of animals shall NOT be disturbed.
 Suitable and adequate arrangements for pest control shall be implemented at food and
Moderate 29 beverage facilities.
 Organic food waste, which is deemed suitable for composting, shall be stored separate
to all other waste. Food containers shall not be disposed of to the food waste skips /
TE006 Risk of disturbance and Im C S IFC Performance International/ High Low
bins. These waste skips / bins must be checked routinely and emptied frequently to
killing fauna (roadkill, worker Standard 6 Extreme
S Hi 8 avoid overfilling, odour problems and pest infestations.
interaction with fauna, death Biodiversity
due to construction E Lo 2  Food and beverage facilities shall be maintained in a clean and hygienic condition, to
activities). IFC Performance prevent the attraction of vermin / pests.
D Per 10
Standard 6 used as a  All food waste shall be stored in bins (rather than skips) with closed metal or ha rd
surrogate. F Ra 2 plastic tops to minimise the possibility of vermin infestation or odour emanating. Waste
shall be managed to ensure that it does not cause vermin/pests (rats, flies, cats, dogs)
P Hi 3 to be attracted to / present on site.
Rev N 5  Domestic and biodegradable waste from offices, food and beverage, and welfare
facilities shall be removed daily from the site.
Moderate 30
 Bins shall be regularly emptied around the site to prevent the propagation of unwanted
animals attracted to food waste (rats, dogs, etc.).
TE007 Potential for poor storage and Im C S IFC Performance International/ Medium  Where necessary, trapping programmes will be implemented to remove pest species. NS
waste management activities Standard 6 Extreme  All lighting shall be switched off when not in active use.
to attract vermin and/or S Med 5 Biodiversity
human commensal species  A proper lighting design shall be conducted to ensure that achieved light intensity
E Lo 2
which will alter ecological meets the working requirements and does not exceed requirem ents.
balance of area. IFC D LT 7  Operator to avoid unnecessary lighting to prevent light pollution and light spill onto the
Performance Standard 6 F Con 7 marine and terrestrial environment. No lighting shall spill upwards to add to sky glow.
used as a surrogate. Light beams will be directed away from sensitive receptors.
P Hi 3
Rev Y 1 to prevent light pollution (i.e. full cut-off lights, shielded lights).
Minor 25
Valued
Receptor
TE008 Introduction of pest, exotic Im C S Critical Habitat International/ Medium NS
and/or invasive species Extreme
S Lo 3
E Lo 2
D LT 7
F Fre 5
P Hi 3
Rev Y 1
Minor 21
The Project will require the movement of goods, equipment and personnel to and from the
Project site. Vehicles, vessels, equipment and plant will increase ambient noise and
decrease air quality through dust and vehicle emissions. Noise, vibration and dust can lead
to increased irritation especially in adjacent communities, which may cause social distress,
reaction against the project, and possible health impacts.
A Traffic Management Plan will be developed outlining control measures to reduce impacts
of movement. The impact of additional traffic during the construction and operational is not
considered to be significant as Highway 5 is currently utilised less than its design capacity.
Furthermore, there are limited developments in AMAALA which woul d contribute to traffic
volumes.
Please note that a potential cumulative impact is anticipated due to the planned construction
projects within AMAALA and TRSDC.
Table 6-40 Traffic and Transport Construction Impacts and Mitigation
Valued
Receptor
TT001 Increased terrestrial traffic Im C S Local Communities National/ High Medium  A TMP will be developed outlining control measures to reduce impacts of movement. NS
from construction vehicles  Maintain a register of all vehicles on site for audit. The register shall include date of
S Lo 3
manufacture, engine details, hours of operation, maintenance dates, fuel type and
E Lo 2 emissions control devices installed.
D Med 5  All vehicles used during the works shall be maintained to ensure optimum
performance and that no excess exhaust emissions are emitted. Contractors shall
F Fre 5
keep records of all maintenance activities on file, for audit by AMAALA.
P Hi 3  All site vehicles to have audible and visual warnings when operating in reverse gear.
Rev Y 1  All vehicles shall be in a good state of repair and suitable for the task being
conducted.
Minor 19
 No unauthorised off-road driving outside of approved haul roads and active work
sites, unless in emergency.
 Traffic speed not to exceed signed speed limit, and to a maximum of 40km/hr on
unsealed access roads and within active work areas.
 All project related vehicles, transport equipment, signage, etc. shall conform to
national road safety standards and be provided with mandatory insurance coverage.
 The Contractor shall institute driving awareness and education programmes.
Table 6-41 Traffic and Transport Operational Impacts and Mitigation
Valued
Receptor
TT002 Increased terrestrial traffic Im C S Local Communities National/ High Medium  A TMP will be developed outlining control measures to reduce impacts of m ovement. NS
from operational vehicles  Maintain a register of all vehicles on site for audit. The register shall include date of
S Med 5
manufacture, engine details, hours of operation, maintenance dates, fuel type and
E Lo 2 emissions control devices installed.
D LT 7  All vehicles used during the works shall be maintained to ensure optimum
performance and that no excess exhaust emissions are emitted.
F Fre 5
 All site vehicles to have audible and visual warnings when operating in reverse gear.
P Cer 5
 All vehicles shall be in a good state of repair and suitable for the tas k being
Rev Y 1 conducted.
Minor 25  No unauthorised off-road driving outside of approved haul roads and active work
sites, unless in emergency.
 All project related vehicles, transport equipment, signage, etc. shall conform to
national road safety standards and be provided with mandatory insurance coverage.
 Operator shall institute driving awareness and education programmes.
Waste Management
Construction works will give rise to a range of wastes including waste soils, brick and block
offcuts, scrap metals, plastic, wood, waste concrete, canteen waste and domestic sewerage,
office waste and limited amounts of hazardous materials including used batteries, oily waste
from servicing equipment and used florescent light tubes. Wastes will be segregated and
stored on-site before transportation off-site for re-use, recycling, recovery or disposal. All of
these wastes will require management to ensure they are re -used, recycled, recovered or
disposed of without harming the environment. The incorrect storage, treatment or disposa l of
waste could create a range of environmental impacts on soils and groundwater, ecological
receptors, air quality etc. Wastes will be generated on the land and in the marine
environment by the dredging vessels, support vessels, etc .
Wastes will require segregation at source so that waste re-use, recycling or recovery can be
maximised. Preliminary options for management of the construction wastes are shown in
Table 6-42.
Table 6-42 Preliminary Construction Waste Management Options
Waste Stream Waste Management Option
Soils - inert Re-use in construction on or off-site
Brick and block offcuts Can be recycled on-site and used as general fill material
Take back by the producer for recycling or as a last resort, landfilling

Plasterboard offcuts
as non-hazardous waste
Concrete - waste Re-use in construction on or off-site
Metal Recycling off-site
Recycling on-site or recycling by others. Can be chipped and used as

Wood
mulch or as fuel or can be used to make Oriented Strand Board
Can be recycled on-site and used as general fill material (if chemically
Asphalt
suitable)
Recycling. Plastics and packaging can also be taken back by supplier,
Plastics and packaging and procurement strategy should select suppliers that utilise reusable
and/or recyclable packaging including take back schemes
Other general wastes -
inert and non-hazardous Small quantities of unsegregated materials - disposed to landfill
construction wastes
Hazardous wastes -
waste oils, batteries, Recycling by specialist contractors
fluorescent tubes
Wastewater / sewage
Collection in septic tanks and tankering to municipal Sewage Treatment
from site offices- non-
Plant
hazardous
Canteen and office Recyclable items to be recycled. Food waste to be composted or
wastes disposed of to landfill
Waste will be taken to a waste compound and stored in skips or other containers prior to
removal from site. Hazardous waste will be kept separate from non -hazardous wastes. The
contractor will ensure that waste is stored in separate skips or containers for:
1. Brick and blocks;
2. Scrap metal;
3. Plastic;
4. Wood;
5. Paper and cardboard;
6. Food waste;
7. Waste oil;
8. Oil contaminated materials;
9. Batteries;
10. Fluorescent tubes;
11. Non-recyclable mixed non-hazardous waste.
Waste and litter can have impacts on multiple receptors including terrestrial ecology, visual
amenity, the local community and worker welfare. The site will be kept free of accumulated
waste and the site and surrounding area will b e kept clear of litter.
Waste containers will be of appropriate size, will be in good condition and have a sealed
base. Where there is potential for high winds to blow waste out of the containers, they will be
covered by netting to prevent this. Waste containers will be emptied frequently to prevent
overfilling.
All containers will be labelled, and colour coded for the type of waste. A waste manager will
be appointed to police segregation on a daily basis. The waste manager will also ensure that
containers are taken away and exchanged on a regular basis to prevent overfilling. Waste
will not be deposited on the ground.
All waste will be transferred to a suitable treatment, recycling or disposal site using a Waste
Tracking Form which records:
 Description of waste;
 The quantity of waste;
 The registration of the vehicle;
 The destination; and
 The signature of the receiving party.
Waste will be transported by registered waste transporters. Waste records will be maintained
by the contractor and a weekly waste summary report showing the amount of each type of
waste removed from site will be maintained. It will also identify the percentage of waste
recycled.
Waste will not be transferred unless the details and location of the receiving party are known
in advance. AMAALA supervisory staff will follow waste trucks on occasion to confirm that
wastes are being sent to the agreed destination and are not illegally disposed of. All
transport of wastes shall be undertaken in line with current national requirements.
Should waste need to be landfilled then it will only be taken to landfills approved by NCWM.
The mismanagement of waste due to poor site waste collection and segregation, or delivery
of waste to inadequate treatment or disposal facilities, could lead to breach of r egulatory
requirements, as well as risk of causing environmental pollution, with consequent adverse
effects on public health and degradation of marine and terrestrial habitats. All storage of
wastes shall be undertaken in line with current national require ments.
Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP) have calculated UK standard practice
recovery wastes for construction waste arisings (Table 6-43). The Project should strive for
standard practice recovery rates (60%); good and best practice recovery rates are currently
considered unfeasible for the Project due to the lack of existing waste management and
particularly recycling infrastructure in KSA.
Table 6-43 Standard, Good and Best Practice Recovery Rates by Material (WRAP)
Standard Practice Good Practice Best Practice

Material
Recovery (%) Recovery (%) Recovery (%)
Wood 57 90 95
Material 95 100 100
Packaging 60 85 95
Ceramics/Masonry 75 85 100
Concrete 75 96 100
Inert 75 95 100
Plastics 60 80 95
Miscellaneous 12 50 75
Limited information
Electrical Equipment 70 97
available
Insulation 12 50 75
Limited information
Cement 75 95
available
Liquids and Oils 100 100 100
Limited information Limited information

Hazardous 50
available* available*
Commonly achieved
recovery rates on 60 80 90
construction sites
* This cannot be 100% as some hazardous wastes cannot be recycled
The Project should also aim for 60% recovery of waste generated by Project personnel.
Where solid waste cannot be re-used, recycled or recovered it will need to be disposed of.
Waste will be taken to a local or regional landfill. The deposition of waste will consume
landfill space which is a finite resource.
AMAALA should include procurement measures such as not over ordering materials, using
materials that can be brought to site as efficiently as possible and investigate the return of
usable materials (if practical). Furthermore, AMAALA’s procurement process should select
suppliers that utilise reusable and/or recyclable packaging including take back schemes.
Detailed quantitative information relating to the construction phase wastes that will be
produced and the material resources required, as well as identification of the destination of
waste, is not available. It is anticipated that the solid and liquid waste arising from the
Project and recoverable material resources will be dealt according to the waste hierarchy,
where possible, to seek to encourage sustainable waste and resource managem ent and
construction methods that demonstrate good practice and achieve legislative compliance.
During the operational phase, the Project will produce wastes which will require
management. For the purpose of this assessment, the following groups of waste anticipated
as a result of the project activities are considered:
 Municipal solid waste;
 Sewage; and
 Hazardous waste.
The mismanagement of waste due to poor site waste collection and segregation, or delivery
of waste to inadequate treatment or disposal fac ilities, could lead to breach of regulatory
requirements, as well as risk of causing environmental pollution, with consequent adverse
effects on public health and degradation of terrestrial habitats.
Segregated wastes should be stored in a dedicated waste compound and transported from
site in the same manner as described for construction wastes. The waste management
options for the waste streams are also the same as those described for construction waste in
Table 6-42. The site and surrounding area will be kept free of litter.
Where solid waste cannot be re-used, recycled or recovered it will need to be disposed of.
Waste will be taken to a local or regional landfill. The deposition of waste will consume
landfill space which is a finite resource.
Detailed quantitative information relating to the construction and operational wastes that will
be produced and the material resources required, as well as identification of the destination
of waste, is not available. It is anticipated that the solid and liquid waste arising from the
Project and recoverable material resources will be dealt according to the waste hierarchy,
where possible, to seek to encourage sustainable waste and resource management and
construction methods that demonstrate good practice and achieve legislative compliance.
Considering the nature of the project activities, the type of waste anticipated, and the limited
duration of the works, the impact of waste management is considered to be Non -Significant,
provided that an adequate waste management system is in place during the entire duration
of the works, both during construction and operation.
A potential cumulative impact is anticipated, due to the increasing demand for waste
treatment and disposal capacity of ongoing and planned construction projects within
AMAALA and TRSDC, until the planned waste facilities are constructed and fully operational.
Table 6-44 Waste Management Construction Impacts and Mitigation
Valued
Receptor
WM001 Reduction of landfill life span Im C S IFC Performance International/ Medium  Development of a site-specific Waste Management Plan (WMP) which is implemented Low
at municipal landfills due to Standard No 3: Extreme by the Contractor. All personnel to receive training in the WMP.
addition of construction S Lo 3 Resource Efficiency
wastes. and Pollution  Net zero carbon development.
E Reg 3
 Zero polluted discharge (including waste material) to the marine environm ent.
D ST 3
 All organic waste to be used for agriculture.
F Con 7  100% biodegradable plastic to be used.
P Lo 2  Modular construction techniques used for the Project.
Rev N 5  AMAALA will need to coordinate with regional waste management facilities to ensure
there is capacity within the existing waste management infrastructure or alternative
Minor 23 treatment facilities to assimilate the Project generated construction waste until
AMAALA waste infrastructure is established.
 Waste bins and skips shall be regularly inspected to ensure that they are in a good
WM002 Poor site waste management Im C S Local Communities National/High Medium NS
state of repair. Waste bins and skips that are damaged beyond unreasonable wear and
practices leading to impacts
S Med 5 tear shall be removed from the project and replaced with equivalent containers.
on multiple assets such as
ecology, contamination, E VL 1  Spillages or waste lost from disposal vehicles enroute to the disposal site shall be
visual appearance etc. promptly responded to and cleaned up.
D ST 3
 Waste shall be transported directly to an approved disposal facility. Stockpiling of
F Fre 5 waste off-site in non-disposal locations is NOT permitted.
P Cer 5  Waste bins and skips shall be kept securely closed, except when it is n ecessary to add
waste.
Rev Y 1
 Single-use plastics to be prohibited. All workers to be provided with reusable water
Minor 20 bottles.
 Littering and the generation / accumulation of litter on site shall be prevented.
 All skips containing light-weight waste shall always be covered with a net to prevent
WM003 Unregulated dumping of Im C S IFC Performance International/ Medium light-weight waste becoming airborne and escaping the skip. NS
waste due to lack of licenced Standard No 3: Extreme
facilities within project area S Med 5 Resource Efficiency  A sufficient number of skips shall be provided to ensure adequate waste storage
and Pollution capacity is provided.
E Reg 3
 Waste shall be stored at a Central Waste Storage Location (CWSL). If required,
D ST 3 satellite collection stations shall be provided at designated locations within the project
F Fre 5 site. Fencing with mesh-net screening (or similar) shall be provided at the CWSL to
prevent any visual intrusion or nuisance.
P Hi 3
 The CWSL shall be constructed with a compacted hard-standing base layer of asphalt,
Rev Y 1 concrete or similar.
Minor 20  The CWSL shall be sited in a location where it is a sufficient distance from sensitive
receptors who may be affected by odour, noise and visual impacts.
 Fencing with mesh-net screening (or similar) shall be provided at the CWSL to prevent
WM004 Wind-blown litter entering the Im C S Critical Habitat International/ Medium any visual intrusion or nuisance. NS
wider general environment.
S Med 5
Extreme  All waste on the project shall be collected and stored in bins / approved waste
Critical habitat used as a containers. The contents of bins / waste containers are transferred periodicall y to an
surrogate. E Lo 2 appropriate metal skip.
D Med 5  The frequency of skip collection shall be adequate to avoid unnecessary waste
accumulation.
F Fre 5
 Contractor workforce will be trained in the requirements of the WMP, particularly with
P Cer 5 regards to waste segregation, storage and handling. This will form an integral part of
the Environmental Training and Awareness Programme.
Rev Y 1
 Maintain a tidy site by implementing good housekeeping, which reduces waste
Minor 23 generation.
 Contractor to appoint a minimum of one waste manager (total number will be
dependent on extent and type of activities) who will ensure implementation of the WMP
across all sites, including ensuring waste segregation at source.
 Contractor must demonstrate that all waste has been managed appropriately by
provision of quantitative data, as part of the WEM programme. WEM will include
Valued
Receptor
quantities of waste produced and recycled and provide verifiable evidence to
demonstrate compliance against ESIA and contract requirements (for example, waste
manifests, etc.). WEM to be provided to AMAALA on a weekly basis.
 All food waste shall be stored in skips with closed metal or hard plastic tops to
minimise the possibility of vermin infestation or odour emanating. Waste shall be
managed to ensure that it does not cause vermin/pests (rats, flies, ca ts, dogs) to be
attracted to / present on site.
 Bins shall be located in areas where waste generation is reasonably expected, and
bins shall be positioned for ease of access to persons and activities.
 Waste bins and skips shall be of sufficient size to con tain all solid wastes generated on
site between waste collections.
 Waste bins and skips shall NOT be opened, handled or stored in a manner, which may
rupture the container or cause it to leak.
 Contractor shall arrange for the transfer and transportation of waste consignments
using National Centre for Waste Management (NCWM) approved / licensed waste
management contractors.
 Contractor shall ensure that all waste (non-hazardous waste, hazardous waste,
sewage waste, and wastewater) is transported to an approve d waste facility for
processing / disposal.
 Maintain a register of all waste shipments and disposal methods.
 All waste records shall be available at all times for audit.
 Contractor shall NOT dump or bury waste on the site.
 Only waste management contractors that have been approved are permitted to
transport waste.
 Waste management contractors shall provide necessary documentation to the
Contractor to confirm that they are approved and authorised to provide waste
management services.
 Conduct internal audits and spot checks to ensure that waste is being transported to
the correct and approved facilities.
 A waste tracking system shall be developed using a Waste Transfer Note (WTN) or
similar. WTN’s shall include a full description of the waste, the total quantit y being
transferred, the date of transfer, the waste recipient’s name, and any other relevant
information.
 In order to provide assurance that waste generated throughout the Project is disposed
of appropriately, documented waste records are required to assi st in the tracking of
waste.
 All waste vehicles to be fitted with trackers to ensure that all waste is taken to
appropriately licensed facilities.
 Vehicles delivering waste to the disposal area shall be appropriately covered, to
prevent dropping, leaking, sifting or blowing of solid waste from the vehicle.
 Current copies of the WMC’s licenses and permits shall be retained on file for audit.
 No waste shall be removed from the site without the knowledge and approval of the
Contractor Environmental Manager. Records of approval must be kept on file for audit.
 The waste shall NOT be released from site if there is concern about the standard of
transport or destination of the waste.
 Before the transportation takes place, check the contents, packing, labelling and
documentation of the waste to ensure that the load is in compliance with AMAALA
requirements.
 The waste disposal contractors shall provide necessary documentation to the
Contractor to confirm that they are licensed for the types of waste that they will be
transporting.
 Contractors shall establish a system for segregation and recycling of construction and
other waste on site. Waste generated shall be sorted and segregated at source to
avoid mixing of incompatible waste materials.
Valued
Receptor
 Clearly identify which waste must go in which skip, either with signs/pictures or by
colour-coding the skips. The main solid and hazardous segregation types are:
 Food waste.
 General waste (e.g. plastic, paper, card).
 Hazardous waste (e.g. paint/fuel/oil cans, oily rags, contaminated soil, etc.).
 Concrete waste (just dry concrete - breezeblocks or spilled concrete material).
 Metal waste (e.g. rebar, girders or similar) h as a good re-sale value, so will be
segregated into separate skip or fenced off area.
 Timber waste (e.g. from formwork or crates).
 Green waste (typically vegetation cuttings).
 To the greatest possible extent, plastic drums, wooden pallets, cardboard, woode n
cable spools shall be returned to the supplier.
 Setting targets (60%) for waste recovery and recycling to enable those working on the
Project to have a clear understanding of what is expected. If possible, include formal
tracking of waste generation and recycling rates.
 AMAALA’s procurement process should select suppliers that utilise reusable and/or
recyclable packaging including take back schemes.
 Zero use of single-use plastics.
 As per TRSDC Solid Waste Management Principle, all developments at will av oid the
generation of any hazardous waste streams, which because of their quantity,
concentration, or physical / chemical / infectious characteristics may either cause, or
significantly contribute to an increase in mortality / serious irreversible illnesse s to
humans or wildlife. The generation of hazardous waste will be strictly avoided during
construction and operational phases.
Table 6-45 Waste Management Operational Impacts and Mitigation
Valued
Receptor
WM005 Reduction of landfill life span Im C S IFC Performance International/ High  Operator to develop WMP for review and approval by AMAALA. Low
at municipal landfills due to Standard No 3: Extreme  AMAALA will need to coordinate with regional waste ma nagement facilities to ensure
input of operational wastes S Med 5 Resource Efficiency there is capacity within the existing waste management infrastructure to assimilate the
E Reg 3 and Pollution Project generated waste until the AMAALA Project waste infrastructure is established.
D LT 7  To promote “4Rs” (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Reclaim ) waste management concept,
all waste will be sorted and managed as appropriate, either for reuse, recycling before
F Con 7 disposal is considered.
P Lo 2  Waste bins and skips shall be regularly inspected to ensure that they are in a good
Rev N 5 state of repair. Waste bins and skips that are damaged beyond unreasonable wear and
tear shall be removed from the project and replaced with equivalent containers.
Moderate 29  Spillages or waste lost from disposal vehicles enroute to the disposal site shall be
promptly responded to and cleaned up.
 Waste shall be transported directly to an approved disposal facility. Stockpiling of
WM006 Poor site waste management Im C S Local Communities National/ High Medium NS
waste off-site in non-disposal locations is NOT permitted.
practices leading to impacts
on multiple assets such as S Med 5  Waste bins and skips shall be kept securely closed, except when it is necessary to add
ecology, contamination, E VL 1 waste.
visual appearance etc.  Single-use plastics to be prohibited. All workers to be provided with reusable water
D LT 7
bottles.
F Fre 5  Littering and the generation / accumulation of litter on site shall be prevented.
P Hi 3  All skips containing light-weight waste shall always be covered with a net to prevent
light-weight waste becoming airborne and escaping the skip.
Rev Y 1
Minor 22 capacity is provided.
Valued
Receptor
WM007 Unregulated dumping of Im C S IFC Performance International/ Medium  Waste shall be stored at a CWSL. If required, satellite collection stations shall be NS
waste due to lack of licenced Standard No 3: Extreme provided at designated locations within the project site. Fencing with mesh-net
facilities within project area S Med 5 Resource Efficiency screening (or similar) shall be provided at the CWSL to prevent any visual intrusion or
E Reg 3 and Pollution nuisance.
 The CWSL shall be constructed with a compacted hard -standing base layer of asphalt,
D LT 7 concrete or similar.
F Fre 5  The CWSL shall be sited in a location where it is a sufficient distance from sensitive
P Hi 3 receptors who may be affected by odour, noise and visual impacts.
 Fencing with mesh-net screening (or similar) shall be provided at the CWSL to prevent
Rev Y 1 any visual intrusion or nuisance.
Minor 24  All waste on the project shall be collected and stored in bins / approved waste
containers. The contents of bins / waste containers are transferred periodically to an
appropriate metal skip.
WM008 Wind-blown litter entering the Im C S Critical Habitat International/ Medium  The frequency of skip collection shall be adequate to avoid unnecessary waste NS
wider general environment. Extreme accumulation.
Critical habitat used as a S Med 5
surrogate.  Operator workforce will be trained in the requirements of the WMP, particularly with
E Lo 2 regards to waste segregation, storage and handling. This will form an integral part of
D LT 7 the Environmental Training and Awareness Programme.
F Fre 5  Maintain a tidy site by implementing good housekeeping, which reduces waste
generation.
P Cer 5  Operator to appoint a minimum of one waste manager (total number will be dependent
Rev Y 1 on extent and type of activities) who will ensure implementation of the WMP across all
sites, including ensuring waste segregation at source.
Minor 25
 Operator must demonstrate that all waste has been managed appropriately by
provision of quantitative data, as part of the WEM programme. WEM will include
quantities of waste produced and recycled and provide verifiable evidence to
demonstrate compliance against ESIA and contract requirements (for example, waste
manifests, etc.). WEM to be provided to AMAALA on a weekly basis.
 All food waste shall be stored in skips with closed metal o r hard plastic tops to
minimise the possibility of vermin infestation or odour emanating. Waste shall be
managed to ensure that it does not cause vermin/pests (rats, flies, cats, dogs) to be
attracted to / present on site.
 Bins shall be located in areas where waste generation is reasonably expected, and
bins shall be positioned for ease of access to persons and activities.
 Waste bins and skips shall be of sufficient size to contain all solid wastes generated on
site between waste collections.
 Waste bins and skips shall NOT be opened, handled or stored in a manner, which may
rupture the container or cause it to leak.
 Operator shall arrange for the transfer and transportation of waste consignments using
NCWM approved / licensed waste management contractors.
 Operator shall ensure that all waste (non-hazardous waste, hazardous waste, sewage
waste, and wastewater) is transported to an approved waste facility for processing /
disposal.
 Maintain a register of all waste shipments and disposal methods.
 All waste records shall be available at all times for audit.
 Operator shall NOT dump or bury waste on the site.
 Only waste management contractors that have been approved are permitted to
transport waste.
 Waste management contractors shall provide necessary documentation to the
Contractor to confirm that they are approved and authorised to provide waste
management services.
 Conduct internal audits and spot checks to ensure that waste is being transported to
the correct and approved facilities.
 A waste tracking system shall be developed using a WTN or similar. WTN’s shall
include a full description of the waste, the total quantity being transferred, the date of
transfer, the waste recipient’s name, and any other relevant information.
Valued
Receptor
 In order to provide assurance that waste generated throughout the Project is disposed
of appropriately, documented waste records are required to assist in the tracking of
waste.
 Vehicles delivering waste to the disposal area shall be appropriately covered, to
prevent dropping, leaking, sifting or blowing of solid waste from the vehicle.
 Current copies of the WMC’s licenses and permits shall be retained on file for audit.
 The waste shall NOT be released from site if there is concern about the standard of
transport or destination of the waste.
 Before the transportation takes place, check the contents, packing, labelling and
documentation of the waste to ensure that the load is in compl iance with AMAALA
requirements.
 The waste disposal contractors shall provide necessary documentation to the Operator
to confirm that they are licensed for the types of waste that they will be transporting.
 Operator shall establish a system for segregation and recycling of construction and
other waste on site. Waste generated shall be sorted and segregated at source to
avoid mixing of incompatible waste materials.
 Clearly identify which waste must go in which skip, either with signs/pictures or by
colour-coding the skips.
 Setting targets (60%) for waste recovery and recycling to enable those working on the
Project to have a clear understanding of what is expected. If possible, include formal
tracking of waste generation and recycling rates.
 AMAALA’s procurement process should select suppliers that utilise reusable and/or
recyclable packaging including take back schemes.
 Zero use of single-use plastics.
 As per TRSDC Solid Waste Management Principle, all developments at will avoid the
generation of any hazardous waste streams, which because of their quantity,
concentration, or physical / chemical / infectious characteristics may either cause, or
significantly contribute to an increase in mortality / serious irreversible illnesses to
humans or wildlife. The generation of hazardous waste will be strictly avoided during
construction and operational phases.
Water Resources
The demand capacity for water during the construction phase is not known. There is likely to
be a requirement for office accommodation, welfare facilities, and dust suppression. Due to
the short term duration of the construction phase, impacts on the water resources are
considered not to be significant. However, mitigation is required to reduce the pressure and
impact over this scarce resource. Therefore, no water w ill be sourced from wadi gravels for
use during construction to prevent abstraction from unsustainable resources.
During operations, potable water shall be provided via tankers and stored on -site until a
connection to AMAALA infrastructure network is provided.
Table 6-46 and Table 6-47 provide a summary of identified impacts, the VER that they act
Table 6-46 Water Resources Construction Impacts and Mitigation

WR001 Groundwater extraction from Im C S Wadi Gravel Aquifer National/High Medium  Contractors shall not obtain water from suppliers that abstract from local wadi gravel NS
wadi gravels aquifers. aquifers.
S Med 5
E Reg 3
D ST 3
F Ra 2
P Hi 3
Rev N 5
Minor 21
Table 6-47 Water Resources Operational Impacts and Mitigation

WR002 Groundwater extraction from Im C S Wadi Gravel Aquifer National/ High Medium  Operator shall not obtain water from suppliers that abstract from local wadi gravel NS
wadi gravels aquifers. aquifers.
S Med 5
E Reg 3
D LT 7
F Ra 2
P Hi 3
Rev N 5
Minor 25
6.3 Summary of Project Impacts
A total of 71 impacts, of which two are positive, relating to the construction and operational
phases have been identified during the ESIA process, a breakdown of which is shown in
Table 6-48. These are the predicted impacts prior to the application of committed mitigation.
Table 6-48 Summary of Project Impacts by Topic before Mitigation
Air Quality 0 0 4 0 4
Climate Change 0 0 3 4 7
Coastal Processes 0 0 0 2 2
Community Health, Safety

0 0 6 0 6
and Security
Hydrology 0 0 1 0 1
Labour and Working

Conditions and Workers’ 0 0 0 2 2
Accommodation
Light Spill 0 0 2 0 2
Marine Ecology 0 0 8 0 8
Noise and Vibration 0 0 4 0 4
Seawater and Marine

0 2 6 0 8
Sediments
Social 4 0 0 0 4

0 2 2 0 4
Quality
Terrestrial Ecology 0 0 4 4 8
Traffic and Transport 0 0 2 0 2
Waste Management 0 0 7 1 8
Water Resources 0 0 2 0 2
TOTAL 4 4 51 13 72
effect was then reassessed, and the results of the final reassessment of risks and effects .
The remaining effects are considered to be Residual Significant Effects and are discussed in
more detail in Section 6.3.1.
Residual Significant Effects
Residual Significant Effects are those which cannot be reduced further based on the
approved mitigation measures and may require offsetting or compensation measures.
Based on all mitigation measures, there are 11 effects (four in the construction phase and
seven in the operational phase - please note that two are positive) which are considered to
be Residual Significant Effects (Table 6-49 and Table 6-50).
Table 6-49 Table of Construction Phase Residual Significant Effects
Impact
ID
processes
Changes to hydrological regime prior to the
HG001 Critical Habitat Low
construction of the wadi diversion
turbidity
IFC Performance
Reduction of landfill life span at municipal
Standard 3 Resource
WM001 landfills due to addition of construction Low
Efficiency and
wastes.
Pollution
Table 6-50 Table of Operational Phase Residual Significant Effects
Impact
ID
Medium
SE003 Local Communities Employment, Skills and Livelihoods.
(positive)
An influx of the personnel will increase the
demand for goods and services. Increases in
income earning opportunities for local people
will also increase spending potential,
Medium
SE004 National Economy providing opportunities for supply of such
(positive)
services, indirectly increasing the overall
wealth of the area. Economic growth is also
likely to result in increased indirect
employment opportunities.
processes
turbidity
IFC Performance
Displacement of species due to operational
TE005 Standard 6 Low
activities (noise, lighting, visual disturbance).
Biodiversity
IFC Performance Risk of disturbance and killing fauna (roadkill,
TE006 Standard 6 worker interaction with fauna, death due to Low
Biodiversity construction activities).
IFC Performance
Standard 3 Resource Reduction of landfill life span at municipal
WM005 Low
Efficiency and landfills due to input of operational wastes
Pollution
Cumulative Impacts
Introduction
A cumulative impact is defined as, “…those that result from the successive, incremental,
and/or combined effects of an action, project, or activity (collectively referred to as
‘developments’) when added to other existing, planned, and/or reasonably anticipated future
ones” (IFC, 2013).
Cumulative impacts can be of two main types: the inter -project cumulative effects, and the
intra-project cumulative effects.
The inter-project cumulative effects, when two different projects are planned with
overlapping Areas of Influence and developments schedules. Thus, one project may be
planned to happen adjacent to another within the same timescale a nd impacts from each
project, may add to each other causing higher significance of effect than the individual
projects.
The second type is intra-project cumulative effects. In this, impacts from a single project
may be cumulative across different environm ental aspects but all acting on a single or group
of VER’s. In this way noise and dust impacts affecting a group of houses would be seen as
cumulative impacts. Additionally, often on large scale projects, linear developments etc.,
there may be accumulation of effects at different work sites. For the current project, an
example would be ecological effects at a number of different assets, causing accumulation of
effects. For example, direct loss of small areas of a specific habitat at several of the asset
sites may result in a high proportion of the total habitat area being lost.
For the proposed development, some of the identified impacts which are considered non -
significant may, in combination with other AMAALA development programmes, contribute to
cumulative effects that are significant. For example; the construction may have limited
impact on ambient turbidity, however, in combination with the adjacent developments, the
effect may become significant.
Cumulative Impact Assessments (CIA) should fall under the remit of government and
regional planners as much of the detailed information regarding other development plans in
the region is not always publicly available. However, the IFC recognises that in some
instances, private sector developers need to consid er cumulative impacts in the identification
and management of environmental and social impacts and risks (refer to IFC Performance
Standard 1). To this end, IFC good practice guidance introduces the concept of a rapid CIA
(RCIA), which sets out a preliminary approach for project proponents to integrate into the
ESIA process. The RCIA may then evolve into a more robust and comprehensive CIA led by
government or regional planners.
It is important to acknowledge the differences between those actions over which a project
proponent has direct control over and those for which it may have leverage to influence
others to achieve optimal management as part of a multi -stakeholder and cooperative
governance effort. It should be noted here that to date stakeholder engag ement has
occurred outside of the ESIA process between AMAALA and respective stakeholder groups
due to cultural and political limitations and the lack of any enabling national legislation.
RCIA Process
RCIA is a six-step process from scoping through the management phase, however, the
process is flexible and some steps may need to be implemented iteratively in response to
the results from other steps.
The IFC Guidance sets out six key steps for RCIA as shown in Figure 6-7, however, please
note that the IFC Guidance using the term Valued Environmental and Social Components
(VECs), however, in line with the TRSDC / AMAALA ESIA methodology, the term VERs has
been used within this RCIA.
Figure 6-7 RCIA Process (modified from IFC, 2013)
Step 1: Scoping Objectives

Identify the VERs and an
Phase I – VERs,  Identify and agree on VERs in consultation with
appropriate geographic scope
Spatial and AMAALA
and timeframe for analysis for
Temporal  Determine the timeframe for the analysis
each
Boundaries  Establish the geographic scope of the analysis
Step 2: Scoping Objectives

Identify other developments
Phase II – Other  Identify, other past, existing, or planned activities
within the geographic areas
Activities and  Assess the potential presence of natural and social
established in Step 1 and
Environmental external influences and stressors (e.g. extreme climatic
collate information on them
Drivers events)
Objectives
Step 3: Establish Define the existing condition
 Define the existing conditions of VERs
Information on of each VER and in the
 Understand its potential reaction to stress, its
Baseline Status of indicators used to determine
resilience, and its recovery time.
VERs this condition
 Assess trends
Objectives
Assess cumulative impacts,  Identify potential environmental and social impacts
Step 4: Assess taking into account both and risks.
Cumulative embedded and additional  Assess expected impacts as the potential change in
Impacts on VERs mitigation, but not VEC condition
compensation  Identify any potential additive, countervailing,
masking, and/or synergistic effects
Step 5: Assess Objectives

Significance of  Determine appropriate thresholds and indicators
Predicted Assess significance  Determine impact and risk magnitude and significance
Cumulative in the context of past, present, and future actions,
Impacts  Identify trade-offs
Step 6: Objectives
Design management strategies
Management of  Use the mitigation hierarchy
that are coherent with the
Cumulative  Design management strategies ot address significance
expected impacts on VERs and
Impacts – Design cumulative impacts on selected VERs
commensurate with the
and  Propose mitigation and monitoring programmes
project s contribution
Implementation  Manage uncertainities with informaed management
Step 1: Scoping Phase 1 – VERs, Spatial and Temporal Boundaries
Spatial and Temporal Boundaries
The RCIA AoI encompasses the broader region area. As shown in Figure 6-8, AMAALA is
located within PMBSR with NEOM and RSP are located in close proximity along the Red Sea
coast. Al Ula is located to the south-east of AMAALA.
Figure 6-8 AMAALA in Relation to other Giga-projects
As previously mentioned, AMAALA comprises three main Development Areas (DAs) (The
Island, Miraya and Triple Bay), the closest of which to Staff Village is Triple Bay. Associated
with the three DAs are various infrastructure developments (Figure 6-9) such as:
 Wadi diversion;
 Construction Village;
 Solar farm
 Shared Facilities Hub (SFH) and Public-Private Partnership (PPP) infrastructure;

and
 Reverse Osmosis (RO) Plant.
Figure 6-9 Projects in Close Proximity
The temporal scope for the RCIA is defined in relation to the construction and operational
phases of the Project. The year 2024 is assumed when the development will b e fully
operational, and the full extent of operational impacts would be realised. The operational
lifespan of the Staff Village is 50 years.
Identification of VERs
The recommended approach to the RCIA focuses on the impacts on identified VE Rs. The
selection process for prioritising VERs was based on the following criteria:
 The Project has impact on the VER;
 The VER is likely to be affected by other developments;
 The VER was identified as being of particular concern; and
 The VER should be prioritised becaus e it is, or is declining towards, an

unsustainable state and/or critical threshold.
Table 6-51 outlines the VERs that have been scoped into this RCIA and those scoped out:
Table 6-51 VERs Scoped In and Out
Environmental
or Social Scope in/out Justification
Component
Regional Developments: Out
AMAALA DAs: In – construction activities at Triple Bay could
result in a cumulative impact on ambient air quality
Air Quality In
AMAALA Infrastructure: In - construction activities at Solar
Farm, RO Plant, PPP - SFH Infrastructure could result in a
cumulative impact on ambient air quality.
Development could result in a change of greater significance
than the impacts of this Project in isolation due to the
incremental removal of cultural heritage assets and landscape,
and the transformation of traditional land use, community
stewardship and traditional cultural practices. However, given
Archaeology Out the limited number of cultural heritage sites affected by the
Project, it is anticipated that the Project is likely to result in only
a slight overall adverse impact on local cultural heritage,
assuming that all sites will be subject to appropriate
archaeology and cultural heritage assessment and mitigation
measures.
Climate change could result in a number of risks across the
region. Severe weather events could result in inaccessible
construction sites, health and safety risks, and damage to
construction and operational materials, equipment and
Climate Change In
buildings. Climate change can also result in existing threatened
habitats coming under further strain and fauna being exposed to
greater heat/water stress due to severe weather events (e.g.
excessively high temperatures over a longer period).
Coastal
In AMAALA DAs: Out – marina at Triple Bay will cause highly
Processes localised, and small magnitude, changes to hydrodynamic
conditions.
Environmental
Component
AMAALA Infrastructure: In - details of the wadi diversion are not
yet known, therefore, a conservative approach must be
undertaken and cumulative impacts scoped in.
AMAALA DAs: Out
Hydrology In AMAALA Infrastructure: In - there are overlapping catchments
with regards to the Staff Village, SFH-PPP Infrastructure and
Solar Farm site. Therefore, the potential exists for cumulative
impacts to develop.
Regional Developments: In - from a regional perspective, marine
receptors of particular concern are the wide-ranging migratory
species, particularly marine mammals and turtles, and possibly
some fish species.
AMAALA DAs: In - there may be interactions between the
construction and operation of the RO Plant, not only from the
Marine Ecology / AMAALA Project area, but across the region as well (i.e. NEOM
Seawater and and SAWACO desalination facilities).
In
Sediment
Quality AMAALA Infrastructure: In - details of the wadi diversion are not
yet known, therefore, a conservative approach must be
undertaken and cumulative impacts scoped in.
It should also be noted that the driver for AMAALA and other
similar projects in the region is the almost pristine condition of
the marine environment. There are therefore opportunities to
protect and enhance the natural environment.
Other schemes within the AMAALA Project area or regional
developments are not expected to result in significant impacts
on existing or future receptors during construction or operational
Noise Out
phases. No other nearby schemes have been identified that
would introduce significant noise impacts on local receptors.
Therefore, no cumulative impacts are expected
Several activities associated with AMAALA could contribute to
beneficial and adverse cumulative impacts across the wider
Social In regional area. These include, employment opportunities,
economic development, in-migration, loss of sense of place and
economic and amenity displacement.
For the Project the vast majority of the potential impacts
identified, if realised, would occur at discrete locations and not
continually or extensively across the Project areas and are
therefore unlikely to have overlapping zone of influences. Also
due to the size of the Project there would be several changes in
Soils and
Out soils, groundwater and human health receptors across the
Groundwater
Project. It is also considered reasonable to assume that other
developments under consideration or proposed would adhere to
statutory regulations and best practice. Therefore, there are not
considered to be any significant cumulative impacts in relation
to soils and groundwater
General increase of humans in AMAALA, as well as the wider
region, will have a widespread effect on biodiversity, through the
loss or degradation of adjacent habitats. There is also the
potential for a decline of species populations through hunting
Terrestrial and/or habitat loss or degradation.
In
Ecology
The AMAALA Project is located within the PMBSR. Conservation
and tourism will be at the forefront of this reserve. Therefore,
considering the PMBSR and regional conservation efforts , there
will be opportunities to enhance the natural environment.
Traffic and Highway 5 extends from NEOM, through the AMAALA Project
In and the RSP to the south. All of these developments will make
Transport
use of this highway during operation and construction.
Environmental
Component
Therefore, it is anticipated that there may be overlapping
temporal or spatial impacts.
The exact schedule of construction and operation of the projects
is not yet established. Cumulative impacts should be expected
from an overload on existing nearby waste infrastructures (from
Waste AMAALA, TRSDC and NEOM), especially in the period until the
In
Management AMAALA Project waste management facility is completed.
However, the various regional developments also have an
opportunity to establish secondary industries / community
projects for recycling, composting and other activities.
The exact schedule of construction and operation of the projects
is not yet established. Cumulative impacts should be expected
Water
In from an overload on existing nearby water infrastructures (from
Resources
AMAALA, TRSDC and NEOM), especially in the period until the
AMAALA RO Plant is completed.
Therefore, based on Table 6-51, and linked to the results of this ESIA, the priority VERs
selected for the RCIA are:
 Reduction in ambient air quality;
 Climate change resilience;
 Changes to coastal processes;
 Modification of the local hydrological regime;
 Employment opportunities;
 Economic development and fiscal impact;
 Economic and amenity displacement;
 Demand on existing waste management infrastructure;
 Demand on existing water infrastructure;
 Marine water quality;
 Marine natural and protected habitat and species; and
 Terrestrial natural and protected habitats and species; and
 Transportation and Traffic.
Step 2: Scoping Phase II – Other Activities and Environmental Drivers

The RCIA should identify all other developments which could overlap in space or time with
the Project. A review of potential developments within the wider A oI should be undertaken to
make sure all relevant developments have been captured (screening out smaller projects
where necessary). Please note to aid in the selection of VERs, the projects included in this
RCIA have already been presented in Step 1, these are:
 AMAALA DA’s (The Island, Triple Bay and Miraya);
 AMAALA Infrastructure including the wadi diversion;
 NEOM;
 Al Ula; and
 RSP.
Table 6-52 summarises other drivers and stressors that are already affecting the
sustainability of some of the VERs in the Projec t AoI. While described separately, many of
the drivers and stressors are closely interrelated.
Table 6-52 Environmental Drivers
Driver Trend Examples
Population
Population growth puts pressure on existing resources and
growth and Up
facilities but can provide benefits (such as economic growth)
urbanisation
Carbon emissions are increasing as a result of Land-Use
Change, changing agricultural practice, urbanization and an
Climate Change Up
increases in vehicle traffic. Some areas are already considered
relatively prone to sea-level rise and flash flooding
Overgrazing and Intensification of farming/fishing is taking place putting pressure
Up
overfishing on terrestrial and marine resources
Hunting Up Illegal hunting is affecting threatened species
Coral Bleaching Annual coral bleaching is increasing in line with climate change
and general effects with general habitat degradation also influenced by
Up
habitat climate change effects, overgrazing / fishing and human
degradation development
Littering and illegal fly tipping have been identified as increasing
issues facing the area as a result of both poor waste
Waste Up
management services and increasing population and
development in the area
Increased water consumption and demand puts pressure on
Water demand Up
existing water infrastructure
The region has a lack of public transport infrastructure and
therefore most people are reliant on private vehicles. As
Traffic Up population increases and urban areas spread wider so traffic
increases. However, Highway 5 is a new dual carriageway which
still has much design capacity remaining
Step 3: Establish Information on Baseline Status of VECs

Baseline conditions are presented in Section 5 of this ESIA, however, the potential
cumulative effect and resilience and recovery of identified priority VERs are presented in
Table 6-53:
Table 6-53 Potential Cumulative Effects of Identified Priority VERs
Priority VEC Potential Cumulative Effect Resilience and Recovery
Reduction in Cumulative effects could occur as a result of

ambient air emissions from vehicle movements and construction Short-term
quality activities
Cumulative effects could include increased

Climate change
precipitation, annual temperatures humidity and sea Long-term
resilience
level rise
Cumulative effects of the wadi diversion could
impact upon the hydrodynamic regime and / or
geomorphology of the subtidal substrate resulting in
Changes to
alterations to coastal processes (for example,
coastal Long-term
existing patterns of flushing and circulation of sea
processes
water), increased current speeds causing
mobilisation of sediment and scouring as well as
potential distribution of additional sediment load .
Modification of
the local Cumulative effects such as increased flood risk and
Long-term
hydrological increased risk of erosion and scouring.
regime
Cumulative effects could occur as a result direct
Employment
employment creation or employment within the wider Long-term
opportunities
supply chain
Economic Cumulative effects on associated economic
development development activities may be positive (e.g. new Long-term
and fiscal impact jobs) or negative (e.g. as a result of inflation).
Cumulative effects could result from increase road
traffic from multiple developments as well as a loss
of access to fishing and grazing areas across a
Economic and large coastal area.
amenity Long-term
displacement Cumulative effects could occur as a result of the
loss of land / livelihoods which may encourage
exploitation of other ecosystem services or areas for
fishing / grazing
Demand on Cumulative effects both directly and indirectly to
existing waste demand for and the capacity of the existing waste
Short-term
management management infrastructure and the management
infrastructure downstream of waste material within the region
Demand on Cumulative effects both directly and indirectly to
existing water demand for and the capacity of existing potable Short-term
infrastructure water infrastructure.
Cumulative effects could generate changes in the
physical and chemicals characteristics in the water
column, such as temperature and salinity,
Marine water concentrations of nutrients and pollutants, dissolved
Medium to long-term
quality oxygen levels and turbidity. Prolonged reduction in
water quality may lead to the loss of ecosystem
function of some habitats (e.g. coral and seagrass
habitats).
Cumulative effects could arise from habitat loss,
construction disturbance, habitat fragmentation,
Marine natural
introduction of invasive species, or may result in
and protected
wider indirect effects particularly on coral reefs and Medium to long-term
habitat and
seagrass, both of which are identified as high value
species
marine habitats and globally endangered and
threatened species population numbers.
Cumulative effects could arise from habitat loss,
Terrestrial
construction disturbance, habitat fragmentation,
natural and
introduction of invasive species, or may result in
protected Medium to long-term
wider indirect effects particularly on global
habitats and
population numbers of Endangered and Vulnerable
species
species.
Cumulative effects could arise from increased

Transportation
traffic, causing nuisance (dust, noise) impacts, as Short-term
and Traffic
well as increased accidents/injuries
Step 4: Assess Cumulative Impacts on VECs and Step 5: Assess Significance of Predicted
Cumulative Impacts
The cumulative effect has been determined by consideration of the Project t ogether with the
proposed neighbouring developments. The significance ratings of impacts per project are
combined to determine whether there is a cumulative significant impact and therefore
additional mitigation measures are required .
The impact assessment methods for the RCIA are aligned with the methods used for the
ESIA (based on the magnitude of the impact against the VER’s sensitivity) as set out in
Section 6.1.
However, the following should be noted:
 For RCIA the significance of a cumulative impact is evaluated in terms of the

impact to the VER i.e. the risk that the VER will exceed its limit of acceptable
change. Typically, these limits are defined by legal and internationally recognised
standards, but where no qualitative limits have been assigned. F urthermore, the
sensitivity of the VER is weighted by its value, however in this case, no
stakeholder consultation has taken place to be able to assign a value weighting;
and
 Cumulative impacts are assessed qualitatively. There are practical reasons for
this which are related to the lack of data and stakeholder engagement on the
Projects.
Table 6-54 sets out a summary of the cumulative assessment of the identified priority VECs.
The table includes proposed mitigation measures, however, many of these are those already
presented within this ESIA.
Table 6-54 Cumulative Impact Summary
Project Other Developments and Activities also Affecting VER and Potenti al Effect
Priority VEC Actions Proposed
Phase Cumulative Impacts Significance
Baseline air quality in the area is considered to be well within the
relevant standards, except for PM 10 , and PM 2.5 . Any change in local air
quality as a result of the Staff Village is highly unlikely to result in an
exceedance of the air quality standards. In addition, the area surrounding
the Staff Village site is sparsely populated with limited exposure of the
general public to any changes in concentrations. Any change in air
quality due to the construction stage of the Staff Village is anticipated to
be fully reversed once the construction phase is completed and,
Air quality monitoring
therefore, no long-term impacts are anticipated. It is still necessary to
Reduction in develop a TMP to ensure efficiency in trip numbers, particularly Traffic management
ambient air Construction consideration for congestion points, incorporate design measures to keep Negligible Dust control measures implemented
quality the traffic flowing as well as to undertake regular emissions monitoring to
Any complaints recorded and
ensure emissions remain within the WHO standards. Despite the fact that investigated
there are no human receptors that would be impacted by dust from the
development or trackout, given the natural elevated PM10 and PM2.5
levels dust mitigation must also be considered in the TMP to include
additional controls during adverse weather conditions (both planned and
unplanned), allowance for interruptions in water supply used for dust
suppression, securing stockpiles and investigating complaints from
residents. During operation, the vast majority of vehicles used will be
electric with energy sourced from renewable supply.
Potential impacts include inaccessible construction sites due to extreme Ensure that the development is
weather events (flooding, storms, etc.). Health and safety risks to the designed to take sea level rise into
workforce during severe weather events. Unsuitable conditions due to, Minor consideration.
very hot weather or flash flooding for example, for certain construction Beneficial – Ensure that climate change
Construction
activities. Damage to construction materials, plant and equipment, Minor adaptation and resilience measures
including damage to temporary buildings/facilities within the Project site Adverse are constructed.
boundary, such as offices, compounds, materials storage areas and
Climate Protect the developed areas from
change worksites, for example from stormy weather or flash flooding.
flooding by appropriate stormwater
resilience Given the coastal nature of the development and the future risk of sea design and layout planning
level rise and extreme weather events as result of climate change risks including land raising.
during construction are common across all development scenarios. Setback from major wadis, where
Minor
Operation Increased precipitation will result in damage to drain systems, gutters not possible, designed interventions
Adverse
and downpipes due to flooding from intense rainfall, flooding of from to reduce the effects of the
intense rainfall, flooding of drainage systems during flash flood and development should be
standing waters. Increased humidity will lead to negativ e impacts on the implemented.
thermal comforts of building users, and damage to equipment due to high Access routes and associated road
relative humidity. Sea level raise will lead to flooding of low lying areas. crossings for wadi flows be
Hotter drier weather could potentially result in terrestrial habitats coming designed for appropriate design
under pressure due to reduced water availability, as well as changes in flood events. Energy demand and
flora composition. This in turned would result in reduced foraging areas use management.
for mammals, reptiles and resident and migratory birds, as well as Use of energy efficient plant,
expose species to greater heat/water stress. Weather chan ges may also equipment and machinery.
alter patterns of thermals across the region, which could affect how Technology or process
migrating (particularly soaring) birds cross the area. improvements.
Increased sea temperatures and ocean acidification could potentially Management of transport and travel
impact benthic invertebrates with shells, plankton assemblage, result in demands.
the degradation of coral reefs (including coral bleaching), and cause
thermal stress to vulnerable seagrasses. Increased sea temperatures The circular economy principles
could also result in loss of breeding grounds for marine fish and must be embedded in procurement.
mammals. Sea level rise would result in decreasing light penetration and
availability of sea grasses, and loss and physical disturbance of intertidal
habitats, including turtle nesting sites.
Modelling is currently being to
determine the potential impacts.
The wadi diversion could impact upon the local and regional This RCIA to be reviewed and
Changes to
hydrodynamic regime by alterations to coastal processes, increased Moderate revised if necessary.
coastal Operation
current speeds causing mobilisation of sediment and scouring as well as Adverse
processes If necessary, sediment traps
potential distribution of additional sediment load.
installed in wadi to capture
sediment and reduce flows.
Modifications to the natural catchment runoff characteristics in terms of
Modification Modelling is currently being to
Construction directions, velocities, rates and volumes could increase flood risk. Road
of the local Moderate determine the potential impacts.
and infrastructure crossing wadis can impact flow during flood events,
hydrological Adverse This RCIA to be reviewed and
Operation causing a backwater effect which increases flood levels upstream or
regime revised if necessary.
alters/diverts overland flow routes
It is anticipated that labour requirements associated with construction Development of a Local Resourcing
activities not only for AMAALA, but the adjacent giga projects, will be Plan
substantial. Employment during construction has the potential to provide
Organise a training programme and
Construction direct employment to people within the project areas. Beneficiaries of
Employment Moderate maintain individual training
and project related employment will mostly be semi or skilled employee’s
opportunities Beneficial registers for each worker.
operation accustomed to previous employment. Consequently, it is expected that
they will be able to derive benefits associated with employment. Development of a Local Sourcing
and Procurement Plan to maximise
It is also anticipated that individuals would have the opportunity to
opportunities for local businesses.
acquire new skills during this period, which could make individuals more
employable on similar projects. Current indications are that a large
portion of households within the regional study area faces some social
challenges such as poverty, unemployment and underdevelopment.
Furthermore, the Tabuk region in which AMAALA and NEOM are located,
has the lowest average income within the country. Consequently, any
project related employment has the potential to improve livelihoo ds and
income stability for future employees and their dependents, especially if
employees are from socio-economically depressed households.
The regional development of other projects will lead to greater stimul ation
of the local economy, more job creation, business opportunities, and
increases in disposable incomes. The combined taxes and revenues from
all developments are expected to be an important contributor to local and
national government revenue, some of which is likely to be spent on
improving public infrastructure and services, which should further help to
sustain economic growth.
The potential cumulative impacts on local economic stability are both
positive and negative. On balance, it is considered tha t VER conditions
are predicted to improve and the threat to the sustainability of the VER
Economic
reduced.
development Major
Operation The cumulative land take for all projects will lead to a conversion of what
and fiscal Beneficial
impact was previously agricultural land to commercial land use. It is possible
that a number of economically displaced households may not return to
their previous livelihood activities following displacement, and are likely
to try and find work in urban and semi-urban areas or on the projects
being developed in the region. This would contribute to changes in
livelihood and employment patterns in the region with both positive and
negative effects. On the positive side, for those who are able to enter the
formal job market, it may provide an opportunity to earn more income for
the household and to upskill. On the negative side, for those unable to
find alternative employment, it may lead to greater household insecurity
and impoverishment.
It is anticipated that all the projects will require land acquisition and
access. Land acquisition may result in displacement of persons residing
on or making use of the land. Displacement-related impacts encompass
Economic Construction
both physical and/or economic displacement assets such as grazing land , Minor
and amenity and
fishing areas, business stands and any other assets used for economic of Adverse
displacement Operation
livelihood purposes.
Current indications are that the majority of those likely to be displaced
reside in rural areas and will likely be impoverished and vulnerable
households, that are primarily dependent on land based livelihood and/or
subsistence farming/fishing activities. These individuals will be extremely
sensitive to displacement as it will be difficult to re-establish their
residence and livelihoods without significant assistance.
AMAALA will need to coordinate
The exact schedule of construction and operation of the projects is not with regional waste management
Demand on yet established, however, cumulative impacts should be expected from facilities to ensure there is capacity
existing Construction an overload on existing nearby waste infrastructure, especially in the within the existing waste
Moderate
waste and period until AMAALA WMF is completed. management infrastructure or
Adverse
management Operation alternative treatment facilities to
infrastructure There are also indirect opportunities to establish waste management assimilate the Project generated
companies to service the demand. construction waste until AMAALA
waste infrastructure is established
Coordination with regional water
Demand on The exact schedule of construction and operation of the projects is not
Construction facilities to ensure there is capacity
existing yet established, however, cumulative impacts should be expected from Moderate
and within the existing water
water an overload on existing water infrastructure, especial ly in the period until Adverse
Operation infrastructure until AMAALA water
infrastructure RO Plant is completed.
infrastructure is established
Many organisms have different tolerance levels to a range of
physiochemical water quality stressors. Additionally a prolonged
reduction in water quality may lead to loss of ecosystem function of some
habitats that support ecosystem function (such as coral and seagrass
habitat).
Increased suspended sediment concentrations (SCC) due to construction
activities, could result in partial or complete burial of marine organisms,
and associated smothering of feeding and/or respiratory organs or
Moderate
Construction reduction in photosynthetic capacity. The potential impact is greatest for Water quality monitoring
Adverse
Marine water sessile and slow moving fauna, and for plants.
quality Potential pollutant releases associated with the construction and
operation of the projects particularly from uncontrolled events and
accidents may impact on water quality and marine receptors in a range of
ways. Marine and coastal construction invariably involves the use of
substances that are toxic to marine organism and ecosystems.
Anticipated construction materials could include chemicals, adhesive s,
hydrocarbons, paint and grout
Desalination plant outfall, eutrophication from increased nutrient runoff, Moderate
Operation potential unintended pollutant releases, increased vessel movements and Water quality monitoring
Adverse
marina operations, increased sediment loading from runoff due to the
removal of vegetation, suspended solid runoff during rainfall events
increased sediment, and increased freshwater inputs could adversely
impact marine water quality.
Desalination plant outfall, eutrophication from increased nutrient runoff,
potential unintended pollutant releases, increased vessel movements
causing increased in underwater noise and increased risk of vessel
strike, risk of invasive / non-native species from increased vessel
presence, increased risk of algal blooms, increased sediment, and
increased freshwater inputs (due to the water diversion) could adversely
impact marine water quality. Furthermore, sunscreen will be a common
go-to product for visitors undertaking recreational activities in coastal
Marine waters. Some of the chemicals found in sunscreen and other personal
natural and health products however, can threaten the health of coral reefs. When Water quality monitoring
Moderate
protected Operation these chemicals enter the marine environment, they can impair growth
Adverse Habitat monitoring
habitat and and photosynthesis in green algae, which firms the foundations of the
species ecosystem. In corals, these chemicals accumulate in tissues, can induce
bleaching, damage DNA, deform young, and result in mortality. For other
invertebrates, such as mussels, these chemicals can cause defects in
young. Similarly, sea urchins, which are key herbivores on the reefs, can
succumb to damaged immune and reproductive systems leading to
deformed young. In fish, these chemicals can decrease fertility and
reproduction, and cause female characteristics in male fish. Finally, in
marine mammals, chemicals can accumulate in tissue and be transferre d
to young.
On the mainland a number of valleys (wadi drainage systems) originate in AMAALA has committed to planting
the adjacent mountains and terminate at the coast. The wadis along the at least 40% native plant species,
coastal plains are degraded due to grazing and off-road driving. The the majority of which would be
larger wadis support significant vegetation growth, such as Acacia sp., drought tolerant.
and date palm. It is anticipated that wadi habitats transect the regional Moderate An integrated Fertiliser, Pesticide
Construction
development sites. Construction works will result in an overall direct loss Adverse and Herbicide Management
Terrestrial
of habitat and activities must be restricted and controlled in the wadis to Strategy will be implemented which
natural and
reduce further loss and fragmentation of this habitat type. Wadis are a minimises the need for fertiliser and
protected
locally important geographic receptor, but potential impacts could be pesticides to reduce environmental
habitats and
regional. impacts. All chemicals to be used in
species
are to be selected from the
Potential operational activities that potentially impact the terrestrial
PLONOR list, where possible, and
environment include use of pesticides, off-road driving, water stress or
Moderate where not a full risk assessment for
Operation overwatering, introduction of non-native plants, spills and contamination,
Adverse their uses will be required. AMAALA
which would result in the degradation of the natural habitat. However,
has also committed to zero
habitat creation and landscaping would encourage fauna into the area.
pollutant discharge. Activities on
and access to sandy beaches will
also be limited during turtle nesting
season.
This region has also been poorly
studied and the surveys undertaken
for these projects will increase the
existing body of research.
Highway 5 is the major highway on the west coast of Saudi Arabia and
Transportatio Construction will be used not just by AMAALA but also NEOM and TRSDC. Cumulative
Negligible Implementation of a TMP.
n and Traffic / Operation impacts include nuisance (dust and noise), severance as well as fear and
intimidation.
Step 6: Management of Cumulative Impac ts – Design and Implementation
The effective mitigation and management of cumulative effects requires engagement in a
multi-stakeholder, collaborative manner that is beyond the capacity of an individual project to
implement in isolation. In order to achieve this, and following IFC Guidance, there will be a
need to design and implement:
 adequate regional strategies, plans, and procedures to manage cumulative

impacts;
 appropriate monitoring and reporting programmes against key performance

indicators; and
 effective supervision mechanisms.
Recommended measures to minimise or eliminate negative cumulative impacts (as well as

promote positive impacts), it should be noted that many of these are already stated within
this ESIA:
 AMAALA’s commitment to CESMP and OESMPs to ensure that VERs are not
impacted and that all mitigation measures are monitoring and audited for
effectiveness and continued suitability;
 Adaptation and Resilience Measures – much has been done through the design
to build in setback areas for ecological conservation. These should be considered
too in terms of adaption for resilience against climate change effects such as sea
level rise, great flood intensity and hotter, drier climates. Further, the design of
assets, particularly infrastructure has a nd must continue to adopt the 100-year
plus 20% flow requirements;
 The Green Building principles and Sustainability commitments that underpin the
AMAALA development also provide a strong basis for resilience. All the in -design
elements must be following into As-Built;
 Environment and Conservation Zoning Plans (EZP) should be developed in order

to protect important biodiversity and cultural heritage values by restricting
development within the AMAALA development and the surrounding marine
environment. The EZP should be developed to inform the Detailed Masterplans
and should rigid development controls and management measures to enhance
the biodiversity / cultural value within each zone;
 AMAALA has a commitment of biodiversity net gain of 30%
 Providing support to staff, local communities as well as local and regional

government through skills development, on-the-job training, and awareness and
capacity building programmes through the various research facilities, museums,
art centres, nurseries and food productio n centres;
 Coordinate corporate social responsibility initiatives in line with local economic

development targets and supporting secondary industries such as local recycling
and composting businesses, and schools;
 Continue collaboration with regional and national government and the other
development planners to enhance their collective buying power for recycling and
potentially expand this to other local secondary industry requirements;
 Develop strong green procurement principles, ensuring circular economy

principles are applied driving the supply chain to improve production, logistics
and material choices;
 A regional traffic impact assessment should be undertaken at detailed design to

inform the at grade and grade separated junction designs and turning lane s
required for construction as well as to appropriately ascertain the impact to Al
Wajh and Duba, specifically with regards to safe pedestrian crossings and speed
control measures;
 Engage with relevant stakeholders to promote the management of cumulative

impacts; and
 Once the design of the wadi diversion and associated modelling is complete, this
ESIA and RCIA should be revisited to ensure its continue validity.
7 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL MANAGEMENT
PLANS
7.1 Environmental Impact Mitigation Plan

For the purposes of this Project, the benchmark will be the IFC Environmental and Social
Performance Standards. The basis of all mitigation of impacts (residual and cumulative) as
well as risk is referred to as the Hierarchy of Mitigation. This is presented graphically i n
Figure 7-1.
The starting point for all identified environmental and social impacts and risks is avoidance.
This approach has been followed for the Project.
Detailed project-specific mitigation is presented in Section 6.2.8. These mitigation measures

will be outlined in the CESMP, details of which are provided in Section 7.2.
7.2 Environmental Control Plan

Construction Environmental and Social Management Plan
In order to ensure that measures set out in this ESIA are implemented, a CESMP will be
developed for the Staff Village Main Works activities.
This CESMP will set out the mitigation and mon itoring requirements which need to be
effectively implemented. This will be developed by the appointed Contractor, based on their
existing procedures, and bespoke work method statements developed for the project
activities, and incorporating the specific requirements set out in this ESIA. AMAALA has
developed a corporate framework CESMP that is provided to all contractors to adhere to the
corporate policies and standards, and as well as ensuring that all measures outlined in this
ESIA are carried into application during construction.
The ESIA has assumed that no works will commence until an approved CESMP is in place
and implemented and that equipment and manpower for monitoring as set out in this ESIA is
in place, calibrated and fully functional.
The AMAALA CESMP template is presented in Appendix 9.3. 6.
Detailed Sub-Plans and Procedures

The following detailed sub-management plans will be developed by the Contractor to provide
further detail on procedures and methods to be adopted during Project activities to
implement agreed mitigation:
 EPRP;
 SPMP;
 Environmental Awareness and Training Plan;
 Air Quality Management Plan;
 Noise Management Plan;
 Seawater and Sediment Quality Management Plan;
 Waste Management Plan;
 Traffic Management Plan;
 Workers Welfare Plan including an Workers Grievance Mechanism;
 Community Grievance Mechanism;
 OHS Plan;
 Local Resourcing Plan; and
 Environmental Rehabilitation and Remediation Plan.
Operational Environmental and Social Management Plan

The Operator will develop an Operational Environmental and Social Management Plan
(OESMP) that will set out the mitigation and monitoring requirements which need to be
effectively implemented. This will be developed by the appointed Operator, based on their
existing procedures, and bespoke work method statements developed for the project
activities, and incorporating the specific requirements set out in this ESIA. TRSDC has
developed a corporate framework OESMP which shall be amended by the Operator
(presented in Appendix 9.3.7).
7.3 Assessment Summary after Mitigation
The total number of identified impacts during the Project was 72. There were 13 High
impacts/risks, 51 Medium, four at Low significance and four Non-Significant. These
represent pre-mitigation effect/risk significance.
If the mitigation presented in this ESIA is fully committed, 11 effects (four in the construction
phase and seven in the operational phase - please note that two are positive) which are
considered to be Residual Significant Effects.
7.4 Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan

The EPRP shall outline the capabilities and actions for responding to environmental and
social emergencies during the works. The CESMP will include the EPRP. This can be further
developed by the Contractor in line with their internal Environmental and Social Management
System (ESMS) processes and documentation.
The EPRP shall define the probable worse-case environmental and social emergency
scenarios that could potentially occur during the works including, but not limited to:
 Major spill of hazardous chemicals, hydrocarbons or untreated wastewater to land

(including groundwater) or marine waters;
 Release of noxious or toxic air emissions, gases, aerosols or vapours; and
 Disease outbreak or introduction of an invasive species to land or water.
The EPRP shall also cover the following as a minimum:
 Emergency risks and associated scenarios;
 Emergency Response Team organisation and personnel, including roles and

responsibilities;
 Emergency contact details including an emergency line/contact that is available

24 hours per day, seven days per week;
 Personnel and equipment available for immediate response actions;
 Personnel, equipment and other resources available on call for response

escalation purposes;
 Response actions to be taken based on the relevant risk sce narios;
 Emergency reporting protocol including immediate, daily and ongoing reporting;
 Incident Investigation, Preventive and Corrective Actions;
 Emergency response training, exercises and drills; and
 Records that must be maintained during a response.
7.5 Environmental Rehabilitation and Remediation
Plan
Once the Project lifecycle is complete, the infrastructure will need to be decommissioned
and the area occupied by them, will be restored and reinstated to their original condition.
With regards to the Executive Regulations for Environmental Rehabilitation of Degraded

Sites and Remediation of Contaminated Sites, Article 4 states that any person who commits
an act or carries out an activity that leads to environmental media degradation or pollution
shall stop the source of pollution, remove the pollution and conduct an environmental
rehabilitation or remediation. Article 4 states that the Polluter Pays Principle shall apply.
An Environmental Rehabilitation and Remediation Plan will be developed as part of the

CESMP and submitted to NCEC for approval. The Plan shall follow the structure outlined in
Annex 2 of the regulations.
If, during Project activities, a contaminated incident occurs, then a Remediation of

Contaminated Sites Plan will be developed for approval by NCEC prior to implementation.
7.6 Environmental Management Plan Framework

Roles and Responsibilities for Implementing the Environmental
Management Plan
The following environmental oversight and management responsibilities shall be conferred

upon key Project personnel:
Chief Executive Officer
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of AMAALA is the top executive of the company and has
the sole responsibility of Health, Safety and Environmental Stewardship of the company.
The CEO delegates further responsibility to the Corporate HSE Management and the Project
Director(s) and/or Project Manager(s) of a Project.
Project Director/Manager
Project Director/Manager shall understand the provisions of the CESMP and will know all
procedures for environmental and social prot ection and incident prevention. They shall lead
the project execution team in formulating the best approach to environmental and social
excellence performance. They are likewise responsible for any Subcontractor and will oblige
them to support and comply with the same environmentally and socially protective work
practices in whatever way possible. Generally they shall:
 Understand all requirements relating to environmental protection including the

legal and mandatory regulations of the Kingdom, the AMAALA’s expectations and
a detailed knowledge of the CESMP as part of the overarching HSE
Requirements in ensuring that they are fully implemented and enforced on the
Project;
 Determine the most appropriate method of performing activities and delegation of

responsibilities to Project personnel and Sub-contractors by considering best
industry practices;
 Set a personal example on site by abiding by all environmentally friendly
practices at all times;
 Ensure that all environmental incidents are reported in accordance with any
Employer’s Accident Reporting Guidelines;
 Establish clear responsibility and accountability for the implementation of the

CESMP;
 Organise the project so that all work has sufficient supervision and is carried out
to the required standard with minimum risk to men, equipment, environment and
materials;
 Support and assist the Safety and Environment Team in implementing the
CESMP and other environmental initiatives;
 Assist in developing programmes to recognise, evaluate and eliminate, mitigate

or reduce the environmental hazards arising from Project activities and the
conditions of the work place;
 Provide written instructions to establish work methods, explain sequence of

operation, outline potential environmental hazards at each phase of work, and
indicate necessary precautions to be taken;
 Assist in the management process of environmental protection and control

through environmental safety audits and evaluations;
 Check work methods and precautions with field supervisors before work
commences;
 Develop general environmental protection awareness by promoting meetings and

presentations;
 Follow the mitigation measures of any environmentally hazardous condition;
 Shall be fully responsible for implementation of all contractual requirements at the

job site;
 Check that the criteria for environment, safety and health facilities of Project work
sites and other legal requirements are observed on site and that all
environmental management registers, records and reports are updated regularly;
 Ensure subcontractor and supplier commitment to the environmental and social

objectives;
 Cooperate with the environmental staff and act on their recommendations;
 Attend site safety management meetings and site safety committee meetings to
ensure that environmental and social lesso ns learned are appropriately
considered;
 Make sure that all necessary environmental and social management resources
are available where appropriate; and
 Promote support and participation in the project “zero damage” philosophy to
pursue and maintain a safe environment.
H&S Manager
The Project H&S Manager is responsible for the detailed application and implementation of
the CESMP and for its updating, if necessary, in addition to duties defined in the Project
OHS plan.
The H&S Manager has the following specific role and responsibilities in relation to
environmental management:
 Monitor the implementation of the CESMP by following up regular inspections and

audits;
 Ensure environmental procedures and records are kept; ensure monitoring on the
compliance of project activities to the CESMP requirements, report non -
compliances to management on a monthly basis and provide recommendations
for remedial actions;
 Advise and support Construction Manager on compliance with the environmental

policy and prevailing legislation;
 Ensure environmental procedures and records are kept;
 Evaluate the CESMP for its effectiveness;
 Monitor and review the achievement of the CESMP objectives and targets;
 Monitor and verify closeout of actions arising from environmental and social
audits;
 Stop operations that may adversely impact the environment;
 Notify staff of any changes to the CESMP;
 Review the monthly reports from environmental personnel;
 Set and regularly review environmental objectives and targets for the Project;
 Promote environmental and social awareness and training at all levels; and
 Participate in senior management reviews.
Environmental Manager
The Environmental Manager is primarily responsible for ensuring that the CESMP is properly
implemented and executed. The Environmental Manager shall ensure that the CESMP
covers the environmental and social issues generated by Project activities. The
Environmental Manager will have responsibility for the overall administration and
implementation of the CESMP and other procedures.
The responsibilities of the Environmental Manager include but are not limited to the
following:
 Ensure the environmental requirements contained in the CESMP are fully
implemented;
 Ensure the CESMP is managed in a structured manner throughout the project

organisation;
 Encourage project personnel to be proactive in environmental improvement

activities;
 Ensure that project personnel are aware and understand their specific
responsibilities toward environmental protection;
 Review and evaluate the environmental performance of Project activities;
 Ensure sufficient resources are made available for effective implementation of the
CESMP;
 Organise the sites so that work is sufficiently supervised and is carried out to the
required standard with minimum risk to the environ ment;
 Ensure all personnel allocated environmental responsibilities have the necessary

qualifications and/or have received the correct training. In particular they will
know the hazards of all those activities which are related to the environment;
 Plan and maintain a tidy site;
 Attend site environmental committee meetings;
 Reporting to the Project Manager any environmental management compliance

issues;
 Overseeing work performed by all Project personnel;
 Preparation of daily reports and giving direction to sub-contractors regarding their

activities and performance, including environment management compliance;
 Preparation of non-conformance reports for departments, units and sub -

contractors and sources when situations of environment management non -
compliance occur;
 Tracking and helping to identify any hazard which can damage the environment
on the worksite.
Environmental Representatives
Environmental Representatives will supervise all site environmental activities at project

areas. Environmental Representatives will report to the Environmental Manager on
environmental issues on site and assist the Environmental Manager in maintenance and
continual improvement of the CESMP.
The responsibilities of Environmental Representatives include but are not limited to the
following:
 Collaborate with the Environmental Manager in order to obtain and manage
environmental issues;
 Identify/assess potential environment impacts and risks;
 Identify legal and other requirements;
 Support site personnel to implement the CESMP;
 Execution of regular control and visual check -up compliance with CESMP during
relevant activities, maintain incident register and complaints register;
 Enforce environmental procedures directly during relevant activities;
 Ensure that all waste is labelled, segregated and transferred correctly.
 Carry out or supervise all waste monitoring on the project ensuring that all
records are fully completed and stored correctly;
 Ensure and control all the activities related to waste disposal report all incidents
and non-compliance to environmental manager conducts site inspections on daily
basis;
 Understanding environmental aspects and procedures relevant to activities under

his supervision;
 Maintain the Training Register and attendance form; and
 Maintain environmental procedures and records recommend and implement

environmentally sound practices maintain records of the environmental
inspections and audits.
All Personnel
All personnel have the following responsibilities:
 Every person employed on the project has a statutory d uty to take reasonable
care for the health safety and environment of themselves and others who may be
affected by their actions or omissions at work;
 With regard to the statutory duties imposed on the Project Manager, they must
cooperate with the Environmental Manager to enable him to comply with the
relevant statutory requirements;
 Keep all the project premises tidy and clean;
 All persons will put the waste in the correct trash bin according to the
classification;
 Nobody is allowed to interfere with hazard ous waste without authorisation;
 All personnel shall wear or use the appropriate safety equipment or clothing;
 All personnel will report any unsafe practice regarding the environment; and
 All personnel are encouraged to make suggestions to improve enviro nmental
performance.
Contractors and Sub-contractors
All Contractors and Sub-contractors shall comply with rules and regulations and shall
coordinate with the Environmental Manager. The Contractor shall be accountable for its
Subcontractor performance. They have the following minimum responsibilities:
 Comply with environmental procedures, international environmental rules and

regulations;
 Report and record all environmental related incidents;
 Coordinate with AMAALA Environment;
 All wastes are transferred to approved treatment or disposal sites and records
kept of all transfers; and
 Daily, weekly and monthly reports (which applicable) are submitted to

Environment Manager.
Construction Manager/Site Engineer
The Construction Manager is primarily responsible for ensuring that the CESMP is properly
implemented and executed. The Construction Manager shall ensure that the CESMP covers
the environmental and social issues generated by Project activities. The Construction
Manager will have responsibility for the overall administration and implementation of the
CESMP and other procedures.
The responsibilities of the Construction Manager include but are not limited to the following:
 Ensure the environmental requirements contained in the CESMP are fully

implemented;
 Ensure the CESMP is managed in a structured manner throughout the project

organisation;
 Encourage project personnel to be proactive in environmental improvement

activities;
 Ensure that project personnel are aware and understand their specific
responsibilities toward environmental protection;
 Review and evaluate the environmental performance of project activities; ensure

sufficient resources are made available to ensure the effective implementation of
the CESMP;
 Organise their sites so that work is sufficientl y supervised and is carried out to
the required standard with minimum risk to the environment and health;
 Ensure all personnel have the necessary qualifications and have received the
correct training;
 Especially they will know the hazards of all those acti vities which are related to
environment;
 Plan and maintain a tidy site;
 Attend site safety committee meetings;
 Make consultation with environmental team on environmental issues;
 Reporting any environmental management compliance issues;
 Overseeing work performed by all Project personnel;
 Preparation of daily reports and giving direction to sub -contractors regarding their
activities and performance, including environment management compliance;
 Preparation of non-conformance reports for departments, units and sub-

contractors and sources when situations of environmental non - compliance occur;
and
 Tracking and helping to identify any hazard which can damage the environment
on the work site.
Capacity Building
An important element of the management of risk of sign ificant environmental effects

occurring during Project activities is training of all staff involved in planning site work and
workers performing duties as part of this Project.
A comprehensive, ongoing training and awareness programme is to be developed by the

contractor, including environmental and social training, education, and drill management.
The programme must include inductions, toolbox talks, focused training sessions and
planned drills for key planned and unplanned environmental activities, addres sing all ESIA
requirements.
Workers, including sub-contractors, site visitors, etc. shall not be allowed to perform duties
on site until they have undertaken the required environmental awareness training. All
inductions will follow the AMAALA Environmenta l and Social Risks Management Induction
and be delivered by the Environmental Manager or a nominated Environmental member of
staff with suitable qualifications and experience for the task. Inductions shall be provided in
the language of the workforce, however, as a minimum shall be in Arabic and English.
At the end of the induction, the worker will sign or mark a copy of the AMAALA Code of
Conduct which sets out their agreement to abide by the behaviours required by AMAALA in
relation to the protection of environmental and social receptors. A record of such training
shall be maintained along with the trainee’s signature confirming receipt of the training.
The use of workers on site who have not undergone the required training will be considered
as a major non-conformance of the CESMP.
As a minimum, the environmental and social awareness training shall include such matters
as:
 EPRP and required actions;
 Site access arrangements;
 Storage of fuels, oils and chemicals;
 Solid and liquid waste management;
 Air emissions management;
 Noise management;
 Management of encountered ecological receptors;
 Information regarding specific site activities;
 Awareness of rule of no deliberate or reckless harm to animals and habitats;
 Awareness of the CESMP and its requirements; and
 Awareness of reporting procedures.
A comprehensive environment training program shall be implemented for the Project that
aligns with the AMAALA Environmental and Social Risk Management Training Programme .
The training programme shall include:
 Maintenance of a training matrix for all personnel confirming the possession of

current and appropriate job-specific training and qualifications; and
 Delivery of AMAALA Environmental and Social Risk Management Training for

Professionals.
Training shall be undertaken on site in an air-conditioned room suitable and sufficiently large
to accommodate the number of personnel being trained. Training class sizes shall not
exceed 30 persons at one time. All training shall be delivered in the language of the
workforce, however, as a minimum shall be in Arabic and English.
Communication
In addition to the Site Inductions and formal training, an environmental and social awareness
programme consistent with the AMAALA Environmental and Social Awareness Programme
will be implemented for the Work which shall include but not be limited to the following:
 Signage and fencing in appropriate locations;
 Posters in common areas;
 HSE Notice Board;
 Toolbox talks; and
 Community Noticeboard.
Posters and signage will be placed around the wor k site at locations where environmental
risk or impacts may occur including high-value ecological and heritage areas which must not
be disturbed by Project activities and personnel. To ensure consistency environmental
signage will adhere to the shape / colour / message type utilised by safety signage which is
based on EU Directive 92/58/EEC - Provision of safety and/or health signs at work.
Environmental posters shall be displayed at common areas around the site such as mess
halls, training rooms, crib rooms, and offices, with the intent of promoting a culture of
environmental responsibility, care and due diligence.
A dedicated Environmental Notice Board shall be erected at the site offices to display
environmental and social related information including Key Performance Indicators (KPIs),
environmental alerts, training information and a weekly recognition of individual contractor
and worker for outstanding environmental performance in the preceding period. The Worker
Grievance Mechanism will be outlined on the Environmental Notice Board at all times.
Toolbox Talks with all workers will be completed, at a minimum, on a weekly basis. A record
of all toolbox talk attendees will be documented and retained as records for audit. The
toolbox talk topics will regularly include the Worker Grievance Mechanism.
A community noticeboard will be erected on the mainland landing site fencing which will
provide details of the Community Grievance Mechanism and provide the contact details of
the Project Community Liaison Officer.
Control and Reporting
The Contractor is required to report on the environmental and social aspects of the Project
activities and related environmental and social performance on a regular basis. As a
minimum, the environmental and social reporting requirements set out in the following
sections shall be implemented.
Incident Report
An Incident Report is issued in the event of an exceedance of applicable environmental

standards or incident.
Weekly Environmental Report
The Weekly Report is predominantly factual and covers, as a minimum:
 Traffic metrics:
o Volume of materials transported;
o No. of trucks and frequency of travel;
o Incidents / near miss and related corrective actions.
 Waste manifests / metrics:
o Recycling / re-use volumes;
o Disposal volumes.
 Daily inspection and weekly audit checklists;
 Accident and Near Miss Records;
 Other performance indicators, general observations, identification of issues,

complaints, etc. as necessary.
Monthly Environmental Report
The Monthly Report is a summary of activities carried out and trend analysis:
 Internal daily inspection and weekly audit checklists;
 Second party audits:
o Non-conformance numbers, trends and close out rates and summary

statistics;
o Detailed discussion of Major Non-conformances (if any) including

immediate actions, root cause investigation results, corrective actions;
o Analysis of Minor Non-conformances for trends and recurrent issues.
 Waste metrics - trend analysis, initiatives undertaken to improve waste

management;
 List of environmental incidents, including immediate actions, root cause

investigation results, subsequent corrective actions;
 Summary table by month (from start of project) listing all non -compliances and
respective mitigation / corrective measures and current status;
 Overall environmental performance, upcoming environmental and ecological

considerations (e.g. nesting seasons, wildlife, etc.), additional planned initiatives;
and
 Other performance indicators, general observations, issues, etc.
Data Management
All records arising from the implementation of the CESMP, including meeting minutes,
management of change records, Work Method Statements, toolbox talks, site inspections,
system audits incident investigations, inductions and training and disciplinary actions shall
be retained on site, with copies provided to the Project Director on a monthly basis.
The following reports, which set out all relevant metrics and KPIs as detailed in the AMAALA
Sustainability Reporting Framework, shall be provided to the Project Director:
 Weekly Environmental Compliance Reports submitted on the first Sunday of each

Week;
 Monthly Environmental Performance Reports shall be submitted on the first

Wednesday of the following month;
 Monthly Environmental Surveillance Monitoring Reports shall be submitted on the
second Sunday of the following month; and
 Incident Investigation Reports shall be submitted within the timing agreed with the
Proponent and as relevant to the risk of the incident in question.
Auditing and Inspection

Site Inspections
All site inspections required under the CESMP shall be completed by the Environmental
Manager or a member of the Environment Team.
Where non-compliant conditions are found during daily environmental inspections, these will
be detailed in an environmental inspection report. The re port shall include, but not be limited
to the following information:
 a description of the condition observed on site;
 what corrective actions need to be taken to rectify the condition;
 a time-stamped photograph of the issue observed;
 the responsible party for implementing the corrective actions; and
 by when the corrective action will be completed.
Environmental Inspections shall be conducted across the Site on a daily basis.
System Audits
A System Audit program will be implemented for the Project to review the implementation
and records keeping required by all management plans, monitoring plans and procedures
and to assess the effectiveness of the overall CESMP. The Environmental Manager shall
lead all System Audits.
The following definitions provide guidance on determining and reporting conformance.
Major Non - Conformance - Examples of a major non-conformance include:
 An element of the CESMP is or has not been implemented;
 Corrective actions have not been applied to previously reported minor Non -
conformances; and
 Several minor Non-conformances within the same work site or central theme, for
example where inspections show that waste management practices are weak
across a range of sites.
Minor Non - Conformance - Examples of a minor non-conformance include:
 An element of the CESMP is not being implemented or used effectively by a few

individuals
 A mitigation or monitoring measure is not effective in controlling the
environmental effect and needs modification.
Observation
 An observed opportunity for improvement. Something that is not causing a formal

non-conformance but where a preventive action would prevent an incident or
improve environmental performance.
Non-Conformance Notes
Formal audits will be recorded, and short reports prepared for submission to the Project
proponent. In the event of any Non-conformances being identified a Non-Conformance Note
(NCN) will be issued to the Contractor and copied to the project proponent. Within the NCN,
agreed steps to bring the project back into compliance will be se t out, with a time line for
completion of these steps. The Contractor will be required to demonstrate completion of the
required actions and compliance status.
Corrective Actions
Any identified Non-conformances will be recorded and an NCN issued. The Con tractor is
required to carry out corrective actions to bring the Project back into compliance with the
CESMP.
7.7 Monitoring Programme

Preamble
The Contractor will also be required to conduct specific monitoring activities at the Project
site based on the current ESIA outcomes.
Monitoring Requirements
The construction phase monitoring requirements are presented in Table 7-1 whilst the
operational phase monitoring requirements are presented in Table 7-2.
Table 7-1 Construction Phase Monitoring Requirements
No of
Impact ID Monitoring Description Frequency Duration Equipment Required
Locations
Conduct emissions monitoring for vehicles, plant or stationary equipment used on
site in order to ensure that they comply with AMAALA and national emissions Monthly N/A Emissions Monitor
standards Throughout contract
AQ001
period
Throughout
Visual check for black smoke being emitted from equipment Daily Visual Inspection
site
Throughout
Visual check on dust emissions Continuous Visual Inspection
site
Weekly (or
Four
Dust monitoring required following Dust monitor
Throughout contract locations
AQ002 visual checks)
period
Visual check to ensure no off-road driving is occurring in areas which have not Throughout
Continuous Visual Inspection
been approved site
Visual checks and reporting on infractions and events where vehicles or people Throughout
Daily Visual Inspection
were observed driving or utilising areas outside those clearly demarked site
Visual check on dust emissions
Visual check to ensure no off-road driving is occurring in areas which have not Throughout contract Throughout
AQ003 been approved Continuous Camera
period site
Visual checks and reporting on infractions and events where vehicles or people
were observed driving or utilising areas outside those clearly demarked
Accident statistics
Throughout the contract
CH001 Monthly N/A Review of records
period
Complaints received from local communities

CH002 Accident statistics Monthly N/A Review of records
period
CH003 Complaints received from local communities Monthly N/A Review of records
period
HG001 Inspection of the temporary mitigation measures Daily Visual inspection and camera
period
AMAALA will audit its contractors and suppliers in accordance to identify any
risks in relation to child or forced labour and OHS issue s and will take N/A Review of records
appropriate actions to remedy any significant problems which may be discovered.
Daily Throughout the contract Throughout
HS inspections Camera
site
Throughout
Ensure all personnel have adequate PPE Camera
site
Audit of the PTW system to ensure its functionality and appropriateness.
Audit of the worker's grievance mechanism including how grievances were closed N/A Review of records
LB001 out and in what timeframe. Also audit the number of workers who are aware of
the grievance mechanism and the grievance process Throughout the contract
Audit of training logs documenting all health and safety training given to each
N/A Review of records
worker and when refresher courses are due
Monthly
Audit of living accommodation to ensure compliance to Worker Accommodation
N/A Camera
Welfare Standards
Evidence that the Worker Grievance Mechanism is presented on worker
noticeboards and in accommodation areas.
The number of incidents that require medical staff/attention N/A Review of records
No of
Locations
Throughout the contract Throughout
LS001 Visual inspection of suitability of lighting Daily Light Monitor
period site
In-situ water quality measurements and visual inspection around work areas. Daily Multiparameter sonde; GPS; camera; vessel
Replication of Van Dorn water sampler (or similar); laboratory supplied
Laboratory analysis of seawater samples Weekly MEBS sample containers Cool box and ice; GPS; Vessel
locations
Scuba equipment; GPS; underwater camera; vessel; Silt
Benthic dive survey by experienced marine scientists Monthly Throughout the contract
ME001 traps
Period
Permanent water quality monitoring buoy Continuous 1 Water quality monitoring buoy
Replication of
Scuba equipment; GPS; underwater camera; vessel;
Seagrass and coral reef survey Three monthly MEBS
photoquadrant
locations
In-situ water quality measurements and visual inspection around work areas. Daily Replication of Multiparameter sonde; GPS; camera; vessel
MEBS
Throughout the contract locations Van Dorn water sampler (or similar); laboratory supplied
ME002 Laboratory analysis of seawater samples Weekly
Period sample containers Cool box and ice; GPS; Vessel
In-situ water quality measurements and visual inspection around work areas. Daily Replication of Multiparameter sonde; GPS; camera; vessel
MEBS
Throughout the contract locations Van Dorn water sampler (or similar); laboratory supplied
ME003 Laboratory analysis of seawater samples Weekly
Period sample containers Cool box and ice; GPS; Vessel
Replication of
Van Dorn water sampler (or similar); laboratory supplied
Laboratory analysis of seawater samples Weekly MEBS
sample containers Cool box and ice; GPS; Vessel
ME004 Through contract period locations
Throughout contract Throughout

ME005 Visual check on dust emissions and any impacts on the marine environment Continuous Camera
period site
Throughout the contract All storage
Site inspections / audits of material storage areas including stockpiles Continuous Camera
period areas
MQ001
Visual observations of spills, sheen on water and presence of waste within work Throughout the contract Throughout
Continuous Camera
areas or water column period site
MQ002 Inspections of the coastline to ensure no waste in the wa ter. Daily All None
period
Weekly Throughout the contract
Logs of transfers to waste service provider to be maintained N/A None
period
Replication of
MQ003 Van Doon water sampler (or similar); laboratory supplied
Laboratory analysis of seawater samples Weekly MEBS
Throughout the contract sample containers Cool box and ice; GPS; Vessel
locations
period

NV001 Noise and vibration monitoring shall be conducted as required As required Noise and vibration monitor
period
NV002 Noise and vibration monitoring shall be conducted as required As required Noise and vibration monitor
period
SE001 Development and implementation of a Local Resourcing Plan Monthly N/A Review of records
No of
Locations
Number of people from the local communities employed on the Project
period
Chemicals and hazardous materials shall be handled only by opera tors trained in
their handling and use. Evidence of training on handling and use of hazardous Continuous N/A Camera
materials shall be available on file for audit
Contractor to maintain records of fuel, oil, chemical etc. deliveries, inventory and
Continuous
usage
Persons involved in fuel transfer activities and operations shall have received
specific training to do so. Records of such training shall be held on file by the Continuous
Contractor for audit
Spill response drills shall be undertaken in accordance with the schedule of
emergency drills on the project site. Record of spill response drills shall be Continuous
SG001 retained by the Contractor for review Throughout the contract
period N/A Review of records
Training on the use of spill kit shall be provided to all response team members
Daily
and records kept on file for audit
Contractor shall visually check the storage of potentially or characterised
contaminated soils to ensure that there is no runoff, and the method of storage is
Daily
no allowing the escape of any contamination (particularly if wet weather is
predicted).
Visual check of refuelling location and other areas for evidence of hydrocarbon
Continuous
contamination
Throughout
Reporting of encountered contaminated ground conditions As required Camera, sampling equipment, laboratory certificates
site
Visual check of refuelling location and other areas for evidence of hydrocarbon Throughout the contract Throughout
SG002 Daily Camera
contamination period site
Inspection of training records to ensure environmental issues are incorporated
into site induction Throughout the contract
Continuous Throughout
TE002 period Camera
Visual checks and reporting on infractions and events where vehicles or people site
were observed driving or utilising areas outside those clearly demarked
All waste management facilities to be checked daily to ensure proper use and not
overflowing Throughout the contract
Daily Throughout
TE003 period Camera
Site supervisors to check all sites for evidence of poor waste management site
practices or poor housekeeping
Throughout the contract Throughout
TE004 Presence of pests Daily Review of records
period site
TT001 Review of complaints received from local communities Monthly Review of records
period
Site supervisors to check all sites for evidence of poor waste management Throughout the contract Throughout
WM001 Daily Camera
practices or poor housekeeping period site
All solid and liquid waste management facilities to be checked daily to ensure
proper use and not overflowing Throughout the contract Throughout
WM002 Daily Camera
Site supervisors to check all sites for evidence of poor waste management period site
WR001 Contractor to provide details of the source of the water Monthly N/A Review of records
period
Table 7-2 Operational Phase Monitoring Requirements
No of
Locations
Conduct emissions monitoring for vehicles, plant or stationary equipment used on
Throughout
site in order to ensure that they comply with AMAALA and national emissions Daily Emissions Monitor
site
AQ004 standards Throughout operations
Throughout
Visual check for black smoke being emitted from equipment Monthly Visual inspection
site
Accident statistics
CH004 Monthly Throughout operations N/A Review of records
Complaints received from local communities
CH005 Accident statistics Monthly Throughout operations N/A Review of records
CH006 Complaints received from local communities Monthly Throughout operations N/A Review of records
AMAALA will audit Operator in accordance to identify any risks in relation to child
Throughout
or forced labour and OHS issues and will take appropriate actions to remedy any Review of records
site
significant problems which may be discovered.
Daily Throughout operations Throughout
HS inspections Camera
site
Throughout
Ensure all personnel have adequate PPE Camera
site
Audit of the PTW system to ensure its functionality and appropriateness.
Audit of the worker's grievance mechanism including how grievances were closed N/A Review of records
out and in what timeframe. Also audit the number of workers who are aware of
LB002
the grievance mechanism and the grievance process
Audit of training logs documenting all health and safety training given to each
worker and when refresher courses are due
Monthly Throughout operations Worker
Audit of living accommodation to ensure compliance to Worker Accommodation
accommodati Camera
Welfare Standards
on
Evidence that the Worker Grievance Mechanism is presented on worker Worker
Visual inspection
noticeboards and in accommodation areas. noticeboards
The number of incidents that require medical staff/attention N/A Review of records
Throughout
LS002 Visual inspection of suitability of lighting Daily Throughout operations Light Monitor
site
Replication of
ME006 Laboratory analysis of seawater samples Monthly Throughout operations MEBS
locations
Replication of
Laboratory analysis of seawater samples Monthly MEBS
locations
ME007 Permanent water quality monitoring buoy Continuous Throughout operations 1 Water quality monitoring buoy
Every six months Replication of

Scuba equipment; GPS; underwater camera; vessel;
Seagrass and coral reef survey in the first year MEBS
photoquadrant
and then annually locations
Replication of
ME008 Laboratory analysis of seawater samples Monthly Throughout operations MEBS
locations
All storage
MQ006 Site inspections / audits of material storage areas Continuous Throughout operations Camera
areas
No of
Locations
Visual observations of spills, sheen on water and presence of waste within work Throughout
Continuous Throughout operations Camera
areas or water column site
MQ007 Inspections of the coastline to ensure no waste in the water. Daily Throughout operations All None
Weekly
Logs of transfers to waste service provider to be maintained Throughout operations N/A None
MQ008
Replication of
Van Doon water sampler (or similar); laboratory supplied
Laboratory analysis of seawater samples Monthly Throughout operations MEBS
locations
Noise and vibration monitoring shall be conducted as required (based upon Where
NV003 As required Throughout operations Noise and vibration monitor
complaints) required
Noise and vibration monitoring shall be conducted as required (as required by Where
NV004 As required Throughout operations Noise and vibration monitor
marine protocols) required
Development and implementation of a Local Resourcing Plan

SE003 Monthly Throughout operations N/A Review of records
Number of people from the local communities employed on the Project
Chemicals and hazardous materials shall be handled only by operators trained in

their handling and use. Evidence of training on handling and use of hazardous Continuous N/A Camera
materials shall be available on file for audit
Operator to maintain records of fuel, oil, chemical etc. deliveries, inventory and
Continuous
usage
Persons involved in fuel transfer activities and operations shall have received
Continuous
SG003 specific training to do so. Records of such training shall be held on file for audit
Throughout operations
Spill response drills shall be undertaken in accordance with the schedule of
emergency drills on the project site. Record of spill response drills shall be Monthly N/A Review of records
retained for review
Training on the use of spill kit shall be provided to all response team members
Daily
and records kept on file for audit
Visual check of refuelling location and other areas for evidence of hydrocarbon
Continuous
contamination
Visual check of refuelling location and other areas for evidence of hydrocarbon Throughout
SG004 Daily Throughout operations Camera
contamination site
Inspection of training records to ensure environmental issues are incorporated
into site induction Continuous Throughout
TE006 Throughout operations Camera
Visual checks and reporting on infractions and events where vehicles or people site
were observed driving or utilising areas outside those clea rly demarked
All waste management facilities to be checked daily to ensure proper use and not
overflowing Daily Throughout
TE007 Throughout operations Camera
TT002 Review of complaints received from local communities Monthly Throughout operations N/A Review of records
Site supervisors to check all sites for evidence of poor waste management Throughout
WM006 Daily Throughout operations Camera
practices or poor housekeeping site
All solid and liquid waste management facilities to be checked daily to ensure
proper use and not overflowing Throughout
WM007 Daily Throughout operations Camera
WR002 Operator to provide details of the source of the water Monthly Throughout operations N/A Review of records
8 CONCLUSION
8.1 The Environmentally, Socially and Economically

"Preferred" Alternative
The construction of the Staff Village is a critical path in the overarching development process
for AMAALA. The construction will enable the progress of other AMAALA development
areas.
Three alternative locations for the Staff Village were assesse d, the chosen location has
similar travel times to both MP4 and Triple Bay as well as offering a remote location away
from settlements. The location is also hidden from the Triple Bay facilities ensuring that
there are no impacts upon guest views.
Where possible, AMAALA have tried to reduce environmental impacts of the construction
and operation of the Project, for example, positioning the laydown areas within the Phase 2
area to reduce any habitat loss outside of the Project boundary.
The current status quo of the Project site includes marginal use of land which would
continue, current climate change impacts and consequential sea -level rise projections which
would change the landscape character would still occur if the Do Nothing Alternative is
realised.
8.2 Summary of the Environmental, Social and

Economic Losses and Gains that Justify the
Establishment of the Proposed Business Activity
Saudi Arabia has, as part of Vision 2030, placed emphasis on diversification of its income
sources to reduce reliance on the traditional sectors of oil and gas and petrochemicals. PIF
initiated several giga projects, including AMAALA, to meet their contribution to Vision 2030.
The development of the Project is an early step to support the construction of AMAALA and,
by association, aid the growth of diversification of the national economy.
The implementation of the agreed mitigation measures, site supervision, monitoring,

reporting and the application of an Environmental and Social Management System by the
Contractor and Operator will ensure that adverse impacts created by the Project activities
are minimised.
8.3 Summary of How the Negative Impacts Are

Addressed and to What Extent They Will Be
Mitigated, Improved or Controlled
The total number of impacts identified during the ESIA process was 72 including two positive
effects. These are the predicted impacts prior to the application of committed mitigation.
effect was then reassessed, and the results of the final reassessment of risks and effects
shows a reduction in the number of signif icant effects and risks. Residual Significant Effects
are those which cannot be reduced further based on the approved mitigation measures and
may require offsetting or compensation measures. Based on all mitigation measures
presented, there are 11 effects (four in the construction phase and seven in the operational
phase - please note that two are positive) which are considered to be Residual Significant
Effects
The adverse residual effects are mitigated by the use of standard construction control
measures.
8.4 Summary of the Environmental Management Plan

In order to ensure that measures set out in this ESIA are implemented, a CESMP and
OESMP will be developed.
The CESMP and OESMP will set out the mitigation and monitoring requirements which need
to be effectively implemented. This will be developed by the appointed Contractor and
Operator, based on their existing procedures, and bespoke work method statements
developed for the project activities, and incorporating the specific requirements set out in
this ESIA.
The ESIA has assumed that no works will commence until an approved CESMP and OESMP
is in place and implemented and that equipment and manpower for monitoring as set out in
this ESIA is in place, calibrated and fully functional.
8.5 Roles of the Various Relevant Authorities

Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture
MEWA is responsible for the regulation and implementation of all aspects of Saudi Arabia’s
policies for the environmental, water and agricultural sectors. MEWA implements
environmental, water production and agricultural plans and programs across the Kingdom
with a focus on sustainability and value creation. It has widened its contribution to the
national economy through programmes such as environmental protection and water
preservation.
National Centre for Environmental Compliance

In November 2020, the GAMEP was dissolved, and its regulatory role was transferred to the
newly established NCEC within MEWA. The NCEC is the Competent Authority for
Environmental issues. The Competent Authority may de signate Licensed Authorities to be
responsible for project approvals and other elements of environmental protection.
National Centre for Wildlife

The National Centre for Wildlife (NCW) is also an affiliate of MEWA. It addresses important
aspects of the environment sector; development of terrestrial and marine wildlife, and
biodiversity in the Kingdom, protecting endangered species, the management of various
programs for the restoration of native endangered species, and the protection of marine
ecosystems such as coral reefs, which are the environmental priorities set out by the
National Environment Strategy.
The NCW is a consultee as part of the impact assessment process.
Heritage Commission
The Heritage Commission (formerly known as the Saudi Commission for Tourism and
Heritage) is part of the Ministry of Culture. This Commission is responsible for the protection
of the Kingdom’s archaeological and heritage resource. The Heritage Commission has an
absolute right to conduct archaeological investigations and determine best approaches for
protection of resources within project developments.
The Heritage Commission is a consultee as part of the impact assessment process.
Permanent Committee for Coastal Zone Protection

In addition, due to the coastal location of the Project, approval from the Permanent
Committee for Coastal Zone Protection (sometimes known as the Committee of Eight) may
be required. The Permanent Committee comprises the following government entities:
 NCEC;
 MEWA;
 Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources;
 Heritage Commission;
 NCW;
 Coastguard; and
 Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs.
Prince Mohammed Bin Salman Nature Reserve Authority

AMAALA is located within The Prince Mohammed bin Salman Nature Reserve, as such the
Authority will need to be consulted.
Stakeholder Consultation and Disclosure

No stakeholder engagement was undertaken during preparation of this ESIA in accordance
with AMAALA’s instructions.
A process of stakeholder engagement is ongoing for AMAALA. This i ncludes engagement

with Ministries, Government Agencies, and other official bodies. It is understood that the
findings of this ESIA process will be discussed with relevant authorities, including the NCW
and Heritage Commission.
AMAALA has commenced liaison with the NCEC which has included a visit to the Project
area to discuss the Project and likely development components.
Details are public participation are presented in Appendix 9.3.5.
9 APPENDICES
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9.2 Curriculum Vitae of EIA Authors

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
David Wells
Senior Environmental Specialist
PROFILE WORK EXPERIENCE

Environmental and social specialist with Sept 2020 - Senior Environmental Specialist, Beacon
significant experience providing technical Present Development Company, King Abdullah University
advice on the assessment and management of Science and Technology (KAUST), Saudi
of environmental and social risks and impacts. Arabia
Chartered Scientist and Chartered Water and April 2020 – Principal Environmental Consultant, Environment
Environmental Manager with demonstrable Sept 2020 Arabia, Bahrain
experience of working within complex and July 2019 – Lead In-Kingdom ESIA Consultant, Crude Oil to
nationally significant infrastructure projects April 2020 Chemicals (COTC) Project, Wood Group, Saudi
across a range of disciplines such as Arabia
environmental and social baseline studies and June 2010 – Technical Director – Iraq Projects, Earth & Marine
impact assessments, Environmental and July 2019 Environmental Consultants, Newcastle upon
Social Due Diligence (ESDD), environmental Tyne, UK
monitoring and environmental auditing. March 2005 Environmental Consultant, Environ UK, Liverpool,
– June 2010 UK
David has worked in the Middle East since
2010 and has worked in Saudi Arabia since
2019.
PROJECT EXPERIENCE
From year – to Project / Role (selected references of the last 5-10 years)
PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS year
2021 Project Manager, Staff Village Main Works ESIA, AMAALA
Year Qualification / Certification 2021 Project Manager, The Island North Marina ESIA, AMAALA
2017 Chartered Scientist (CSci) 2021 Project Manager, Miraya Marina ESIA, AMAALA
2017 Chartered Water and 2021 Project Manager, The Island Enabling and Early Works
Environmental Manager ESIA, AMAALA
(C.WEM) 2021 Project Manager, Staff Village Early Works, AMAALA
2017 Member of Chartered Institute 2020 – 2021 Project Manager, Sindalah Island Strategic Environmental
of Water and Environmental Assessment, Concept, Early Works and ESIA NEOM
Management (MCIWEM) 2020 – 2021 Program Manager, NEOM Conservation Program I, NEOM
2015 Practitioner Member of IEMA
(PIEMA)
2021 Project Manager, Mountain Haul Roads 9 – 12 and 16N
Environmental Baseline Survey (EBS) and Construction and
EDUCATION Social Environmental Management Plan (CESMP), NEOM
Year Education Degree / Diploma 2021 Project Manager, Construction Road North CESMP, NEOM
2004 M.Sc. Environment and Climate 2021 Track RD-11A CESMP, NEOM
Change, University of Liverpool, 2021 Highway 8784 Upgrade, EBS and CESMP, NEOM
UK 2021 Project Manager, Western Construction Road 15, EBS and
2003 B.Sc. (Hons.) Geology and CESMP, NEOM
Physical Geography, University 2021 Project Manager, Western Construction Road 17, EBS and
of Liverpool, UK CESMP, NEOM
2021 Project Manager, NEOM Industrial City (NIC) Innovation
CONTACT Centre Scoping Report, NEOM
2021 Project Manager, NIC Warehouse Scoping Report, NEOM
Phone: 00966 58 103 1650 2021 Project Manager, NEOM Bay Square Scoping Report,
NEOM
Email: david.wells.1@kaust.edu.sa 2020 Author on Guidance Documents for Analysis of
Alternatives, Compensation and Offsetting and Cumulative
PAPERS AND PUBLICATIONS Impact Assessment, The Red Sea Development Company
Year Publication (TRSDC)
2018 The spoils of war, TRANSFORM 2020 Desert Rock Stakeholder Engagement Plan (SEP), TRSDC
2017 Water Security in Iraq, The 2020 Project Manager, Bahrain Metro Phase One Environmental
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Environment Impact Assessment, Bahrain

2016 Rehabilitation of Iraq’s deep sea 2020 Project Manager, 2020 – 2025 Gas Well Drilling
ports, Civil Engineering Surveyor Programme EIA, Bahrain
2013 Environmental Studies in Post- 2020 Project Manager, Treated Sewage Effluent Transmission
conflict Iraq, Civil Engineering Network EIA, Bahrain
Surveyor 2020 Project Reviewer, Chania Wind Farm ESIA, Kenya
2013 The Galligu Redemption: From 2020 Project Reviewer, Golden Eagle Project Environmental and
Chemical Legacy to Multi-modal Social Due Diligence (ESDD), Mexico
Logistics Park, Civil Engineering 2020 Lead Environmental Specialist, Indus Wind Farm ESDD,
Surveyor Pakistan
2019 Project Manager, Downstream Wasit Pipelines EIA, Saudi
Arabia
2019 Lead In-Kingdom ESIA Consultant, COTC Project, KSA
2018 Project Manager, IDP Substations ESIA, Iraq
2018 Project Manager, Project Tation ESDD, Iraq
2018 Project Manager, Executive Hotel and Golf Complex
Environmental and Social Appraisal, Guyana
2017 Project Manager, Basra Gateway Terminal ESIA, Iraq
2016 Project Manager, Water Supply Intake Social Impact
Assessment (SIA) and Stakeholder Engagement, Iraq
2016 Project Manager, Kurdistan Water and Wastewater Project
SIA and Stakeholder Engagement, Iraq
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
David McGrath

A highly qualified senior environmental
Jan 2021 - Present Senior Environmental Specialist, Beacon
specialist with 11 years’ experience in Saudi
Development Company, King Abdullah University of
Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar,
Science and Technology (KAUST), Saudi Arabia
Guinea, Indonesia and Oman. David has led
Oct 2020 – Dec 2020 Director – Environmental Services, HydroQualASA,
technically strong, multi-national and multi-
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
disciplinary teams in delivering a range of
June 2019 – Oct 2020 Senior Environmental Project Manager,
environmental projects to clients across both
HydroQualASA – HDR Middle East. Dubai, United
the government and private sectors
Arab Emirates
throughout the GCC. His experience to date
June 2015 – May 2019 Environmental Scientist and Project Manager,
includes the development and
implementation of targeted coral and
Arab Emirates
seagrass management plans, water and
Dec 2012 – June 2015 Environmental Scientist, GHD Global Pty Ltd. Abu
sediment quality assessments, deployment of
Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
met-ocean remote sensing stations and
Oct 2010 – Nov 2012 Environmental Analyst, Dome International LLC,
utilising hydrodynamic dispersion modelling
studies to assess the impacts of the world’s
largest SWRO desalination plant. His technical
focus areas include environmental impact PROJECT EXPERIENCE
assessment, marine and terrestrial survey BDC/KAUST 2021 - present
design, survey implementation, data analysis, From year – to Project / Role (selected references of the last 5-10 years)
ecological monitoring and both construction year
and operational compliance monitoring. 2021 Project Manager, NEOM Conservation Program I, Spring
Small Mammal Surveys
2021 Project Manager, The Red Sea Development Company
Program 13 Infrastructure Public Private Partnership.
2021
Environmental Advisory Services
2021 Author of Desert Rock Hotel Environmental and Social
PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS Impact Assessment
2020 Member Ornithological Society Author of Desert Rock Hotel Tree Translocation and
of the Middle East Management Plan
2020 Member Marine Biological 2021 Author of Sindalah Island Dredging Management Plan
Association
2007 PADI Advanced Open Water HydroQualASA – HDR Middle East 2015-2020
2020 Technical Advisor. ESIA to IFC Standards - Hassyan

EDUCATION Seawater Reverse Osmosis Desalination Plant. Dubai, UAE
2020 Project Director and Technical Lead. ESIA Saadiyat Lagoons
2018 PGCert Ecological Survey Dredging and Marine Development Works. Saadiyat Island.
Techniques, University of Abu Dhabi, UAE
Oxford, UK 2019 Project Director and Technical Lead. ESIA Hudayriyat Island
2009 M.Sc. Environmental Impact
Priority Development Area, Abu Dhabi, UAE
Assessment and Management,
2019 Project Manager. CEMP and Seagrass Management Plan
University of Manchester, UK
IFC PS6 Compliant. Taweelah 200 MIGD Seawater Reverse
2005 B.Sc. (Hons.) Geography,
Osmosis Desalination Plant. Abu Dhabi, UAE
2019 Technical Lead. ESIA to IFC Standards Taweelah 200 MIGD
Seawater Reverse Osmosis Desalination Plant. Abu Dhabi,
CONTACT UAE
Phone: 2019 Project Manager, Strategic Assessment of the
Environmental Status of Dubai’s Coastal Zone, Dubai, UAE
Email: david.mcgrath@kaust.edu.sa 2019 Project Manager, Coral Relocation, Nursery Management
and Marine Ecological Advisory Services in line with IFC
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
PS6. Marsa Al Arab Development, Dubai, UAE

2019 Project Manager. ESIA Jebel Ali Seawater Reverse Osmosis
Plant and Marine Environmental Monitoring Works. Dubai.
UAE
2019 Project Manager. Marine Critical Habitat Assessment.
Marsa Al Arab Development. Dubai, UAE
2018 Project Manager. UAQ Canal Marine and Terrestrial
Biodiversity Studies. UAQ, UAE
2018 Project Manager. Dubai Harbour Dredging Borrow Area
Offshore Marine Surveys. Dubai, UAE
2018 Project Manager. ESIA Shindagha Bridge Crossing. Dubai,
UAE
2018 Project Manager. ESIA Layyah Canal Development.
Sharjah, UAE
2017 Project Manager. ESIA ToR and baseline surveys to IFC
Standards. Ras Al Khaimah Clean Coal Power Plant. Ras Al
Khaimah, UAE
2017 Project Manager. Dubai Creek Harbour Marine Works
Environmental Monitoring Services, Dinoflagellate Cyst
Study, Targeted Sediment Contamination Study. Dubai,
UAE
2017 Project Manager. Private Island Development Marine
Ecological Monitoring, Dubai, UAE
2016 Project Manager. ESIA Jumeirah Islands Lakes Effluent
Discharge Line. Dubai, UAE
2016 Project Manager. King Abdullah Economic City Canal
Water and Sediment Quality Study. KAEC, KSA
2016 Project Manager. King Abdullah Economic City
Desalination Plant Marine Environmental Baseline Study.
KAEC, KSA
9.3 Technical Documents of the Project

Staff Village Main Works Environmental Classification Form

Appendix (1) - Environmental Classification Form
Environmental Classification Form
1. Activity Name: Staff Village Main Works
2. Contact Information of the Permit Applicant (or legally authorized representative):
Name: Ruba Farkh Fax Number: AMAALAFax@amaala.com
Address: Kingdom Centre,
58th Floor, Riyadh. E-mail Address: ruba.farkh@theredsea.sa
environment@amaala.com
Telephone Number: +966 ---------- National Address: AMAALA Company,
Kingdom Tower, 58th Floor
2239 Al Urubah Road, Al Olaya Dist.
Unit No. 9640
Riyadh 12214 – 9597
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
3. Business Activity Ownership: X Public  Private
4. Business Activity Type:
Residential Entertaining Agricultural
Commercial Services X Developmental
Infrastructure Tourist Another Type:
Industrial (Identifying the code in the International Standard Industrial Classification*):
* The reference shall be the latest version of the International Standard Industrial Classification (ISIC)
of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs
5. Nature of the Business Activity:
X New Facility
Existing Facility Subject to:
Modification Addition Expansion Rehabilitation Breaking up
6. Objective of the Business Activity
AMAALA” is a development located on the Red Sea covering an area of 3,800 km2, which the Client
is developing to create an uber luxury, mixed use hotel, retail, sports and residential development.
The Amaala Staff Village (ASV) is to be developed to provide accommodation and amenities for the
Hospitality, Experiential and Support Staff for Amaala projects. A small portion of the ASV will be
delivered early, to be used as the Amaala Management Village (AMV) living and working facilities for
Amaala, Managing contractor and consultant staff during construction.
CLASSIFICATION: INTERNAL & SENSITIVE

Project Location
AMAALA is located on the north-west coast of Saudi Arabia, approximately 700 km north-west of
Jeddah. The total Project area is 923,400 m2. The location of the Staff Village has been chosen as it is
midway between Triple Bay and Masterplan Area 4 (MP4) development areas.
Figure 1 - Location of the Staff Village Project location
The Staff Village Main Works are to comprise of the following:

 Northern access road upgrade and construction;
 Use of Phase 1 and 2 for temporary laydown areas and storage facilities to enable construction;
and
 Operation of the Staff Village for approximately 15 years whilst AMAALA is being developed.

A. Construction of Staff Village
Construction Phase
 Construction of the Staff Village using pre-cast and modular construction techniques;
 Construction of utilities and infrastructure;
 Construction of temporary laydown and storage area within the Project boundary; and
 Northern access road construction.
a. Construction Utilities
 Diesel-fuel generators will be utilized to serve the power requirements during the construction
works. Approximately, 130,000 litres of diesel will be used per day, In order to ensure two-
day contingency of fuel storage is maintained, a total of 260,000 litres of storage capacity will
be required.
 An estimated 1,800 m3 / day of water will be required at the peak of the Project. This will be
obtained from Duba or Al Wajh desalination plants. Two days’ worth of on-site storage
b. Temporary Construction Laydown and Office Accommodation
 The Project will require temporary construction storage and laydown area within the Phase 1
and 2 areas. The Project will also utilize the office accommodation which was approved
during the Early Works Phase ESIA
Figure 2 - Location of laydown area and temporary site office location

c. Access Road Construction
 Access to the Staff Village will be via existing access roads from Highway 5 (Figure 3). An
alternative access via the existing Coast Guard Road (from Triple Bay) has been reviewed,
however, considering the distance and the proximity to the coastline, this will only be
considered as a short-term option while the traffic volume is still low.
Figure 3 - Access roads from Highway 5
B. Operational Phase of the Staff Village
Operation phase of Staff Village would operate the following;
12,354 residential units across 225 residential buildings (609,478 m2) for 19,789 people comprising:
 23 villas (0.19%);
 45 townhouses (0.36%);
 882 apartments (7.12%);
 1,404 studios (11.34%); and
 9,966 dormitories (80.73%).
A total of 204 support buildings, hospitality, medical and education buildings, retail, commercial and
public facilities, services, and leisure facilities. A total of 3,630 support workers will be required.

a. Electricity and Communications
Primary Utility Hub comprises of central water tanks, district cooling plant, and pumping stations.
The hubs will include infrastructure for electricity as well as communications (telecommunications,
security and smart services network).
In additional, there will be Local Utility Hub locations located across the Project area. The locations
of the hubs are shown in Figure 4.
Figure 4- The location of the Main Utility Compound and Utility Hubs
The Staff Village will receive Medium Voltage (MV) supply from the primary 132/33 kV substation
located adjacent to the Staff Village Shared Facilities Hub.

Figure 5– Power and Telecommunication Infrastructure
b. Stormwater
During and after storm events, any runoff will be collected and discharged into the wadis to the east
and west of the Project site:
 Staff Village has been sub-divided into a total of 18 plots. Runoff within each plot will be
individually managed by rainwater harvesting and the installation of French drains, box
planters and permeable paving; and
 Stormwater runoff from within the masterplan development will be managed by installation of
roadside bioswales and rain gardens within the road right of ways, bioretention areas, as well
as flow and pollutant control instrumentation at the discharge locations to the wadis
c. Potable Water
Potable water shall be provided from the AMAALA’s Regional Infrastructure to a centralized storage
tank in the Primary Utility Hub. The water supply will be from a regional desalination plant and
conveyed to the site through the regional transmission network.

Figure 6 - Portable Water Supply
7. Location of the Business Activity

City: ……………. Duba……………………………………………………………
Region: …………. Tabuk……………………………………………………………
Business Activity occurring in a classified area: No X Yes, Classification: * Coastal
Reserve………………………………………… Formatted: Centered, Space After: 0 pt
Area: ………………16………………………………….……Hectares or Cubic Meters Formatted Table
Formatted: Centered, Space After: 0 pt
Formatted: Centered, None, Space Before: 0 pt, After:
Coordinates: Staff Village 0 pt, Don't keep with next, Don't keep lines together
Sl. No. Easting Northing Formatted: Centered, Space After: 0 pt
1 212246.87 m E 2961007.30 m N Formatted: Centered, None, Space Before: 0 pt, After:

0 pt, Don't keep with next, Don't keep lines together
2 214956.69 m E 2960136.91 m N
3 214467.89 m E 2958676.30 m N
4 211721.70 m E 2959817.09 m N Formatted: Centered, None, Space Before: 0 pt, After:
A map of the site showing the nearest residential and commercial settlements and the Environmentally
Sensitive Areas surrounding the Business Activity shall be attached.
Formatted: Centered, None, Space Before: 0 pt, After:

* If the area is classified as industrial, agricultural, residential, or any other classification.
8. Similar Business Activities
 Is there a similar business activity next to the proposed Business Activity: X No  Yes
If yes, the number of similar business activities shall be determined:
 Is there a similar business activity in the Kingdom: No X Yes
If yes, the number and locations of similar business activities shall be determined:
…NEOM camp, TRSDC Staff village and coastal village, Amaala temporary camp
facility at Amaala Airport site.
If the proposed business activity is new in the Kingdom:
 Is there a business activity similar to the proposed project outside the Kingdom: X No  Yes
If yes, specify the countries: ………………………………………………
9. Estimated Raw Material Types and Quantities:
Cement 1,525,936 bags
Sand 228,890 m3
Aggregate 154,183 m3
Water 1,143,244 m3
10. Raw Material Source:
 Rock – local KSA suppliers (possibly Fawaz Mohammed Musallam Al Quwaini Al Balawi Est.,
Najem Development Est, etc. as decided by Main Contractors)
 Precast Concrete–local KSA suppliers (possibly QanbarDywidag Precast Concrete Co Ltd.,
Saudi Readymix Concrete Co Ltd, Unibeton, etc. as decided by main Contractors)
 Steel rebar – local supplier (possibly Al Faisal Steel, BRC, etc. as decided by Main Contractor)
11. Estimated Power Requirements: …0.015 MW Per day (onshore)………………
12. Energy Resources
From the network: ………Not applicable……………………………………….
From electric generator(s): …Not applicable……………………………………….
From other resources (specify): ……Portable Diesel generator/Solar Panels………….
13. Estimated Fuel Types and Quantities:
 Diesel – 130 KL/day
 Petrol – 90 KL/day
14. Estimated Cost of Business Activity: SAR 4.8 Billion

15. Estimated Duration of Business Activity Phases:
Phase Duration
Detailed Design April 2021 – May 2023
Contractor Mobilization and construction May 2022 – December 2025
Operation of Staff Village January 2023 – April 2026
16. Permits and Licenses
A copy of the obtained Permits and Licenses shall be attached until the form is filled out
Notes:
Pledge:
I/we the undersigned/signatories, do hereby undertake that the abovementioned information is correct
and accurate and that I/we did not intentionally delete any information that may make this request
invalid. In case of any future modifications to the Business Activity, the National Center for
Environmental Compliance will be notified in advance.
Signature of the Permit Applicant (or officially authorized representative):
Ruba Farkh
Date: 25.1.2022

Staff Village Main Works Category 3 Scoping Report

Assessment Scoping Report
January 2022
Company Name Beacon Development Company
Document Number 83067-AMLA-TREP-25JAN22-049-Rev01

Document Title Assessment Scoping Report, Staff Village
Main Works
Report Date Jan 25, 2022
Prepared by David Wells
Reviewed by Andrew Booth, PhD
Submitted to AMAALA
Revision Number 01
Date of Revision Jan 25, 2022
Revised by David Wells
Approved by Abdulaziz Al-Suwailem, PhD
Date of Approval Jan 25, 2022
Date of Transmission Jan 25, 2022

University of Science and Technology. It is not to be disclosed to other party(s) or
reproduced without prior written permission of the Beacon Development Company.
Please note that unless our contract references o therwise, all reports are considered
accepted if no comments or questions are communicated within 2 weeks of the submission
date.
2
1
Sl. No.
01
00
Revision No.
Revision following Client

Reason for Revision
NA
REVISION HISTORY
comments
Jan 25, 2022 Date of Revision

NA

David Wells
NA
the Rapporteur
Andrew Booth, PhD Name and Signature of

NA
the Reviewer

Abdulaziz Al-Suwailem, PhD
NA
the Approver
Jan 25, 2022 Date of Approval

NA
Contents
1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................ 1
1.1 General Information ................................................................................... 1
1.2 Information on the Applicant ....................................................................... 4
1.3 Information on the ESIA Provider ............................................................... 4
1.4 Information on the Impact Study ................................................................. 4
Equator Principles .................................................................................. 5
Methodology of Preparation .................................................................... 5
Study Structure ...................................................................................... 7
Limitations and Assumptions .................................................................. 8
1.5 Objectives of the Scoping Report ............................................................... 9
2 POLICY, INSITUTIONAL, ORGANISATIONAL AND
ADMINISTRATIVE FRAMEWORK ............................................................... 10
2.1 Institutional Framework ............................................................................ 10
2.2 Organisational Framework........................................................................ 11
Policies ................................................................................................ 11
National Laws, Regulations, Standards and Requirements .................... 14
Regional Laws, Regulations, Standards and Requirements ................... 20
International Laws, Regulations, Standards and Requirements .............. 20
International Agreements and Treaties to which the Kingdom is a Party . 23
3 DESCRIPTION OF THE ACTIVITY ................................................... 31
3.1 Objectives and Justification for the Project ............................................... 31
3.2 Project Location ....................................................................................... 31
3.3 Project Activities ...................................................................................... 33
Construction Phase .............................................................................. 33
Operational Phase ................................................................................ 36
Project Resources - Manpower and Material ......................................... 46
3.4 Geographical Scope ................................................................................. 47
3.5 Temporal Scope (Timeline) ...................................................................... 47
3.6 Project Costs ........................................................................................... 47
4 PROJECT ALTERNATIVES ............................................................. 48
4.1 Methodology for Selecting and Evaluating Alternatives.............................. 48
4.2 List and Description of Potential Alternatives to the Project ....................... 49
Do Nothing Option ................................................................................ 49
Alternate Locations .............................................................................. 49
Interim Concept Masterplan Iterations ................................................... 52
Utilities................................................................................................. 55
Access Roads ...................................................................................... 58
Temporary Laydown and Storage Areas ................................................ 58
Further Assessment ............................................................................. 59
5 DESCRIPTION OF THE SURROUNDING ENVIRONMENT ............... 60
5.1 Methodology for Collecting and Analysing Data ........................................ 60
5.2 Initial Description of the Physical, Biological, Cultural, Social and Economic
Environment ..................................................................................................... 60
Air Quality ............................................................................................ 60
Archaeology and Cultural Heritage ........................................................ 68
Climate Change ................................................................................... 69
Coastal Processes ............................................................................... 71
Geology and Soils ................................................................................ 73
Hydrology ............................................................................................ 77
Landscape and Visual .......................................................................... 77
Light Spill ............................................................................................. 77
Marine Habitats and Ecology ................................................................ 78
Meteorological Conditions .................................................................... 81
Noise ................................................................................................... 85
Seawater and Sediment Quality ............................................................ 95
Socio-Economics .................................................................................. 99
Terrestrial Ecology ............................................................................. 107
Traffic and Transport .......................................................................... 115
Water Resources ................................................................................ 116
Work Welfare and Public Health ......................................................... 118
5.3 Critical Habitat Assessment .................................................................... 118
5.4 Determining Sensitive Receptors ............................................................ 124
Project Receptors ............................................................................... 124
5.5 Similar Future Projects within the Geographical Scope of the Project ...... 126
6 IMPACT ASSESSMENT ................................................................. 129
6.1 Methodology Used for Identifying Impacts, Analysis and Assessment ...... 129
General Approach .............................................................................. 129
ESIA as a Process ............................................................................. 129
International Best Practice .................................................................. 129
Environmental Design Approach ......................................................... 130
Process of Determining Effects ........................................................... 131
Identifying Receptors .......................................................................... 132
Characterising Environmental and Social Impacts ............................... 132
Assessment of Significance ................................................................ 136
Hierarchy of Mitigation ........................................................................ 137
6.2 Initial Analysis and Assessment of Potential Impacts .............................. 138
Preamble ........................................................................................... 138
Air Quality .......................................................................................... 139
Archaeology and Cultural Heritage ...................................................... 140
Climate Change ................................................................................. 140
Coastal Processes ............................................................................. 142
Community Health, Safety and Security .............................................. 142
Geology and Soils .............................................................................. 143
Hydrology .......................................................................................... 143
Labour and Working Conditions and Workers’ Accommodation ............ 144
Landscape and Visual ........................................................................ 145
Light Spill ........................................................................................... 145
Marine Ecology .................................................................................. 146
Material Resources ............................................................................ 148
Population Influx and Local Infrastructure and Services ....................... 149
Noise and Vibration ............................................................................ 149
Seawater and Sediment Quality .......................................................... 150
Socio-Economics ................................................................................ 151
Stakeholder Engagement .................................................................... 152
Terrestrial Ecology ............................................................................. 153
Traffic and Transportation ................................................................... 153
Water Resources ................................................................................ 155
Summary of Technical Scope ............................................................. 155
6.3 Initial Assessment of the Most Significant Potential Environmental
Impacts .......................................................................................................... 157
7 PLANS........................................................................................... 159
7.1 Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan ........................................ 159
7.2 Environmental Rehabilitation and Treatment Plan ................................... 160
7.3 Plan for Mitigating Environmental Impacts .............................................. 160
Environmental Monitoring Plan ........................................................... 161
7.4 Proposed Environmental and Social Management Plan ........................... 162
8 APPENDICES ................................................................................ 163
8.1 Curriculum Vitae of the Report Authors ................................................... 163
8.2 Technical Documents ............................................................................. 164
Vegetation, Reptile and Avifauna Baseline Surveys, AMAALA Staff Village
165
8.3 Project Maps.......................................................................................... 166
8.4 Documents Related to Public Participation .............................................. 168
8.5 References ............................................................................................ 169
List of Tables
Table 1-1 AMAALA Contact Details ......................................................................... 4

Table 1-2 BDC Contact Details ............................................................................... 4
Table 1-3 ESIA Scoping Report Structure ................................................................ 8
Table 2-1 Executive Regulations of the New Environment Law ............................... 16
Table 2-2 Environmental Permitting Requirements ................................................ 17
Table 2-3 IFC Performance Standards and Applicability ......................................... 21
Table 2-4 WBG EHS Guidelines Relevant to the Project ........................................ 23
Table 2-5 Summary of Relevant International Agreements ..................................... 24
Table 2-6 Summary of ILO Conventions Ratified by Saudi Arabia .......................... 30
Table 3-1 Development Breakdown (SIE, 2022) ..................................................... 36
Table 3-2 Staff Village Predicted Waste Generation (SIE, September 2021) ........... 46
Table 3-3 Indicative Equipment and Plant Requirements........................................ 46
Table 4-1 Staff Village Alternative Locations Specifications ................................... 50
Table 5-1 NEOM and RSP Baseline Air Quality Monitoring Data ............................ 65
Table 5-2 Triple Bay Earthworks Phase 1 Construction Air Quality Monitoring
Locations ............................................................................................................. 66
Table 5-3 20 February 2021 Triple Bay Earthworks Phase 1 Construction Air Quality
Monitoring ............................................................................................................ 67
Table 5-4 Tidal Average Data for Miraya and the Island and Comparison with Triple
Bay (Buro Happold, 2019) ..................................................................................... 72
Table 5-5 Encountered Ground Conditions (RGJ, 2021b) ....................................... 74
Table 5-6 Noise Monitoring Locations (AECOM, 2021b) ......................................... 85
Table 5-7 Noise Monitoring Results (AECOM, 2021b) ............................................ 89
Table 5-8 Noise Baseline Data Comparison ........................................................... 94
Table 5-9 Heavy Metals, Triple Bay Sediment Samples ......................................... 98
Table 5-10 Population of Saudi Arabia (General Authority for Statistics, 2019a) ... 100
Table 5-11 Tabuk AR Demographics 2017 (General Authority for Statistics, 2017) 100
Table 5-12 Al Wajh Governorate Demographics 2010 (General Authority for
Statistics, n.d.) ................................................................................................... 101
Table 5-13 Employment Statistics (Q1, 2019) (General Authority for Statistics,
2019a) ............................................................................................................... 103
Statistics, 2019b) ................................................................................................ 103
Authority for Statistics, 2019b) ............................................................................ 104
Table 5-16 Plant Diversity of Survey Locations .................................................... 110
Table 5-17 Ornithological Survey Results, Staff Village ........................................ 114
Table 5-18 Ornithological Survey Results, Wadi Valleys ...................................... 115
Table 5-19 Road Traffic Deaths and Injuries (Ministry of Health, 2022) ................ 115
Table 5-20 Highway 5 Traffic Counts ................................................................... 116
Table 5-21 Biodiversity Features for which AMAALA Qualifies for Designation as
Critical Habitat .................................................................................................... 121
Table 5-22 Value and Sensitivity of Receptors used in the ESIA .......................... 124
Table 5-23 Potential Project Environmental and Social Sensitive Receptors ......... 125
Table 5-24 Approved and Ongoing AMAALA Impact Assessments ....................... 128
Table 6-1 Classification of Extent of Impact and Assigned Scores ........................ 133
Table 6-2 Classification of Duration of Impact and Assigned Scores ..................... 134
Table 6-3 Classification of Frequency of Impact and Assigned Scores.................. 134
Table 6-4 Criteria for Magnitude of Impacts used in the ESIA ............................... 136
Table 6-5 Matrix for Determining the Significance of Environmental Impacts ........ 136
Table 6-6 Summary of Proposed ESIA Scope ...................................................... 156
Table 7-1 Structure of the Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan ............. 159
Table 7-2 Example of Construction Monitoring Plan for Air Quality ....................... 161
List of Figures
Figure 1-1 AMAALA Project Areas .......................................................................... 2

Figure 1-2 Staff Village Phase 1 and 2 .................................................................... 3
Figure 2-1 Summary of National Permitting Process .............................................. 18
Figure 3-1 Staff Village Location and Distance to Development Areas .................... 32
Figure 3-2 Staff Village Location ........................................................................... 33
Accommodation .................................................................................................... 34
Figure 3-4 Staff Village Construction Access Routes ............................................. 35
Figure 3-5 Staff Village Phase 1 and Phase 2 Proposed Layout ............................. 37
Figure 3-6 Staff Village Land Use Zoning .............................................................. 38
Figure 3-7 Staff Village Utility Hubs ....................................................................... 42
Figure 3-8 Staff Village Power and Telecommunications Infrastructure ................... 43
Figure 3-9 Staff Village Potable Water Supply ....................................................... 44
Figure 3-10 Staff Village Vehicular Entrances ........................................................ 45
Figure 4-1 Staff Village Alternative Locations ........................................................ 51
Figure 4-2 Staff Village ICMP Iterations ................................................................. 53
Figure 4-3 Staff Village Revised Options ............................................................... 54
Figure 4-4 Alternative Stormwater Bioswale Location............................................. 57
Figure 4-5 Alternative Laydown Areas and Office Accommodation Location
Considered ........................................................................................................... 59
Figure 5-1 Potential Air Quality Pollution Sources .................................................. 61
Figure 5-2 Air Quality Monitoring Locations ........................................................... 62
Figure 5-3 Triple Bay Earthworks Phase 1 Construction Air Quality Monitoring
Locations ............................................................................................................. 67
Figure 5-4 Makeshift musalla Noted On-site .......................................................... 69
Figure 5-5 Oceanographic Equipment Deployment ................................................ 73
Figure 5-6 Geological Map Extract Staff Village Project Area ................................. 74
Figure 5-7 Coastguard Facility Adjacent to Project Site .......................................... 76
Figure 5-8 Staff Village Current Topography .......................................................... 77
Figure 5-9 Marine Habitats at Staff Village (0 - 20m Satellite Derived) .................... 79
Figure 5-10 AMAALA Megafauna Sightings ........................................................... 80
Figure 5-11 Turtle Nesting Sites Near Staff Village ................................................ 81
Figure 5-12 Temperature Values, Al Wajh (AECOM, 2021c) .................................. 82
Figure 5-13 Rainfall Values, Al Wajh (AECOM, 2021c) .......................................... 83
Figure 5-14 Al Wajh Wind Direction ....................................................................... 84
Figure 5-15 Sandstorm Frequency Map (Albugami, et al., 2019) ............................ 85
Figure 5-16 AMAALA Noise Monitoring Locations (AECOM, 2021b) ....................... 87
Figure 5-17 Seawater and Sediment Sampling Locations ....................................... 96
Figure 5-18 Tabuk AR 2017 Population Pyramid .................................................. 101
Figure 5-19 Staff Village Terrestrial Habitat Map (AECOM, 2020) ........................ 108
Figure 5-20 Updated Terrestrial Habitat Map (BDC, 2021b) ................................. 109
Figure 5-21 Survey Locations ............................................................................. 112
Figure 5-22 Waste Management Facilities in Proximity to Project Site .................. 118
Figure 5-23 Potential Project Environmental and Social Sensitive Receptors ........ 126
Figure 5-24 AMAALA Location in Relation to other Giga-projects ......................... 127
Figure 6-1 Environmental Design Approach to ESIA ............................................ 130
Figure 6-2 Source - Pathway - Receptor - Consequence Model as Applied to
ESIA .................................................................................................................. 131
Figure 6-4 Examples of Project Elements Creating Footprint Impacts ................... 138
Figure 6-5 Examples of Activities and Impacts ..................................................... 139
Figure 6-6 Staff Village MEBS Components ......................................................... 148
Locations ........................................................................................................... 151
Abbreviations
AQG Air Quality Guideline
AoI Area of Influence
CBD Convention of Biological Diversity
CFC Chlorofluorocarbon
CHA Critical Habitats Assessment
CH 4 Methane
CITES Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species
CMS Convention on Migratory Species
CO Carbon Monoxide
CO 2 Carbon Dioxide
CR Critically Endangered
DES Department of Environment and Sustainability
EBRD European Bank of Reconstruction and Development
EHS Environmental, Health, and Safety
EMP Environmental Management Plan
EN Endangered
EPRP Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan
EPIII Equator Principles III
EP4 Equator Principles 4
ESMP Environmental and Social Management Plan

FAO Food and Agriculture Organization
General Authority of Meteorology and Environmental

GAMEP
Protection
GER General Environmental Regulations
GHG Greenhouse Gas
GIIP Good International Industry Practice
HFC Hydrofluorocarbon
HFCFC Hydrochlorofluorocarbon
HSE Health, Safety and Environment
H2 S Hydrogen Sulphide
IgCC International Green Construction Code
ILO International Labour Organization
IUCN International Union for Conservation of Nature
MEBS Marine Environmental Baseline Survey
MEWA Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture
mLDVD Local Duo Vertical Datum
MP4 Masterplan Area 4
MSL Mean Sea Level
NCEC National Centre for Environmental Compliance
NCW National Centre for Wildlife
NCWM National Centre for Waste Management
NO 2 Nitrogen Dioxide
NOx Nitrogen Oxide

NS Non-significant
NZC Net Zero Carbon
OHS Occupational Health and Safety
OCGT Open Cycle Gas Turbine
Program for the Environment of the Red Sea and Gulf of

PERSGA
Aden
PIF Public Investment Fund
PM Particulate Matter
PME Presidency for Meteorology and Environment
POP Persistent Organic Pollutant
PSU Practical Salinity Unit
PTS Permanent Threshold Shift
RMO Resettlement Management Office
RORO Roll-On Roll-Off
SDG Sustainable Development Goals
SEC Saudi Electricity Company
SEF Stakeholder Engagement Framework
SEZ Special Economic Zone
SO 2 Sulphur Dioxide
SPRC Source - Pathway - Receptor - Consequence
SMS Sustainability Management System
UNCBD United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity
UNCCC United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
United Nations Convention on the Conservation of

UNCMS
Migratory Species of Wild Animals
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
UNESCO
Organisation
VER Valued Environmental Receptor

VOC Volatile Organic Compound
VU Vulnerable

1 INTRODUCTION
1.1 General Information

Set in The Prince Mohammed bin Salman Royal Reserve (PMBSRR), AMAALA is a 3,800
km 2 year-round destination. The proposed development will include 2,500 hotel keys and
more than 800 residential villas, apartments and estate homes, alongside 200 high -end retail
establishments, fine dining, wellness, and recreation facilities.
In 2016, the Government of Saudi Arabia, announced and commenced implementation of far
reaching and ambitious development plans for the Kingdom. The aims of the development of
the country were set out in the government’s Vision 2030. AMAALA is expected to be a
significant driver of domestic and foreign direct investment that will stimulate economic
growth and job creation within the region. AMAALA supports the 2030 Vision by developing
and diversifying the Kingdom’s economy, notably through non -pilgrim related tourism.
AMAALA is located on the north-west coast of Saudi Arabia, approximately 700 km north-
west of Jeddah and 160 km south-east of Gulf of Suez. AMAALA comprises three new
integrated luxurious resort destinations comprising Triple Bay, Miraya and The Island (Al
Nu’man Island), located approximately 4 km offshore to the west of Miraya (Figure 1-1).
KAUST BDC I AMAALA | Staff Village Main Works ESIA Scoping Report Page 1 of 162
Figure 1-1 AMAALA Project Areas
This Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) 1 Scoping Report relates to the
Staff Village Main Works (the ‘Project’). The Staff Village will provide office and living
1 Please note that the national legislation uses the term Environmental Impact Assessment
(EIA) which is followed when describing the legislative requirements even though the current
document is an ESIA. The international best practice, to which AMAALA sub scribe, requires
that social issues are also addressed.
accommodation for personnel during the development of AMAALA . The location of the Staff
Village is shown in Figure 1-1. Please note that the Staff Village is set-back from the
coastline.
The location of the Staff Village has been chosen as it is midway between Triple Bay and
Masterplan Area 4 (MP4) development areas. MP4 is a pote ntial development area currently
in the early masterplanning phase.
The Staff Village will be developed in two phases as shown in Figure 1-2. This ESIA is to
cover the construction of Phase 1 and 2, however, Phase 2 is to be used for laydown,
storage and office accommodation to enable the construction of Phase 1 prior to the
development of Phase 2.
Figure 1-2 Staff Village Phase 1 and 2
The Main Works is to comprise the following activities:
 Upgrade of northern access road;
 Phase 1 and 2 operational activities; and
1.2 Information on the Applicant
The Public Investment Fund (PIF) have appointed AMAALA to develop a 7-star luxury
hospitality experience on the Red Sea.
Contact details of the applicant are presented in Table 1-1.
Table 1-1 AMAALA Contact Details
Ruba Farkh - The Red Sea

Environmental Development +966 11 212 7231 Ruba.farkh@theredsea.sa
Assessment Director Company
1.3 Information on the ESIA Provider

This ESIA Scoping Report has been developed by Beacon Development Company (BDC)
(Company Registration Number: 4030293826), a registered impact assessment practitioner
with National Centre for Environmental Compliance (NCEC).
BDC has been supporting AMAALA since 2016 by providing environmental consultancy
services to support the Master Plan, including ESIAs, environmental baseline studies and
framework environmental and social management plans.
BDC will submit, on behalf of AMAALA, the environmental documentation for this Project to
the NCEC.
Contact details of BDC are presented in Table 1-2.
Table 1-2 BDC Contact Details
Telephone
Name Address Email Address
Number
4700 King
Abdullah
Dr Abdulaziz University of
Al-Suwailem, Science and +966 54 470 0302 abdulaziz.alsuwailem@kaust.edu.sa
Director Technology
(KAUST), Thuwal
23955-6900
1.4 Information on the Impact Study

This Scoping Report has been prepared with reference to Appendix 3 of the Executive
Regulations of the Environmental Law which provides guidance on the scope and content of
Category 3 Scoping Reports.
This ESIA Scoping Report has been submitted to the NCEC together with the Environmental
Classification Form.
Equator Principles
The Project is being initially funded by PIF, however, there is an expectation that additional
investment will flow into the Project, such as that provided by international investors. Such
investors are likely to require an assessment of the environmental and social risks of the
Project in line with international best practice.
accordance with international best practices for all aspect s of environmental, social and
sustainability performance. For the purposes of impact assessment, best practice is
considered to be in alignment with the requirements of the Equator Principles 4 (EP4), and
through them application of International Finance Corporation (IFC) Environmental and
Social Performance Standards.
EP4 are benchmarks for the financial industry to manage social and environmental issues
associated with projects that they sponsor or finance. EP4 have been designed to ensure
that adverse social and environmental impacts resulting from the development are
appropriately identified and managed throughout construction and operation. EP4 replaces
the third version of the Equator Principles (EPIII) and became effective on 1 October 2020.
Methodology of Preparation
Establishing the scope of the impact assessment is a fundamental stage of the Project. The
scope provides the Terms of Reference for the ESIA process and allows technical and
financial resources to be focused on those aspects of the interaction between the Project
activities and the identified Valued Environmental Receptors (VERs) which may give rise to
Significant Effects. The scope will also enable an understanding of the depth and range of
baseline studies and impact prediction r equirements of the project.
The Scope of an ESIA can be described in a number of ways, including:
 Project or Physical Scope;
 Geographical Scope;
 Temporal Scope; and
 Technical Scope.
Physical Scope
The physical/project scope of the Impact Assessment defines the project extent in terms of
what is to be developed/constructed. In general terms, good practice for Impact Assessment
would expect all elements which are directly related to the project; and any other elements
which are either a consequence of the project or which the project relies upon will be
included in the Impact Assessment process.
The physical scope for the Project is, therefore, considered to be:
 Construction of Staff Village Phase 1 and Phase 2;
 Temporary laydown areas and storage areas within Phase 1 and Phase 2; and
 Northern access road upgrade and construction.
Please note the following:
 Construction workers will be accommodated in the AMAALA Construction Village

which was assessed and approved under a different ESIA process ( Triple Bay
Early Works ESIA, NCEC reference: 10766/1442).
 The southern access road has been assessed and approved under a different
ESIA process (Staff Village Early Works ESIA, NCEC reference: 13924/1442).
 Regional infrastructure will provide power, water, wast ewater and

telecommunications to the Project site. Such infrastructure is to be assessed
separately.
assessed separately.
Spatial Scope
The spatial scope is the area which is included within consideration of the Impact
Assessment process and referred to as the Area of Influence (AoI). Spatial scope will vary
depending upon the topic being studied. For example, the influence of a single activity such
as a power generation unit operating may extend across a wider area for air quality than it
does for noise.
The overall spatial scope for the Staff Village Main Works Phase 1 is considered to be:
 The designated footprint of the Staff Village and immediate surrounds (specific
extent will vary with topic);
 Laydown areas and office accommodation located within the Phase 1 and 2; and
 Transport routes to and from Project facilities such as worker accommodation,

storage and support facilities.
Temporal Scope
The temporal scope relates to the time over which the assessment process considers
potential impacts and effects may occur. In general, these are broken into Project -related
phases, for example
 Design;
 Early Works;
 Construction;
 Commissioning;
 Operations and Maintenance; and
 Decommissioning.
For the Project, the following aspects of temporal scope have been included in this ESIA
process:
 Design;
 Construction;
 Commissioning; and
 Operations and maintenance.
Staff Village has a design life of 15 years, however, it is likely to be repurposed for other
activities, and therefore, decommissioning will not be included in this ESIA process.
Technical Scope
A key part of the scoping process is ensuring that the ESIA process is focused on those
issues which matter, that is impacts created by th e project which when acting on a Valued
Environmental Receptor (VER) may have significant effects or risks, either through the
magnitude of impact or the sensitivity of the VER (or a combination of these and other
factors). The technical scope is to cover both terrestrial and marine elements.
The information and decisions in this ESIA Scoping Report have been based on:
 Initial data review of site designations and site information;
 Discussions with the Project team;
 Analysis of the proposed works;
 Existing knowledge of the area;
 Literature review;
 Experience of other similar projects;
 Previous relevant ESIAs;
 Site visit; and
 Study of relevant mapping and aerial photography.
An initial assessment by topic, including rationale for the inclusion or exclusion of topics
within the ESIA process is provided in Section 6.2.
Study Structure
The structure of this ESIA Scoping Report is as per Appendix 3 of the Executive Regulation
of Environmental Permits for Establishing and Operating Business Activities outlined in
Table 1-3.
Table 1-3 ESIA Scoping Report Structure
Chapter Description
Provides a background to the proposed Project, purpose of the

1: Introduction Scoping Report, the structure of the Scoping Report and information
concerning the proponent and ESIA consultant.
2: Institutional and Describes the legal and regulatory framework for the ESIA, including
Organisation national requirements, The Red Sea Development Company (TRSDC)
Framework policies, and national and international environmental standards.
3: Description of
Description of main features of the proposed Project to enable an
the Business
understanding of the environmental and social aspects of the Project.
Activity
4: Alternatives to
Provides a preliminary consideration of Project alternatives .
Business Activity
5: Description of
Identifies the key bio-physical and social conditions and sensitivities
the Surrounding
in the areas potentially affected by the Project.
Environment
6: Identifying
An overview of the ESIA process and detailed methodology for the
Impacts, Analysis
ESIA.
and Assessment
Outlines the likely environmental and social risk management
7: Plans
strategy.
Presents curriculum vitae of the authors of this Scoping Report and
8: Appendices
pertinent documents relating to the Project.
Limitations and Assumptions

This ESIA will assess the environmental and social issues relating to the Project and its Area
of Influence (AoI) with the following exceptions:
 At the request of AMAALA, no stakeholder engagement or public participation will

be undertaken as part of this ESIA by the consultant. AMAALA have a project
wide stakeholder engagement and public engagement process which is outlined
in Section 8.4 of this report. Please note that TRSDC has appointed University of
Tabuk to undertake stakeholder engagement and social baseline surveys for
AMAALA to be undertaken in March 2022.
 AMAALA is now following TRSDC Special Economic Zone (SEZ) draft procedures
whilst awaiting for the SEZ to be formally adopted.
 An ESIA for the Staff Village Early Works has been developed and approved
(NCEC reference: 13924/1442). The Early Works comprises the main earthworks
element for the development of Staff Village, adjacent construction offices and
layout areas as well as the southern access road.
 Risks relating to construction phase worker accommodation has been addressed

and approved as part of the Triple Bay Early Works ESIA (NCEC reference:
10766/1442).
 Impacts from Associated Facilities (e.g., provision of utilities) are not included in
this assessment. During the operational phase, power, water and
telecommunications shall be provided from AMAALA facilities and will be
assessed as part of the Regional Infrastructure programme . Solid waste and
wastewater will be processed at the Shared Hub Facility and assessed
separately.
1.5 Objectives of the Scoping Report

A key stage of the ESIA process is scoping the potential impacts and risks of the proposed
development on the receiving environment. This enables the assessment to focus on
impacts and risks to environmental and social receptors of importance. The purpose of this
ESIA Scoping Report is to set out the proposed scope of the ESIA including details of
proposed baseline surveys and methods that will be used to assess the significance of the
potential effects of the Project.
This ESIA Scoping Report has been produced to ensure alignment of the process with the
expectation of AMAALA and TRSDC and, in particular, to enable engagement with the
NCEC. Such engagement will enable agreement on ESIA scope and methodology approach
to the studies and minimise risk of regulator comment and disagreement when the final ESIA
document is submitted for approval.
2 POLICY, INSITUTIONAL, ORGANISATIONAL AND
ADMINISTRATIVE FRAMEWORK
2.1 Institutional Framework

It is intended that AMAALA will be established as a SEZ, however, at the time of writing this
ESIA Scoping Report, the SEZ and its functionality has not been established, however, i t will
govern AMAALA in the future. As such, national requirements for impact assessment and
regulatory standards will apply.

and compliance and enforcement in the SEZ.
The concept of environmental protection is enshrined in Saudi National Policy and

Legislation. Article 32 of the Constitution states:
“The State shall endeavour to preserve, protect and improve the environment and prevent its
pollution.”
Furthermore, the principles of Islam , which include consideration of environmental

protection, are enshrined within the Saudi legislation and constitution.
The highest governance authority within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is The Ministerial
Committee on Environment.
There are a wide range of Saudi Ministries or agencies with responsibility for environmental
management of the Kingdom’s resources. These include the Ministry of Environment, Water
and Agriculture (MEWA), a relatively newly established Ministr y which is active in developing
the Kingdom’s strategies on sustainability, and which recently published the National
Environmental Strategy (Saudi Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, 2017) .

NCEC within the MEWA. It should be noted that in October 2021, TRSDC and MEWA signed
a memorandum of understanding to promote environment environmental compliance and to
implement procedures for the issuance of environment permits, licenses and approvals.
The NCEC is the Competent Authority for environmental issues. The Competent Authorit y
may designate Licensed Authorities to be responsible for project approvals and other
elements of environmental protection.
In addition, the Project has adopted an approach to environmental sustainability which is

based on alignment with the IFC Sustainability Framework, principally IFC Environmental
and Social Performance Standards 1 - 8 (International Finance Corporation, 2012).
2.2 Organisational Framework
Policies
Vision 2030
As noted, a major driver for AMAALA is that it is part of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 for its
future development. AMAALA along with other mega projects and Kingdom wide initiatives
will support the Goals of the Vision 2030 (Government of Saudi Arabia, 2017). The principal
goals which are applicable to the project include:
 To increase non-oil government revenue from SAR 163 billion to SAR 1 Trillion;
 To increase the private sector's contribution from 40% to 65% of GDP;
 To increase the Public Investment Fund’s assets, from SAR 6 00 billion to over 7
trillion;
 To increase foreign direct investment from 3.8% to the international level of 5.7%
of GDP;
 To increase women’s participation in the workforce from 22% to 30%;
 To lower the rate of unemployment from 11.6% to 7%;
 To increase household spending on cultural and entertainment activities inside

the Kingdom from the current level of 2.9% to 6%;
 Produce 50% of Saudi Arabia’s electricity from renewable sources by 2030; and
 85% of recyclable waste to be recycled.
TRSDC Environmental and Sustainability Policy and Principles

TRSDC has issued the Environment and Sustainability Policy, and related Environment and
Sustainability Principles for the Red Sea Project, which is applicable to AMAALA as the two
giga-projects have formally merged.
The TRSDC Environment and Sustainability Policy is aimed at ‘ delivering a global

destination while conserving and enhancing the environment and biodiversity, unique in
attracting sustainable destination tourism, while also setting a new global standard for
sustainable environmental management based on the precautionary principle using an
integrated masterplan design, construction, and operations aimed at generating net positive
conservation benefits’.
TRSDC defined ten Environment and Sustainability Principles to outline the commitments
towards sustainability and environmental management, which include:
 Environment and Sustainability Principles. This outlines TRSDC (and AMAALA’s)

commitment to protect and conserve the environment;
 Water Consumption Management Principle. This principle states that TRSDC and
AMAALA are to achieve outdoor, indoor, and process water efficiency and
savings by optimising systems and processes. TRSDC and AMAALA will achieve
near-zero disposal of water by focusing on water efficiency strategies;
 Solid Waste Management Principle. States a commitment to zero discharge to

oceans, zero solid waste to landfill during operation, zero single use plastics,
60% diversion from landfill during construction and avoid hazardous waste
generation;
 Energy Efficiency Principle. TRSDC and AMAALA aspires to have net zero
carbon emissions over the lifetime of the Project;
 Green Certification Principle. TRSDC and AMAALA assets to have third-party

assurance on sustainability performance through globally recognised Green
Certification schemes. Green Certification scheme standards will provide a
minimum measurement of best international practices in terms of the quality and
design of assets against environmental, social, and sustainability;
 Greenhouse Gas Emission Principle. This principle states that by the utilisation of
the embedded renewable energy power network , TRSDC and AMAALA are
targeting “net zero carbon emissions” for the building assets. Furthermore,
commitments to utilise refrigerants with a minimal impact to climate change, use
insulation materials with a low global warming potential, use of biofuels, zero
solid waste to landfill during operations, low energy demand of assets by
optimising building services, systems, and process es, during both design and
operation;
 Socio-Environmental Internal Governance Principle. TRSDC has established an

environmental, social, and governance (ESG) Taskforce that is responsible for
achievement of the high standards and approving all of the Socio - Environmental
related disclosures;
 Stakeholder Engagement Principle. TRSDC and AMAALA is committed to

engaging cooperatively and reliably with our stakeholders to develop mutually
supportive relationships;
 Site Selection Principle. Development impacts will be offset while protecting and
restoring ecosystem functions and services. As part of the site selection process,
TRSDC and AMAALA will employ the precautionary principle to channel
development to sites that do not include sensitive terrestrial or marin e habitats
needed to support conservation of biodiversity and threatened or endangered
plant and animal species; and
 Sustainable Procurement Principle. TRSDC and AMAALA recognises the

necessity of achieving all sustainability requirements throughout the su pply chain,
through purchasing and contracting, to develop assets in line with and exceeding
green certification and relevant sustainability targets.
The current ESIA has assumed that all policies and principles set out within TRSDC
document will apply fully to the current Project. This is therefore the starting point of the
ESIA process in terms of expectations for environmental and social performance.
Management of Change
The design phases, construction methods and operational requirements are at various
stages of development for Staff Village and associated infrastructure. Thus, it is recognised
that this iteration of the ESIA presents a Concept Master Plan level assessme nt of the
Project based on professional judgement with key worst -case assumptions (such as the
footprint, gross floor areas, height and massing, site access and population density) in order
to identify key impacts that could result from the Project. This a ssessment approach is an
accepted practice and ensures that the ESIA is robust thereby limiting deviation of the
maximum amount of development within the Master Plan.
Adopting this approach allows some flexibility in the detailed design of those elements for
future development. This approach also enables the AMAALA design, engineering,
construction and environmental teams to develop robust approaches to design and in -built
mitigation measures during the evolution of the master plans and detailed designs.
However, as the detailed design evolves and construction and operational activities become
more defined, the assumptions and professional judgements made in this ESIA needs to be
checked to ensure these are still valid, the proposed mitigation has been full y included and
integrated in the design and that the Project’s environmental and social impact assessment
remains true. At project construction and operational stages, the mitigation identified in this
ESIA is implemented through Environmental and Social Management Plans on site.
Furthermore, a number of further management plans and strategies require to be developed

and these too should evolve through design, construction and operation. Therefore, it is
imperative that the interactive nature of the docum ents be controlled through a formalised
change management process.
Any further design iterations will follow a formal process to manage and track any change
arising during the Project execution implemented through an “Environmental Risk Register”
process. The intention of the implementation of this process will also focus on:
 Assessment of the potential consequences with respect to environmental and

socioeconomic impact;
 Liaise with the Competent Authority to ensure that any essential changes are
implemented with the minimum practicable impact; and
 Report the evolving environmental findings, recommendations and mitigation as

part of the iterative ESIA process.
Through the management of change process, changes will be communicated to the

responsible AMAALA leadership. Then, the proposed changes will be reviewed and
assessed for its potential in creating environmental or socio -economic interactions.
In cases where the review and assessment indicates that a new or significantly increased
impact may occur, the following criteria will be used to manage the changes:
 Categorise the impacts;
 Assessment of impacts;
 Propose mitigation measures; and
 Re-assessment of the impact with mitigation measures in place.
These changes will then be reviewed by the ESIA Assessor to determine that the
environmental risk has been appropriately assessed and agree on a way forward (if
required). Once the ESIA has been finalised it will then be submitted to NCEC, who is
designated the competent authority.
National Laws, Regulations, Standards and Requirements

Environmental Law
General Environmental Regulations (GER) and conservation legislation, into a single
regulation. The Environmental Law came into force on the 17 th of January 2021.
 Hunting of Wild Birds and Animals Act, July 1999;
 Saudi Wildlife Authority Law, March 2000;
 Trade Act of Endangered Species and their Products, September 2000;
 The General Environmental Regulations, October 2001;
 Pastures and Forests Act, December 2004;
 Protected Areas of Wildlife Act, August 2015;
 Council of Ministers Decision No. (22) dated 26 January 2009 regarding the
establishment of the Environmental Council; and
 Council of Ministers Decision No. (90) dated 08 July 2016 regarding the
amendment of governance the Environmental Council and its functions.
Provisions concerning waste in the GER remain valid.
 Preparing national strategies for the environment sector;
 Preparing studies with a national and strategic dimension for the environment
sector;
 Representing the Kingdom in regional and international bodies, organisations and

forums;
 Putting incentives to improve environmental performance, stimulate the transition

 Raising the level of environmental awareness, and encouraging social
 Working to enhance the participation of the private sector in order to find job and
investment opportunities in the environmental sector, and rais e the level and
 Publishing indicators and reports related to environmental quality.
 Chapter 1, Articles 1 - 5: General Provisions. Provides definitions of terms

that have an environmental impact should take place within a licence or permit.
 Chapter 2, Articles 6 - 11: Ecological Communities and Water Resources, and its
resources are prohibited.
 Chapter 3, Articles 12 - 20: Land Vegetation. Presents the prohibited activities.
 Chapter 4, Articles 21 - 22: Marine and Coastal Environment. States any harmful
activities to the marine or coastal environment are prohibited.
 Chapter 5, Articles 23 - 28: Wildlife. The Competent Authority is to state the

 Chapter 6, Articles 29 - 32: Protected Areas. Presents the prohibited activities

 Chapter 7, Articles 33 - 34: Emergency and Environmental Disasters. States that

 Chapter 8, Articles 35 - 44: Violations and Penalties. Outlines potential penalties

 Chapter 9, Articles 45 - 49: Final Provisions. It should be noted that Article 45 of


writing (September 2021) only some Regulations have been published on MEWA website,
written in Arabic. Other Regulations are available in draft version (as part of public
consultation prior to publication 2). This ESIA Scoping Report has been based on the
1F
regulations which are published at the time of wri ting. The regulations are listed in Table 2-1.
2 https://www.mewa.gov.sa/ar/MediaCenter/eParticipation/OnlineConsulting/Pages/OnlineConsulting12.aspx#0
Table 2-1 Executive Regulations of the New Environment Law
Publication on MEWA
Website (Arabic)
Executive Regulations of Environment Law to control

Published
violations and impose penalties;
Executive Regulations of Environment Law covering fees for
Published
licences, permits and environmental services
Executive Regulations of Environment Law to prepare for and
responds to environmental emergencies and disasters for Draft for consultation
environment management
Executive Regulations of Environment Law on ozone-
Draft for consultation
depleting substances and HFCs
Executive Regulations of Environment Law for environmental
rehabilitation of degraded sites and remediation of Published
contaminated sites
Published
Executive Regulations of Environment Law for Establishing

Published
and Operating Business Activities
Published
environmental compliance
Executive Regulations of Environment Law to manage the
Published
marine and coastal environment
Executive Regulations of Environment Law for protected areas Draft for consultation
Executive Regulations of Environment Law regarding trade in

Published
wild organisms, their products and derivatives;
Executive Regulations of Environment Law regarding hunting
Published
of wild species;
Executive Regulations of Environment Law regarding logging
Published
(tree cutting) violations
Executive Regulations of Environment Law on developing
Published
vegetation cover and combating desertification
Executive Regulations for Soil Contamination and Treatment Published
Executive Regulations for Water Quality Published
National EIA Requirements and Approval

The Competent Authority, currently the NCEC, has responsibility for ensuring the
environmental protection of the Kingdom and can make rules and laws as required. With
respect to EIA, the Competent Authority can license bodies within the Kingdom to approve
EIA’s and projects. For example, the Minister of Energy is the Licensed Agency responsible
for permitting oil and gas projects within Saudi Arabia.
Executive Regulations for Establishing and Operating Business Activities

These Executive Regulations divide activities into three categories depending on the level of
impact on the environment. Category 1 projects have the lowest environmental impact and
Category 3 projects have the highest impact.
Table 2-2 summarises the permit requirements according to the different categories.
Table 2-2 Environmental Permitting Requirements
Agreement of NCEC upon receipt of an Environmental Management Plan

Category 1
(EMP)
Permit and Approval Process

The first step to gain environmental approval, is an Environmental Classification Form needs
to be completed (presented in Appendix 1 of the Regulations) and submitted to the NCEC.
The NCEC, after reviewing the form, will decide what category the Project f alls under.
The NCEC will review the Environmental Classification Form and issue its decision within a
period of 10 working days from the date of its receipt and after payment of any fees. Its
response may include the decision to request information to b e corrected or deficiencies
completed.
The final decision will be made within 10 working days from the date of receiving all the
required information or the modified Environmental Classification Form.
 Category 1 Activities - Following submission and approval of EMP, the

environmental permit will be issued once the EMP has been approved by NCEC.
 Category 2 Activities - If the activity falls within the activities of Category 2 it will
require a Category 2 EIA (in accordance with Appendix 2 of the Regulation). The
completed EIA needs to be submitted to the NCEC, who will then issue their
decision within 30 working days from the date of receiving all required
information. The required fees also need to be paid.
 Category 3 Activities - If the activity falls within the activities of Category 3, it

will require the preparation of two reports:
o Scoping Report. This is to follow the structure and information set forth in
Appendix 3 of the Regulations; and
o Category 3 EIA. This is to follow the structure and information set forth in
Appendix 4 of the Regulations.
The NCEC will review the Scoping Report and if no comments are made, the EIA can be
prepared.
The NCEC will review the Category 3 EIA Report and is sue its decision within a period of 60
working days from the date of receiving the report and after the specified fee has been paid.
Upon approval, the applicant is required to implement the results and recommendations of
the study and the requirements of the environmental permit.
A summary of the permitting process is set out in Figure 2-1.
Figure 2-1 Summary of National Permitting Process
Note- all days are working days
Construction works must begin within a year of obtaining the environmental permit. If the
permit expires before construction, the permit is considered null and a new permit must be
applied for. The NCEC issues an environmental approval for operation after the completion
of the construction, site inspection, and other works once the applicant has complied with all
permit requirements.
The NCEC issues an environmental approval for oper ation after the completion of the
construction, site inspection, and other works once the applicant has complied with all permit
requirements.
Permit requirements will include the submission and approval of Environmental Management
Plans, and other Plans as determined by the NCEC. These will include a Monitoring Plan
and the monitoring results themselves may be required to be submitted to the NCEC, and
data collected by a registered environmental monitoring company.
Other Statutory Consultees

It should be noted that ESIAs may be reviewed by other authorities besides the NCEC.
These include the Permanent Committee for the Protection of the Marine Environment (also
known as the Committee of Eight) which comprises eight governmental entities:
 NCEC;
 Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs;
 Ministry of Energy;
 Ministry of Tourism;
 Ministry of Interior (General Directorate of Border Guard);
 National Centre for Wildlife Development (NCW); and
 MEWA.
The Committee aims to reduce environmental impacts of developmental projects on the

coastal zone and the marine wildlife such as the mangroves and corals reefs, by reviewing
ESIAs and permitting all projects that contain dredging, backfilling, burial or bu lldozing
activities. In addition to that, it monitors the implementation of environmental standards and
criteria on these projects by site visits and inspections. Any projects within the marine
environment or within 400 m above high tide are referred to th e Committee with the
requirement of agreement of all parties for the approval to proceed.
Other statutory consultees include:
 The recently established national departments concerning environmental matters

such as National Centre for Wildlife and National Centre for Waste Management;
 The Heritage Commission (formerly known as the Saudi Commission for Tourism
and Heritage) is part of the Ministry of Culture. This Commission is responsible
for the protection of the Kingdom’s archaeological and heritage re source. The
Heritage Commission has an absolute right to conduct archaeological
investigations and determine best approaches for protection of resources within
project developments; and
 The PMBSRR. In June 2018, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud issued a royal
order establishing the Council of Royal Reserves at the Royal Court. AMAALA is
located within the Reserve.
Environmental Standards
Between 2012 and 2014, GAMEP published a series of environmental standards , with
exception of the waste management standard, all GAMEP environmental standards have
been superseded by the Executive Regulations (presented in Table 2-1) published as part of
the New Environmental Law.
As a basic minimum, these standards will apply during the construction and operational
phase. The sensitivity of the site and the geographically wide -ranging activities and
compressed timescales for development suggest that additional limits on certain aspects of
the environment and discharge values may be required.
The Contractor shall obtain copies of each of these standards and ensure that their
equipment and activities are in full legal compliance with the limits set out in the standards.
A summary of some of the most relevant limits is in the remainder of this Section. The
Contractor shall be familiar with these and all other applicable standards.
In addition to national standards for environmental parameters, ESIA’s should utilise

appropriate international standards such as IFC/World Bank Group (WBG) requirements,
USA Federal Standards, European Union Standards, and other suitable well researched and
reasoned standards.
IFC Performance Standard 1 states that where a national standard an d IFC/WBG standard
are available, the most stringent shall be adopted by the project. This convention will be
followed within this ESIA.
Waste Management Law
A new Waste Management Law is due to come into force in autumn 2021. The law consists
of 11 Chapters that define the law as well as its provisions and penalties. The law
establishes the National Centre for Waste Management (NCWM) as the regulatory authority
for waste within Saudi Arabia. It grants powers to the NCWM to regulate the activities of
waste collection, transportation, sorting, storage, import, export, treatment and safe
disposal, including aftercare at disposal sites.
The new law replaces the Law of Management of Municipal Solid Waste, issued under the
Royal Decree No. (M/48), dated 17/09/1434.
Regional Laws, Regulations, Standards and Requirements

Saudi Arabia is a member of a key regional convention relating to the protection of the Red
Sea and its biodiversity. The Program for the Environment of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden
(PERSGA) was commenced in 1974. The intent to protect the marine environment in these
areas was formalised through the development of The Regional Convention for the
Conservation of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden Environment, generally referred to as the
Jeddah Convention. The convention is aimed at protecting the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and
Gulf of Aqaba.
The Jeddah Convention was signed by member states in 1982 and has subsequently
developed a number of protocols for the protection of the marine waters within these areas.
This includes the Protocol Concerning the Conservation of Biological Diversity and the
Establishment of Network of Protected Areas in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden which was
signed in 2005 (PERSGA, 2004).
Parties to the Jeddah Convention, in addition to Saudi Arabia are Djibouti, Egypt, Jordan,
Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.
The Convention is legally binding on parties and establishes a framework for protection and
procedures within which parties are required to develop their own legis lation, protected
areas etc. to ensure that the intent of the Jeddah Convention is met.
The Biodiversity Protocol includes specific provisions for the protection of species and
biomes, and specifically mentions sea, grass, corals and mangroves as requiring protection
from harm both from marine based developments and activities and land -based discharges
into the marine waters.
International Laws, Regulations, Standards and Requirements

Applicability of IFC Performance Standards
accordance with international best practices for all aspects of environmental, social and
sustainability performance.
For the purposes of impact assessment, best practice is considered to be in alignme nt with
the requirements of the EP4, and through them application of IFC Environmental and Social
The following Section provides a summary of the applicability of each Performance Standard
to the Project and anticipated activities (Table 2-3). The Project proponent will need to
ensure that all applicable Performance Standards are adhered to throughout the project
development and implementation. Where considered applicable, the topics have been
covered within this ESIA.
Table 2-3 IFC Performance Standards and Applicability
Underscores the
importance of
identifying
Assessment and
Environmental and
Management of
social risks and Yes. This is the basic ESIA
1 Environmental
impacts and managing requirement.
and Social Risks
environmental and
and Impacts
social performance
throughout the life of a
project
Yes. Although not a central part of
Recognises that the the ESIA process, the project
pursuit of economic proponents shall ensure that the
growth through requirements of Performance
Labour and employment creation Standard 2 are fully understood and
2 Working and income the requirements within it are passed
Conditions generation should be into the supply chain.
balanced with
protection of basic This includes the requirement for
rights for workers best practice for Worker Health and
Safety.
Recognises that Yes. Prevention of pollution is of
increased industrial paramount importance. For example,
activity and all vehicles, plant and equipment will
Resource
urbanisation often comply with applicable regulations to
Efficiency and
3 generate higher levels minimise pollution and the
Pollution
of air, water and land implementation of the waste
Prevention
pollution, and that hierarchy.
there are efficiency
opportunities
Recognises that
projects can bring
benefits to Yes. Although public access to the
communities but can Project area is prohibited,
Community
also increase potential communities may be impacted by
4 Health, Safety
exposure to risks and Project activities such as
and Security
impacts from transportation of people, goods,
incidents, structural equipment and wastes.
failures, and
hazardous materials
Applies to physical or
economic
Land Acquisition displacement resulting No. The Project area is uninhabited,
5 and Involuntary from land transactions and ownership has been transferred
Resettlement such as expropriation to AMAALA.
or negotiated
settlements
Biodiversity Promotes the Yes. AMAALA important species or

Conservation and protection of habitats within a national and
Sustainable biodiversity and the international context. The Project
6
Management of Sustainable area is considered a Critical Habitat
Living Natural management and use under Performance Standard 6
Resources of natural resources (Paragraph 17).
Not applicable for this Project - there
are no indigenous people affected by
this project.
In Performance Standard 7,
indigenous peoples are generally
Aims to ensure that
defined as ‘social groups with
the development
Indigenous identities that are distinct from
7 process fosters full
Peoples mainstream groups in national
respect for Indigenous
societies’.
Peoples
It is considered that the people and
tribes of Saudi Arabia would not be
defined as indigenous peoples in the
same way as islanders, aboriginals
etc.
Aims to protect
cultural heritage from
Yes. The Project area may include
adverse impacts of
8 Cultural Heritage heritage and archaeological
project activities and
resources.
support its
preservation
World Bank Group Environmental, Health, and Safety Guidelines
The WBG’s Environmental, Health, and Safety (EHS) Guidelines are technical reference
documents on cross-cutting environmental, health, and safety issues applicable to all
industry sectors. They cover general and industry-specific examples of Good International
Industry Practice (GIIP).
The EHS Guidelines contain the performance levels and measures that are normally
acceptable to IFC and are generally considered to be achievable in new facilities at
reasonable costs by existing technology.
When host country regulations differ from the levels and measures presented in the EHS
Guidelines, projects are expected to achieve whichever is more stringent. If less stringent
levels or measures are appropriate in view of specific project circumstances, a full and
detailed justification for any proposed alternatives is needed as part of the site -specific
environmental assessment. This justification should demonstrate that the choice for any
alternate performance levels is protective of human health and the environment.
The WBG EHS Guidelines applicable to this Project are outlined in Table 2-4.
Table 2-4 WBG EHS Guidelines Relevant to the Project
Title Description
Provide general guidelines for environmental,

General EHS Guidelines,
occupational health and safety, community health and
2007
safety as well as construction and decommissioning .
Covers facilities or projects dedicated to the
management of municipal solid waste and industrial
Waste Management waste, including waste collection and transport; waste
Facilities, 2007 receipt, unloading, processing, and storage; landfill
disposal; physico-chemical and biological treatment;
and incineration projects.
Include information relevant to the operation and
maintenance of (i) potable water treatment and
distribution systems, and (ii) collection of sewage in
Water and Sanitation,
centralised systems (such as piped sewer collection
2007
networks) or decentralised systems (such as septic
tanks subsequently serviced by pump trucks) and
treatment of collected sewage at centralised facilities.
United Nations Sustainable Development Goals

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by all United Nations Member
States in 2015, provides a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the
planet, now and into the future. At its heart are the 17 Sustainable Development Goals
(SDGs), which are an urgent call for action by all countries - developed and developing - in a
global partnership.
The SDGs are a key element of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, and the Kingdom has a
commitment to these SDGs.
International Agreements and Treaties to which the Kingdom is a

Party
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is a signatory to a wide range of international agreements
related to environmental and social aspects.
Table 2-5 provides a summary of those which are considered pertinent to this ESIA.
Table 2-5 Summary of Relevant International Agreements
Date of
Signature
The Centre was established to conduct
regional studies on barren areas in Arab This agreement established a
Agreement for the Establishment countries, including e.g., studies of soils, specialist institution for the study of
1 for Arab Centre for the Studies 03/09/1968 studies on the degree of soil erosion and land utilisation aspects, particularly
of Dry and Barren Land studies on the geological and concerning soil and water
geomorphological aspects of the different management.
areas.
Each State Party to this Convention
Established to protect and enhance cultural should do all it can to ensure the
and natural heritage, whilst there has been a identification, protection,
focus on United Nations Educational, conservation, presentation and
Convention for the Protection of Scientific and Cultural Organisation transmission to future generations of
2 the World Cultural and Natural 23/11/1972 (UNESCO) designated sites, the convention cultural and natural heritage situated
Heritage requires member states to protect all relevant on its territory.
resources. Furthermore, it specifically states
that because a resource is not listed it should AMAALA is known to contain
not be implied that the resource has no value. archaeological and cultural heritage
receptors.
Its aim is to ensure that international
Convention on International trade in specimens of wild animals
Trade in Endangered Species of and plants does not threaten the
CITES was established to identify species at
3 Wild Fauna and Flora and 03/03/1973 survival of the species in the wild,
risk and control trade in endangered species.
Subsequent Amendments and it accords varying degrees of
(CITES) protection to more than 35,000
species of animals and plants.
Established to coordinate conservation The CMS or the Bonn Convention is
Convention on the Conservation measures for migratory species. This covers an international agreement that aims
of Migratory Species of Wild a wide range of species, including birds, to conserve migratory species within
4 Animals and all amendments 23/06/1979 marine mammals, sea turtles and bats. their migratory ranges. Currently
including Memorandum of Requires member states to preserve and there are also twelve individual
Understanding on Turtles (CMS) protect species and habitats which occur agreements under CMS, which are
regularly in their area. Through linkage with explicitly aimed at marine taxonomic
Date of
Signature
the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), groups, such as turtles, whales,
Saudi Arabia is also required to provide dolphins, sharks, dugongs,
protection to range species of bats under the albatrosses and petrels.
Eurobat protocol of the CMS. AMAALA is an ecologically sensitive
site.
Multilateral treaty overseen by the
Food and Agriculture Organisation
that aims to secure coordinated,
effective action to prevent and to
control the introduction and spread of
pests of plants and plant products.
A convention established to protect the The Convention extends beyond the
International Plant Protection genetic resources of native plant species for protection of cultivated plants to the
5 28/11/1979
Convention (1979 Revised Text) agricultural and biological conservation protection of natural flora and plant
purposes. products. It also takes into
consideration both direct and indirect
damage by pests, so it includes
weeds.
The Project has the potential for
pests and invasive species.
The protocol aims to enhance
Protocol Concerning Regional measures for responding to pollution
Contracting Parties undertake to cooperate in emergencies on a national and
Cooperation in Combating
combating pollution by oil and other harmful regional basis.
6 Pollution by Oil and Other 14/02/1982
substances and maintain and promote
Harmful Substances in Cases of The Enabling and Early Works will
contingency plans.
Emergency require the use of hazardous
materials.
International treaty brought into force
Montreal Protocol on globally designed to protect the
Established to reduce emissions of chemicals ozone layer by phasing out the
7 Substances that Deplete the 16/09/1987
harmful to the upper ozone layer. production of CFC's
Ozone Layer
(Chlorofluorocarbons),
Hydrofluorocarbons (HFC's),
Date of
Signature
Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HFCFC's),
Halons, etc. that are responsible for
global ozone depletion.
Relevant to the types of equipment
proposed for the Project.
Convention applies to the control of
transboundary movements of
hazardous wastes and their disposal.
The scope of application covers a
broad spectrum of wastes identified
as hazardous, defined by origin,
The overarching objective of the Basel composition and characteristics, also
Convention is to protect human health and other wastes comprising domestic
Convention on the Control of the environment against the adverse effects waste and incinerator ash. The
Transboundary Movements of of hazardous wastes. Includes restrictions on convention’s aim is to reduce
8 22/03/1989
Hazardous Wastes and their exporting of wastes but also includes hazardous waste generation, restrict
Disposal requirements on member states to minimise transboundary waste movements
production of hazardous waste and manage whilst promoting sustainable
appropriately regardless of disposal location. management of wastes
The types and nature of the wastes
will be assessed as part of the ESIA,
and mitigation measures will be
identified for the management of
waste streams.
Negotiated at The United Nations
Conference on Environment and
UNCCC is the main convention addressing Development (June 1992), the treaty
United Nations Framework the impacts and causes of climate change objective is to stabilise
9 Convention on Climate Change 09/05/1992 and aimed at returning global temperatures to anthropogenically induced GHG
(UNCCC) a level which will not cause irreversible concentrations in atmosphere at a
significant harm to ecosystem functioning. level that is suggested would not
undermine the global climate system.
UNCCC convention, established
Kyoto protocol aiming at an 18%
Date of
Signature
reduction in GHG emissions by 2020,
including: Carbon dioxide (CO 2 );
Methane (CH 4 ); Nitrous oxide (N 2 O);
HFCs; Perfluorocarbons (PFCs); and
Sulphur hexafluoride (SF 6 ).
This is relevant in relation to air and
GHG emissions arising from Project
activities.
Biological diversity underpins
ecosystem functioning and the
provision of ecosystem services
essential for human wellbeing. It
provides for food security, human
health, the provision of clean air and
water; it contributes to local
livelihoods, and economic
development, and is essential in the
progress towards poverty reduction.
Convention on Biological Established to protect wildlife and The CBD aim is to take effective
10 05/06/1992 action to halt biodiversity loss,
Diversity (CBD) ecosystems.
minimise pressures on biodiversity,
restore ecosystems, ensuring
biological resources are sustainably
used based on sound scientific
evidence and the precautionary
approach, to ensure by 2020
ecosystems are resilient and continue
to provide essential services.
biodiversity will be assessed.
Aims to conduct research and The Convention addresses

Convention to Combat
11 17/06/1994 prevent/reverse desertification of natural specifically the arid, semi-arid and dry
Desertification in Those
habitats. sub-humid areas, known as the
Countries Experiencing Serious
drylands, where some of the most
Date of
Signature
Drought and/or Desertification, vulnerable ecosystems and peoples
particularly in Africa (UNCCD) can be found. In the 10-Year Strategy
of the UNCCD (2008-2018) that was
adopted in 2007, Parties to the
Convention further specified their
goals: "to forge a global partnership
to reverse and prevent
desertification/land degradation and
to mitigate the effects of drought in
affected areas in order to support
poverty reduction and environmental
sustainability".
land use will be assessed.
The Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety
to the Convention on Biological
Diversity is an international
agreement which aims to ensure the
Relates to the transfer and use of living safe handling, transport and use of
Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety living modified organisms resulting
modified organisms and may apply to any
12 to the Convention on Biological 29/01/2000 from modern biotechnology that may
hybrid species which are imported for
Diversity have adverse effects on biological
planting if genetically modified.
diversity, taking also into account
risks to human health.
AMAALA is in a sensitive ecological
environment.
The Convention, also known as the
Stockholm Convention, is a treaty to
Requires member states to eliminate use of protect human health and the
Convention on Persistent Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), mainly environment from chemicals that
13 22/05/2001
Organic Pollutants focused on herbicides but now extended to remain intact in the environment for
other substances. long periods, become widely
distributed geographically,
accumulate in the fatty tissue of
Date of
Signature
humans and wildlife, and have
harmful impacts on human health or
on the environment.
Project may require the use of POPs.
The Paris Agreement's long-term
temperature goal is to keep the rise in
mean global temperature to well
below 2°C above pre-industrial levels,
and preferably limit the increase to
1.5°C, recognising that this would
substantially reduce the impacts of
The Paris Agreement, UN Empowers all countries to act to prevent climate change. Emissions should be
14 Framework Convention on 03/11/2016 average global temperatures rising above reduced as soon as possible and
Climate Change (UNFCCC) 2ºC. reach net zero in the second half of
the 21st century. It aims to increase
the ability of parties to adapt to
climate change impacts and mobilise
sufficient finance.
The Project will generate emissions
of greenhouse gases.
International Labour Organization
Saudi Arabia is a member of the International Labour Organization (ILO) and has obligations
to meet under the ILO requirements. A summary of the ILO Conventions ratified by Saudi
Arabia are detailed in Table 2-6. AMAALA is required to comply with these conventions.
Table 2-6 Summary of ILO Conventions Ratified by Saudi Arabia
Convention Ratification Date Status
C029 - Forced Labour Convention, 1930 15 June 1978 In force
C100 - Equal Remuneration convention, 1951 15 June 1978 In force
C105 - Abolition of Forced Labour Convention, 1957 15 June 1978 In force
C111 - Discrimination (Employment and

Occupation) Convention, 1958
C138 - Minimum Age Convention, 1973 2 April 2014 In force
C182 - Worst Forms of Child Labour convention,

1999
C081 - Labour Inspection Convention, 1947 15 June 1978 In force
C001 - Hours of Work (Industry) Convention, 1919 15 June 1978 In force
C014 - Weekly Rest (Industry) Convention, 1921 15 June 1978 In force
C030 - Hours of Work (Commerce and Offices)

Convention, 1930
C045 - Underground Work (Women) Convention,
1935
C090 - Night Work of Young Persons (Industry)
Convention (Revised), 1948
Enter force on 7
C095 - Protection of Wages Convention, 1949 7 December 2020
December 2021
C106 - Weekly Rest (Commerce and Offices)
Convention, 1957
C120 - Hygiene (Commerce and Offices) Enter force on 7
7 December 2020
Convention, 1964 December 2021
C123 - Minimum Age (Underground Work)
Convention, 1965
C174 - Prevention of Major Industrial Accidents
Conventions, 1993
3 DESCRIPTION OF THE ACTIVITY
3.1 Objectives and Justification for the Project

Saudi Arabia has, as part of its established Vision 2030, placed emphasis on diversification
of its income sources to reduce reliance on the traditional sectors of oil and gas and
petrochemicals. One of the areas of focus for diversificati on is non-pilgrimage related
tourism. PIF has initiated several giga projects in order to meet their contribution to Vision
2030, including AMAALA.
In order to support the development of AMAALA, office and living accommodation is required
for AMAALA staff based on the ground.
 Northern access road upgrade and construction;
 Use of Phase 1 and 2 for temporary laydown areas and storage facilities to
enable construction; and
 Operation of the Staff Village for approximately 15 years whilst AMAALA is being
developed.
Please note that the Project design is currently ongoing. As such, this ESIA Scoping Report
provides all relevant information that is currently available. Comprehen sive design
information will be provided within the ESIA Report.
During the operational phase, power, water and telecommunications shall be provided from
AMAALA facilities. Solid waste and wastewater will be processed at the Shared Hub Facility.
Such facilities shall be assessed separately and are not included within the scope of this
assessment.
The southern access road upgrade was assessed and approved as part of the Staff Village
Early Works ESIA (NCEC reference: 13924/1442) and is not included in the scope of this
assessment.
3.2 Project Location

AMAALA is set in The Prince Mohammed bin Salman Nature Reserve approximately 700 km
north-west of Jeddah and 160 km south of the Gulf of Suez.
The location of the Staff Village within the wider AMAALA development is shown in Figure
3-1 whilst Figure 3-2 shows the local setting of the Project site. The Project is 70 km north-
west of Al Wajn and 80 km to south-east of Duba. The total Project area is 923,400 m 2 .
The Staff Village is set-back from the coast by approximately 50 m. Staff Village residents,
workers and visitors will not be permitted access to the beaches.
Figure 3-1 Staff Village Location and Distance to Development Areas
Figure 3-2 Staff Village Location
3.3 Project Activities

Construction Phase
 Construction of the Staff Village using pre-cast and modular construction

techniques;
 Construction of utilities and infrastructure;
 Construction of temporary laydown and storage area within the Project boundary;
and
 Northern access road construction.
Construction Utilities
Diesel-fuel generators will be utilised to serve the power requirements during the
construction works. Approximately, 130,000 litres of diesel will be used per day, however,
this includes demand for refuelling plant, equipment and vehicles as well as power
generation.
In order to ensure two day contingency of fuel storage is maintained, a total of 260,000 litres
of storage capacity will be required.
Approximately 1,000 m 3 of wastewater will be generated per day at the peak of the Project.
Wastewater from the sewer holding tanks will be removed on a daily basis by tankers and
transported to the Sewage Treatment Plant located outside of the Triple Bay Development
site.
An estimated 1,800 m 3 / day of water will be required at the peak of the Project. This will be
obtained from Duba or Al Wajh desalination plants. Two days’ worth of on-site storage
Temporary Construction Primary Storage and Laydown Area

The Project will require temporary construction storage and laydown area within the Phase 1
and 2 areas. The Project will also utilise the office accommodation which was approved
during the Early Works Phase ESIA (NCEC reference: 13924/1442).
The location of the contractor primary storage and laydown area is presented in Figure 3-3.
Accommodation
Access Road Construction

Access to the Staff Village will be via existing access roads from Highway 5 (Figure 3-4). An
alternative access via the existing Coast Guard road (from Triple Bay) has been reviewed,
however, considering the distance and the proximity to the coastline, this will only be
considered as a short term option while the traffic volume is still low.
Figure 3-4 Staff Village Construction Access Routes
Please note that Option 1 (northern access road) is being assessed within this ESIA as
Option 2 (southern access road) was assessed as part of the Staff Village Early Works ESIA
(NCEC reference: 13924/1442).
Construction Waste Generation

The likely quantities of construction waste are not yet available . It is, however, likely that
construction activities will give rise to a range of wastes including waste soils, brick and
block offcuts, scrap metals, plastic, wood, waste concre te, canteen waste and domestic
sewerage, office waste and limited amounts of hazardous materials . Hazardous materials
are likely to include used batteries, paint, bitumen, fuel, oils, batteries, thinners, oily waste
from servicing equipment and used florescent light tubes.
Exact details regarding waste management measures to be implemented during the

construction phase are not yet available. However, contractors will be required to segregate
wastes on-site before transportation off-site for re-use, recycling, recovery or disposal. The
Staff Village project will be following the overall Triple Bay-wide waste management strategy.
The recyclable portion of the waste generated during the construction and operation of the
Staff Village will be segregated, transported, and treated within a Materials Recovery Facility
(MRF) that will be operated by a specialist waste contractor. AMAALA will follow the waste
management and recycling contract model already in service at TRSDC. The facility will be
designed to reclaim recyclable materials into numerous fractions from a range of recyclable
streams. Once the materials are segregated, they will be baled to facilitat e easy handling
and transportation. These will be sent to secondary recyclers for further processing or sold
directly on the recyclable material market. Non-recyclable waste will be conveyed from the
Project in enclosed skips and then transported to Duba l andfill by NCWM registered service
providers.
Operational Phase
The Staff Village has been perceived and designed as a low rise development, reaching a
maximum of three stories. The Staff Village, with a total developable area of 1,358,400 m 2 ,
will comprise the following:
 12,354 residential units across 225 residential buildings (609,478 m 2 ) for 19,789
people comprising:
o 23 villas (0.19%);
o 45 townhouses (0.36%);
o 882 apartments (7.12%);
o 1,404 studios (11.34%); and
o 9,966 dormitories (80.73%).
 A total of 204 support buildings, hospitality, medical and education buildings,

retail, commercial and public facilities, services, and leisure facilities. A total of
3,630 support workers will be required.
Staff Village will have a total Gross External Area (GEA) of 609,478 m 2 . Table 3-1 presents
the land use breakdown of the Staff Village.
Table 3-1 Development Breakdown (SIE, 2022)
Land Use Percentage
Hospitality 1.9
Roads / parking 19.8
Open space 7.3
Retail / food and drink 4.7
Offices 0.6
Residential 57.0
Utilities 2.2
Facilities 6.4
Figure 3-5 presents the Phase 1 and Phase 2 layout whilst Figure 3-6 presents the land use
zones.
Figure 3-5 Staff Village Phase 1 and Phase 2 Proposed Layout
Figure 3-6 Staff Village Land Use Zoning
Electricity and Communications
On the north-east of the Project site is the Primary Utility Hub which comprises central water
tanks, district cooling plant, and pumping stations. The hubs will include infrastructure for
electricity as well as communications (telecommunications, security and smart services
network). The hubs will include a main telecom room, security control rooms and server
room. In additional, there will be Local Utility Hub locations located across the Project area.
The locations of the hubs are shown in Figure 3-7.
The Staff Village will receive Medium Voltage (MV) supply from the primary 132/33 kV
substation located adjacent to the Staff Village Shared Facilities Hub.
The 33 kV MW network will be terminated at the Saudi Electric ity Company (SEC) room at
the plot boundary. The supply from the SEC room will then enter into the adjacent MW room
and it will be further terminated at the secondary substations (33 kV/4kV) located within
Local Utility Hubs strategically located along the Project site (shown in Figure 3-7).
The Staff Village Shared Facilities Hub will include a Regional Data Center which will tie into
the Primary Utility Hub (see Figure 3-8). Cabling will be placed underground around the Staff
Village.
It is understood that standby generators will be located in Local Utility Hub locations for
emergency usage in case of outages from the regional network. Approximately 2,600 litres of
fuel shall be stored on-site for use by the standby generators.
Stormwater
During and after storm events, any runoff will be collected and discharged into the wadis to
the east and west of the Project site:
 Staff Village has been sub-divided into a total of 18 plots. Runoff within each plot
will be individually managed by rainwater harvesting and the installation of
French drains, box planters and permeable paving; and
 Stormwater runoff from within the masterplan development will be managed by

installation of roadside bioswales and rain gardens within the road right of wa ys,
bioretention areas, as well as flow and pollutant control instrumentation at the
discharge locations to the wadis.
Roadside bioswales are swales with grass and other vegetation enhanced topsoil, and an
underlying infiltration layer with a perforated pipe for drainage. They will be located along the
roads either on both sides or only on one side of the carriageways. The bioswales w ill be
designed to slow runoff velocities, allowing more infiltration, evaporation, transportation, and
water quality management prior to runoff discharge into the existing wadis. In the event of a
major rainfall, the bioswale may overflow into the road an d a safe overland flow route shall
be provided, such flows shall only be permitted through walkways and within the road right of
way with discharge only to the wadi channels. In low-lying areas, where there is a risk of
groundwater ingress into the bioswales, an impermeable layer shall be installed to prevent
untreated stormwater from infiltrating into groundwater.
Rain Gardens are shallow landscaped depressions within pedestrian and Electric Vehicle
Access (EVA) roads on the other side of the bioswale. Th ey will collect stormwater runoff
from the walkways and allow stormwater runoff to pond temporarily on the surface before
filtering through vegetation and underlying bioretention soil, which shall filter out sediments.
A perforated pipe shall also be provide beneath the Rain Garden for drainage.
Both bioswales and Rain Gardens shall be planted with native vegetation that requires no
irrigation or nutrient/fertiliser application and has no requirement for imported growing
medium. Vegetated drainage systems (bioswales and Rain Garden) will also have an
underlying, engineering substrata of filter medium, to assist in nutrient and pollutant removal.
Hydrodynamic separators shall be installed at the four outfalls prior to discharge for the
collection of sediment, rubbish and other debris.
Please note that there is one outfall directly to the marine environment.
Potable Water
Potable water shall be provided from the AMAALA’s Regional Infrastructure to a centralised
storage tank in the Primary Utility Hub. The water supply will be from a regional desalination
plant and conveyed to the site through the regional transmission netwo rk (see Figure 3-9).
On-site water storage will ensure there is sufficient capacity to meet demand for two days of
average domestic use. The central storage tank shall provide a combined storage volume for
one average day demand for domestic needs plus the firefighting and fire protection
requirements for the entire Masterplan. The remaining on e-day storage shall be provided
within the storage tanks at the Local Utility Hubs. These storage tanks shall be placed
underground with pump rooms at each location.
Firefighting Water
A firefighting system will be established with a firewater supply network for external fire
hydrants, sprinkler systems and standpipes. Firefighting water will be supplied in a central
storage tank in the Primary Utility Hub.
Chilled Water
Chilled water shall be supplied form the central district cooling plant, sited in the Primary
Utility Hub, to each building through a dedicated chilled water supply and return closed-loop
network. Water will be stored underground at the Primary Utility Hub and pumped around the
Project.
Wastewater
Wastewater will be collected from each building and discharged into a lifting station wet well,
from there, the wastewater will be pumped to a central utility hub lifting station wet well and
then to a regional sewage treatment plant located at the Staff Village Shared Facilities Hub.
Lighting
A lighting strategy has been developed taking into account TRSDC and International best
practice guidelines to ensuring the preservation of E0 Environmental Zone per the
International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) and TRSDC Dark Sky Guidelines.
All outdoor seating spaces and relaxation areas will be designed to 2700 K since lighting will
come on at dusk and switch off/dim down to curfew. Street lighting and circulation areas will
be designed to 3000 K which is still within the boundary of colour temperatures that is
recommended for Dark Sky Environmental Zones 0 and 1.
Figure 3-7 Staff Village Utility Hubs
Source: AMAALA
Figure 3-8 Staff Village Power and Telecommunications Infrastructure
Figure 3-9 Staff Village Potable Water Supply
Operational Traffic and Transportation
There are to be two main vehicle entrance points, located north and north-east of the Project
site (see Figure 3-10). The north road access will provide access from the Construction
Workers Village whilst the east road access will be connected with the Staff Village junct ion.
Please note that the Access Roads have been assessed as part of the Staff Village Early
Works ESIA (Staff Village Early Works ESIA, NCEC reference: 13924/1442).
Adjacent to the north road access will be a bus depot for the estimated 155 buses and a
17,000 m 2 parking area for private vehicles. Buses will be used to transfer personnel from
the Staff Village to development areas.
It is understood that refuelling on-site will take place during the operation al phase. The
location of the refuelling is not yet known, however, it is likely to be along the northern
proportion of the site, in close proximity to the parking and bus depot.
The results of a traffic assessment (Jacobs, October 2020) undertaken for the Staff Village
indicated that proposed junction will have significant spare capacity to accommodation the
Staff Village and the future annual background traffic on Highway 5 . Please note that at the
time of the traffic assessment, the road alignment and routing between the Staff Village and
Highway 5 was not confirmed, however, the requirement for a new junction on Highway 5
was assumed.
Figure 3-10 Staff Village Vehicular Entrances
Operational Waste Generation

Based upon national waste composition and densities presented in the ICMP (SIE,
September 2021), the following quantities of waste are predicted:
Table 3-2 Staff Village Predicted Waste Generation (SIE, September 2021)
Waste Composition
Waste Streams Waste Quantities (kg) Volume (m 3 )
(%)
Paper/ Cardboard 18.6 9,387.10 85.34
Metal 2.7 1,362.64 4.54
Glass 2.9 1,463.58 4.57
Plastic 17.4 8,781.48 103.31
Organic 52.6 26,546.31 87.04
Other 5.7 2,876.70 21.31
50,417.81 306.11
As per the TRSDC waste management strategy, the Project shall have a waste diversion
target of 90% for non-hazardous waste. In addition, the NCWM has set out a recycling target
of 42% to be achieved by 2035.
Project Resources - Manpower and Material

Construction
The exact numbers of personnel, materials and equipment are yet to be confirmed, however,
it is anticipated that at the peak of construction activities, 5,736 construction workers will be
required. These are to be accommodated at the existing construction camp, which was
subject to a separate impact assessment process. Site transport will be facilitated by crew
transfer minibuses and coaches.
It is anticipated that construction activities will occur for six days a week (Saturday to
Thursday). Working hours will typically be 07:00 - 17:00 with night time works only where
necessary.
The anticipated equipment requirements will be determined by the Contractor, however,

Table 3-3 outlines the indicative equipment and plant requirements.
Table 3-3 Indicative Equipment and Plant Requirements
Bulldozer Road lorry Concrete pump
Crusher Diesel generator Air compressor
Wheeled loader Mechanical water bowser Backhoe loader
Tracked excavator Tracked mobile crane Welding set
Dump truck Mobile telescopic crane Compactor plate
Motor grader Earthworks compactor/roller JCB tractor
Road roller Large lorry concrete mixer Tilting drum mixer
Sheep footed roller/vibro

Fork lift truck Fuel bowser
roller
Asphalt paver Water pump Earthworks grader
Operation
Once operational, approximately 12,000 people will live within the Staff Village with 20,780
visitors and 2,343 workers. It will operate 7 days a week for 24 hours per day.
3.4 Geographical Scope

The spatial extent of the ESIA will be limited to the footprint of the Project along with the
surrounding area which contains receptors that could be subject to an impact as a result of
the construction or operation of the Project.
Suitable AoI will be established for each topic scoped into the ESIA process.
3.5 Temporal Scope (Timeline)

The temporal scope relates to the duration over which the assessment process considers
potential impacts and cumulative impacts which may occur. The temporal scope of the ESIA
is to encompass design, construction and operation phases (deemed to initially be 15 years).
3.6 Project Costs

The capital cost for the Staff Village Main Works is estimated at SAR 4.8 billion (USD 1.2
billion).
4 PROJECT ALTERNATIVES
4.1 Methodology for Selecting and Evaluating Alternatives

The assessment of alternatives helps identify the most appropriate method of developing a
project and can help identify the option(s) with the least environmental and social impacts.
Alternatives include consideration of different means to meet the purpose and requirements
of the Project activities, and may include alternatives to:
 Activity - change in the nature of the proposed activity without changing the
project objective, for example, the development of a solar farm instead of utilising
diesel generators.
 Site location - alternative locations for the entire project proposal, or for
components of the project proposal. For some projects, it may not be possible to
consider alternative locations as there m ay be spatial constraints. As such, the
‘Do Nothing’ alternative assumes importance in the ESIA (see Section 4.2 for
more details).
 Routes to/from site - alternative options for transporting people, equipment and
materials to/from site.
 Routing alternatives - consideration of alternative routes generally applies to

linear developments such as power lines, transport and pipeline routes.
 Layout of the activity - this considers different spatial configurations of an

activity on a particular site. This may include particular components of a proposed
development or may include the entire activity.
 Process and operational aspects of the activity - the purpose is to consider

alternatives that achieving the same goal by using a different method or process.
Typically, specialist input is required to identify proces s alternatives such as the
Best Practical Environmental Option ( BPEO).
 Scale - projects with adverse impacts may be reduced in size or scale in order to
reduce impacts.
 Scheduling/timing - a project may comprise a number of components, which can

be scheduled in a different order or at different times and as such produce
different impacts. Such alternatives could be incorporated into the project
proposal and so be part of the project description, therefore, these may not
necessarily be evaluated as separate alternatives.
 Design - design alternatives include the consideration of different designs for

aesthetic purposes or different construction materials in an attempt to optimise
local benefits. Similar to scheduling, design alternatives can be incorporated in to
the project proposal and project description. Therefore, design may need not be
evaluated as separate alternative.
 Do nothing option - this assumes that the activity does not go ahead. The ‘Do
Nothing’ alternative is also regarded as a type of alternative; however, it should
be described separately to emphasise its importance (see Section 4.2 for more
details).
4.2 List and Description of Potential Alternatives to the Project

Do Nothing Option
The Do Nothing option is the option of not implementing the activity or executing the
proposed development. If AMAALA is not develop ed, it would result in the loss of potential
contribution and support to socio-economic growth and diversification goals of the Kingdom’s
Vision 2030 plan particularly concerning the growth and development of the non -pilgrimage
tourism sector. However, implementation of the project is under the control of the Ministry of
Cultural Affairs and the Private Office. As a result, the Do Nothing Option is not in AMAALA’s
remit.
The Staff Village will provide AMAALA with staffing resources and base of operations to
manage the development without causing any socio-economic issues related to an influx of
workers in a relatively remote and undeveloped area.
Alternate Locations
AMAALA bought forward three Staff Village locations for an optioneering assessment.
Details of the three locations presented in Table 4-1 and the three locations are shown in
Figure 4-1.
Table 4-1 Staff Village Alternative Locations Specifications
Visibility from Travel time Travel time

Option Location Optioneering Assessment Conclusion
Triple Bay from Triple Bay from MP4
Midway
Remote from existing or proposed roads and allows
Option 1 between MP4 None +25 minutes +27 minutes
for opportunity to expand Triple Bay.
and Triple Bay
Smallest impact on proposed regional infrastructure,
North of Triple
Option 2 Medium +7 minutes +40 minutes however, it is in the location of a proposed
Bay
desalination plant.
South of Triple Main impact is on power and water. Changes
Option 3 High +5 minutes +52 minutes
Bay needed to Regional Infrastructure strategy.
Figure 4-1 Staff Village Alternative Locations
Interim Concept Masterplan Iterations
The Interim Concept Masterplan (ICMP) layout went through several variations with design
meetings demonstrating the pros and cons of each proposed option and the
recommendations from AMAALA were carried forward into the next stage of design.
The masterplan boundary line was amended following the study of the topography and the
existing conditions, this included removing land from the northern boundary due to
undulating topography and adding in a flatter area closer to the coastal zone. In addition, the
wadi setback (50 m) is also a factor in defining the eastern plot boundary of the masterplan.
Figure 4-2 presents the iterations in the ICMP process. More obvious changes during the
masterplan evolution and design development include the hotel and villa area, school
positioning, linear buildings rotation, Z clusters configuration, Central Village layout along
with the neighbourhood centres.
Figure 4-2 Staff Village ICMP Iterations
Following the completion of the ICMP, A strategic decision was undertaken, by AMAALA, for
the Construction Village personnel to be accommodated at the Staff Village, as such, the
design has been amended. Three options were evaluated, as depicted in Figure 4-3.
Figure 4-3 Staff Village Revised Options
Option 1
Option 2
Option 3
Source: AMAALA Staff Village Focus Group Meeting Masterplan Options, SIE Consultants,
17 November 2021
Option 3 was selected by AMAALA for the following reasons:
 Clear layout for infrastructure and utility easement;
 Provides clear circulation for mobility and bus movements;
 Provides equal living qualities for non-professionals; and
 Suitable for construction phasing in terms of roads and clusters.
Utilities
Stormwater
An alternative stormwater drainage design considered the bioswales in the middle of the
right of way with Rain Gardens on both sides (see Figure 4-4). However, the Masterplanners
recommended that the use of roadside bioswales either side of the road as this would
consume less space (right of way of 23.8 m versus 28.3 m).
Potable Water
Details provided in the ICMP (SIE, September 2021) indicate that two options for the potable
water supply where discussed:
 OPTION 1: Potable water distribution from a centralised storage tank (Primary

Utility Hub) to the storage tanks at the Local Ut ility Hubs and dedicated potable
water supply from local storage tanks to the buildings.
 OPTION 2: Potable water distribution network from centralised storage tank
(Primary Utility Hub) to the storage tanks at the Local Utility Hubs and combined
potable water distribution network for domestic needs and fire protection for
buildings from Local Utility Hubs storage tanks to the buildings within plots.
It is understood that Option 2 was selected, however, BDC has not been provided with the
rationale behind this decision.
Firefighting
Two options for the firewater distribution systems were presented:
 OPTION 1: Combined firefighting network for fire hydr ants and fire protection for
buildings (standpipes and sprinkler system) from central combined storage at the
utility compound to all buildings and fire hydrants.
 OPTION 2: Firefighting network for fire hydrants only from central combined
storage tank at the utility compound and fire protection for buildings (standpipes
and sprinkler system) from Local Utility Hubs.
Option 2 was found not to be economical as the Local Utility Hubs would increase in size
due to the additional firewater reserve and pumps.
Figure 4-4 Alternative Stormwater Bioswale Location
Waste Management
Two options were proposed for a general waste management strategy. Both involve a
centralised waste collection strategy with segregation at source will be applied within the
Project. Generated waste will be transferred from the point of generation to the designated
interim waste rooms (i.e. temporary waste storage facilities) located within the same
building:
 OPTION A: Temporary storage of waste in interim waste rooms prior to collection

by the operator and transfer to the Integrated Waste Management Facility (IWMF)
at Triple Bay. The interim waste rooms will contain colour coded bins for the
segregation of waste into their respective bins. For the buildings with road
access, the designated waste collection vehicles are to collect the waste directly
from the interim waste rooms via the Back of House (BoH) pathway. For the
buildings that do not have road access, the Facility Management (FM) team are
to collect the waste from the interim waste room and subsequently transport the
waste to the curb for kerbside collection by the designated waste collection
vehicles. This strategy is in line with the TRSDC waste management strategy.
 OPTION B: Temporary storage of waste in interim waste rooms prior to the final
collection and transfer to IWMF. Subsequently, electric waste buggies are
proposed for the final transfer of waste from the interim waste rooms to the
central waste room, where they will be collected by vehicles to be transferred
either for treatment or to their final disposal point.
Option B was recommended mainly due to the adverse visual impact resulting from the
waste bins located at the development, as well as the exhaust emissions resulting from the
collection vehicles which can be avoided by implementing a more efficient collection
strategy.
Access Roads
Access to the Staff Village will be via an existing access road from Highway 5. An alternative
access via the Coast Guard road has been reviewed, however, considering the distance and
the proximity to the coastline, this will only be considered as a short term option while the
traffic volume is still low.
Temporary Laydown and Storage Areas

It was originally proposed that the temporary laydown and storage areas for the Staff Village
be outside of Project footprint (Figure 4-5), however, this would result in additional habitat
loss, therefore, and it was decided to utilise the Phase 2 area (which would be developed
later as part of the Project) for temporary laydown areas and storage facilities. Furthermore,
the existing office accommodation, developed during the Early Works, will be utilised during
the Main Works.
Figure 4-5 Alternative Laydown Areas and Office Accommodation Location Considered
Further Assessment
The ESIA will include further analysis of alternatives, including further information relating to
the Do Nothing scenario, based upon discussions with AMAALA and the masterplanning
team. In particular, more detail relating to the wadi diversion will be included once the
ongoing hydrological modelling has been completed.
BDC will record the process of design development and how environmental and social
considerations and sustainability has influenced the design.
5 DESCRIPTION OF THE SURROUNDING
ENVIRONMENT
5.1 Methodology for Collecting and Analysing Data

Baseline data collection for the ESIA will involve identifying key themes and receptors,
defining temporal and geographical (spatial) boundaries of assessment, and collecting and
compiling baseline information. Baseline information will be obtained from primary data
generation and secondary data available from existing databases and previous reports.
AMAALA has been engaged in baseline data collection since 2017. Reports that will be used
to complete the ESIA are as follows:
Regional (AMAALA)
 Rapid Environmental Baseline Assessment of AMAALA area (BDC, 2019a)
 AMAALA Turtle Nesting Survey 2018 and June 2019 and Mitigation Report (BDC,
2019b)
 Avifauna Survey AMAALA (BDC, 2019c)
 Sooty Falcon Survey and Mitigation Measures (BDC, 2020a)
 AMAALA Invertebrate and Reptile Risk Assessment and Survey (BDC, 2020d)
 AMAALA Regional Marine Habitat Mapping (BDC, 2020e)
 AMAALA Marine Megafauna Review and Observational Reporting (BDC, 2021a)
 Extreme Water Levels along the Amaala Coastline (DHI, October 2021)
Project Specific
 Staff Village Vegetation, Reptile and Avifauna Baseline Surveys (BDC, 2021b).
Please note that this report also included archaeological and cultural heritage
observations as well as land quality
 Staff Village Traffic Assessment (Jacobs, October 2020)
 Factual Geotechnical Site Investigation Report (RGF, 2021a)
 Interpretative Geotechnical Site Investigation Report (RGJ, 2021b)
5.2 Initial Description of the Physical, Biological, Cultural,

Social and Economic Environment
Air Quality
There limited sources of airborne pollution surrounding AMAALA, except the Duba
Municipality Waste Facility which occasionally burns waste material.
Elevated concentrations of Particulate Matter (PM) are common throughout Saudi Arabia.
This is due to the arid, sandy environment, which may be aggravated by habitat degradation
and poor land management within the Project surroundings. Furthermore, fugitive dust
emissions from exposed dry soil surfaces and unpaved roads are likely to contribute to
localised ambient concentrations of particulate matter. During dry weather, vehicular traffic
using unpaved roads will be an appreciable source of dust at roadside properties. In
addition, sand and dust storms could contribute to increased quantities of suspended
particulate matter, particularly in the dry summer months. In addition, Duba has industrial
activities including Duba Cement Factory (likely to emit Sulphur dioxide (SO 2 ), nitrogen oxide
(NOx), and carbon monoxide (CO) and an Open Cycle Gas Turbine (OCGT) Pow er Plant
which will contribute to CO, carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) and NOx emissions. In addition, there is
also AL Wajh OCGT Power Plant to the south-east of Staff Village.
Ongoing construction activities at Triple Bay and at RSP may also impact upon local ambient
air quality.
Potential air pollution sources are shown in Figure 5-1.
Figure 5-1 Potential Air Quality Pollution Sources
No project-specific baseline air quality monitoring has been collected for the Staff Village;
however, monitoring has been undertaken at Duba to the north of AMAALA and at Al Wajh to
the south of AMAALA, part of the Red Sea Project (RSP). Furthermore, AECOM has
installed passive diffusion tubes at three locations across AMAALA. Details of the monitoring
locations are shown in Figure 5-2.
Figure 5-2 Air Quality Monitoring Locations
NEOM and Red Sea Project Air Quality Monitoring

Enstec undertook baseline air quality monitoring in NEOM (Enstec Services Limited, 2018a)
including within an industrial area in Duba for a one -month period (see Figure 5-2).
Concentrations of sulphur dioxide (SO 2 ), hydrogen sulphide (H 2 S), carbon monoxide (CO)
and nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ) were below national air quality standards in place at time of
reporting, however, concentrations of SO 2 at the Duba monitoring site exhibited several large
but intermittent peaks resulting in a maximum 1-hour averaged concentration of 55.4 ppb. A
potential source is the Duba Cement Plant which is approximately 3.2 km distant. Thi s level
of concentration at over 3 km from the plant suggests that conditions closer to the plant may
well exceed the standard. With regards to NO 2 , there were also intermittent peaks at Duba
which were most likely associated with emissions from vehicles. The Duba monitoring
location is approximately 100 km north-west of the Project site (shown in Figure 5-2).
Background air quality monitoring data, between September a nd October 2018, is available
from the RSP at Al Wajh (Enstec Services Limited, 2018b). The Al Wajh monitoring was
undertaken in a relatively open and exposed area some 4 km from the coast , approximately
75 km to the south-east of the Project site (the location is shown in Figure 5-2). The data
collected where compared to the national standards in place at that time :
 SO 2 concentrations are low with an average over the monitoring period of less
than 1ppb (average of 0.5ppb over the one-month monitoring period) and are well
within the annual air quality standard of 30ppb. The main source of SO 2 in and
around the Project area is the use of sulphur-containing fossil fuels for power
generation and to a lesser extent in motor vehicles. Given that there are few
power plants and other industrial sources, it can be concluded that for most of the
Project area, SO 2 concentrations will be well below the air quality standards.
During the sampling period the 24-hour maximum was 2.3ppb well below the
relevant standard of 83 ppb.
 Hydrogen sulphide (H 2 S) concentrations are low with the average over the
monitoring period less than 1 ppb (average of 0.5 ppb over the one-month
monitoring period) well within the annual air quality standard of 30 ppb. H 2 S can
be as a result of the breakdown of organic matter and wastes such as sewage. It
also occurs in petroleum and natural gas and associated industries. There are
few known sources of significant H 2 S within the area, so it can be concluded that
H 2 S within the Project area is likely to be very low and well within the air quality
standards. However, around any sewage treatment plants, gas and petroleum
processing facilities or large-scale composting facilities, higher H 2 S
concentrations are likely. During the sampling period the 24 -hour maximum was
1.0 ppb, well below the levels associated with impacts to human health or where
nuisance odour compliant may be likely.
 CO concentrations are lower than in urban areas and are well within the air
quality standards. Since CO is usually a result of incomplete combustion of
carbon fuel, within the Project area the main sources will be from motor vehicles,
marine vessels and aeroplanes. The one-hour maximum CO concentration
recorded was 400 ppb, while the 24-hour maximum concentration was 300 ppb,
both well within the 1-hour and 8-hour standards of 34,946 and 8,737 ppb,
respectively. Average CO concentrations over the monitoring per iod was 100ppb.
 Average NO x concentrations were 3.9 ppb with an hourly maximum of 55 ppb,

while average NO 2 was 3.4 ppb with maximum hourly concentrations of 54.3 ppb,
well below the applicable annual and hourly standards of 53 ppb and 106 ppb,
respectively. NO x is produced during combustion with the main sources being
traffic and energy production.
 PM concentrations exceeded the daily and annual average air quality standards
of 35μg/m 3 and 15μg/m 3 , respectively, however, it is a common phenomenon for
both PM 10 and PM 2.5 to exceed their respective air quality criteria due to the hot
and dry nature of the area and amount of open exposed land in the region with
most particulate matter due to natural sources rather than anthropogenic sources.
Table 5-1 presents a summary of the NEOM and RSP air quality baseline monitoring results
with comparison to the latest national air quality standards (Annex 1 of Implementing
Regulation on Air Quality (REF: M/165)) and to the 2021 WHO Global Air Quality Guidelines
(AQG) (World Health Organization, 2021). At both locations, the PM10 and PM2.5
concentrations were found to be above WHO Global AQGs for 24 hours averaging time.
Table 5-1 NEOM and RSP Baseline Air Quality Monitoring Data
National Guideline WHO Global AQG (1- 1-hour Maximum National Guideline 8-hour Maximum National Guideline WHO Global AQG 24-hour Maximum
Parameter
Value (1-hour) hour) Concentration Value (8-hour) Concentration Value (24-hour) (24-hour) Concentration
NEOM (10 July - 9 August 2018)
CO 40,000 µg/m 3 35 µg/m 3 0.11 µg/m 3 NG 0.34 µg/m 3 10,000 µg/m 3 4 µg/m 3 NS
PM 10 NG NG 252.3 µg/m 3 340 NS NG 45 µg/m 3 81.1 µg/m 3
PM 2.5 NG NG 52.7 µg/m 3 35 NS NG 15 µg/m 3 21.2 µg/m 3
RSP (12 September - 12 October 2018)
CO 40,000 µg/m 3 35 µg/m 3 0.46 µg/m 3 NG 0.34 µg/m 3 10,000 µg/m 3 4 µg/m 3 NS
PM 10 NG NG 916.0 µg/m 3 340 µg/m 3 NS NG 45 µg/m 3 142.2 µg/m 3
PM 2.5 NG NG 148.3 µg/m 3 35 µg/m 3 NS NG 15 µg/m 3 38.5 µg/m 3
Notes:
* 1 8-hour average
*2 10-minute average
NG - no available guideline
NS - not sampled
Conversion from ppb to µg/m 3 assumes 25ºC in line with WHO guidance
AECOM Air Quality Monitoring
 AECOM undertook passive diffusion tube monitoring undertaken at three
locations (Figure 5-2) within the AMAALA development. The diffusion tubes were
installed for three two week periods. D iffusion tube sampling results for NO 2 , SO 2 ,
H 2 S and VOCs (BTEX) show that ‘existing concentrations of these pollutants are
below the air quality standards in line with published literature results’ . Despite
measurements not spanning a full year of assessment, it ‘is considered that NO 2 ,
SO 2 and H 2 S concentrations are meeting the Project ambient air quality
standards respectively’ (AECOM, 2021b). Please note that BDC has requested
this data, however, it has not yet been provided.
Ongoing Construction Air Quality Monitoring

Daily construction air quality monitoring has commenced from the Triple Bay Earthworks
Phase 1. The construction air quality monitoring locations are presented in Table 5-2 and
shown in Figure 5-3.
Table 5-2 Triple Bay Earthworks Phase 1 Construction Air Quality Monitoring
Locations
Monitoring Location Location Details Co-ordinates
521639.090 m E
ST-01 Site Offices
2948416.975 m N
521119.604 m E
ST-02 SP-04 / ST-B1
2947634.524 m N
522023.831 m E
ST-03 SP-03
2947736.881 m N
522406.404 m E
ST-04 Welfare Facilities Area
2947710.272 m N
522605.554 m E
ST-05 Stockpile Area
2947582.828 m N
522542.523 m E
SP-06 Shared Facilities Hub
2950712.093 m N
Figure 5-3 Triple Bay Earthworks Phase 1 Construction Air Quality Monitoring
Locations
Air monitoring data from 20 February 2021 (Binyah, 20 February 2021) is presented in Table
5-3.
Table 5-3 20 February 2021 Triple Bay Earthworks Phase 1 Construction Air Quality
Monitoring
Monitoring PM 10 PM 2.5 SO 2 CO NO 2 H2S VOC

Location (µg/m 3 ) (µg/m 3 ) (ppm) (ppm) (ppm) (ppm) (ppm)
ST-01 190 15 0.0 0.7 0.0 0.0 0.0
ST-02 260 21 0.0 0.9 0.0 0.0 0.0
ST-03 279 20 0.0 0.8 0.0 0.0 0.0
ST-04 275 22 0.0 0.5 0.0 0.0 0.0
ST-05 331 31 0.0 2.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
SP-06 297 29 0.0 2.1 0.0 0.0 0.0
GAMEP
No
2014 340 35 0.280 32 0.350 0.100
guideline
Standard
Monitoring PM 10 PM 2.5 SO 2 CO NO 2 H2S VOC
Location (µg/m 3 ) (µg/m 3 ) (ppm) (ppm) (ppm) (ppm) (ppm)
WHO
Global Air
No No
Quality 45* 15* 40* 35* 1 200* 1
guideline guideline
Guidelines
(AQC)
* Short term (24-hour) AQG level
* 1 1-hour guideline
The Contractor compared the results to GAMEP standards and no exceedances were noted.
As presented in Table 5-3, BDC has undertaken a review of the results against the 2021
WHO Global AQGs (World Health Organization, 2021). The results show exceedances of
PM10 and PM2.5 above the respective Global AQG which is not unexpected due to dusty
ambient air of Saudi Arabia.
Archaeology and Cultural Heritage
Sea has an extensive archaeological resource, running from at least Bronze Age sit es up to
Archaeology and cultural sites within AMAALA have been identified through regional survey
work in 2019 and 2020. There are no known above ground artefacts present within the
footprint of the Main Works.
A walkover survey in the Staff Village Project site by BDC showed minimal anthropogenic
influence and no potential archaeological sites. However, a makeshift musalla (prayer area)
of recent origin was noted on-site Figure 5-4.
Figure 5-4 Makeshift musalla Noted On-site
Climate Change
It is widely recognised that climate change has environmental and social consequences, and
that ignoring climate change will eventually damage economic growth as well as impact
people and the environment.
Saudi Arabia is particularly vulnerable to climate change as most of its ecosystems are
dependent on fossil fuel exports. The country is arid, and the sand desert renders several
Key vulnerabilities:
 Heavy rainfall in Saudi Arabia sometimes results in flash floods. Th e country

receives intense rainfall especially in the mountainous south -western region,
which tends to flood seasonal watercourses;
 Future climate scenarios indicate an increase in the length of dry periods, and
high aridity, rapidly depleting groundwater reserves, and projected temperature
increases indicate that water stress is bound to increase. Greater rainfall
variability may also result in prolonged droughts;
 Sand and dust storms are frequent mainly due to the country’s desert soils and
landscape. High winds carrying sand and dust rise into the air forming clouds that
often reduce visibility to zero. These storms disrupt transport and communication
and increase respiratory health-related diseases. They also contribute to the
spread of desertification by transporting and depositing sand and sediments,
which destroy crops, natural habitats and infrastructure;
 As average temperatures rise as a result of climate change in the future, internal

and external overheating is likely to become an increasing issu e. Heatwaves
causing risk to health, limits on activity and productivity and disruption to rail,
road and underground networks are likely to increase in terms of frequency and
duration;
 Sea level rise, storm surge and / or flooding could cause damage to buildings,
infrastructure or utilities as well as endangering life and potentially causing
environmental damage, for example, increasing the erosional and polluting
impact of storm waters;
biological events, which could fundamentally transform current ecosystems and
food webs. Climate change can overwhelm the capacity of ecosystems to mitigate
extreme events and disturbance, such as wildfires, floods, and drought. Climate
change, along with habitat destruction and pollution, is one of the important
stressors that can contribute to species extinction. The Intergovernmental Panel
on Climate Change estimates that 20 -30 % of the plant and animal species
evaluated so far in climate change studies are at risk of extinction if temperatures
reach the levels projected to occur by the end of this century;
 The World Health Organisation say that climate change is likely to alter the
geographic range (latitude and altitude) and seasonality of certain infectious
diseases - including vector-borne infections such as malaria and dengue fever,
and food-borne infections (e.g. salmonellosis) which peak in the warmer months;
and
 Observed climate change is already affecting food security through inc reasing
temperatures, changing precipitation patterns, and greater frequency of some
extreme events. Studies that separate out climate change from other factors
affecting crop yields have shown that yields of some crops (e.g., maize and
wheat) in many lower-latitude regions have been affected negatively by observed
climate changes, while in many higher-latitude regions, yields of some crops
(e.g., maize, wheat, and sugar beets) have been affected positively over recent
decades. As such, national and global food security will be increasingly affected
by projected future climate change.
Predictions on the changes likely in Saudi Arabia due to Climate Change indicate that there
will be a rise in temperatures across the country. However, predictive modelling ou tputs
provide two possible scenarios regarding rainfall with some suggesting a decrease in rainfall
and increased drought, while other studies suggest marginal increases in total rainfall but
with increased intensity.
Saudi Arabia’s electricity is primarily composed of fossil fuel sources - particularly natural
gas and crude oil - with a small but increasing amount from solar energy. However, the
Kingdom aims to generate 50% of the nations’ power needs using renewable energy by
2030.
Saudi Arabia has acknowledged that the Kingdom requires a carbon management system.
The Kingdom’s system has been designed to enable the Kingdom to reduce the emissions of
GHGs, through the promotion of technological solutions. The system includes organisational
structure for emission control, aspirational avoidance actions and goals, assessment of
carbon risks, GHG accounting, carbon performance evaluation and reporting.
Saudi Arabia is also promoting research and development of technologies that can alleviate
these concerns, including carbon capture and storage. Additionally, it supports the promotion
of international cooperation in climate change.
The Kingdom has developed technology roadmap targets creating a forward -looking
research and development program that provides econo mically sound carbon management
technological solutions, and which maximises the value created from the carbon cycle.
It should be noted that the PIF, in collaboration with Saudi Tadawul Group, has announced
plans to roll out a voluntary exchange platform for carbon offsets and credits in the Middle
East and North African region, with the new exchange platform coming as part of the
Kingdom’s extended efforts to face climate change and encourage establishments to reduce
carbon emissions.
Coastal Processes
The Red Sea is a narrow, partially isolated water body surrounded by arid land, desert and
semi-desert. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia and Yemen to the east, Sudan, Eritrea and
Djibouti to the west. It extends over 1,900 km in length and ranges in width fr om just 29 km
to 354 km (Bruckner, et al., 2011). It has a maximum water depth exceeding 2,200 m, an
average of 490 m and is characterised by coastal fringing reefs, extending tens of metres
from shore before plummeting to deep water.
The Red Sea is located in an arid region characterised by high temperatures and solar
radiation, limited rainfall, an absence of major riverine inputs and seasonally variable winds
(Bruckner, et al., 2011). Consequently, the Red Sea is highly oligotrophic with nutrient
cycling driven by deep water regeneration, and the limited intrusion of nutrient -rich Gulf of
Aden intermediate water from the Indian Ocean (Devassy, et al., 2017).
Summer winds in the south drive upwelling, while strong winter winds in the north cause
significant evaporation and alter salinity. Density gradients in the water column, which vary
seasonally due to changes in temperature, prevailing winds and evaporation, are the p rimary
drivers for water circulation patterns in the Red Sea. Generally, surface waters move
northward with dense water returning south below the thermocline (250 - 300 m) (Bruckner,
et al., 2011).
Tidal regimes in the Red Sea are generally semi-diurnal, with average tides ranging from 0.6
m in the north and 0.9 m in the south, with minimum ranges (0.2 - 0.3 m) recorded around a
nodal point in the central Red Sea (Gharbi, et al., 2018).
The Red Sea is one of the most saline water bodies in the world due to water circulation
patterns, evaporation and wind stress. In the north, persistent northwest winds drive high
evaporation rates and increase surface salinities.
As such, surface water salinity gradients increase from 36.5 Practical Salinity Unit (PSU) in
the south to 40.5 PSU recorded in the northern Gulf of Suez. Salinity in the Red Sea basin
(>300 m depth) is consistent throughout the year at 40.5 to 40.6 PSU. Due to the increase in
surface salinities from the south to the north and the mass of high salinity water at depth,
vertical gradients of salinity in the water column are largest in the south but almost non -
existent in the north (Sofianos & Johns, 2003).
A storm surge assessment has been taken along the AMAALA coastline to determine
extreme water levels corresponding to 1, 10, 50, 100 and 200 year return. The models
indicated that all extreme water levels will be 0.35 m higher in 2080, 0.49 m higher in 2100
and 0.62 m higher in 2120 compared to present day values (2020).
Oceanography
An oceanography study for AMAALA was completed in 2018 which was summarised by the
design consultants (Buro Happold, 2019).
Observed current speeds are typically less than 80 mm/s although exceed 200 mm/s for
short durations. The current direction (i.e. the direction the water is travelling in) was found
to be uniform direction throughout the water column at both IS-01 and IS-03. IS-01 has two
dominant directions of south and northwest, whereas IS -03 has only a single dominant
direction of northeast.
Wave heights are predominantly between 0m to 0.25m with a mean wave height of 0.20m
and a mean wave period of 4.5 seconds (this is for three months of data and therefore does
not represent extreme conditions).
Temperature and salinity readings on any given day show little variation through the water
column but showed variations in temperature and salinity of up to 2°C and 1 PSU
respectively.
Outside of the trend of salinity decreasing with rising temperature no other trends were
identified.
The water levels presented in Table 5-4 for The Island and Miraya (northern development
areas) and for Triple Bay (to the south of the Project area). Although it is worth noting that
these levels are based solely on two months of data collection and so do not take account of
seasonal variation which makes up a significant component of the tidal signal.
These values will be updated following receipt of the 12 months of tidal data being collected
by the permanent tide gauges. The levels presented above are in mean Local Duo Vertical
Datum (mLDVD) and are compared with the other permanent unit at Triple Bay.
Table 5-4 Tidal Average Data for Miraya and the Island and Comparison with Triple Bay
(Buro Happold, 2019)

Tidal Reference
HAT +1.16 +0.56
MHHW +0.86 +0.27
MLHW +0.76 +0.07
MSL +0.55 -0.05
MHLW +0.36 -0.23
Tidal Reference
MLLW +0.26 -0.33
LAT -0.04 -0.63
The location of deployment oceanographic equipment is shown in Figure 5-5.
Figure 5-5 Oceanographic Equipment Deployment
Geology and Soils

The western part of KSA bordering the Red Sea consists of a mountainous zone underlain
by Precambrian rocks and the coastal plain areas comprising Cenozoic marine and
continental deposits. The Arabian Shield underlying the region consists of folded and
metamorphosed sedimentary rocks with extensive intrusive plutonic and extrusive volcanic
rocks.
The Staff Village Project site is likely to be formed by Quaternary raised reef limestone
deposits, overlain by Aeolian Sands (Figure 5-6). Please note that due to the scale of the
source map, the outline of the Project area extends slightly into the Red Sea.
Figure 5-6 Geological Map Extract Staff Village Project Area
Source: Geological Map of the Al Muwaylih Quadrangle, Sheet 27A, F. B. Davies ad D. J.

Grainger, 1985
Riyadh Geotechnique & Foundations (RGF) undertook a geotechnical site investigation of

the Staff Village Project area in July - August 2021. The investigation comprised the
following pertinent aspects:
 34 boreholes to a depth of 15 m below ground level (bgl);
 31 trial pits to a maximum depth of 4 m bgl;
 Installation of six groundwater monitoring wells; and
 Laboratory testing.
Table 5-5 provides an overview of the strata encountered:
Table 5-5 Encountered Ground Conditions (RGJ, 2021b)
Below a thin layer of Aeolian sand deposits comprises

granular material generally classified as silty/clayey SAND
Layer 1 (SM & SC) and poorly graded SAND with silt (SP-SM). 2 - 8 m bgl
Layer-1 can be described as light brown to brown, silty/clayey
SAND or poorly graded SAND with silt. The in situ
compactness of Layer-1 was found to be in loose to dense

condition.
Coral formation is described as creamish brown in colour,

moderately to highly weathered, fissured, fossiliferous
Unproven
Layer 2 coralline LIMESTONE.
Coral formation was encountered only in borehole drilled in
low lying (Zone-1) near the shoreline.
Alluvial was encountered below coral formation and continued
down to maximum terminated depth of each boreholes i.e. 5.0
m bgl.
Layer-3 is described as greyish brown to brown, medium
Layer 3 dense to very dense weakly cemented silty/clayey SAND. Unproven
Layer-3 changed to a fairly consolidated sedimentary rock
described as soft to medium hard, weakly to moderately
cemented, highly weathered, SILTSTONE / MUDSTONE /
SANDSTONE.
Groundwater
Groundwater was encountered in most of the boreholes. The groundwater dept h ranged from
2.75 to 11.27 meters below existing ground surface level. This corresponds to groundwater
elevation from +0.13 to +0.21 m above LDVD. RGF stated that ‘dewatering will be required if
excavation exceeds by +0.13m LDVD. RGF recommends installation of a well point system
prior to any excavation below groundwater table. Dewatering shall be coupled with a suitable
shoring system’ (RGJ, 2021b).
Gravel aquifers are present within wadis and have historically been used for access to
shallow water for animal and crop irrigation in the wider catchment area.
In general, groundwater flow tends to follow natural topography, this can be highl y influenced
by tidal changes (Buro Happold, 2019). The interpretative report did not include any
groundwater directional flow data, however, it is assumed that groundwater would f low
towards the Red Sea as well as being tidally influenced.
Soil and Groundwater Quality
Project site with the exception of the Coastguard facility located to the extreme south of the
Project site (Figure 5-7). It is likely that the facility will be equipped with a generator and a
Figure 5-7 Coastguard Facility Adjacent to Project Site
Field surveys, undertaken in April, May and August 2021, have indicated the presence of off
road driving as well as the remnants of camp fires. As with many parts of the region,
scattered litter has also been noted on-site.
BDC has reviewed the logs from the boreholes and trial pits from the RGF site investigation
and no visual or olfactory evidence of contamination was noted.
Natural coastal groundwater quality in Saudi Arabia does not satisfy drinking water
standards, mainly due to natural high salinity within the superficial layers and coastal lenses
(Buro Happold, 2019). Gravel aquifers do occur in some coastal areas of AMAALA
associated with wadi systems, however, none are present at th e Staff Village site footprint
and no abstraction is recorded. Observations in the nearby wadi system to the south of the
site does show anecdotal evidence of seasonal extraction from the gravel bed.
Some anthropogenic pollution does occur, and the aquife r is vulnerable to pollution from
agricultural practices. In this regard, possible pesticides, salinity and nitrogen species are
the most dominant pollutants impacting groundwater quality. Due to the high extraction of
groundwater for agricultural purposes, most water wells have been drying up. In certain parts
of the country closer to the coastal areas, sea water intrusion in the fresh water (fossil water)
has been observed. As a result, water quality has deteriorated with high total dissolved
solids levels measured (Buro Happold, 2020). Within the Project area, no groundwater use
has been reported. However, on a regional scale, the aquifer is mostly used for agricultural
purposes.
Hydrology
AMAALA is bounded by the Red Sea to the west and the Hejaz Mountains to the east. The
Hejaz Mountains run parallel to the Red Sea rift along the western coast of the Arabian
Peninsula. The mountains run to the north of the site and influence the hydrology of the
region.
Within AMAALA there several large, complex catchments that convey flows from the Hejaz
Mountains. In the mountains, the wadis tend to exhibit a more typical V -type cross section
and are bounded by a rock and gravel wadi bed created from “flashy” rainfall runoff. As the
wadis flow towards the coast, they become wider and shallower, with a more extensive and
thicker sandy/silty alluvial bed. High intensity rainfall, typical of the region, combined with
dry, heat-baked ground and steep slopes within the upper catchments co ntribute to high flow
rates in the natural wadis.
At present, the Project site varies little in topography with the seaward facing areas fall to
the sea as steep cliffs several metres high ( Figure 5-8). However, once the Early Works
activities are complete, the Project area will be a flat platform ready for development.
Figure 5-8 Staff Village Current Topography
Light Spill
Artificial light is known to adversely affect many species and ecological communities. It can
change behaviour and/or physiology, reducing survivorship or reproductive output. It can
also have the indirect effect of changing the availability of habitat or food resources,
furthermore, it can attract predators and invasive pests, both of which may pose a threat to
species.
On Project site and within AMAALA, there are minimal artificial light sources with the urban
centres of Duba and Al-Wajh as well as vehicles using Highway 5 the dominant light sources
during the night.
Marine Habitats and Ecology

Preliminary data has been obtained from drop down video in January 2021 and an initial
snorkel survey of the embayment to confirm the absence of coral and seagrass in
undertaken in April 2021.
The marine area adjacent to the Staff Village Project area has a reef crest along the coastal
area, including across and enclosing the small bay. The reef crest (0 - 3 m) is low
biodiversity habitat and some areas are exposed a t low tide. It is predominately fossilised
reef and calcite with bedrock and live coral. In habitats deeper than the crest and this narrow
coastal margin the marine area is influenced by the sediment wash off from the nearby
wadis, however, the area supports a mosaic of a range of habitats including shallow
macroalgal beds, giving way to scattered corals and seagrass in mid depth habitats and to
the south and leading into more developed coral reef formations along deeper seaward
edges (Figure 5-9). The immediate coastal area is reef crest with low biodiversity and coral
coverages due to the alluvial and fresh water inputs from the adjacent wadis. The
embayment is sedimentary enclosed by a reef crest running across the mouth of the bay
(confirmed by the snorkelling transects in April 2021).
Assessments have been made from satellite mapping and initial site walkovers and
snorkelling which have indicated dense seagrass beds to the east of the Project site (see
Figure 5-9). This relates to the discharge from the wadi to the east of the Project area.
Seagrass was extensive throughout AMAALA with a number of species have been recorded
including Cymodocea rotundata, Halodule pinifolia, Halophila minor, Halophila ovalis and
Halophila stipulacea.
Figure 5-9 indicates the marine habitats on the shoreline at the Staff Village area.
Figure 5-9 Marine Habitats at Staff Village (0 - 20m Satellite Derived)
Marine Megafauna
MEBSs have been conducted across AMAALA since 2017. Any marine megafauna
observations recorded during these surveys have been compiled to provide an overview of
presence and distribution. Furthermore, diving surveys have been conducted at all
development sites and any other megafauna and fish recorded. From these observations and
research, a baseline assessment of marine megafauna and marine mammals has been
compiled.
Survey records highlight the presence of white tip reef sharks ( Triaenodon obesus), whale
sharks (Rhincodon typus), oceanic manta rays (Mobula birostris), humphead wrasse
(Cheilinus undulatus), hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata) and green (Chelonia mydas)
turtles, bottlenose and humpback dolphins (Sousa plumbea) within the wider Project area.
Whilst all species are notable with regards to the IUCN Red List: Species of particular note /
concern include whale sharks, hawksbill turtles, green turtles, dugongs, and hump back
dolphins; some of which are classified as either Endangered or Critically Endangered.
Marine megafauna observations around the Staff Village are presented in Figure 5-10.
Figure 5-10 AMAALA Megafauna Sightings
The presence of coral, seagrass and algal communities in such close proximity is likely to
attract both green turtles and also hawksbill turtles. Whilst both species of turtle have been
sighted in AMAALA, no evidence of nesting has yet been identified in close proximity to the
Staff Village Project site. Turtle nesting sites nearby the Staff Village are p resented in Figure
5-11.
Figure 5-11 Turtle Nesting Sites Near Staff Village
Meteorological Conditions
Climate
The Saudi Arabian climate varies greatly, depending on the geography and the season.
According to Koppen and Geiger, the climate of Saudi Arabia is a “desert climate”. The
analysis of the seasonal rainfall detects that spring and winter seasons have the highest
rainfall incidence, respectively. Through the summer, small quantities of precipitation are
observed, while autumn received more precipitation t han the summer season.
The Tabuk province is characterised with highly variable temperature conditions which
fluctuate between extremely low to extremely high. Between the driest and wettest months,
the variance in the precipitation is between 0 mm - 13 mm. The average temperature ranges
between 9ºC - 34ºC, with maximum temperatures reaching 41ºC and minimum temperatures
dropping to 4ºC.
The average annual temperature at Al Wajh is 24.1°C (approximately 120 km south -east of
the Project site). With an average of 29°C, August is the warmest month. In January, the
average temperature is 18.4ºC which is the lowest average temperature of the whole year
(see Figure 5-12).
Figure 5-12 Temperature Values, Al Wajh (AECOM, 2021c)
Despite the low mean annual rainfall, isolated storm events characterised by high -intensity
rainfall do occur from time to time. These are typically recorded during the winter months
when weather systems move from west to east, rising into the mountainous areas. According
to the analysis of rainfall data recorded at the Tabuk Gauging Station, a 6 -hour duration
storm will yield approximately 60 mm of rainfall on average once every 50 years, with the
possibility of a rainfall intensity of almost 100 mm/hour during the peak of the storm.
The Project area experiences irregular occurrences of rainfall of high intensity, short -
duration rainfall, mainly during the winter months when weather systems move from west to
east. These intense rainfall events coupled with sparse vegetation cover may result in flash
flooding. At Al Wajh, the annual rainfall is 24 mm. The driest month is June with mean
precipitation of 0 mm. Most precipitation falls in November, with an average of 8 mm.
Rainfall recorded at Al Wajh is presented in Figure 5-13.
Figure 5-13 Rainfall Values, Al Wajh (AECOM, 2021c)
Wind Speed and Direction
Meteorological conditions in the Al Wajh area during the monitoring period showed average
wind speeds were relatively slow, 2.0 m/s, with a maximum wind speed of 5.3 m/s recorded.
Figure 5-13 shows the wind rose produced using wind data for 2014 - 2019.
Although Al Wajh is to the south of AMAALA, it is a low-lying coastal location, so the wind
characteristics are likely to be very similar.
Figure 5-14 Al Wajh Wind Direction
Dust and Sand Storms
Dust storms naturally occur in desert areas, with the African and Asian deserts being the
major sources of dust worldwide. Environmental drivers such as temperatur e, precipitation,
wind speed, and wind direction all contribute towards spatial and temporal variations in the
incidence of dust storms.
The Arabian Peninsula possesses vast dunes and deserts, with very low amounts of
precipitation and sparse vegetation c over. There are also dominant north-westerly winds
which allow the mobilization of dust across the area. In Saudi Arabia, dust storms are
considered to take place through-out year, however there are variations in frequencies at the
local scale, with different peak periods in different regions. Figure 5-15 shows the seasonal
frequency of dust storms over Saudi Arabia for the period 2000 -2016 (Albugami, et al.,
2019).
The highest frequency of dust storms occurs in the east and south of the country during the
spring and the summer while, in other part of Kingdom where the frequency is of dust storms
is lower, the seasonal differences appear to be less remarkable.
Figure 5-15 Sandstorm Frequency Map (Albugami, et al., 2019)
Noise
Baseline noise monitoring surveys were undertaken from 7 - 11 November 2019 during
daytime, evening and night-time periods at various locations in AMAALA. The monitoring
locations is presented in Table 5-6 and Figure 5-16. The closest monitoring location to the
Project site is NML5 and is highlighted in Table 5-6.
Table 5-6 Noise Monitoring Locations (AECOM, 2021b)
Monitoring
Location
Located in the town of Al Amood. Al Amood is in
close proximity to the Miraya site and as such a
779667.00 m E
NML1 baseline noise level survey is required. The presence
3013823.00 m N
of sensitive receptors such as schools and mosques
also justify a noise survey.
Miraya Road side. Location was chosen to identify
789896.00 m E the baseline noise levels close to Highway 5
NML2
3003537.00 m N (separation distance of approximately 35m from the
road edge).
Miraya Coastline. Location was chosen to get a
representative noise sample of the exposed
781718.00 m E
NML3 coastline. Noise levels are expected to be
2998534.00 m N
representative of the entire Miraya coastline, as w ell
as ambient noise levels on The Island.
Monitoring
Location
Airport Central Point. A monitoring location near the
centre of the Airport location was chosen as the area
is an open area with no permanent structures or
209434.00 m E residents that will affect noise levels. The location is
NML4
2995434.00 m N considered to be representative of the entire Airport
site (maximum distance from the site proposed
boundaries is 2km from the NW and SE, and 1km
from the NE and SW).
Triple Bay. Located in Triple Bay near the north bay
(coast guard station approximately 300 - 350 m south
222894.00 m E
NML5 southwest of noise monitoring location). NML5 is the
2950088.00 m N
closest noise monitoring location to the Project
area.
Triple Bay. Near the shoreline between the north and
central bays. This location was chosen due to its
223813.00 m E
NML6 proximity to the entrance to Bay 1 and 2 and is
2948589.00 m N
considered to be representative of the noise levels
across the three bays.
Triple Bay. Located in Wadi Antar (South Bay). This
226380.00 m E location was chosen due to the variations in
NML7
2944347.00 m N topography and presence of physical screening that
might have implications on noise levels.
Figure 5-16 AMAALA Noise Monitoring Locations (AECOM, 2021b)
Given the coastal nature of the Project area in KSA, no notable sources of anth ropogenic
sound such as industrial facilities, busy traffic routes, or airports were identified.
Highway 5 runs roughly parallel to the coastline at distances ranging from approximately five
to 10 km from the coastline. It is not identified to be a busy tr affic route and, therefore, is not
a notable source of ambient sound.
Al Wajh Domestic Airport is located approximately 45 km southeast of the Triple Bay

Masterplan area. Flight services operate to Jeddah and Riyadh with flightpaths away from
the Project area; and is, therefore, not a notable source of ambient sound across the Project
area.
The main sound sources at AMAALA were identified to be natural ambient coastal sounds
uninhabited island. Other sounds came from the occasional boat and small airplane passbys.
Ambient noise levels at the AMAALA project are relatively low, ranging from 35 to 41dB
LAeq. At urban receptor locations ambient noise levels are relatively high er, ranging from 46
to 55dB LAeq, due to typical urban sound sources such as road traffic, people, and calls for
prayer. At urban receptor locations (e.g. represented by monitoring locations NML1 and
NML2) ambient noise levels are relatively higher, rangin g from 46 to 57 dB LAeq, due to
typical urban sound sources such as road traffic.
The results of the monitoring are presented in Table 5-7. NML5, the closest monitoring
location to the Project site, is highlighted in Table 5-7.
Table 5-7 Noise Monitoring Results (AECOM, 2021b)
Monitoring
Location
Daytime recording. Located in an open space within a residential area
(Al Amood). The noise monitor was placed on a tripod with no reflective
surfaces nearby. The noise monitor was located approximately 10 -15m
46 L Aeq , 69 L AMAX , from a nearby road. The weather was dry with a slight breeze. The area
Day 07/11/2019 14:23 was observed to have low ambient noise. Interference from individuals
37 L A90
curious about the noise monitoring activity was captured during the
monitoring period.
Approximately 10 cars passed by on nearby roads.
Evening recording. Located in an open space within a residential area
(Al Amood). The noise monitor was placed on a tripod with no reflective
surfaces nearby. The noise monitor was located approximately 10 -15m
from a nearby road. Weather conditions were cool and humid with a
minor breeze. The area was observed to have low ambient noise with
NML1 53 L Aeq , 84 L AMAX , additional people talking and shouting in the distance captured during
Evening 07/11/2019 19:25 monitoring. Additionally, monitoring was disturbed by people inquisitively
38 L A90
approaching the noise monitoring locations, which was captured during
the survey. The call for prayer at 7:40 pm can be heard in the distance.
An adolescent male approached and interfered directly with monitoring
(speaking directly into the microphone). The survey was cut short by 12
minutes because of this direct interference continuing.
Night Recording. Located in an open space within a residential area (Al
Amood). The noise monitor was placed on a tripod with no reflective
surfaces nearby. The noise monitor was located approximately 10-15m
55 L Aeq , 91 L AMAX ,
Night 08/11/2019 00:32 from a nearby road. Weather conditions were cool with a minor breeze.
36 L A90
The area was observed to have low ambient noise. Background noise
consisted of dogs barking in the distance (approximately 200 -250m)
away and firecrackers could also be heard approximately 150m away.
Daytime recording. Located near Highway 5 (minimum of 35m away).
57 L Aeq , 91 L AMAX , The noise monitor was placed on a tripod in an open area with no
NML2 Day 08/11/2019 14:48
36 L A90 reflective surfaces. The weather was dry and sunny with no breeze. The
dominant source of noise during the survey was traffic movement noise.
Monitoring
Location
Approximately 100 to 115 vehicles (cars and trucks) passed on the
highway during the recording period.
Evening recording. The noise monitor was placed on a tripod in an open

area with no reflective surfaces. The weather was cool with no breeze.
Evening 08/11/2019 19:59 Located near Highway 5 (minimum of 35m away) which was the
33 L A90
dominant source of noise during the survey. Approximately 250-300 cars
passed on the highway during the recording period.
Night recording. The noise monitor was placed on a tripod in an open
area with no reflective surfaces. The weather was cool with no breeze.
Night 09/11/2019 00:27 Located near Highway 5 (minimum of 35m away) which was the
31 L A90
dominant source of noise during the survey. Approximately 100 to 115
cars passed on the highway during the recording period.
Daytime recording. Located near the Miraya coastline. The noise monitor
was placed on a tripod in an open area with no reflective surfaces. The
41 L Aeq , 59 L AMAX , weather was dry and sunny with a moderate breeze. The area was
Day 08/11/2019 16:18 observed to have low ambient noise with wave noise in the background.
38 L A90
A fisherman’s car passed nearby early in the recording period and an
airplane passed overhead midway through the recording.
Evening recording. Located near the Miraya coastline. The noise monitor
weather was cool with a moderate breeze. The area was observed to
have low ambient noise with wave noise in the background. Fishermen
NML3 35 L Aeq , 65 L AMAX , were identified near the shoreline approximately 100m from the noise
Evening 08/11/2019 21:35
26 L A90 monitor. Fishermen remained on shore for about 10/15 minutes, after
which they left the area.
The coast guard passed by and inquired about the activities being
carried out, which was captured during the surv ey.
Night recording. Located near the Miraya coastline. The noise monitor
35 L Aeq , 59 L AMAX , weather was cool with a moderate breeze. The area was observed to
Night 08/11/2019 23:01
29 L A90 have low ambient noise with wave noise in the background. Intermittent
animal or bird noise was recorded during the last 15 to 20 minutes of
monitoring.
Monitoring
Location
Daytime recording. The noise monitor was placed on a tripod in an open
plain far away from any reflective surfaces within the AMAALA Airport
Day 07/11/2019 12:22 site. Terrain is a flat desert plain. Weather conditions were sunny and
23 L A90
dry with a minor breeze. General noise environment was calm and
undisturbed. No irregular disturbances recorded.
Evening recording. The noise monitor was placed on a tripod in an open
site. Terrain is a flat desert plain. Weather conditions were cool and dry
with a minor breeze. The surveyors were not able to access the original
NML4 location due to health and safety concerns. The surveyors
38 L Aeq , 51 L AMAX , recorded noise at the closest point that was possible to access,
Evening 07/11/2019 21:34 relocating the monitoring location approximately 1.5-1.7km east-
29 L A90
northeast of Highway 5, in an area considered representative of the
same conditions as the original monitoring location.
NML4 The area was observed to have low ambient noise, with no disturbances
during the survey event. The dominant source of noise was distant traffic
movements on Highway 5.
Night recording. The noise monitor was placed on a tripod in an open
site. Terrain is a flat desert plain. Weather conditions were cool and dry
with a minor breeze. The surveyors were not able to access the original
NML4 location due to health and safety concerns. The surveyors
36 L Aeq , 52 L AMAX , recorded noise at the closest point that was possible to access,
Night 07/11/2019 23:00 relocating the monitoring location approximately 1.5 -1.7km east-
26 L A90
northeast of Highway 5, in an area considered representative of the
same conditions as the original monitoring location.
The area was observed to have low ambient noise, with no disturbances
during the survey event. The dominant source of noise was distant traffic
movements on Highway 5.
Daytime recording. Located in Triple Bay near the north bay (Hijaz Cove)
40 L Aeq , 56 L AMAX , (coast guard station approximately 300-350m south southwest of noise
NML5 Day 09/11/2019 17:11 monitoring location). The noise monitor was placed on a tripod in an
35 L A90
open area with no reflective surfaces nearby. The area was observed to
have low ambient noise. Background noise consisted of one boat
Monitoring
Location
passing along the shoreline approximately 400m west of the monitoring
location.
Evening recording. Located in Triple Bay near the north bay (Hijaz Cove)
(coast guard station approximately 300-350m south southwest of noise
monitoring location). The noise monitor was placed on a tripod in an
39 L Aeq , 62 L AMAX , open area with no reflective surfaces nearby. The area was observed to
Evening 10/11/2019 21:41
33 L A90 have low ambient noise. Background noise consisted of six ca rs (coast
guard vehicles) passing by on a nearby coastal dirt road approximately
80-90m from the noise monitoring location, and generator noise was
heard from nearby coast guard facility halfway through the recording.
Night recording. Located in Triple Bay near the north bay (Hijaz Cove)
(coast guard station approximately 300-350m south southwest of the
noise monitoring location). The noise monitor was placed on a tripod in
Night 10/11/2019 23:01 an open area with no reflective surfaces nearby. The area was observed
35 L A90
to have low ambient noise. Background noise consisted of generator
noise heard from nearby coast guard facility that occurred throughout the
entire recording period.
Daytime recording. Located in Triple Bay near the shoreline between the
north and central bays. The noise monitor was placed on a tripod in an
Day 10/11/2019 15:54 open area with no reflective surfaces nearby. Weather was dry with a
43 L A90
moderate breeze. The area was observed to have low ambient noise
with wave noise in the background.
Evening recording. Located in Triple Bay near the shoreline between the
33 L Aeq , 60 L AMAX , open area with no reflective surfaces nearby. Weather was cool and
NML6 Evening 10/11/2019 20:25
30 L A90 clear skies with a slight breeze. The area was observed to have low
ambient noise. One plane passed overhead during the latter stages of
recording.
Night recording. Located in Triple Bay near the shoreline between the
Night 11/11/2019 01:52 open area with no reflective surfaces nearby. Weather was cool and
35 L A90
clear skies with strong winds. The area was observed to have low
ambient noise. Background noise consisted of coastal noise (waves).
Monitoring
Location
Daytime recording. Located in Wadi Antar (southern bay). The noise
monitor was placed on a tripod in an open area with no reflective
surfaces nearby. Weather was dry with a moderate breeze. The area
47 L Aeq , 64 L AMAX , was observed to have low ambient noise. Background noise consisted of
Day 10/11/2019 17:33
36 L A90 animal or bird noise. One car passed by on the dirt road located
approximately 102m west of the noise monitoring point half way through
the recording. A plane passed overhead around the same time as the
car.
Evening recording. Located in Wadi Antar (southern bay). The noise
surfaces nearby. Weather was cool and clear skies with no breeze. The
NML7
38 L Aeq , 57 L AMAX , area was observed to have low ambient noise. Background noise
Evening 10/11/2019 19:00
28 L A90 consisted of animal or bird noise. One car passed on dirt road located
approximately 102m west of the noise monitoring point at the beginning
of the recording. A plane passed overhead halfway through the
monitoring.
Night recording. Located in Wadi Antar (southern bay). The noise
32 L Aeq , 60 L AMAX , surfaces nearby. Weather was cool and clear skies with slight breeze.
Night 11/11/2019 00:31
26 L A90 The area was observed to have low ambient noise. Background noise
consisted of animal or bird noise. A plane pass ed overhead during the
early stages of recording.
The main sound sources at AMAALA were identified to be natural ambient coastal sounds
uninhabited island. Other sounds came from the occasional boat and small airplane passbys.
Ambient noise levels were relatively low, ranging from 35 to 41dB LAeq. At urban receptor
locations ambient noise levels are relatively higher, ranging from 46 to 55dB LAeq, due to
typical urban sound sources such as road traffic, people, and calls for prayer.
Table 5-8 presents a review of the baseline noise data with respect to the 2021 Executive
receptors. Please note that neither the WBG nor the national regulations provides standards
relating to evening noise, only day (07:00 - 19-00) and night time (19:00 - 07:00).
Executive
Noise * 2
Day 46 55 60
Night 55 45 50
Day 57 55 60
Night 53 45 50
Day 41 55 60
Night 35 45 50
Day 39 55 60
Night 36 45 50
Day 40 55 60
Night 39 45 50
NML6 Day 50 55 60
Executive
Noise * 2
Evening* 3 33 45 50
Night 52 45 50
Day 47 55 60
Night 32 45 50

* 2 Guideline for residential and commercial areas (Group C: Includes high -density
residential areas and areas that include a mix of residential and commercial activities)
As outlined in Table 5-8, locations NML1, NML2 and NML6 were found to be elevated above
guideline values. Dogs barking, call to prayer, people talking and firecrackers were noted
during the monitoring at NML1, while the exceedances at NML2 are likely to be attributable
to vehicles using Highway 5. NML6 was located near to the shoreline with background noise
relating to the waves crashing.
No exceedances of guideline values were noted at NML5, the closest location to the Project
Site.

Seawater Quality
In general, the Red Sea is considered oligotrophic with low concentrations of key nutrients,
such as nitrate, ammonium, phosphate, and silicate, essential for flora growth (Raitsos, et
al., 2013). The northern Red Sea, where the proposed P roject is located, is described as
ultraoligotrophic (Devassy, et al., 2017) and is one of the most optically transparent water
bodies globally (Overmars & Agusti, 2019).
For AMAALA, only isolated coastguard stations occur along most of the coastline with little
coastal development or abandoned locations. Seawater quality is, therefore, largely
determined by oceanographic and hydrodynamic characteristics of the area, as well as
windborne dust inputs, and occasional alluvial runoff events associated with rare rainfall.
Water depths in the project area tend to vary depending on location (lagoon, coastal or
offshore) and the characteristics of the water column tend to reflect this: Shallower sites may
show more marked seasonal variability in water quality, especially temperature, but also
salinity depending on season.
The locations of seawater sampling at Triple Bay (the closest known sampling locations) is
Figure 5-17 Seawater and Sediment Sampling Locations
The results show high Chemical Oxygen Demand recorded for all sites, however, it is
understood that this is likely to be a result of high salinity interfering with the approved
laboratory method of analysis.
The majority of parameters were below detections limits. Ammonia and total nitrogen were
detected but at levels below the national thresholds for receiving waters. No faecal or total
coliforms detected, indicating extremely low levels of anthropogenic influence in the waters
at present.
Seawater column profiles from within AMAALA are considered to be largely representative of
ambient conditions for the region and time of year. Temperature and salinity reflected
summer conditions within a year of typical Sea Surface temperatures. pH is considered to be
comparable to elsewhere in the project area where pH values of 8.2 - 8.3 have been
recorded during previous surveys. Dissolved oxygen concentrations average 5.96 mg/L -
representative of well oxygenated waters. Overall the profiles are representative of w aters in
line with values recorded by other Red Sea surveys (Mohorjy & Khan, 2006). Profiles
collected during the various MEBSs undertaken within AMAALA showed no stratification and
little variance with depth.
Light attenuation was also considered to be high in the areas included in the surveys, with
little evidence of suspended sediments or turbidity affecting the water column. Light
attenuation can be affected by water turbidity, weather (cloud coverage or ambient light
intensity), and human influence (e.g. construction and operational activities).
In general, the water quality recorded natural conditions at levels as expected for the Red
Sea and an undeveloped site with little human habitation.
Marine Sediments
Unlike ambient water quality, Saudi Arabia does not currently have a standard for sediment
quality. The ESIA process will determine the most suitable standards to compare the data to
for the purposes of establishing future acceptable limits or change. Evaluating the res ults
from the existing AMAALA MEBSs (BDC, 2020f), there are no significant results of concern
when compared against other Red Sea sites.
For sediment samples collected from Triple Bay (the locations of which are shown in Figure
5-17), the majority of parameters were below the laboratories Method of D etection Limits
(MDL). Analysis of detected metals indicated significant cor relations between the majorities
of detected metals indicating a common source. Given the current absence of industrial
development, the relevant contributions of the various metals are assumed to be geological
in origin. The presence of elevated levels of arsenic is not out of the ordinary for the Red
Sea sediments. Such values are generally natural in origin and the ESIA authors have
observed similar readings in other areas of the Red Sea coast. Please note that the
distribution and behaviour of arsenic in the hydrosphere and subareal and under-water
shallow sediments have been well documented as a part of geologic cycle of the Earth’s
surface and crust (Masuda, et al., 2019). Hydrocarbons were also undetected from sediment
samples, indicative of a non-contaminated area.
The analytical results for heavy metals are presented in Table 5-9.
Table 5-9 Heavy Metals, Triple Bay Sediment Samples
Site
Units TS1 TS2 TS3 TS4 TS5 TS6 TS7 TS8 TS9 TS10
Arsenic mg/kg <MDL <MDL 10.0 5.1 <MDL 7.3 8.7 11.4 5.2 10.1
Cadmium mg/kg <MDL <MDL 1.3 <MDL <MDL <MDL 1.0 1.6 <MDL <MDL
Chromium mg/kg 5.6 6.7 35.2 11.2 4.6 5.9 30.4 57.6 49.1 19.9
Copper mg/kg <MDL <MDL 15.8 <MDL <MDL <MDL 10.5 19.2 8.7 <MDL
Lead mg/kg <MDL <MDL <MDL <MDL <MDL <MDL <MDL <MDL <MDL <MDL
Manganese mg/kg 44.7 57.4 231 108 27.5 33.9 206 375 216 143
Mercury mg/kg <MDL <MDL <MDL <MDL <MDL <MDL <MDL <MDL <MDL <MDL
Nickel mg/kg 4.1 5.5 35.1 10.3 2.8 3.8 29.7 61.3 47.9 20.4
Zinc mg/kg 25.0 21.5 58.7 35.6 25.9 29.2 48.7 62.6 35.8 41.2
Key >50% of Ecol > Ecol
Based on ANZECC Ecological Investigation Levels (ANZECC 2010)
Socio-Economics
Context
Modern Saudi Arabia was formed in 1932 by Abdulaziz bin Abdul Rahman with the
unification of Hejaz, Najd and parts of Eastern Arabia and Southern Arabia into a single state
through a series of consequents which started in 1902 with the capture of Riyadh, the
ancestral home of his family, the House of Saud.
From 2005 to 2015, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud incrementally modernized the
Kingdom with a series of social and economic initiatives, including expanding employment
and social opportunities for women, attracting foreign investment, increasing the role of the
private sector in the economy, and discouraging businesses from hiring foreign workers.
These reforms have accelerated under King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, who ascended to
the throne in 2015, and has since lifted the Kingdom's ban on women driving and allowed
cinemas to operate for the first time in decades (CIA, 2019).
The Project area is located within the Tabuk Administrative Region (AR), which is the
country’s sixth largest administrative region in terms of land area comprising 146 ,072m 2 ,
corresponding to 8% of KSA’s territory (MoRA, 2016). The Tabuk AR is bound by Jordan to
the north, Al Jawf and Hail to the east, Al Madinah Al Munawwarah to the south and the Red
Sea to the west. Tabuk is subdivided into six Govern orates of which the Project area in
located in Al-Wajh Governorate.
Governance
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is an absolute monarchy based on Islam. The government is
headed by the King, who is also the commander in chief of the military. The King appoints a
Crown Prince who is second in line to the throne.
The King governs with the help of the Council of Ministers, also called the Cabinet, formed of
23 ministers with portfolio and seven ministers of state. The King is also advised by a
legislative body called the Consultative Assembly of Saudi Arabia (Majlis Al -Shura).
Although the Assembly has no executive power, it has the power to propose new laws and
amend existing ones. It consists of 150 members who are appointed by the King for four -
year terms that can be renewed. Since 2013, the Assembly has included 30 women
members.
Saudi Arabia is divided into 13 provinces, with a governor and deputy governor in each, with
its own council that advises the governor and deals with the development of the province.
The 13 provinces are sub-divided into governorates, which is further sub-divided into sub-
governorates.
Population and Demographics

Historically a population that was mostly nomadic or semi -nomadic, the Saudi population has
become more settled since 1938 when vast oil reserves was discovered in the Al -Ahsa
region (CIA, 2019). The recent rapid economic growth has resulted in more than 95% of the
population now being settled.
In 2018, the population of Saudi Arabia was estimated to be 33,413,660, of which 62% were
Saudi Arabian. These figures showcase the pop ularity and appeal of foreign workers
relocating to Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia has a young population with 6.2 million Saudi
nationals under the age of 15 (30% of the total Saudi national population). It should be noted
that the last national census was undertaken in 2010 and the next is scheduled to be held in
2022.
Saudi Arabia has a population density of 17.1 people per km 2 (Saudi National Portal, 2019),
and as of 2018, urbanisation had reached 83.8% (CIA, 2019), approximately 28 million
people with 5 million people living in rural areas.
The Ministry of Statistics indicate an annual average population growth rate for 2019 as
2.4%.
Table 5-10 outlines the population of Saudi Arabia.
Table 5-10 Population of Saudi Arabia (General Authority for Statistics, 2019a)
Male Female
Saudi nationals 10,575,895 10,192,732
Foreign nationals 8,665,061 4,979,972
Total 19,240,956 15,172,704
Saudi nationals between 0 - 14 age 6,298,475
Saudi nationals 15 – 59 13,110,901
Although, Saudi Arabia’s population is growing, long -term data from the World Bank
indicates that the crude birth rate has declined from 47.6 births per 1,000 people in 1960 to
19.2 in 2017. There is also a corresponding decrease in fertility rates with 5. 9 births per
woman in 1990 to 2.5 in 2017 (The World Bank, 2019).
Similar to the rest of the Country, the Tabuk AR is very sparsely populated with a population
density of approximately six people per square kilometre. The popu lation of Tabuk AR in
2010 was 796,425, of which 84% are Saudi nationals and 55% are males. More recent
estimations indicate that the regional population has increased to approximately 910,030
(General Authority for Statistics, 2017). Table 5-11 presents the population statistics of
Tabuk AR.
Table 5-11 Tabuk AR Demographics 2017 (General Authority for Statistics, 2017)
511,413 398,617 910,030 371,087 351,577 722,664 140,326 47,040 187,366
As previously mentioned, Saudi Arabia has a young population and the demographic
breakup of Tabuk AR is reflective of this situation (Figure 5-18).
Figure 5-18 Tabuk AR 2017 Population Pyramid
65 +
60 - 64
55 - 59
50 - 54
45 - 49
40 - 44
Age Range
35 - 39
30 - 34
25 - 29
20 - 24
15 - 19
10 - 14
5-9
0-4
8 6 4 2 0 2 4 6
Percentage of Population
Adapted from (General Authority for Statistics, 2017)
The 2010 census indicated that the population of Al Wajh Governorate is 44, 811 of which
85% are Saudi (General Authority for Statistics, n.d.) (Table 5-12).
Table 5-12 Al Wajh Governorate Demographics 2010 (General Authority for Statistics,
n.d.)
25,002 19,809 44,811 19,619 18,349 37,968 5,383 1,460 6,843
Religion
The KSA is an Islamic theocratic monarchy. Islam is the official religion of the Kingdom and
it is required by law that all Saudi citizens be Muslims. The Government does not legally
recognise or protect freedom of religion.
It is estimated 85 - 90% are Sunni Muslims and 10 - 15% are Shia. The official and dominant
form of Sunni Islam in Saudi Arabia is Wahhabism. Typically, the minority Shiite population
is mainly concentrated in eastern Saudi Arabia and along the Arabian Gulf coast.
Economy and Livelihoods
The economy of Saudi Arabia was agriculture-based with a largely nomadic population until
oil was discovered in the 1930s, however, it was not until the oil crisis of the 1970s, which
triggered interruptions in Middle Eastern oil exports, which the country’s economy began to
grow rapidly as it benefited from increased prices and slowing production elsewhere. As
previously mentioned, this growth in the economy resulted in the majority of the population
settling permanently.
Although the country remains a hydrocarbon-based economy, Saudi Arabia possesses

approximately one-fifth of the world’s proven petroleum reserves, is the largest export of oil
and plays a leading role in the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countrie s (OPEC),
private sector growth, the employment of more Saudi nationals and increased diversification
of the economy are a priority. In 2005, Saudi Arabia acceded to the World Trade
Organization (WTO) in order to attract foreign investment and to help to d iversify the
economy. Notwithstanding this effort to diversify, petroleum shipments account for 87% of
total exports and 46% of GDP (Trading Economics, 2019).
In an attempt to reduce the country’s dependence on oil, diversify the economy and develop
public service sectors, Saudi Vision 2030 is a plan announced in April 2016 with an objective
of developing alternative sources of revenue. In addition, the plan is to increase the
employment opportunities in the private sector, red uce public spending and provide
economic growth. Vision 2030 aims to increase the share of non -oil private sector to 65% of
GDP by 2030 and non-oil export share to 50%.
Historically, Saudi Arabia has focused diversification efforts on power generation,

telecommunications, natural gas exploration, and petrochemical sectors, however, more
recently, the government efforts have been made by expanding the private sector in the
healthcare, education and tourism industries (CIA, 2019). Saudi Arabia has instigated a
number of giga-projects as part of fulfilling the objectives of Vision 2030, including AMAALA,
TRSDC and NEOM. Other examples include the Qiddiya entertainment park on the outskirts
of Riyadh (phase one opening scheduled for 2022), the Jeddah Downtown development
project, and the Riyadh City Park announced in early 2019 (Saudi Gazette, 2019).
Saudi Arabia is encouraging the growth of the private sector in order to diversify its economy
and to employ more Saudi nationals, however, the large number of foreign workers play an
important role in the Saudi economy, particularly in the oil and service sectors. In response
to concerns over unemployment amongst Saudi nationals, coupled with the heavily relia nce
on foreign labour, the government encourages Saudi employment through “Saudization”
policies that place quotas on employment of Saudi nationals in certain sectors, coupled with
limits placed on the number of visas for foreign workers available to compa nies. In 2011, the
Ministry of Labor and Social Development laid out a sophisticated plan known as Nitaqat,
under which companies are divided into categories, each with a different set of quotas for
Saudi employment based on company size. Over the past few years, the government has
taken additional measures to strengthen the Nitaqat program and expand the scope of
Saudization to require the hiring of Saudi nationals. Many elements of Saudization and
Nitaqat have garnered criticism from the private sector, b ut the Saudi government claims
these policies have substantially increased the percentage of Saudi nationals working in the
private sector over the last several years, despite near -record unemployment levels (US
Department of States, 2020). Announced in 2016, as part of the Vision 2030, the policy is to
reduce the unemployment rate of Saudi nationals.
According to data provided by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development,
total employed persons in KSA were 13.4 million in 2019, out of which 19% females and 81%
males. Saudi employed persons accounted for 24%, while the remaining 76% represented
non-Saudi employed persons. Total employment and unemployment rates were equal to
94.3% and 5.7% respectively in KSA in 2019 . Table 5-13 presents employment statistics for
Saudi Arabia.
Table 5-13 Employment Statistics (Q1, 2019) (General Authority for Statistics, 2019a)
Total Saudi Nationals Only
Employment rate (15+ years) 94.3% 87.5%
Total number of employed people 12,765,241 3,112,029
Job Seekers - 945,323
Unemployment rate (15+ years) 5.7% 12.5%
Male Labour Market Participation

79.1% 63.3%
Rate
Female Labour Market Participation
22.6% 20.5%
Rate
In Tabuk AR, the total unemployment rate is 4.0% which is lowered than the national
average presented in Table 5-14. The unemployment rate for women in Tabuk AR is 19.0%
and 1.2% for men.
Table 5-14 presents the employment statistics for Tabuk AR.
Statistics, 2019b)
110,083 23,663 110,083 33,264 21,506 54,770 76,819 2,157 78,976
Approximately half of people aged over 15 who live within the Tabuk AR as well as the Al
Wajh Governorate are in the labour force. Those who are not part of the labour force, are
mostly housewives/homemakers (23%) or students (18%), with relatively few retirees (4%).
Less than 1% of people in the Al Wajh Governorate were classed as disabled, which is
similar to the national average.
Employment in Tabuk AR is primarily dependant on the construction, commercial and

manufacturing sectors (Table 5-15).
Authority for Statistics, 2019b)
Economic Sector Total Number Employed
Construction 27,361
Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor

16,722
vehicles and motorcycles
Manufacturing 10,039
Accommodation and food service activities 8,022
Human health and social work activities 7,564
Other service activities 4,984
Public administration and defence 4,743
Administrative and support service 4,278
Education 3,726
Agriculture, forestry and fishing 3,665
Transportation and storage 2,971
Professional, scientific and technical

806
services
Arts, entertainment and recreation 473
Real estate activities 210
Information and communication 209
Financial and insurance activities 118
Mining and quarrying 111
Water supply, sewerage, waste

110
management and remediation activities
Electricity gas, steam and air conditioning
75
supply
for hunting with the presence of spent ammunition shells. Evidenc e of grazing by camels was
also noted.
Other previous activities which have been observed in the area included extensive seismic
surveys in both offshore and nearshore waters, which included coral reef areas in less than
10 m of water. The impacts of the operations are largely unknown although the impacts may
not necessarily have been insignificant given that the operations covered large areas of coral
reefs.
Anthropogenic interactions with reef areas were evident, with hook and line fishing
widespread (all areas had lost fishing gear present). The abundance and species
composition of the reef fish community in the area indicated a moderate level of fishing effort
in most areas. In the intertidal area beyond the Project boundary, evidence of reef gleaning
(e.g. gathering of Tridacna clams and other marine molluscs) was apparent in the form of
large piles of discarded and broken shells. In addition, evidence of beach driving and
camping was also present in the form of recent tyre tracks and extinguished fires . Evidence
of flotsam and occasional wrecks and cargo from this activity is present in the area.
The educational status of people in Tabuk AR mimics the national profile, with 11% of people
over the age of 10 being illiterate, 24% and 8% attaining secondary and university education,
respectively. The educational status of people in Al Wajh Govern orate is slightly lower than
that of the AR, it should be noted that the regional level is likely lower due to the fact that it
is compounded by rural populations who would have had less access to education.
Incomes and Expenditure

Tabuk AR had the lowest regional average monthly household income within the country,
with households earning on average only 11,024 Riyals. The relatively low-income level is
also reflected in expenditure patterns, with the region also showing the low est monthly
expenditure with 11,466 Riyals per month. Household expenditure was mostly on housing,
water and energy followed by food and transport, which mimic national expenditure trends.
Utility Infrastructure
The demand for electricity in Saudi Arabia has increased dramatically over the past decad e.
Power consumption is set to continue to increase with forecasts indicating that power usage
will increase from 50,074MW to 75,155MW by 2020.
The largest electricity supplier in Saudi Arabia is Saudi Electricity Company (SEC), formed
as a result of the merger of all existing electricity providers in April 2000. Faced with a fast -
growing population and expanding industrial base, SEC has begun a phased program for
bringing new power stations online through private sector investment. SEC has a total
available generation capacity of 79.07 gigawatts (GW) of power through steam, gas,
combined cycle and diesel to approximately 9 million customers. The national grid is
operated by National Grid SA, a subsidiary of SEC. The transmission network is
approximately 78,000km (Saudi Electricity Company, 2018).
Given Saudi Arabia’s climate, growing population, large agricultural and industrial
requirements, water supply is a significant challenge. It has been estimated that the average
water consumption in the Kingdom is double the world average (Tago, 2014), 70% of which
is provided by desalinisation. At present, Saudi Arabia is the largest producer of desalinated
water in the world (Center for International Communication, 2018) , however, the production
of desalinated water uses up to eight times more energy than using groundwater and
accounts for up to 20% of the energy consumption in Saudi Arabia.
The National Water Company (NWC) has been established in 2008 to provide water and
wastewater treatment services to all households in Kingdom. NWC contracts out water
distribution services for individual cities to the private sector under management contracts.
Saline Water Conversion Corporation (SWCC) is an independent government corporation

responsible for the desalination of seawater, producing electricity and supplying desalinated
water to various parts of the Kingdom. In 2016, SWCC produced more than 1.3 billion m 2
(BCM) of water and produced 3.6 million m 2 (MCM) per day from approximately 31
desalination and power plants in 17 locations across the Kingdom. Some of the plants are
confined to seawater desalination while others produce drinking water and generate
electricity and in 2016, 42.95MWh were produced by SWCC power plants (Saline Water
Conversation Corporation, 2017). SWCC have plans to increase the number of desalination
plants with an announcement in January 2018 that nine plants are to be built in Jed dah to
provide an additional 240,000m 3 per day (Center for International Communication, 2018) .
Reforms on utility subsidies in Saudi Arabia are slowly being implemented to reduce public
spending and to promote sustainable use of resources. Although, to electricity subsidies will
not be fully implemented until 2025, already almost three -quarters of Saudis are looking to
cut their electricity usage and over half are planning to cut gasoline usage (Wald, 2018).
However, these reforms are not without controversy, for example, in April 2016, the Water
and Electricity Minister was sacked following complaints concerning higher monthly water
bills (Global Water Intelligence, 2016).
Land Use
Prior to commencement of AMAALA, human activity was limited to recreational and artisanal
fishing activities for the most part. These activities were thought to have affected coral reef
fish populations to a degree, with hook and line targeted s pecies the most affected (e.g.
groupers, snappers, and bycatch groups such as triggerfish). However, it should be noted
the Red Sea, including the coastal waters around AMAALA are already over -fished
(Tesfamichael, D., et al., 2012). Fishing activities within this area of the Red Sea are
licensed and controlled by the Coastguard authorities.
Low incidences of coral damage from the use of anchors, as well as marine litter, were
present in most areas. Local vessel traffic was for the most part relatively light. This
suggests that the offshore area generates some employment opportunities.
No earlier developments supporting land-based activities were present in the area with the
exception of regional Coastguard outposts – so direct impacts relating to construction
activities or operations (such as discharges) have been largely absent historically.
Duba town and coastal environs include significant activity including desalination, electrical
generation, oil and gas industry storage and servicing, military activity, and coastal plants
including national Gypsum, concrete etc. This activity is north an d south of the AMAALA
area and not in immediate proximity to the AMAALA development area or this ESIA Area of
Influence (AoI).
also noted.
Indigenous People, Minority Groups and Vulnerable People
According to the World Directory of Minorities and Indigenous Peoples, Saudi Arabia,
despite having strong regional identities and ethnic diversity, do not have any populations
which could be characterized as indigenous (Minority Rights Group International, 2018).
Bedouin of the Arabian Peninsula are not classified as indigenous.
It should be noted that the true bedu, nomadic lifestyle is no longer common in Saudi Arabia
with most herds of camel, sheep and goats being owned by nationals who live in local town s
and employ expatriates to herd and tend to their animals.
However, Saudi Arabia does have some minority groups including Shia Muslims (especially
Twelver or Ithna’ashari), Isma’ilis (a branch of Shia Islam) and Zaydis Muslims (known as
Fivers, they represent a branch of Shia Islam) (Minority Rights Group International, 2018) .
Terrestrial Ecology
Preamble
Baseline surveys for vegetation (undertaken in May 2021), reptiles (August 2021) and
avifauna (April 2021) have been completed. The baseline survey report is presented in
Appendix 8.2.1.
Vegetation
Habitat mapping (Figure 5-19) of the Project site has identified five different habitats within
the project boundary; these are Coastal Plains on Well -drained Rocky or Gravelly Terrain,
Coastal Plains on Well-drained Sandy Ground, Mesa Cliffs South Aspect, Other Industry (in
this case a coastguard station), and Wadis in Open Terrain, and Drainage Channels. The
dominant habitat type within the project area is the Coastal Plains on Well -drained Rocky or
Gravelly Terrain (AECOM, 2020).
Please note that due to the increase in the Project site boundary, the habitat mapping does
not currently extend to the entire site.
Figure 5-19 Staff Village Terrestrial Habitat Map (AECOM, 2020)
Based on the evidence collected from the baseline survey, the habitat map has subsequently
been updated by BDC (Figure 5-20) and 10 different habitat classes have been identified
within the Project site and a 100 m buffer:
 Beach Rock and Gravelly Beaches;
 Coastal Plains on Well-drained Rocky or Gravelly Terrain;
 Coastal Plains on Well-drained Sandy Ground;
 Mesa Cliffs East Aspect;
 Mesa Cliffs North Aspect;
 Mesa Cliffs South Aspect;
 Mesa Cliffs West Aspect;
 Other Industry (in this case a Coastguard station);
 Sandy Beaches; and
 Wadis in Open Terrain and Drainage Channels.
Figure 5-20 Updated Terrestrial Habitat Map (BDC, 2021b)
Status of Plants
moisture availability was greater. Elsewhere, plants were virtually non -existent, apart from
along the littoral. There was no evidence of recent rainfall, however, graz ing (likely to be
camels) was apparent on the larger shrubs and Cyperus conglomeratus.
Degradation of Site
The Project site includes a coastal road, used by Coastguard and hunters for reaching
coastal areas, however, there was also evidence of off road dr iving throughout the site.
Hunting has been recorded on the site and there was evidence of ammunition shells etc
present.
Apart from this, there was no other evidence of degradation, thanks to the remoteness of the
area. As in most places in Saudi Arabia, scattered litter was found.
Abundance of Plants
follows:
 D - Species observed is "Dominant" in a given area;
 A - Species observed is "Abundant" in a given area;
 F - Species observed is "Frequent" in a given area;
 O - Species observed is "Occasional" in a given area; and
 R - Species observed is "Rare" in a given area.
A total of 22 species were recorded at the Project site. Table 5-16 lists the species found
and shows the level of abundance (according to the DAFOR scale) at each quadrat or
transect. The much higher diversity at the wadi habitat compared to the other habitat types is
notable. Locations of the transects are presented in Figure 5-21.
Aizoon canariense R
Anastatica
O
hierochuntica
Cyperus
R
conglomeratus
Euphorbia retusa R
Fagonia paulayana R
Haloxylon
R
salicornicum
Lotus glinoides R
Lycium shawii R
Panicum turgidum R
Polycarpaea
R
robbairea
Salsola imbricata R
Senna italica R
Tetraena alba R
Tetraena coccinea R
Tetraena simplex O
Categories.
Spiny-tailed Lizards
Peninsula as well as east of the Nile in Egypt, southern Israel, and north -eastern and
southern Jordan.
expected to continue into the future (Wilms, et al., 2012). The species is declining due to
pressure from the international pet and medicinal trade as well as disappearing habitat due
to over-grazing, human development, agricultural expansion, and reclamation, waste
deposition, hunting and off road driving. The Spiny-tailed Lizard is also a national High
Conservation Priority species.
During the vegetation baseline survey of the Staff Village site, locations were noted where
the Spiny-tailed Lizard may occur and there was some evidence for lo w density presence to
the east of the Project site. A survey by a reptile specialist was undertaken on 23 rd August
2021 in the morning hours to cover morning activity patterns of diurnal lizards (lacertids,
Acanthodactylus spp. or Mesalina spp. and agamids, Trapelus sp.) and snakes (such as
Sand Snake, Psammophis schokari), given the time of the year.
recorded. A small sized lacertid lizard, possibly Mesalina sp. was recorded, however, it
evaded capture in a burrow and therefore full identification was not possible. No evidence of
Spiny-tailed Lizards (Uromastyx aegyptia) was recorded.
Avifauna
Birds are probably the most extensive and potentially the most important terrestrial ecology
receptor group with AMAALA. Birds are present as residents, as breeding species and on
passage as migrants along the Red Sea coast during the Palearctic migrating seasons
(spring and autumn).
Previous AMAALA-wide undertaken (particularly at The Island, which has been the main
focus of previous studies), found that the majority of species in the region are defined as
being Least Concern on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as well as the regional
red list.
A number of species are described as Near Threatened, but the Sooty falcon is defined as
Vulnerable on a global scale but Endangered at a regional level. Numerous (from a minimum
of 10 pairs in some years up to 16) sooty falcons are recorded as nesting and breeding on
cliffs on The Island and during field surveys, a number of pairs were seen feeding across
AMAALA (AECOM, 2021). Osprey are the only other coastal nesting bird noted in the area,
with pairs reported in Triple Bay and MP4, however, not at the Staff Village site.
In addition to threatened species there are likely to be significant numbers of bird species
(particularly waders, gulls, terns and other coastal birds during the migration periods) in
certain areas that, although not individually thr eatened species, are important because they
comprise important congregatory groupings that may trigger criteria defined in IFC
Performance Standard 6. However, there is no evidence of significant congregations of
coastal birds at Triple Bay or The Island (AECOM, 2021).
as these are often important bird habitats. These surveys provided site -specific data on the
Project site as well as any seasonal migratory birds of interest. The surveyor undertook a
site walkover and using binoculars, recorded all contacts with birds. In addition, 30 -minute
point counts were conducted, where all contacts made with birds were recorded in each
particular location.
Parameters recorded include: species, number of individuals and any noteworthy behaviour
Staff Village
All species found on the Staff Village Project site are cl assified by the IUCN as having a
conservation status of Least Concern. The counts in spring included migratory birds so it is
anticipated that the resident birds on-site are few in number (Table 5-17).
woodchat shrike Lanius senator 1 LC
greater hoopoe lark Alaemon alaudipes 2 LC
Wadi Valleys
The wadi valleys, especially in spring, provide additional plant cover and feeding grounds for
migratory and resident birds. As such, the wadi valleys adjacent to the Project site were also
surveyed to ensure that nearby habitats that may be affected by th e Early Works were fully
considered.
The survey recorded a number of species which were also of Least Concern ( Table 5-18)
with only the Eurasian turtle dove (Streptopelia turtur) classed by IUCN as Vulnerable. The
migratory routes to Europe for breeding are tho ught to be responsible for its decline.
Wadis Scientific Name Count IUCN Red List Classification
Eurasian Golden Oriole Oriolus oriolus 4 LC
Eurasian turtle dove Streptopelia turtur 1 Vu
As highlighted by the vegetation survey, there is limited habitat on -site which are unlikely to
encourage the presence of avifauna. Furthermore, the vegetation baseline survey indicated
that the plants were confined to runnels or wadis where moisture avail ability was greater.
Elsewhere, plants were virtually non-existent, apart from along the littoral. Hunting and off -
road driving is likely to deter the presence of avifauna.

The most common mode of transport in the region is the use of private cars for travelling
between major centres and local journeys. Due to high car ownership; there is a significant
lack of public transport in the Region.
Saudi Arabia’s traffic accident statistics are high in comparison to most developed countries
with more than 4,600 deaths and more than 25,500 injuries in 2020 (Ministry of Health,
2022). Due to various public health campaigns and changes to legislation, the number of
road deaths and injuries is slowly declining in Saudi Arabia (Table 5-19).
Table 5-19 Road Traffic Deaths and Injuries (Ministry of Health, 2022)
2018 5,787 30,579
2019 5,784 32,910
2020 4,618 25,561
Highway 5 is a primary arterial highway running parallel to the Red Sea coast and is the
primary north/south highway link through AMAALA. Highway 5 is a dual carriageway with a
design speed of 120 km/hr and a capacity of 4,700 passenger cars/direction/hour. The levels
of traffic on this road are generally very low and this road is considered to be currently
underused (compared to abovementioned design capacity) with an estimated Average Daily
Traffic of around 1,888 vehicles/day in each direction, with 15% of these vehicles being
heavy load trucks.
In September 2020, classified traffic counts for Highway 5 were collected for the assessment
of the Triple Bay and Airport roundabouts (Table 5-20). It can be seen the average peak
hour flows are approximately 100 vehicles per hour, with a peak southbound volume of 159
vehicles during the weekend evening peak period (Jacobs, October 2020).
Table 5-20 Highway 5 Traffic Counts
Peak Northbound Southbound
AM 65 80
Lunchtime 100 139
PM 95 159
Water Resources
The Arabian Peninsula has enormous reserves of groundwater. The most active aquifers
(main aquifers) in Saudi Arabia lie within the sedimentary strata and underlie two -thirds of
the Kingdom. Sandstone and limestone formations in the sedimentary basin provide the main
source of water, however, they vary in quality and quantity between and within aquifers.
The eight main aquifers in the Kingdom, are the Saq aquifer, Wajid aquifer, Tabuk aquifer,
Minjur and Minjur/Dhruma aquifers, Wasia-Biyadh and Cretaceous sands aquifers, Umm Er
Radhuma aquifer, Dammam aquifer, and the Neogene Aquifer, while secondary aquifers
include the Jauf, Aburwath, Khuff, Jilh, Dhruma, Upper Jurassic and Lower Cretaceous
Limestone, Sakaka, Aruma, Basalt, and alluvial aquifers.
The water quality of the main aquifers varies from place to place and partly depends on the
depth of extraction. Water suitable for domestic consumption is stored in the Saq, Tabuk,
Wajid and Neogene aquifers. Most other aquifers, such as the Minjur, Wasia, Dammam,
Umm Er Radhuma, produce water which usually re quires treatment for high concentrations
of ions. The overuse of groundwater resources, predominantly for agricultural and irrigation
purposes, has led to a depletion of reserves and subsequently lead to a virtual ban on the
domestic production of wheat (Reidy, 2019). In 2017, MEWA stated that 84% of total
consumption was for agriculture and at the current rate of consumption, Saudi Arabia’s
groundwater resources would be consumed in 60 years. The issues around groundwater
depletion are further compounded by groundwater abstractions not been properly monitored
and the presence of illegal wells (MEWA, 2017).
As such, water is a constrained natural resource in Saudi Arabia, and much of the Kingdom’s
supply of water is from desalination processes which is possible as Saudi has abundant
relatively low cost energy and access to two major marine water bodies. However,
desalination is not without its financial and environmental costs.
It is likely that groundwater beneath the Project area would be in hydraulic conductivity with
the sea and therefore would experience tidal fluctuations. The groundwater would, therefore,
be saline and unsuitable for drinking or agricultural purposes.
Waste Management
The overall project area has limited existing waste management facilities. Solid waste in Saudi
Arabia is frequently poorly managed, and good quality waste management and treatment
facilities are limited, especially in the more remote locations away fro m major cities. Typically,
waste management infrastructure in KSA is in a state of development with a low level of
capture of generated waste to facilities other than landfills. KSA generates between 1.0 - 1.49
kg/capita/day of waste and waste production is projected to increase year-on-year. The data
provided by the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs (General Authority for Statistics, 2018),
indicate that solid waste generation in Saudi Arabia averaged about 1.15 kg per pe rson per
day in 2010, with the average rising to 1.72 kg in 2018. The rise is mainly due to the population
increase in the KSA.
The site is undeveloped and there are currently no waste management facilities at the
Project site. Site visits have indicated s parse general littering was observed in different
areas and which is assumed to be caused by the occasional recreational activities.
Within AMAALA, there are limited existing downstream waste management infrastructure.
No information is currently available regarding the management of waste from existing urban
centres (Umluj and Al Wahj) due to limited access to available records on waste types and
volumes; and capacity and remaining airspace of facilities. Two facilities, the Duba Waste
Facility and the Al Amood dumping area, have been identified ( Figure 5-22). It is, however,
unknown if there is capacity in the existing waste management infrastructure to manage
downstream waste material from the Project.
The Duba Waste Facility is operated by the Duba Municipality. Material appears to be
deposited on the ground, burned and covered. Most of the waste identified was domestic
and food waste, with minimal construction waste. Based on observations this facility is not
managed in accordance with best international practice. It is not known if the facility is
licenced.
While there are some indications of material for landfill lining, the waste disposal areas
observed did not appear to be lined. A fenced off lined area was observed, but notification
indicates that this area is under the control of Saudi Aramco. This area did not appear to
contain any solid waste.
An additional waste area was identified in Al Amoo d; however, this is not a formal disposal
area and is used for fly-tipping. This is not considered an existing facility and requires
remediation.
Figure 5-22 Waste Management Facilities in Proximity to Proje ct Site
Work Welfare and Public Health

AMAALA includes a number of habitats which may represent a risk to humans from bites,
stings etc. from animals and plants. The obvious risks are from snakes and scorpions.
Based on experience of the sites and generally in Saudi Arabia, the risk of interactions
between humans and these species is low. Snake species are present in low population
numbers, and many are non-venomous harmless species. Scorpion stings while painful are
rarely fatal, although people with pre-existing conditions may have an increased risk of
significant adverse reactions. There are no known snakes or scorpions on the Project site.
One of the lesser recognised but perhaps most significant risk is from insect bites, in
particular the phlebotomine sand flies. There are a number of species recorded in Saudi
Arabia. Phlebotomine sand flies require a blood meal as part of the reproductive cycle.
They bite mammals, including humans, and drink the blood from the resulting pool. The
bites for many people can cause discomfort and itching for long period. Of more concern is
the fact that phlebotomine sand flies in Saudi Arabia are known to be the vector for
cutaneous leishmaniasis. The leishmaniasis parasite causes ulceration of the skin, and
whilst not fatal, can cause significant scarring at the location of the infection.
5.3 Critical Habitat Assessment

AMAALA has conducted a Critical Habitat Assessment (CHA) for the whole of the AMAALA
Project area for consideration in planning and development (Buro Happold and Five Oceans,
August 2021).
The core component of the CHA is the evaluation of the significance of the identified Area of
Analysis to species that potentially trigger Criterion 1 (Critically Endangered (CR) a nd
Endangered (EN) species) by considering the likely proportion of the national, regional and
overall global population that occurs within the project area, as well as the distribution of
habitats. This involves a specialist process requiring access to gl obal and national
biodiversity databases, a network of experts, and an ability to make appropriate value
judgements as baseline data in this case were, despite recent data collection, still equivocal.
As outlined IFC Performance Standard 6 Guidance Note, t hresholds which qualify under
Criterion 1 (CR and EN species), are the following:
a) Areas that support globally important concentrations of an IUCN Red -

listed EN or CR species (≥ 0.5% of the global population AND ≥ 5
reproductive units of a CR or EN species) (GN16).
b) Areas that support globally important concentrations of an IUCN Red -

listed Vulnerable (VU) species, the loss of which would result in the
change of the IUCN Red List status to EN or CR and meet the thresholds
in GN72(a).
c) As appropriate, areas containing important concentrations of a nationally

or regionally listed EN or CR species.
The threshold for Criterion 2: Endemic and Restricted -range Species is:
a) Areas regularly holding ≥10 % of the global population size AND ≥10
reproductive units of a species.
For Criterion 3: Migratory and Congregatory Species, the thresholds are:
a) Areas known to sustain (on a cyclical or otherwise regular basis) ≥1 % of

the global population of a migratory or congregatory species at any point
on the species’ lifecycle.
b) Areas predictably supporting ≥10 % of the global population of a species

during periods of environmental stress.
Criterion 4: highly threatened and/or unique ecosystems, the thresholds are (GN80):
a) Areas representing ≥5 % of the global extent of an ecosystem type

meeting criteria for IUCN status CR or EN.
Areas not yet assessed by IUCN but determined to be of high priority for conservation at a
regional or national systematic conservation planning level.
Criterion 5 - areas associated with key evolutionar y processes. As outlined in the GN81 of
the guidance note, such processes can be attributable to ‘ The structural attributes of a
region, such as its topography, geology, soil, temperature, and vegetation, and combinations
of these variables, can influence the evolutionary processes that give rise to regional
configurations of species and ecological properties. In some cases, spatial features that are
unique or idiosyncratic of the landscape have been associated with genetically unique
populations or subpopulations of plant and animal species. Physical or spatial features have
been described as surrogates or spatial catalysts for evolutionary and ecological processes,
and such features are often associated with species diversification’ .
Table 5-21 presents the species/ecosystems/evolutionary processes for which Critical
Habitat has been determined for the AMAALA project area.
Table 5-21 Biodiversity Features for which AMAALA Qualifies for Designation as Critical Habitat
Critical Implications:
Relevant IFC
Species Habitat (Yes / Extent of Critical Habitat Justification Net Gain / No
Criterion
No) Net Loss
Habitat preference is for sandy Triggers Criterion 1 as an EN
Golden Sandfish seabed, seagrass beds, in species, based on extensive available
Yes 1 Net Gain
(Holothuria scabra) vicinity of mangroves and on habitat implying that >5 reproductive
coral reefs. units are highly likely to be present.
Habitat preference is for sandy Triggers Criterion 1 as an EN
Black Teatfish seabed, seagrass beds, in species, based on extensive available
Yes 1 Net Gain
(Holothuria nobilis) vicinity of mangroves and on habitat implying that >5 reproductive
coral reefs. units are highly likely to be present.
Prickly Redfish Habitat preference is for sandy Triggers Criterion 1 as an EN

seabed, seagrass beds, in species, based on extensive available
(Thelenota Yes 1 Net Gain
vicinity of mangroves and on habitat implying that >5 reproductive
ananas) coral reefs. units are highly likely to be present.
Listed as an EN species. Highly
Humphead Wrasse Outer slopes, drop offs, sought after in local fisheries. Highly
passes, channels and lagoon likely ≥5 reproductive units at
(Cheilinus Yes 1 Net Gain
in association with well- AMAALA, and possibly ≥0.5% of the
undulatus) developed coral reefs. regional genetically unique
population.
Listed as an EN species. Highly
Sky Emperor sought after in local fisheries. Highly
Nearshore coral reefs, and
likely ≥5 reproductive units at
(Lethrinus Yes adjacent sand and seagrass 1 Net Gain
AMAALA, and possibly ≥0.5% of the
mahsena) habitats.
regional genetically unique
population.
Red Sea Red Sea endemic, commonly
coralgrouper Bays, lagoons, and seaward recorded at project site, likely that
Yes 3 Net Gain
(Plectropomus reef slopes. AMAALA supports ≥1 % of the global
marisrubri) population.
Relevant IFC
Criterion
No) Net Loss
Triggers Criterion 1 as a CR species.
Hawksbill turtle Identified nesting beaches and
Additionally, triggers Criterion 2 due
shallow water foraging
(Eretmochelys Yes 1,2 to genetic structure of hawksbill turtle Net Gain
environments, including all
imbricata) populations that implies the AMAALA
coral reefs.
population to be restricted-range.
The Red Sea contains the third
largest population of dugongs in the
world. The AMAALA project site may
Dugong (Dugong host ~1-2% of the global dugong
Yes All seagrass habitats. 3 Net Gain
dugon) stock, either as resident foraging
animals, and/or during migrations
north and south to optimise foraging
strategies and for reproduction.
Sooty Falcon The population of breeding Sooty

(Falco Al Nu’man Island nesting falcons in the area represents ≥1% of
Yes 3 Net Gain
habitat. the Sooty Falcon’s global population,
concolor under most assumptions.
Triggers IFC PS6 guidelines, as
included in KSA National Strategy for
the Conservation of Biodiversity.
Data limited, but likely triggers
Criteria C & D of the IUCN Red List
All coral reef throughout for Threatened Ecosystems over the
Coral reefs Yes AMAALA project area, 4,5 near future, with multiple high Net Gain
estimated at 190.32 km 2 . severity abiotic and biotic stressors
forecast over next 50 years. Triggers
Criterion 5 under Global Screening
Layer for Marine Habitats, due to role
in driving speciation and exporting
diversity.
All seagrasses throughout Triggers IFC PS6 guidelines, as
Seagrasses Yes AMAALA project area, 4 included in KSA National Strategy for Net Gain
estimated at 55.17 km 2 . the Conservation of Biodiversity.
Relevant IFC
Criterion
No) Net Loss
Data limited, but likely triggers
Criteria C & D of the IUCN Red List
for Threatened Ecosystems over the
near future, with multiple high
severity abiotic and biotic stressors
forecast over next 50 years.
5.4 Determining Sensitive Receptors
All receptors will exhibit a greater or lesser degree of sensitivity to the changes brought
about by the proposed development and defining receptor ‘sensitivity’ as part of the
definition of the baseline environment helps to ensure that the subsequent assessment is
transparent and robust. The sensitivity of a receptor is a function of its capacity to
accommodate change and reflects its ability to recover if it is affected.
The receptors and their sensitivity to change may not be the same for each discipline. Thus,
each discipline needs to determine its own set of receptors and ascribe values to each of
them.
Receptors can be defined as:
 Elements of the environment that are of value to the functioning of natural or

human systems (i.e., areas or elements of ecological, landscape or heritage
 Human receptors, such as people (i.e., users of dwellings, places of recreation,

places of employment and community facilities), and human systems (e.g.,
employment market).
In addition, receptors will include legislative and policy standards and values. For example,
air quality limits, noise standards and planning policy requirements.
The receptors are described in terms of their spatial importance and/or the sensitivity of that
The environmental value (or sensitivity) of the receptors identified will be defined using the
Table 5-22 Value and Sensitivity of Receptors used in the ESIA
High importance and rarity, international scale and limited

potential for substitution (e.g., school or hospital receptor) -
Sensitive
extremely sensitive to change
High importance and rarity, national scale, and limited potential
National/ Highly
for substitution (e.g., residential receptor) - very sensitive to
sensitive
change
High or medium importance and rarity, regional scale, limited
Regional/ Moderately
potential for substitution (e.g., commercial or recreational
sensitive
receptor) - moderately sensitive to change
Local/ Low sensitivity Low importance and rarity, local scale - insensitive to change
Project Receptors
Based upon the baseline information, with reference to Table 5-22, there are a number of
potentially sensitive receptors which may be impacted by the development as outlined in in
Table 5-23. Figure 5-23 presents a pictorial representation of potential receptors.
Table 5-23 Potential Project Environmental and Social Sensitive Receptors
Project Receptors
Critical Habitat
AMAALA has been designated as a Critical Habitat with features essential to the
conservation of an endangered or threatened species and that may require special
management and protection. Such features include:
- Seagrass;
Macroalgae and algal beds are abundant in AMAALA, particularly in shallow water
habitats. The same areas may also provide important nursery areas for fish and
invertebrates and there may be important connectivity between different biotopes.
Avifauna
The site has limited avifauna present but these do include migratory species, though all
have been classified by the IUCN as having a conservation status of ‘Least Concern’.
Wadi valleys adjacent to the Project site provide additional avifaunal habit at where one
Eurasian turtle dove (classified by the IUCN as having a Vulnerable conservation status)
has been observed.
Socio-Economics
Evidence suggests that the Project area is used for fishing and grazing. Development may
potentially impact commercial activities.
Evidence of beach driving and camping in the Project area in the form of recent tyre tracks
and extinguished fires. Development will result in loss of leisure amenity space.
Waste Management
international standards. Project could potentially cause illegal deposition of waste and / or
reduce the capacity in these facilities.
Global Atmosphere
Human activities (primarily the burning of fossil fuels) have fundamentally increased the
concentration of greenhouse gases in Earth’s atmosphere, warming the planet. The
construction and operation of the Staff Village has the potential to increase climate
change.
Figure 5-23 Potential Project Environmental and Social Sensitive Receptors
5.5 Similar Future Projects within the Geographical Scope of

the Project
As previously mentioned, AMAALA comprises three main development plans (The Island,
Miraya and Triple Bay) as shown in Figure 1-1. Associated with the three main developments
are various infrastructure including utilities, worker accommodation, office accommodation,
roads, airport, solar farms, etc.
As shown in Figure 5-24, AMAALA is located within PMBSRR and NEOM and RSP are
located in close proximity along the Red Sea coast. Al Ula is located to the south-east of
AMAALA.
Figure 5-24 AMAALA Location in Relation to other Giga-projects
Table 5-24 presents details of the developments, within AMAALA, which have been
assessed and approved by NCEC or undergoing assessment.
Table 5-24 Approved and Ongoing AMAALA Impact Assessments
NCEC Reference
Number
Triple Bay Early

Triple Bay 10766/1442 Approved
works
Airport Airport 10840/1442 Approved
Island GI 12670/1442 Approved
Triple Bay and

Staff Village GI 5355/1442 Approved
Miraya
Enabling and Early ESIA submitted to
Works NCEC for review
The Island North ESIA submitted to
Marina NCEC for review
Miraya Miraya Marina 9960/1443 Approved
Triple Bay and Staff Village Early

13924/1442 Approved
Miraya Works
Triple Bay Marina Village 12981/1442 In progress
Triple Bay Priority Plots 13456/1442 In progress
Triple Bay Hijaz Island 13599/1442 In progress
Infrastructure Phase
Triple Bay 13989/1442 In progress
1
Staff Village Shared
Triple Bay and
Hub Facility Early
Miraya
Works
Staff Village Shared
Triple Bay and
Hub Facility Main
Miraya
Works In early development
Triple Bay and Staff Village Wadi
Miraya Diversion
Staff Village
Triple Bay and
Reverse Osmosis
Miraya
Plant
6 IMPACT ASSESSMENT
6.1 Methodology Used for Identifying Impacts, Analysis and

Assessment
General Approach
The general approach for the ESIA process has been to adopt the requirements of the IFC
Environmental and Social Risk Management Framework, as implemented through the eight
IFC Performance Standards.
It should be noted that although adherence to the gener al approach in IFC Performance
Standards for the ESIA has been adopted, this does not mean that the Project is fully
compliant with IFC requirements.
The format scope and contents of the ESIA will be in compliance with the Executive
Regulations for Establishing and Operating Business Activities.
ESIA as a Process
A fundamental aspect of the approach to the ESIA is understanding that ESIA is a process.
It is a process which should start from the earliest concept of a project and continue through
to decommissioning of a project, where possible. This process, when applied correctly
assists the project to ‘design out’ potential impacts, effectively reduce those impacts which
cannot be removed and provide suitable mitigation measures to ensure minimisation of
effects. This ties in with the Hierarchy of Mitigation as set out in the IFC Performance
Standard guidance notes.
International Best Practice

to influence the design. In countries with well-developed ESIA systems and inherent in
approaches taken by World Bank Group (WBG), IFC and other Multilateral Institutions, this
process has been adopted for many years.
The essence of this process is the inclusion of environmen tal and social matters at the
earliest stage of the Project, ideally at concept stage, and allowing environmental factors to
influence the design and development of the Project. At the heart of this process in WBG
and IFC standards is an Environmental Management System (EMS) which establishes the
Environmental Policy for the Project and then is designed to ensure that the environmental
performance of the Project meets the objectives set out in the policy. Part of the EMS
system is the assessment of impacts and risks that the Project poses to the environment and
the constraints placed on the Project by the existing environment.
Throughout the process, it should be remembered that the purpose of the ESIA process can
be broadly described as improving environm ental performance of the Project, as described
below, and importantly as a source of information for decision makers. The outcomes from
an ESIA shall be objective, based as far as possible on scientific approach, but taking
account of human perceptions of key issues and concerns.
Environmental Design Approach
The environmental design approach is intended to be used across all aspects of the Project
impacts or risks through modification of the design.
This is an iterative process and Figure 6-1 provides an overview of this process.
Any Project will give rise to a number of potential impacts and risks to humans and the
environment (large arrow entering system in Figure 6-1). Through the iterative process of
identification of these potential impacts and risks and refinement of the design it can be seen
that a number of the potential impacts and risks can be removed or ‘designed out’ of the
Project. This process can be referred to as ‘design or inherent mitigation’, which means the
design has taken on board the possible impact or risk and mitigated it out of the Project.
The iterative process should take place through all stages of the design process, including
site selection, Project processes, alternative layouts etc., however, in the case of this
Project, the highly accelerated programme limited the input from the environmental and
social impacts into design. By conducting the baseline surveys early in the design process,
locating of facilities (rather than redesign) was considered in the final plan.
Process of Determining Effects

A standardised approach will be based around standard terminology for the determinatio n of
impacts and determination of effects, their significance and mitigation or offsetting. The
following sections provides an overview of proposed process of impact assessment to be
used for the current Projects. This section provides the conceptual mode l to be used for
determining effects.
The proposed approach for impact identification and assessment of effects relating to air
land and water will be based on the Source - Pathway - Receptor - Consequence Model
(SPRC). Such an approach is commonly used in contamination studies but is highly
applicable for many of the elements considered in an ESIA process. The model is shown
diagrammatically below in Figure 6-2.
Figure 6-2 Source - Pathway - Receptor - Consequence Model as Applied to ESIA
The model shows that to have an effect on a receptor you need all elements of the chain to
be present. Therefore, an effect can only occur if there is a source (of change), a receptor
upon which that change acts and a pathway between the source and receptor.
These include potential exceedances of legislative standards and topics such where human
individual perceptions of beauty, scenic value are important.
The first is that the terms impact and effect are not synonymous and cannot be used
interchangeably. As can be seen, the IMPACT is the change in environmental variable. The
size of change can be determined objectively in cases where change can be measured or
predicted, for example increases in emissions to air.
This IMPACT acting on the ASPECT creates a consequence or EFFECT on that

RECEPTOR.
To determine the level or importance of the effects two key aspects need to be determined.
These are:
 Characterisation of the magnitude and nature of the impact; and
 Identification of Valued Environmental Receptors and their level of importance

and/or sensitivity to change.
The following sections show how determination of receptor and ascribing value/sensitivity to
the impact will be conducted for the ESIA process.
Identifying Receptors
The VERs and its sensitivity to change may not be the same for each discipline. Thus, each
Characterising Environmental and Social Impacts

Size of Impact
project activity. In general, this change can be measured or estimated in some manner. For
example, a change in sound level of 2 dB(A), or an increase in ground concentration of an
air pollutant of 20 mg/m 3 . For some topics the measure may be an area of land to be
affected or number of trees to be lost etc. Wherever possible the size of the impact should
have a physical measurement.
For the established size of impact, the following values have been ascribed:
 Low 3
 Medium 5
 High 8
For any impacts which do not exceed the threshold of significance then by definition, the
impact severity must be negligible.
Other Aspects of an Impact

While the size of the change in environmental parameter is an im portant aspect of an impact,
there are other aspects which will determine the severity of the impact when it acts on the
receptor.
For this ESIA the following aspects are taken into consideration, in addition to the Size of
Impact as set out above:
 Extent of impact;
 Duration of Impact;
 Frequency of Impact;
 Probability of Impact Occurring; and
 Reversibility of Impact.
The assessment process used in the proposed ESIA process will use a bespoke scoring
system to enable a systematic and transparent process to b e undertaken to determine the
impact magnitudes identified.
The following sections provide the scoring system to be adopted and its rationale.
Extent of Impact or Area of Influence

tend to lead to increased risk of significant effects occurring than a highly localised AoI. The
classification of this variable and the ascribed scores is shown in Table 6-1.
The AoI is highly limited,

likely to take place only at the Minor increases in noise
Very Local point of impact and not levels during construction not 1
influencing receptors outside extending from the work site
of this immediate area
The AoI is contained within Loss of local and common
Local the project site or immediate habitat within the site during 2
surrounding area clearance works
Changes in property or land
The AoI extends to a regional prices within a region due to
scale, affecting areas outside the development.
Regional 3
the project site and into the
wider environment Air emissions which affect
wide area
The AoI extends to national which cannot be handled
National 5
scale within the nations existing
capacity/capability
The AoI will be cross
boundary
climate
Duration of Impact Effect

An impact’s magnitude will be increased as its duration increases. It is important to note
that the impact duration is not synonymous with the duration of the event causing the impact.
The duration is defined as how long the impact will last. For exampl e, a loss of containment
entering the environment will last much longer depending upon the type of chemical, location
and nature of spill and any remediation efforts.
Delivery of single large item

Transient Less than 1 day of equipment affecting local 1
road network
Very Short Temporary closure of road or
1 - 30 days 2
Term other access
clearance
Construction traffic effects on
large project
Changes to air quality due to
emissions from process
Clearance of natural
Permanent Permanent vegetation which cannot be 10
recreated
Frequency
the event is repeated many times during the course of the project , then the magnitude of the
impact would be considered to be increased. The classification of this variable and the
ascribed scores is shown in Table 6-3.
The event causing the impact Clearance of soils and

One off occurs only once in the habitats at the start of the 1/5 *
lifetime of the project project
Increased noise or air
A rare event in the lifetime of
Rare emissions due to emergency 2
the project
situations
An event which is expected

Increased emissions from a
to occur but not commonly as
Infrequent plant during regular 3
part of the normal project
maintenance and shutdown
conditions
Daily noise from blown down
An event will occur regularly of steam drums.
throughout a phase of the
Frequent Delivery of raw materials and 5
project or the lifetime of the
project export of products from a
facility on daily basis
An event which by the nature Noise emissions from
Continuous 7
of the project is continuous operational plant
*For one off events, a score of 1 is ascribed if the event does not lead to a permanent non-reversible
impact, if the impact is permanent; a score of 5 is used.
Probability
three-point probability scale and scores has been used as follows:
 Certain 5
 High 3
 Low 2
Reversibility
than if it cannot be rectified. For example, the loss of natural habitats can never be fully
For this ESIA process a simple Yes or No scale is use d with associated scores of 5 and 1
respectively.
Overall Impact Magnitude Scoring Model

The scoring model for the described variables results in scores across a range of 7 - 40. The
impact assessment uses a four-point terminology to describe impact magnitude. This is
presented in Table 6-4. The model ascribes the outcomes of the scoring of the variables as
follows.
 6 - 16 Negligible
 17 - 25 Minor
 26 - 34 Moderate
 >34 Major
Description of Adverse Description of Beneficial

Magnitude
Consequence Consequence
Loss of resource and/or quality and Large scale or major improvement
integrity, severe damage to key of resource quality; extensive
Major
characteristics, features or restoration or enhancement; major
elements improvement of attribute quality
Significant impact on the resource,
but not adversely affecting the
characteristics, features or
Moderate integrity, partial loss of/damage to
elements; improvement of attribute
key characteristics, features or
quality
elements
Some measurable change in Minor benefit to, or addition of, one
attributes quality or vulnerability, (maybe more) key characteristic,
Minor minor loss of, or alteration to, one feature or element; some beneficial
(maybe more) key characteristic, impact on attribute or a reduced
feature or element risk of negative impact occurring
detrimental alteration to one or addition of one or more
Negligible
more characteristic, feature or characteristics, features or
element elements
Assessment of Significance
effect uses a two-dimensional matrix based on the above parameters of Impa ct magnitude
and Value/sensitivity of the receptor. The proposed assessment will use a matrix for
determining the significance of an effect as presented in Table 6-5.
Extreme Moderate
Moderate and Low. They are based on the terminology used in international principles and
 High - An environmental effect that has importance at international or national

 Medium - An environmental effect that has importance at a regional scale and /or
 Low - An environmental effect that is only important in a local context, which is
readily mitigated, and it occurs only within the b oundary of the project; and
 NS - An environmental effect that is considered non-significant.
Significant adverse effects occur where valuable or sensitive receptors, or numerous

receptors, are subject to impacts of considerable magnitude and duration. Som e effects will
be temporary, others are permanent in nature , and these will be stated in the assessment.
Hierarchy of Mitigation
One of the aims of the ESIA process is to design out or otherwise remove significant effects
from the project. Those which cannot be removed completely should be minimised, and
finally those which remain significant and cannot be reduced further have to b e accepted.
For significant residual effects it may be necessary to provide compensation or offsetting.
Offsetting is often used in managing biodiversity effects. As an example, loss of a wooded

area can be offset; given time, by replanting similar spe cies within the area, or by providing
improved management and protection of other areas of similar habitat within the region of
the project.
Figure 6-3 shows the Hierarchy of Mitigation as defined by the WBG.
The above hierarchy is implicit within the proposed approach to ESIA for this project.
In theory, mitigation would only be required for those effects which had been determined to
human perceptions and emotions and so mitigation may be developed for reasons other than
pure objective ones.
Defining appropriate mitigation is important in the process, but perhaps more important is
recognising that any mitigation measures must be project commitments. Within the current
ESIA process, a register of commitments will be develope d, these will be provided to the
project proponent and the contractor for approval.
6.2 Initial Analysis and Assessment of Potential Impacts

Preamble
An initial assessment of the environmental and social impacts for Staff Village Main Works
has been carried out. The assessment is based upon a desk review of proje ct information
provided by the Project proponent and baseline surveys of the development area.
Activities and Impacts

The following text provides an overview of the impact (activities) which may intera ct with the
Environmental Aspects to produce environmental effects.
Impacts from the activities can be characterised into two main types with subsets within each
type.
The main types are:
 footprint impacts; and
 activity impacts.
The activities can be further broken down into planned and unplanned events.
Examples of the major footprint areas and impacts of activities are provided in Figure 6-4
and Figure 6-5 respectively.
Figure 6-4 Examples of Project Elements Creating Footprint Impacts
Figure 6-5 Examples of Activities and Impacts
The above are examples and additional impacts from activities may be identified in the
assessment process.
Air Quality
Preamble
The Project areas have limited significant sources of emissions to air from industrial uses
and no major cities or towns. Traffic will predominantly utilise Highway 5 and this traffic will
generate emissions to air. It is, however, likely that emission impacts will be localised along
the alignment of the highway. Hydrocarbon combustion emissions will comprise NO x , SO 2 ,
PM, CO and CO 2 .
Potential Impacts
During the construction of the Staff Village, most of the plant, equipment and vehicles (e.g.,
trucks, excavators, graders, etc.) will be powered by diesel engines which will emit NOx,
SO 2 , PM, CO and CO 2 to atmosphere. Vehicle movements, material dumping, and
excavation work will also cause emissions of dust to air that may cause nuisance impacts.
During operations, there are no significant air emissions with the exception of vehicles that
will be in use to access the site. All power will be supplied from Central Solar Farm to the
Staff Village.
Scope Decision
Impact upon air quality has been scoped into the assessment due to emissions fr om
construction and operational activities.
Data Collection
Baseline air quality data shall be collected as part of the ESIA. The monitoring will be
undertaken with reference to TRSDC standard air quality monitoring procedures.
Assessment Requirements and Process
Emissions from construction will be assessed qualitatively, with reference to the Institute of
Air Quality Management’s Guidance on the assessment of dust from demolition and
construction (Holman, et al., 2014) and the WHO 2021 guidelines (World Health
Organization, 2021). These guidance documents highlight good practices for the
management of particles originating from sand and dust storms , for which there is currently
insufficient quantitative evidence to set air quality guideline levels. The qualitative
assessment will consider the potential impact of dust and construction and operation
equipment exhaust emissions on local air quality. A qualitative approach of construction
impacts is deemed suitable on the basis that emissions are expected to be short term and
any impacts localised. The same approach will be used for the operational phase as there
are limited air emission sources anticipated during the operational phase.
No quantitative modelling of emissions will be conducted for either the construction or

operational phases of the Project.
Environmental and Social Management Plans

The management plans will include measures for reducing air and dust emissions.

Preamble
Sea has an extensive archaeological resource, running from at least Bronze Age sit es up to
Potential Impacts
Direct impacts could be caused by construction activities disturbing known and unknown,
below ground, artefacts. However, the main element of earthworks is to be undertaken
during the Early Works activities, so the potential for impacts during the Main Works is
negligible.
Scope Decision
Impacts upon archaeology and cultural heritage during the Main Works have been scoped
out for further assessment.
Climate Change
Preamble
It is widely recognised that climate change has economic consequences, and that ignoring
climate change will eventually damage economic growth. Sea level rise, storm surge and / or
flooding could cause damage to buildings, infrastructure or utilities as well as endangering
life and potentially causing environmental damage, for example, increasing the erosional and
polluting impact of storm waters.
Saudi Arabia is particularly vulnerable to climat e change as most of its ecosystems are
dependent on fossil fuel exports. The country is arid, and the sand desert renders several
Potential Impacts
Impacts of climate change, such as an increase in the frequency of extreme weather events,
flash floods, sand and dust storms, drought, and sea level increase will affect coastal areas.
Other impacts of climate change include:
 Increase in the length of dry periods, and high aridity, rapidly depleting
groundwater reserves, and projected temperature increases indicate that water
stress is bound to increase;
 Heatwaves causing risk to health, limits on activity and productivity a nd disruption

to rail, road and underground networks are likely to increase in terms of
frequency and duration;
 Storm surge and / or flooding could cause damage to buildings, infrastructure or

utilities as well as endangering life and potentially causing environmental
damage, for example, increasing the erosional and polluting impact of storm
waters;
biological events, which could fundamentally transform current ecosystems an d
food webs;
 Climate change is likely to alter the geographic range (latitude and altitude) and
seasonality of certain infectious diseases - including vector-borne infections such
as malaria and dengue fever, and food-borne infections (e.g. salmonellosis)
which peak in the warmer months; and
 Affecting food security through increasing temperatures, changing precipitation

patterns, and greater frequency of some extreme events.
Scope Decision
Impacts from climate change have been scoped into the assessment.
Data Collection
No data will be collected. Information to calculate GHG Scope 1 and 2 emissions will be
requested from AMAALA.

40-year time series of wave conditions and water level conditions for AMAALA has been
developed and will be able to accurately predict the water level and current speed dynamics.
This information be used to derive extreme water levels and wave conditions along the
AMAALA coastline.
The Project will need to factor in a climate change strateg y and mitigation measures to
ensure future operations can progress unimpeded.
GHG Scope 1 and 2 emissions will be calculated.
The management plans will outline the recommendations for monitoring and reducing GHG
emissions (for example, using renewable energy sources or using more efficient construction
equipment, which reduce emissions).
Coastal Processes
Preamble
The Project location represents a sensitive, highly biodiverse marine environment, which is
home to coral reefs and seagrass areas which support an abundance of marine species
including fish, sea turtles and marine mammals.
Potential Impacts
The development could potentially impact the coastal processes by generating impacts on
the hydrodynamic regime and / or geomorphology of the substrate resulting in alterations to
coastal processes, however, the wadi diversion is to be assessed separately.
Scope Decision
Impacts of the wadi diversion are to be assessed within a separate ESIA , therefore, impacts
upon coastal processes has been scoped out for further assessment .
Community Health, Safety and Security

Preamble
An assessment of risks to community health, safety, and security is required as per IFC
Performance Standard 4 and relates to public health and potential risks to the community
from major accidents.
Potential Impacts
Accessing the Project areas will require utilisation of the existing road network, which may
result in increased levels of traffic and consequently increase levels of noise, dust and air
pollutants. This may lead to nuisance complaints or an increased potential for road traffic
accidents - thus affecting the local community.
Scope Decision
Impacts upon community health, safety, and security ha ve been scoped into the assessment.
Data Collection
No data will be collected, however, the ESIA will also review the proposed transportation of
materials, equipment, plant, and personnel with respect to risk to the local community.

The ESIA process will utilise information from BDC’s knowledge of the area to assess the
risk to local communities.

The management plans will include measures for managing risk to community safety such as
the requirement for a Traffic Management Plan and an Emergency Preparedness and
Response Plan (EPRP).
Geology and Soils
Preamble
Project site. The exception to this is the Coastguard facility, located to the extreme south of
the Project site. It is likely that the facility will have been equipped with a generator and a
Potential Impacts
There is the potential for the development to introduce new potential sources of soils and
groundwater contamination. During the construction and operational activities, hydrocarbons
and chemicals will require storage and use. Leakage from storage facilities or spills have the
potential to cause contamination.
Scope Decision
Impact upon soils and groundwater has been scoped into the assessment for the
construction phase only.
Data Collection
The collection and chemical analysis of soil or groundwater samples will not be undertaken
due to low contamination risk profile.

The main aspect of the ESIA with relation to contamination will be prevention of
contamination of soils and groundwater. Using a risk -based approach, in line with GIIP, an
assessment of potential impacts upon soils and groundwater from potentially contaminative
activities will be undertaken.

The management plans will focus on prevention of contamination through good design and
good housekeeping and management.
Hydrology
Preamble
The Project is located within a wadi and construction will require the diversion of catchments
to the east and west of the Project area.
Potential Impacts
Diversion of the wadi will change the existing hydrological regime , however, this will be
assessed separately. Please note that the site drainage will discharge into wadi diversion.
Scope Decision
The wadi diversion will be assessed separately, therefore, impacts upon the hydrological
regime have been scoped out for further assessment.
Labour and Working Conditions and Workers’ Accommodation
Preamble
Construction activities pose potential risks to the health, safety and, therefore, wellbeing of
construction workers if not managed appropriately.
Once complete, AMAALA staff will be located on the Staff Village Project site.
Impacts relating to workers accommodation during construction has been assessed

separately (as part of the Triple Bay Early Works ESIA).
Potential Impacts
There is the risk of adverse occupational health and safety (OHS) impacts related to
personal accident or injury on any construction site. Some of the OHS risks which are likely
to arise during the construction phase of the Project, are typical to many construction sites
and include:
 exposure to physical hazards from use of heavy equipment and cranes;
 trip and fall hazards; exposure to dust, noise and vibration;
 falling objects;
 exposure to hazardous materials; and
 exposure to electrical hazards from the use of tools and machin ery.
Other likely OHS risks to Project workers include exposure to cold temperatures during
winter or heat during summer and risks associated with working near water.
Furthermore, during the construction and operational phases, there is the potential for
workers to be treated unfairly with poor working conditions.
During operations, the use of temporary accommodation sites can produce impacts such as
those relating to sanitation, disease, fire and cultural alienation.
Scope Decision
Impact upon labour and working conditions (construction and operation) and workers’
accommodation (operation only) has been scoped into the assessment to ensure that GIIP
and international requirements are adhered to. Impacts relating to workers accommodation
during construction has been assessed separately (as part of the Triple Bay Early Works
ESIA) and has been scoped out.
Data Collection
No field data will be required. Information on worker numbers, accommodation location, and
accommodation details will be collated and used within the ESIA process.

IFC Performance Standard 2: Labour and Working Conditions outlines that workers must be
treated fairly and provide safe and health working conditions. Furthermore, the IFC and
EBRD has developed a guidance note on worker’s accommodation (IFC/EBRD, 2009).
OHS impacts will be addressed within this ESIA process whilst adequate worker welfare,
with regard to their accommodation and general living and working conditions, must be
provided in line with international guidance and standards.

The management plans will identify the needs for assuring satisfactory working and welfare
conditions and monitoring of such provisions.

Preamble
Landscape is defined as an area whose character is the result of the action and interaction
of natural and / or human factors. It is important to protect and conserve views of a relatively
undeveloped area. The Project is located in a near-pristine environment with limited
development in the immediate vicinity.
Potential Impacts
The development could cause visual impacts on the general landscape and seascape
character. The development could cause changes to landform inconsistent with t he
landscape, however, the Project itself is relatively low-lying and likely to be surrounded by
more significant developments.
Scope Decision
Impacts upon landscape and visual receptors has been scoped out for further assessment.
Light Spill
Preamble
The inappropriate or excessive use of artificial light can have serious environmental
consequences for humans, wildlife, and our climate. Components of light spill include:
 Glare – excessive brightness that causes visual discomfort
 Skyglow – brightening of the night sky over inhabited areas
 Light trespass – light falling where it is not intended or needed
 Clutter – bright, confusing and excessive groupings of light sources
Potential Impacts
Construction and operation are likely to generate increased amounts of artificial lighting
compared to current levels. This has the potential to disturb or result in negative health and
behavioural effects to local terrestrial and marine fauna including disruption to biological
clock, changes in foraging, prey detection, anti-predator behaviour and navigational
disorientation if not appropriately managed.
Lights can disorient flying birds, particularly during migration, and cause them to divert from
efficient migratory routes or collide with infrastructure. Birds may starve when artificial
lighting disrupts foraging, and fledgling seabirds may not be able to take their first flight if
their nesting habitat never becomes dark. Migratory shorebirds may use less preferable
roosting sites to avoid lights and may be exposed to increased predation where lighting
makes them visible at night.
Scope Decision
Impact from light has been scoped into the assessment due to the potential impacts from
light spill onto marine and terrestrial ecological receptors.
Data Collection
No data collection is proposed.

The assessment will ensure through mitigation by design to reduce light spill.

Management Plans will present mitigation to reduce potential impacts from light spill.
Marine Ecology
Preamble
The marine environment within the northern Red Sea on the Saudi coastline is considered to
be of high value. The ecosystem includes high ly biodiverse and sensitive biotopes with
extensive areas of corals, coral reefs and seagrass. The lagoon is sedimentary in nature
due to the sedimentation inputs from the wadi.
It should be noted that the development is set-back from the coastline.
Potential Impacts
The Project could have potential adverse impacts on marine biodiversity including:
 Effects on sensitive marine biotopes - biotope quality and loss
 Disturbance to biotope dynamics
 Increased turbidity resulting in shading and smothering of marine organisms
 Reduced water quality
 Improper waste management controls (including wastewater)
 Changes to ecological functions and services
 Disruption to fish spawning
 Damage to or loss of fish spawning grounds
 Additional stresses during bleaching events leading to increased levels of

mortality
 Decrease in coral reproductive success
Scope Decision
Due to the sensitivity of Project area, impacts upon marine ecology have been scoped in for
further assessment.
Data Collection
A Project-specific MEBS has been undertaken and the results will be included in the Main
Works ESIA Report. The MEBS comprised the following elements:
 Undertake further ground-truthing within the marine areas of interest. We expect

to undertake ground-truthing using Dropdown video and in water surv eys at up to
30 points to supplement BDC’s previous survey effort at the site;
 Undertake detailed coral reef ecology surveys, based on Regional Organization

for the Conservation of the Environment of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden
(PERSGA) and The Red Sea Development Company (TRDSC) approved
methods, at three locations including up to three survey depths where necessary.
The scope is to include species lists, abundance and diversity data relating to the
reef fish and coral community present, as well as inform ation on the size
distribution of corals in the area. Data analysis will be supported using CPCe,
PRIMER and R based data scripts;
 Document up to three seagrass beds using Seagrass -Watch methods which form
part of PERSGA and TRDSC approved methodologies. T he method is based on
four parallel 25m transect lines, with photoquadrats at 1m intervals for analysis.
Data will include seagrass species, percentage cover, canopy height, epiphyte
cover, as well as relative abundance of associated fauna and flora presen t in the
area. Data analysis will be supported using ImageJ;
 Undertake detailed shallow water surveys in areas between beach and the reef
flat, including the lagoons, to document habitats, ecology and substrates present
at up to five stations. The stations will be based on PERSGA and TRDSC
approved survey methodology for Benthic Investigations, plus additional transect
lines perpendicular to the shore, with stations established in each of the
representative tidal zones to provide quantitative data;
 The survey team will also collect sediment and seawater samples at five locations
to include plankton and infauna;
 Chemical analysis of sediment and seawater samples in line with PERSGA and
TRSDC requirements by an accredited laboratory; and
 Laboratory analysis of sediment and seawater for plankton and infauna.
A full MEBS report including detailed analysis and interpretation of the coral reef and
seagrass data generated by the surveys will be developed. In addition, ground -truthing data
and a habitat map covering the Project area will be included. The report will include a full
section of interpretation relating to the laboratory and taxonomy data.
The proposed survey locations are shown in Figure 6-6.
Figure 6-6 Staff Village MEBS Components

The assessment will include consideration of the direct and indirect impacts , from the
construction and operational phases, upon marine biodiversity from, for example, reduced
water quality.

The assessment will help to determine mitigation measures to minimise any marine
environmental interactions. It will also make recommendation for mitigation measures to
control exotic and/or invasive species.
Material Resources
Preamble
Material Resources include such resources as sand, gravel, wood, concrete but excluding
energy and water. An assessment of material resource use would examine the risk of
impacts on the local supply, regional and national supply chain of the Project.
Potential Impacts
The Project is not anticipated to utilise excessive quantities of any materials and it is not
anticipated to create a risk to local supplies and supply chains.
Scope Decision
For this Project, it is not considered that significantly high res ource usage will occur,
therefore, impacts upon material resources has been scoped out of the ESIA.
Population Influx and Local Infrastructure and Services
Preamble
The influx of workers has the potential to cause a wide range of negative impacts on
communities’ resident within the Project AoI including impacts on the environment; public
infrastructure, services and utilities; public health; and the social and cultural environment.
Potential Impacts
There is limited infrastructure within the Project vicini ty and construction workers will be
housed in AMAALA dedicated accommodation camps . Dedicated medical facilities will be
provided and water, telecommunications and power will be provided independently from local
infrastructure. Furthermore, there are limited settlements within AMAALA which would be
impacted by population influx.
For the operational phase, AMAALA staff will be housed on -site with dedicated utility
connections, medical facilities and schooling.
Therefore, it is unlikely that there will issues relating to population influx and pressure on
local infrastructure and services.
Scope Decision
Impact upon local infrastructure and services relating to population influx has been scoped
out of the ESIA.
Noise and Vibration

Preamble
At the Project site, there are no significant noise or vibration sources, nor are there any in
close proximity to Project site.
Potential Impacts
Noise emissions during the construction phase of the Project will comprise noise from plant,
equipment, generators, and vehicles.
During the operational phase, vehicles and plant will generate noise emissions.
Scope Decision
Construction and operational activities will likely increase noise levels. Therefore, noise
impacts has been scoped in for further assessment, however, vibration has been scoped out.
Data Collection
Baseline noise monitoring data shall be collected as part of the ESIA. The monitoring will be
undertaken with reference to TRSDC standard noise monitoring procedures.
Assessment Requirements and Processes

A qualitative noise assessment will be carried out and good practice noise mitigation
measures identified. No quantitative modelling is proposed as the construction phase will be
relatively short and transient in nature whilst for the operational phase, there are no
significant noise generating activities.
The management plans will comprise a general description of potential impacts and
requirements for the adoption of GIIP to minimise no ise and vibration emissions from the
construction and operational phase.

Preamble
Seawater quality is the basis of the high ecological value of the marine environment within
the marine environment. The entire biological system is dependent upon maintenance of
existing sea water quality.
Potential Impacts
During the construction and operation phase, potential impacts may include spills and
leakages of chemicals, hydrocarbons, sewage or waste from land -based or water-based
sources. Furthermore, there may be potential for uncontrolled discharges of sediment -loaded
water during storm events. In summary, the Project could potentially impact, directly and
indirectly, marine water quality (and by association, marine ecology) thro ugh:
 Increased suspended solids causing increased turbidity and / or sedimentation;
 Sewage or other discharges from land sources;
 Unplanned events and / or discharges of chemicals and / or fuels;
 Use of inappropriate construction materials;
 Contaminated stormwater;
 Leachate from precast concrete, grout or other materials; and
 Inadequate waste management controls.
Deterioration of marine water quality could cause a reduction in marine biodiversity when
can disrupt wide ecosystem dynamics of the area. Increas ed turbidity can result in a
decrease in the depth that light is able to penetrate water.
Changes to seawater quality and impacts on sediments may significantly affect the
biodiversity of the Project area.
Scope Decision
Therefore, the potential effects of the Project upon seawater and sediment quality have been
scoped in for further assessment.
Data Collection
A Project-specific MEBS is currently underway (November 2021) and the results will be
included in the Main Works ESIA Report. Seawater and sediment quality data obtained
during the MEBS will be utilised in this assessment. The locations of the seawater and
sediment sampling locations are shown in Figure 6-7.
Locations

The assessment will include consideration of the direct and indirect impacts from the
construction phase upon marine biodiversity from, for example, reduced water quality.

The management plans will comprise a general description of p otential impacts and
requirements for the adoption of GIIP to minimise impacts upon the seawater and sediment
quality.
Socio-Economics
Preamble
The Project area has limited agricultural potential and the FAO indicate that the soils within
the Project area are unsuitable for agriculture.
Field observations have indicated that there is recreational fishing from the coastline and
from small boats with some limited commercial fishing. However, it should be noted the Red
Sea, including the coastal waters around AMAALA are already over-fished (Tesfamichael,
D., et al., 2012). Fishing activities within this area of the Red Sea are licensed and controlled
by the Coastguard authorities..
also noted.
Potential Impacts
An assessment of the potential beneficial and adverse effects of the Project on local and
national socio-economic receptors will be conducted. This may include:
 Heightened community expectations;
 Loss of access and sense of place;
 Creation of employment opportunities;
 Opportunities for skills development and training in the local workforce

leading to enhanced skills among the local workforce;
 Resentment between local people employment on the Project and those

whose applications were unsuccessful; and
 Increased business opportunities for local goods, services and bu sinesses.
Scope Decision
A high-level assessment of socio-economic impacts will be included within the ESIA.
Data Collection
No data shall be collected, however, BDC will request pertinent information from AMAALA
relating to workers, procurement of goods, equipment and materials.
Please note that no stakeholder engagement will be undertaken.
Assessment Requirements and Processes

A high-level assessment of the potential positive and negative impacts of the Project will be
undertaken particularly focused on the wider economic benefits.

The management plans will provide guidance and requirements for maximising local content
and positive effects relating to employment and livelihood.
Stakeholder Engagement
Preamble
A process of stakeholder engagement is ongoing for AMAALA. This includes engagement
with Ministries and Government Agencies. It is understood that the findings of this ESIA
process will be discussed with relevant authorities.
Scope Decision
Stakeholder engagement has been scoped out of this ESIA.
Terrestrial Ecology
Preamble
moisture availability was greater. Elsewhere, plants were virtually non -existent, apart from
along the littoral zone. There was no evidence of recent rainfall, however, grazing (likely to
be camels) was apparent on the larger shrubs and Cyperus conglomeratus (BDC, 2021b).
Potential Impacts
The terrestrial ecology can be impacted by the loss, damage or abandonment of nesting
sites. Furthermore, the effects of light and, noise and vibration disturbance on nesting birds
causing reduced species numbers or localised extinction. Avifauna may also experience
disruption to migratory behaviour.
In addition, the Project could lead to the introduction and spread of invasive species and
alien species as well as pests and predators which could impact native fauna and flora.
Scope Decision
Impacts upon terrestrial ecology has been scope d into the assessment.
Data Collection
A baseline ecological assessment of the Project site has been undertaken (BDC, 2021b),
therefore, no further data collection is required.

The assessment of significance of species and habitats will be placed in context of Saudi
Arabia and the proposed activities. Threat status and legal (or equivalent) protection will be
based on IUCN Red List and Saudi Arabia’s system of High Conservation Prio rity species.
Consideration will also be made to IFC Performance Standard 6: Biodiversity Conservation
and Sustainable Management of Living Natural Resources.

The required protection measures and monitoring for te rrestrial ecology will be set out in the
detailed management plans where relevant.
Traffic and Transportation

Preamble
Land transportation will be required for goods, equipment, plant, materials and personnel
during construction. For the operational phase, the movement of goods, materials and
personnel will required.
Potential Impacts
During construction, delivery of equipment, plant, personnel and materials will temporarily
increase the traffic volume, leading to an increase in noise, air emissions and th e risk of
accidents.
For the operational phase, movements of personnel, goods and materials will increase the
quantity of traffic.
Scope Decision
This topic is scoped into the ESIA for a qualitative assessment of the consequences of the
increase in traffic volumes due to the Project impacts on air quality, noise, congestion and
road safety.
Data Collection
No additional field work will be conducted for this topic. BDC will request likely traffic
volumes and transportation routes for the construction and operational phases.

The assessment will consider qualitatively any consequences of the increase in traffic
volumes.
A full traffic impact assessment is not included in the scope of the ESIA.

The management plans will include control and monitoring measures with regards to
reducing the effects of increased volumes of traffic.
Waste Management
Preamble
The overall project area has limited existing waste management facilities. Solid waste in
Saudi Arabia is frequently poorly managed, and good quality waste management and
treatment facilities are limited, especially in the more remote locations away from major
cities.
There are no known major facilities for recycling, reuse or ef fective disposal of solid waste
within the Project area. Similarly, the options for the treatment and management of liquid
waste in the form of grey water and sewage are limited.
Potential Impacts
Construction will give rise to a range of wastes including waste soils, brick and block offcuts,
scrap metals, plastic, wood, waste concrete, canteen waste and domestic sewerage, office
waste and limited amounts of hazardous materials including used batteries, oily waste from
servicing equipment and used florescent light tubes.
During the operational phase, it is likely that predominantly domestic (solid and liquid) and
office waste will be produced. Limited amounts of hazardous waste will be generated.
All of these wastes will require management to ensure they ar e re-used, recycled, recovered
or disposed of without harm the environment. The incorrect storage, treatment or disposal of
waste could create a range of environmental impacts on soils and groundwater, ecological
receptors, air quality etc.
Scope Decision
In order to ensure effective safeguards in relation to waste management, this topic is scoped
into the assessment.
Data Collection
No additional field work will be conducted for this topic. BDC will request a waste inventory
for construction and operational phases. AMAALA will provide details of proposed waste
management facilities and procedures for the management of wastes.

The assessment will be qualitative, based on a waste inventory for the construction and
operational phase and information provided to quantify and categorise waste streams.

The management plans will comprise a general description of potential impacts and
requirements for the adoption of GIIP to minim ise potential risks and impacts of
inappropriate waste management procedures.
Water Resources
Preamble
Water is a constrained natural resource in Saudi Arabia, and much of the Kingdom’s supply
of water is from desalination processes which is possible as S audi has abundant relatively
low coast energy and access to two major marine water bodies. However, desalination is
not without its financial and environmental costs. It is therefore important that the project
minimise water use and maximise recycling of water resources.
Potential Impacts
The demand capacity for water is not known, however, there is likely to be a requirement for
cement batching, office accommodation, welfare facilities and dust suppression.
Scope Decision
Impact upon water resources has been scoped into the assessment.
Data Collection
No additional field work will be conducted for this topic. BDC will request details of water
usage and likely sources from AMAALA.
The assessment will be qualitative, based on the likely water usage to consider the potential
consequences.

The management plans will comprise the adoption of GIIP to minimise water use and
promote reuse wherever possible.
Summary of Technical Scope

Table 6-6 provides a summary of the proposed ESIA Technical Scope.
Table 6-6 Summary of Proposed ESIA Scope

operational phase emissions on ambient air
quality.
No modelling will be undertaken as
Air Quality In construction activities are short-term in nature
and there will be limited emissions which could
impact air quality during operations. Generators
are located on-site, however, these are only for
emergency use and are not expected to be
operated for significant periods of time.
Archaeology and Scoped out following the conclusion of the
Out
Cultural Heritage Early Works activities.
Scoped in for assessment of extreme water
levels and wave conditions.
Climate Change In
GHG Scope 1 and 2 emissions estimates to be
prepared.
Scoped out as the wadi diversion is to be
Coastal Processes Out
Scoped in for assessment of potential social
Community Health, impacts associated with the community
In
Safety and Security interaction (particularly with regards to traffic
and transport).
Geology and Soils In The ESIA will focus on risk and appropriate
pollution prevention measures.
Scoped out as the wadi diversion is to be
Hydrology Out
Scoped in for assessment of working conditions
Labour and Working for construction and operations. Risks relating
Conditions and to worker accommodation has been scoped out
In
Workers’ for construction as this has been assessed
Accommodation separately (as part of the Triple Bay Early
Works ESIA).
development and that more significant
Landscape and Visual Out
infrastructure and assets are likely to be
developed adjacent.
Light Spill In
Scoped in due to the highly sensitive nature of
Marine Ecology In
the marine environment.
Limited extent of activities are not anticipated
Material Resources Out to give rise to risk of significant effects on
supplies of local resources.
Noise and vibration In construction and operational phases will be
undertaken. Vibration has been scoped out.
No modelling will be undertaken as

construction activities are short-term in nature
and there will be limited operational noise
sources. Generators are located on-site,
however, these are only for emergency use and
are not expected to be operated for significant
periods of time.
Population Influx and Scoped out. The influx of workers is unlikely to
Local Infrastructure and Out apply pressure on local infrastructure and
Services services.
Seawater and sediment Scoped in due to the highly sensitive nature of
In
quality the marine environment.
Scoped in. A high-level assessment of the
potential beneficial and adverse effects of the
Project on local and national socio-economic
receptors will be conducted.
Socio-Economics In
undertake social baseline assessment for
AMAALA. Social surveys for AMAALA will be
undertaken in March 2022.
Stakeholder TRSDC has appointed University of Tabuk to
Out undertake community stakeholder engagement
Engagement
for AMAALA. Engagement will be undertaken in
March 2022.
Scoped in due to the known presence of
common terrestrial species.
Traffic and Topic scoped in due to anticipated increase in
In
Transportation construction and operational phase traffic.
Waste Management In
appropriate storage, management and disposal
of waste.
Water is a scarce commodity in Saudi Arabia.
Water Resources In
The ESIA will consider water use of the Project.
6.3 Initial Assessment of the Most Significant Potential

Environmental Impacts
Based upon an initial assessment of the likely impacts of the development, BDC believes the
following are the important potential impacts:
 Direct loss of Coastal Plain. Loss of habitat which has avifauna and amenity
usage at present.
 Disturbance to terrestrial fauna and avifauna. Surveys records low density of

these species on-site and the area represents a small proportion of the available
habitat in AMAALA, however, physical presence and noise will potentially exclude
this area for these species.
 Economic benefits to the local and national economy. AMAALA itself is an
attempt to diversify the national economy and to provide opportunities for local
people and companies.
7 PLANS
7.1 Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan

The EPRP shall outline the capabilities and actions for responding to environmental and
social emergencies during the works.
The EPRP shall define the probable worse-case environmental and social emergency
scenarios that could potentially occur during the works including, but not limited to:
 Major spill of hazardous chemicals, hydrocarbons or untreated wastewater to land

(including groundwater) or marine waters;
 Release of noxious or toxic air emissions, gases, aerosols or vapours; and
 Disease outbreak or introduction of an invasive species to land or water.
The EPRP shall also cover the following as a minimum:
 Emergency risks and associated scenarios;
 Emergency Response Team organization and personnel, including roles and

responsibilities;
 Emergency contact details including an emergency line/contact that is available

24 hours per day, seven days per week;
 Personnel and equipment available for immediate response actions;
 Personnel, equipment and other resources available on call for response

escalation purposes;
 Response actions to be taken based on the relevant risk scenarios;
 Emergency reporting protocol including immediate, daily and ongoing reporting;
 Incident Investigation and Preventive & Corrective Actions;
 Emergency response training, exercises and drills; and
 Records that must be maintained during a response.
The general structure of the EPRP is presented in Table 7-1
Table 7-1 Structure of the Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan
Chapter Title Subtitle
1.1 Description of the site and activities

Emergency Preparedness
1 1.2 Risk analysis
and Response Planning
1.3 Preventive Measures
Chapter Title Subtitle
2.1 Evacuation Plan

2.2 Emergency Procedures
2 Emergency Response Plan 2.3 Alarms and internal communications
2.4 Informing the authorities
2.5 Submit an accident report
Corrective Action Plan 3.1 Incident Investigation Procedure
3
(Post-accident) 3.2 Preventive and Corrective Action Plan
4.1 Emergency Preparedness and Response
Team:
4.1.1 EPR Team structure
4.1.2 EPR Team Training
4 Resources
4.1.3 EPR Drills
4.2 Financial resources
4.3 Technical Resources
4.4 Institutional resources
5 Appendices Supporting information and templates
7.2 Environmental Rehabilitation and Treatment Plan

Construction will require the use of temporary facilities. Once construction has finished,
these will need to be decommissioned and the area occupied by them restored and
reinstated to their original condition. With regards to the Executive Regulations for
Environmental Rehabilitation of Degraded Sites and Remediation of Contaminated Sites,
Article 4 states that any person who commits an act or carries out an activity that leads to
environmental media degradation or pollution shall stop the source of pollution, remove the
pollution and conduct an environmental rehabilitation or remediation. Artic le 4 states that the
Polluter Pays Principle shall apply.
The Plan shall follow the structure outlined in Annex 2 of the regulations. If, during
construction and operations, a contaminated incident occurs, then a Remediation of
Contaminated Sites Plan will be developed for approval by NCEC prior to implementation.
7.3 Plan for Mitigating Environmental Impacts

The environmental and social impact that are considered significant are addressed with
appropriate mitigation measures, in line with the mitigation hiera rchy (see Figure 6-3).
The impacts and associated mitigation measures are summarised in a table that includes all
the information related to the impact assessment, and the evaluation of the significance of
residual impacts after mitigation.
This table will be used as the mitigation structure for the Construction Environmental and
Social Management Plan (CESMP) and Operational Environmental and Social Man agement
Plan (OESMP) to ensure implementation.
Environmental Monitoring Plan
Environmental monitoring is separate from mitigation, with monitoring activities designed to
ensure that the implemented mitigation measures are effective and that there are no
unanticipated impacts which were not covered in this ESIA.
The appointed Construction Contractor and/or site supervisor will be required to conduct
specific monitoring activities at the site, based on the current ESIA outcomes, to be included
in the Project specific-CESMP.
An example of general monitoring requirements for impacts to Air Quality from construction
activities is presented in Table 7-2. In addition to the specified site monitoring, also specific
requirements for inspections and audits are included, as appropriate.
Table 7-2 Example of Construction Monitoring Plan for Air Quality
Impact No of Equipment
Monitoring Description Frequency Duration
ID Locations Required
Visual check of emissions Throughout No special
from all construction Daily contract N/A equipment
equipment and vehicles. period required
AQ001 As required
Throughout
Maintain service records for by Record of
contract N/A
all equipment. manufactur servicing
period
er
Throughout No special
Visual check on dust
Daily contract N/A equipment
emissions.
period required
Throughout
Particulate
Dust monitoring. Weekly contract
Monitor
period N/A
Visual check to ensure no
AQ002 off-road driving is occurring
in areas which have not
period required
been approved.
Visual checks and reporting
on infractions and events
where vehicles or people
were observed driving or
period required
utilising areas outside those
clearly demarked.
Throughout None -
Record diesel use for
AQ003 Daily contract N/A records
transport.
period only
Maintain a register of diesel
generators, with records of
Throughout None -
fuel consumption, by type to
AQ004 Daily contract N/A records
allow calculation of
period only
emissions of air pollutants
and GHG.
Monitoring will also be required for the operational phase.
7.4 Proposed Environmental and Social Management Plan
All of the mitigation requirements identified as part of the impact assessment process will
need to be part of the Project’s Environmental and Social Management Planning.
AMAALA has developed a corporate framework CESMP that is provided to all Contractor s to
adhere to the corporate policies and standards, and as well as ensuring that all measures
outlined in this ESIA are carried into application during construction. The Project -specific
CESMP will be developed by the appointed Contractor, based on their existing procedures,
and bespoke work method statements developed for the project activities.
The Operator will develop an OESMP that will set out the mitigation and monitoring
requirements which need to be effectively implemented. This will be developed by the
appointed Operator, based on their existing procedures, and bespoke work method
statements developed for the project activities, and incorporating the specific requirements
set out in this ESIA. TRSDC has developed a corporate framework OESMP which shall be
amended by the Operator.
8 APPENDICES
8.1 Curriculum Vitae of the Report Authors
KAUST BDC I AMAALA | Staff Village Main Works ESIA Scoping Report
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
David Wells

Environmental and social specialist with Sept 2020 - Senior Environmental Specialist, Beacon
significant experience providing technical Present Development Company, King Abdullah University
advice on the assessment and management of Science and Technology (KAUST), Saudi
of environmental and social risks and impacts. Arabia
Chartered Scientist and Chartered Water and April 2020 – Principal Environmental Consultant, Environment
Environmental Manager with demonstrable Sept 2020 Arabia, Bahrain
experience of working within complex and July 2019 – Lead In-Kingdom ESIA Consultant, Crude Oil to
nationally significant infrastructure projects April 2020 Chemicals (COTC) Project, Wood Group, Saudi
across a range of disciplines such as Arabia
environmental and social baseline studies and June 2010 – Technical Director – Iraq Projects, Earth & Marine
impact assessments, Environmental and July 2019 Environmental Consultants, Newcastle upon
Social Due Diligence (ESDD), environmental Tyne, UK
monitoring and environmental auditing. March 2005 Environmental Consultant, Environ UK, Liverpool,
– June 2010 UK
2019.
PROJECT EXPERIENCE
From year – to Project / Role (selected references of the last 5-10 years)
PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS year
2021 Project Manager, Staff Village Main Works ESIA, AMAALA
Year Qualification / Certification 2021 Project Manager, The Island North Marina ESIA, AMAALA
2017 Chartered Scientist (CSci) 2021 Project Manager, Miraya Marina ESIA, AMAALA
2017 Chartered Water and 2021 Project Manager, The Island Enabling and Early Works
Environmental Manager ESIA, AMAALA
(C.WEM) 2021 Project Manager, Staff Village Early Works, AMAALA
2017 Member of Chartered Institute 2020 – 2021 Project Manager, Sindalah Island Strategic Environmental
of Water and Environmental Assessment, Concept, Early Works and ESIA NEOM
Management (MCIWEM) 2020 – 2021 Program Manager, NEOM Conservation Program I, NEOM
2015 Practitioner Member of IEMA
(PIEMA)
2021 Project Manager, Mountain Haul Roads 9 – 12 and 16N
Environmental Baseline Survey (EBS) and Construction and
EDUCATION Social Environmental Management Plan (CESMP), NEOM
Year Education Degree / Diploma 2021 Project Manager, Construction Road North CESMP, NEOM
2004 M.Sc. Environment and Climate 2021 Track RD-11A CESMP, NEOM
Change, University of Liverpool, 2021 Highway 8784 Upgrade, EBS and CESMP, NEOM
UK 2021 Project Manager, Western Construction Road 15, EBS and
2003 B.Sc. (Hons.) Geology and CESMP, NEOM
Physical Geography, University 2021 Project Manager, Western Construction Road 17, EBS and
of Liverpool, UK CESMP, NEOM
2021 Project Manager, NEOM Industrial City (NIC) Innovation
CONTACT Centre Scoping Report, NEOM
2021 Project Manager, NIC Warehouse Scoping Report, NEOM
Phone: 00966 58 103 1650 2021 Project Manager, NEOM Bay Square Scoping Report,
NEOM
Email: david.wells.1@kaust.edu.sa 2020 Author on Guidance Documents for Analysis of
Alternatives, Compensation and Offsetting and Cumulative
PAPERS AND PUBLICATIONS Impact Assessment, The Red Sea Development Company
Year Publication (TRSDC)
2018 The spoils of war, TRANSFORM 2020 Desert Rock Stakeholder Engagement Plan (SEP), TRSDC
2017 Water Security in Iraq, The 2020 Project Manager, Bahrain Metro Phase One Environmental
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Environment Impact Assessment, Bahrain

2016 Rehabilitation of Iraq’s deep sea 2020 Project Manager, 2020 – 2025 Gas Well Drilling
ports, Civil Engineering Surveyor Programme EIA, Bahrain
2013 Environmental Studies in Post- 2020 Project Manager, Treated Sewage Effluent Transmission
conflict Iraq, Civil Engineering Network EIA, Bahrain
Surveyor 2020 Project Reviewer, Chania Wind Farm ESIA, Kenya
2013 The Galligu Redemption: From 2020 Project Reviewer, Golden Eagle Project Environmental and
Chemical Legacy to Multi-modal Social Due Diligence (ESDD), Mexico
Logistics Park, Civil Engineering 2020 Lead Environmental Specialist, Indus Wind Farm ESDD,
Surveyor Pakistan
2019 Project Manager, Downstream Wasit Pipelines EIA, Saudi
Arabia
2019 Lead In-Kingdom ESIA Consultant, COTC Project, KSA
2018 Project Manager, IDP Substations ESIA, Iraq
2018 Project Manager, Project Tation ESDD, Iraq
2018 Project Manager, Executive Hotel and Golf Complex
Environmental and Social Appraisal, Guyana
2017 Project Manager, Basra Gateway Terminal ESIA, Iraq
2016 Project Manager, Water Supply Intake Social Impact
Assessment (SIA) and Stakeholder Engagement, Iraq
2016 Project Manager, Kurdistan Water and Wastewater Project
SIA and Stakeholder Engagement, Iraq
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
David McGrath

A highly qualified senior environmental
Jan 2021 - Present Senior Environmental Specialist, Beacon
specialist with 11 years’ experience in Saudi
Development Company, King Abdullah University of
Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar,
Science and Technology (KAUST), Saudi Arabia
Guinea, Indonesia and Oman. David has led
Oct 2020 – Dec 2020 Director – Environmental Services, HydroQualASA,
technically strong, multi-national and multi-
disciplinary teams in delivering a range of
June 2019 – Oct 2020 Senior Environmental Project Manager,
environmental projects to clients across both
the government and private sectors
Arab Emirates
throughout the GCC. His experience to date
June 2015 – May 2019 Environmental Scientist and Project Manager,
includes the development and
implementation of targeted coral and
Arab Emirates
seagrass management plans, water and
Dec 2012 – June 2015 Environmental Scientist, GHD Global Pty Ltd. Abu
sediment quality assessments, deployment of
Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
met-ocean remote sensing stations and
Oct 2010 – Nov 2012 Environmental Analyst, Dome International LLC,
utilising hydrodynamic dispersion modelling
studies to assess the impacts of the world’s
largest SWRO desalination plant. His technical
focus areas include environmental impact PROJECT EXPERIENCE
assessment, marine and terrestrial survey BDC/KAUST 2021 - present
design, survey implementation, data analysis, From year – to Project / Role (selected references of the last 5-10 years)
ecological monitoring and both construction year
and operational compliance monitoring. 2021 Project Manager, NEOM Conservation Program I, Spring
Small Mammal Surveys
2021 Project Manager, The Red Sea Development Company
Program 13 Infrastructure Public Private Partnership.
2021
Environmental Advisory Services
2021 Author of Desert Rock Hotel Environmental and Social
PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS Impact Assessment
2020 Member Ornithological Society Author of Desert Rock Hotel Tree Translocation and
of the Middle East Management Plan
2020 Member Marine Biological 2021 Author of Sindalah Island Dredging Management Plan
Association
2007 PADI Advanced Open Water HydroQualASA – HDR Middle East 2015-2020
2020 Technical Advisor. ESIA to IFC Standards - Hassyan

EDUCATION Seawater Reverse Osmosis Desalination Plant. Dubai, UAE
2020 Project Director and Technical Lead. ESIA Saadiyat Lagoons
2018 PGCert Ecological Survey Dredging and Marine Development Works. Saadiyat Island.
Techniques, University of Abu Dhabi, UAE
Oxford, UK 2019 Project Director and Technical Lead. ESIA Hudayriyat Island
2009 M.Sc. Environmental Impact
Priority Development Area, Abu Dhabi, UAE
Assessment and Management,
2019 Project Manager. CEMP and Seagrass Management Plan
IFC PS6 Compliant. Taweelah 200 MIGD Seawater Reverse
2005 B.Sc. (Hons.) Geography,
Osmosis Desalination Plant. Abu Dhabi, UAE
2019 Technical Lead. ESIA to IFC Standards Taweelah 200 MIGD
Seawater Reverse Osmosis Desalination Plant. Abu Dhabi,
CONTACT UAE
Phone: 2019 Project Manager, Strategic Assessment of the
Environmental Status of Dubai’s Coastal Zone, Dubai, UAE
Email: david.mcgrath@kaust.edu.sa 2019 Project Manager, Coral Relocation, Nursery Management
and Marine Ecological Advisory Services in line with IFC
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
PS6. Marsa Al Arab Development, Dubai, UAE

2019 Project Manager. ESIA Jebel Ali Seawater Reverse Osmosis
Plant and Marine Environmental Monitoring Works. Dubai.
UAE
2019 Project Manager. Marine Critical Habitat Assessment.
Marsa Al Arab Development. Dubai, UAE
2018 Project Manager. UAQ Canal Marine and Terrestrial
Biodiversity Studies. UAQ, UAE
2018 Project Manager. Dubai Harbour Dredging Borrow Area
Offshore Marine Surveys. Dubai, UAE
2018 Project Manager. ESIA Shindagha Bridge Crossing. Dubai,
UAE
2018 Project Manager. ESIA Layyah Canal Development.
Sharjah, UAE
2017 Project Manager. ESIA ToR and baseline surveys to IFC
Standards. Ras Al Khaimah Clean Coal Power Plant. Ras Al
Khaimah, UAE
2017 Project Manager. Dubai Creek Harbour Marine Works
Environmental Monitoring Services, Dinoflagellate Cyst
Study, Targeted Sediment Contamination Study. Dubai,
UAE
2017 Project Manager. Private Island Development Marine
Ecological Monitoring, Dubai, UAE
2016 Project Manager. ESIA Jumeirah Islands Lakes Effluent
Discharge Line. Dubai, UAE
2016 Project Manager. King Abdullah Economic City Canal
Water and Sediment Quality Study. KAEC, KSA
2016 Project Manager. King Abdullah Economic City
Desalination Plant Marine Environmental Baseline Study.
KAEC, KSA
8.2 Technical Documents
Vegetation, Reptile and Avifauna Baseline Surveys, AMAALA Staff
Village
Vegetation, Reptile and
Avifauna Baseline Surveys
AMAALA Staff Village
September 2021
Company Name Beacon Development
Document Number 83067-AMLA-TREP-19SEP21-033-Rev00
Vegetation, Reptile and Avifauna Baseline

Document Title Survey Baseline Surveys, AMAALA Staff
Village
Report Date Sept 19, 2021
Christopher Clarke, PhD
Prepared by Ricardo Ramalho, PhD
David Wells
Reviewed by Stephen Crute, PhD
Submitted to AMAALA
Revision Number 00
Date of Revision NA
Revised by NA
Approved by Abdulaziz M. Al-Suwailem, PhD
Date of Approval Sept 19, 2021
Date of Transmission Sept 19, 2021

University of Science and Technology. It is not to be disclosed or reproduced without prior
written permission of the Beacon Development Company.
Please note that unless our contract references otherwise, all reports are considered
date.
Cover Photo - BDC, 2021

2
1
Sl. No.
00
01
Revision No.
NA
REVISION HISTORY
Reason for Revision
NA
Date of Revision
NA

the Rapporteur
NA

the Reviewer
NA

the Approver
NA
Date of Approval
Contents

1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................ 1
1.1 Scope of Survey ......................................................................................... 1
1.2 Project Description ..................................................................................... 1
1.3 Project Site Description .............................................................................. 2
1.4 Relationship to Other Reports ..................................................................... 4
2 SPECIALIST TEAM ........................................................................... 5
3 TERRESTRIAL FLORA ...................................................................... 8
3.1 Survey Methodology ................................................................................... 8
3.2 Coverage of Vegetation Survey................................................................... 9
3.3 Survey Results ......................................................................................... 10
3.3.1 Habitats of the Project Site ............................................................................... 10
3.3.2 Vegetation Survey Results ................................................................................ 15
4 REPTILE SURVEY ........................................................................... 18
4.1 Preamble ................................................................................................. 18
4.2 Survey Methodology ................................................................................. 19
4.2.1 Weather Conditions .......................................................................................... 19
4.3 Survey Results ......................................................................................... 19
5 AVIFAUNA SURVEY ........................................................................ 20
5.2 Survey Results ......................................................................................... 20
5.2.1 Staff Village ...................................................................................................... 20
5.2.2 Wadi Valleys .................................................................................................... 21
6 OTHER OBSERVATIONS ................................................................ 22
6.1 Archaeology and Cultural Heritage ............................................................ 22
6.1.1 Preamble .......................................................................................................... 22
6.1.2 Desktop Research ............................................................................................ 22
6.1.3 Walkover Results .............................................................................................. 23
6.2 Land Quality ............................................................................................. 23
7 REFERENCES ................................................................................. 24
APPENDIX A - CONSERVATION CLASSIFICATIONS ................................. 25
List of Tables
Table 2-1 Overview of Specialists and their Relevant Experience ............................. 5

Table 3-1 Quadrat Co-ordinates .............................................................................. 9
Table 3-2 Transect Co-ordinates ............................................................................. 9
Table 3-3 Plant Diversity of Survey Locations ........................................................ 16
Table 5-1 Ornithological Survey Results, Staff Village ........................................... 20
Table 5-2 Ornithological Survey Results, Wadi Valleys .......................................... 21
List of Figures

Figure 1-2 Satellite Map .......................................................................................... 3
Figure 1-3 Topographical Map ................................................................................ 3
Figure 1-4 Site Photographs ................................................................................... 4
Figure 3-1 Survey Locations ................................................................................. 10
Figure 3-2 Terrestrial Habitat Map (AECOM, 2020) ................................................ 11
Figure 3-3 Updated Terrestrial Habitat Map ........................................................... 12
Figure 3-4 Coastal Plains on Well-drained Rocky or Gravelly Terrain Habitat ......... 13
Figure 3-5 Coastal Plains on Well-drained Sandy Ground ...................................... 13
Figure 3-6 Mesa Cliffs ........................................................................................... 14
Figure 3-7 Wadis in Open Terrain ......................................................................... 15
Figure 4-1 Distribution of the Spiny-tailed Lizard (IUCN, 2012)............................... 18
Figure 6-1 Archaeological and Cultural Heritage Features in Close Proximity to the
Project Site .......................................................................................................... 22
List of Acronyms
DD Data Deficient
EN Endangered
EW Extinct in the Wild
GCC Gulf Cooperation Council
GPS Global Positioning System
IUCN International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources
LC Least Concern
NE Not Evaluated
NT Near Threatened
VU Vulnerable
WGS World Geodetic System

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Introduction
Beacon Development Company (BDC) has been appointed by AMAALA to undertake

vegetation, reptile and avifauna baseline surveys of the proposed Staff Village development
(the Project’).
The scope of the surveys comprised the following:
1. Terrestrial flora survey;
2. Avifauna survey;
3. Reptile survey; and
4. General walkover to identify any areas of potential land contamination or

cultural heritage and archaeological features and artefacts.
It is understood that AMAALA have commissioned a third-party to undertake ambient air

quality and noise monitoring across the Project site.
Proposed Development
In order to support the development of AMAALA, the Staff Village is required to provide
office and living accommodation.
Summary of Survey Findings
Terrestrial Flora
A total of 23 different plant species were found within the Project area, by far the majority
being restricted to a small wadi. Elsewhere, vegetation was near absent, apart from within
small runnels, where found. No plants found within the project area are internationally
threatened. The species most often encountered were typical of shoreline areas for example
Limonium axillare and Tetraena alba.
BDC has updated the existing habitat mapping for the Staff Village (AECOM, 2020) based
upon the field survey.
Reptiles
No relevant reptile activity was detected within the area proposed for development, except at
one location where a single reptile species was recorded. Small sized lacertid lizard,
possibly Mesalina sp., was recorded, however, it evaded capture in a burrow and therefore
full identification was not possible.
No evidence of Spiny-tailed Lizards (Uromastyx aegyptia) was recorded.
Avifauna
An avifauna survey was undertaken in April 2021 on the Staff Village Project site and
adjacent wadi valleys. All species found on the Project site have been classified by the
International Union of Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as being of Least Concern with regards
to conservation. The survey of the wadi valleys also recorded species mostly of Least
KAUST BDC I AMAALA | Vegetation, Reptile and Avifauna Baseline Surveys I

Concern for conservation, however, the Eurasian turtle dove (Streptopelia turtur), a
migratory species considered as Vulnerable to extinction by IUCN was confirmed to be
present.

No archaeological or cultural heritage features or artefacts have been identified through
desk-top research or the walkover survey. The walkover showed minimal anthropogenic
influence and potential archaeological sites, however, a makeshift musalla (prayer area) was
noted on-site.
Land Quality
No potentially-contaminative activities were noted on-site with the exception of the
Coastguard facility. It is likely that the facility will be equipped with a generator and a storage
tank for diesel. These would represent a potential contamination source.
KAUST BDC I AMAALA | Vegetation, Reptile and Avifauna Baseline Surveys II

1 INTRODUCTION
1.1 Scope of Survey

(the Project’).
2. Avifauna survey;
4. General observations to identify any areas of potential land contamination

or cultural heritage and archaeological features and artefacts.

This report comprises the record of the survey methods and fieldwork undertaken. Where
applicable the results have been summarised and compared to relevant standards.
The Coordinate System World Geodetic System - 1984 (WGS-1984) is used within this
report unless stated otherwise.
1.2 Project Description

In order to support the development of AMAALA, the Staff Village will provide office and
living accommodation. Three site options were proposed and the final choice has resulted in
the selection of a location on the coast between Duba and Al Wajh. The location of selected
site for the Staff Village is shown in Figure 1-1.
KAUST BDC I AMAALA | Staff Village Vegetation, Reptile and Avifauna Baseline Surveys Page 1 of 28
1.3 Project Site Description

The Project area forms an extension of the northern Tihamah Plain (Tihamat Al-Hejaz). This
is characterised primarily by extensive gravel sheets, which may be covered by sand sheets
of varying degrees of thickness locally. The width of the plain varies across the Saudi
coastline. In some areas, it can exceed 30 km in width, whereas near the Staff Village site,
the plain is no more than 2.6 km wide. The plain is backed by mountains that rise to over
100 m (Figure 1-2 and Figure 1-3). The mountains are in places intersected by wadis that
rise from higher mountains further inland. Low hills outcropping through the gravel sheets
channel the flow of these wadis.
The Project site varies little in topography, varying from sea level to 10 m. It surrounds a
natural cove with a sandy bay (Figure 1-4A), however, the seaward facing areas fall to the
sea as steep cliffs several metres high (Figure 1-4B). There is no evidence of any
settlement, though human influence is evident in the form of windblown rubbish in general
and flotsam along the sandy beach. Built structures include a makeshift musalla (prayer area
- see Figure 1-4C), a marker post inscribed with ‘TDC 90’ (Figure 1-4D), and a coastguard
station that has been recently built. The substrate is fossilised coral with sand. In a few
places, where Limonium axillare has established, some organic matter is also mixed with the
sand. Grazing is evident, however, vegetation coverage is not sufficient to support a
continuous presence of animals.
Figure 1-2 Satellite Map
Figure 1-3 Topographical Map
Figure 1-4 Site Photographs
A. Sandy Bay within the cove B. Edge of cliff
C. Flat plain with moutains in the

D. Marker Post.
background that rise to 100 m.
1.4 Relationship to Other Reports

BDC is unaware of any other baseline survey reports pertaining to the Project site.
2 SPECIALIST TEAM
BDC employs a range of specialists with a depth and breadth of experience in field survey
assessments as well as in environmental and social impact assessment and environmental
monitoring.
Table 2-1 provides an overview of BDC specialists involved in the Project baseline field
surveys, and their relevant experience.
Table 2-1 Overview of Specialists and their Relevant Experience
Key Specialist and

Qualifications Experience Overview
Responsibilities
Dr Stephen Crute has over thirty years’
experience in ecological studies and
assessment, including 13 years in the Gulf
Cooperation Council States much of which
has been based in Saudi Arabia or on Saudi
projects.
He has a background in Environmental and
Social Impact Assessment with a specialism
in terrestrial ecology. His doctoral research
was based on Computer Simulations of
Population Dynamics and Ecosystems.
Dr Crute has lived and worked extensively in
Saudi Arabia and has planned, directed and
Stephen Crute conducted a wide range of terrestrial ecology
surveys throughout the Kingdom. He has a
Environmental PhD Population particular interest in mammals and especially
Specialist dynamics and bats and their role in the ecosystem.
Ecology Specialist ecosystem Dr Crute has conducted ESIA throughout the
analysis. world, working on major infrastructure
Scientific Supervisor projects, including within Saudi Arabia, Ras al
Khair for the Royal Commission and Jazan for
Saudi Aramco. He is experienced in working
with master planners and a wide range of
project types, including transportation,
tourism, energy projects and real estate
developments. His projects as a Project
Director, Project Manager or Lead Author
have included ESIA to international standards
including IFC and World Bank. He has also
worked as an environmental advisor to the
Central and West Asia division of the Asian
Development Bank and has recently produced
a best practice guidance note on impact
assessment for this unit.
Damien is a renowned reptile and amphibian
specialist, author of the Field Guide to the
Damien M. Egan Snakes of the Arabian Peninsula and its
Environmental Shores and Snakes of the Middle East (due
Consultant for publishing in 2021).
Reptile Specialist Formerly the Head of Department for
Herpetology & Freshwater Fisheries at the
Breeding Centre for Endangered Arabian
Key Specialist and
Responsibilities
Wildlife, Damien is an experienced aquarist
and curator as well as being a field scientist.
Damien has recently completed a long-term
study of reptiles and amphibians in the NEOM
area.
A PhD student at the Depart of Zoology,
Charles University in Prague, Lukas has an
interest in the evolution, biogeography, and
systematics of the squamate reptiles on the
Middle East. His master’s thesis was on
concerned the Phylogeography of the
Lukas Pola Bunopus geckos (Squamata, Gekkonidae) in
Environmental the Arabian Peninsula. Lukas has a very
MSc Zoology,
Consultant robust knowledge of, in particular, Middle
BSc Zootechnics Eastern lizards and has significant amount of
Reptile Specialist
field experience in the Middle East. Lukas has
recently completed a long-term study of
reptiles and amphibians in the NEOM area.
As well as studying, Lukas is also an
Assistant Zookeeper of reptiles, amphibians,
and invertebrates at the Zoological and
Botanical Garden in Pilsen.
Abhishekh has fifteen years’ experience in
Geographic Information System and Remote
Sensing Applications, including 10 years in
Post Graduate in Saudi Arabia.
Abhishekh P. Vijayan
Applied Geology Abhishekh has effectively used GIS and
Senior GIS Specialist with specialisation Remote Sensing techniques in various
in mineral environmental projects such as Environmental
GIS Mapping exploration using Sensitivity Index mapping and Coastal
hyperspectral Remediation and Restoration project along
Remote Sensing
remote sensing. the Arabian Gulf coast of KSA. Since
November 2017, he has been supporting
BDC’s Red Sea and NEOM projects as senior
GIS specialist.
Dr Christopher Clarke has over 30 years’
experience of environmental surveys, starting
as leader of an expedition looking for rare
birds of south-western Ecuador in 1989 on
behalf of the International Council for Bird
Chartered Preservation (Birdlife International). Since
Christopher Clarke Environmentalist then, he has carried out field studies in
Mauritania, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Lesotho,
Senior Project PhD Environmental Oman, Qatar, UK, and Peru.
Manager Sciences (Land
restoration) He has been working with BDC as Senior
Project Manager for 18 months, all work
Terrestrial Flora BSc Honours based in Saudi Arabia, during which time he
Surveys Environmental has carried out 14 floral and cultural heritage
Sciences surveys in the NEOM area.
Previously he was Environmental Manager for
AlSafa Environmental and Technical Services
in Oman for seven years and Founding
Director of Anglo Articles Environmental
Consultancy in Mauritania (West Africa) for
Key Specialist and
Responsibilities
four years, during which he carried out
cultural heritage and floral surveys.
Besides the flora of Arabia, his other
taxonomic experience includes birds of UK,
birds of Ecuadorian Dry Forest, reef fish of
Oman, zooplankton of UK potable water and
invertebrates of UK freshwaters. He has
published peer reviewed papers on his
studies of UK heathlands and South American
birds and one paper on turtles of the Red Sea
is under review.
Dr Clarke has carried out cultural heritage
surveys in Turkey (1988), Mauritania (2007),
and Oman (2010-2019) besides Saudi Arabia.
He is currently writing a paper on the Early
Islamic Mosques of Oman.
3 TERRESTRIAL FLORA
3.1 Survey Methodology

The field survey was conducted on the 9 th May 2021. The aim of the survey was to carry out
an assessment of vegetation diversity by examining quadrats and transects spread across
the Project area.
In the field, quadrats were located by searching for the co-ordinates of each grid square with
the aid of a Global Positioning System (GPS) device. Once found, the four corner points
were determined using a tape measure. These were then staked out using tent pegs and a
tape was placed around the boundary.
Plant species encountered within the quadrat area were counted and identified using
Collenette’s Illustrated Guide to the Flowers of Saudi Arabia (Collenette, 1985), Mandaville’s
Flora of Eastern Saudi Arabia (Mandaville, 1990), Jongbloed’s Wildflowers of the United
Arab Emirates (Jongbloed, 2003), and Pickering and Patzelt’s Field Guide to the Wild Plants
of Oman (Pickering & Patzelt, 2008). Plants that were not common were photographed and
identification was carried out after fieldwork. The photographic record includes details of
general habitat, foliage, and where possible the flower and fruit.
follows:
• D - Species observed is "Dominant" in a given area;
• A - Species observed is "Abundant" in a given area;
• F - Species observed is "Frequent" in a given area;
• O - Species observed is "Occasional" in a given area; and
• R - Species observed is "Rare" in a given area.
At each quadrat, a form was completed recording a series of attributes including: species
presence, abundance and provisional habitat type. Field data was later extracted and
transferred into a data matrix.
All photographic landscape shots and soils were taken using an iPhone. Photographic
profiles of plants which could not be immediately identified in the field were also taken -this
avoided the need to collect voucher herbarium specimens.
A habitat 1 map for AMAALA had already been prepared by a third party prior to the field
survey (AECOM, 2020). This map was amended and updated based upon this survey.
1 The correct term is biotope but for the sake of consistency with previous reports, this report will continue to use
the word ‘habitat’.
3.2 Coverage of Vegetation Survey
A total of seven quadrats measuring 10 m by 10 m (100 m 2 ) were examined (categorised as
P1-P7). The co-ordinates of each quadrat are shown in Table 3-1. Co-ordinates for start and
end of the two transects are given in Table 3-2. The spatial distribution of the quadrats is
Table 3-1 Quadrat Co-ordinates
Quadrat Name Latitude Longitude
P1 26.7257567 36.12828
P2 26.72652452 36.12783
P3 26.72486398 36.12637
P3 26.72477281 36.12621
P4 26.72419133 36.12313
P5 26.72360123 36.12261
P6 26.72594593 36.11885
P7 26.7257567 36.12828
Table 3-2 Transect Co-ordinates
T1 Start 26.727113° 36.126640°
T1 End 26.726976° 36.126535°
T2 Start 26.728835°, 36.123115°
T2 End 26.729961° 36.121804°
3.3 Survey Results

3.3.1 Habitats of the Project Site
The existing habitat map (AECOM, 2020) identified five different habitats within the Project
boundary (Figure 3-2) and these are:
• Coastal Plains on Well-drained Rocky or Gravelly Terrain;
• Coastal Plains on Well-drained Sandy Ground;
• Mesa Cliffs South Aspect;
• Other Industry (in this case a Coastguard station); and
• Wadis in Open Terrain and Drainage Channels.
Figure 3-2 Terrestrial Habitat Map (AECOM, 2020)
The dominant habitat type within the Project area is the Coastal Plains on Well-drained
Rocky or Gravelly Terrain. Based on the evidence collected from the site visit the habitat
map has subsequently been updated by BDC (Figure 3-3) and 10 different habitat classes
have been identified within the Project site and a 100 meter buffer:
• Beach Rock and Graverly Beaches;
• Mesa Cliffs East Aspect;
• Mesa Cliffs North Aspect;
• Mesa Cliffs West Aspect;
• Other Industry (in this case a Coastguard station);
• Sandy Beaches; and
Figure 3-3 Updated Terrestrial Habitat Map
Coastal Plains on Well-drained Rocky or Gravelly Terrain

By far the majority of the Project site is composed of this habitat type. As its name implies, it
is composed of gravels or rocks. Vegetation is virtually non-existent, however, in some
cases, there is a very sparse cover of dwarf, mildly halophytic shrubs (Figure 3-4). Small
runnels contain scant vegetation such as Limonium axillare and Tetraena cinerea. Only few
plants develop in the areas that contain deposits of wind-blown sand, but there is potential
for perennials after good rains.
Although rainfall is low over the project area in general, extra moisture is gained from sea
spray, particularly near cliffs. This explains the general greater cover of vegetation nearest
the cliffs.
Quadrats P1-P7 were all carried in this habitat type.
Figure 3-4 Coastal Plains on Well-drained Rocky or Gravelly Terrain Habitat
Coastal Plains on Well-drained Sandy Ground

Within the Project area, this habitat type is only found by the littoral, and a transect was
carried out just outside the project boundary as this area had the greatest plant coverage
from this habitat (Figure 3-5). Nevertheless, only three species were found in this habitat
type; Limonium axillare, Tetraena propinqua and Tetraena alba. These species are
characteristic of coastal areas.
Figure 3-5 Coastal Plains on Well-drained Sandy Ground
Mesa Cliffs South Aspect

In some locations, hills that are found near the coast are the result of elevated fossil
coralline reefs, and these are developed as mesas, i.e. hills that have a flat top and usually
steep sides. The harder top layer is undermined by a softer lower layer, causing the top layer
to overhang. Eventually the overhang fractures, and rocks roll down the slope leading to an
accumulation of large boulders at the foot of the mesa. Depending on the direction of uplift
experienced by the reef, which occurred during the Quaternary, the top may be distinctly
tilted, so that one side rises more gently (Figure 3-6).
Mesa cliffs take up a tiny fraction of the project site so were not surveyed for his report. In
AMAALA in general, south-facing mesa cliffs are colonised by Anabasis setifera, Limonium
axillare, Suaeda monoica, and Tetraena simplex.
Figure 3-6 Mesa Cliffs
Note: This photograph taken from MP4 area
Wadis in Open Terrain, and Drainage Channels

Plant cover and diversity is greater in the wadi areas due to the higher moisture availability,
as the wadis channel water during rare rainfall events (Figure 3-7). Typical species found
include Aizoon canariense, Anastatica hierochuntica, Cyperus conglomeratus, Erodium
laciniatum, Euphorbia retusa, Fagonia paulayana, Haloxylon salicornicum, Limonium axillare,
Lycium shawii, Lotononis platycarpa, Lotus glinoides, Lycium shawii, Panicum turgidum,
Polycarpaea robbairea, Salsola imbricata, Salsola vermiculata, Senna italic, Tetraena alba,
Tetraena coccinea, Tetraena decumbens, Tetraena propinqua, Tetraena simplex, and
Vachellia gerrardii.
For this survey, Transect 1 was carried out along this habitat type that is marked in the
AMAALA Habitat Map as within Coastal Plains within Rocky or Gravelly Terrain (AECOM,
2020), however, the localised characteristics match those of Wadis in Open Terrain. T1P7
Figure 3-7 Wadis in Open Terrain
3.3.2 Vegetation Survey Results

Status of Plants
moisture availability was greater. Elsewhere, plants were virtually non-existent, apart from
along the littoral. There was no evidence of recent rainfall, however, grazing was apparent
on the larger shrubs and Cyperus conglomeratus.
Degradation of Site
A coastguard station has recently been built in the site, with an access track. The project site
also lies in the path of a coastal track, used by coastguards and hunters for reaching coastal
areas, and there was some evidence of off-piste driving throughout the site. Apart from this,
there was no other evidence of degradation, thanks to the remoteness of the area. As in
most places in Saudi Arabia, scattered litter was found.
Abundance of Plants
A total of 23 plant species were recorded within the project site. Table 3-3 lists the species
found and shows the level of abundance (according to the DAFOR scale) at each quadrat or
transect. The much higher diversity at the wadi habitat (column 2) compared to the other
habitat types is striking.
Aizoon canariense R
Anastatica
O
hierochuntica
Cyperus
R
conglomeratus
Euphorbia retusa R
Fagonia paulayana R
Haloxylon
R
salicornicum
Lotus glinoides R
Lycium shawii R
Panicum turgidum R
Polycarpaea
R
robbairea
Salsola imbricata R
Senna italica R
Tetraena alba R
Tetraena coccinea R
Tetraena simplex O
Categories. Details on conservation classifications can be found in Appendix A.
4 REPTILE SURVEY
4.1 Preamble
Peninsula as well as east of the Nile in Egypt, southern Israel, and north-eastern and
southern Jordan (Figure 4-1). It is a diurnal, ground-dwelling species that prefers higher
ambient temperatures to be active, while on cooler winter days they may remain inactive in
their burrows or with short peaks of activity in the warmer periods of the day. Adult
specimens are almost exclusively vegetarian, feeding on a range of plant species including
very poor-quality grasses. They have a preference for gravel plains, interdunal plains and
flat wadi beds with scattered vegetation and low hills and typically avoid habitats with soft
sand.
Figure 4-1 Distribution of the Spiny-tailed Lizard (IUCN, 2012)
expected to continue into the future (Wilms, et al., 2012). The Spiny-tailed Lizard is also
classified as a national High Conservation Priority species (NCWDC, 2005).
The species is declining due to pressure from the international pet and medicinal trade as
well as disappearing habitat due to over-grazing, human development, agricultural
expansion, and reclamation, waste deposition, hunting and off-road driving.
During a reconnaissance site visit of the Staff Village Project site in April 2021, locations
were noted where the species was likely to occur and there was some evidence for low
density presence to the east of the proposed development site. As such, further surveys
were undertaken on-site to confirm their presence or absence.

The Project site was visited on 23 rd August 2021 in the morning hours to cover morning
activity patterns of diurnal lizards (lacertids, Acanthodactylus spp. or Mesalina spp. and
agamids, Trapelus sp.) and snakes (such as Sand Snake, Psammophis schokari), given the
time of the year. Evidence of any lizard burrows or snake tracks was recorded.
A diurnal driven transect was completed driving slowly (up to a maximum speed of 20 km/hr)
across the Project site making use of existing roads and tracks whenever possible.
Experienced observers surveyed both sides of the vehicle (covering a minimum of 50 m to
each side) looking for reptiles and/or evidence of their presence (such as burrows and other
tracks and signs). Where habitat favourable to the occurrence of reptiles was encountered
walked transects were conducted aiming to further the chances of finding evidence of the
reptile’s presence. Walked transects were also used to explore areas where no easy access
was possible for the vehicle (such as raised hills with steep slopes). A total of six walked
transects were performed.
4.2.1 Weather Conditions

The temperature was more or less constant with very high humidity, with mild westerly
breeze.
4.3 Survey Results

recorded. Small sized lacertid lizard, apparently Mesalina sp. was recorded, however, it
evaded capture in a burrow and therefore full identification was not possible.
5 AVIFAUNA SURVEY

A site visit was conducted in April 2021. The surveyor scanned the area using binoculars
and recorded all contacts with birds through time spent within the survey area. A further two,
30 minute point counts were conducted where all contacts made with birds were recorded in
each particular location.
5.2 Survey Results

as these are often important bird habitats. These surveys provided site-specific data on the
Staff Village as well as any seasonal migratory birds of interest.
5.2.1 Staff Village

All species found on the Project site have been classified by IUCN as being of Least
Concern with regards to their conservation status. The counts in spring included migratory
birds so it is anticipated that the resident birds on-site are few in number (Table 5-1).
Woodchat shrike Lanius senator 1 LC
Greater hoopoe lark Alaemon alaudipes 2 LC
5.2.2 Wadi Valleys
The wadi valleys provide additional plant cover and feeding grounds for migratory and
resident birds, especially during spring season. As such, the wadi valleys adjacent to the
Project site were also surveyed to ensure that nearby habitats that maybe affected by the
Early Works Phase were full considered.
The survey recorded a number of species which were also of Least Concern (Table 5-2).
Only the Eurasian turtle dove (Streptopelia turtur) is classed by IUCN as Vulnerable. The
Wadis Scientific Name Count IUCN
Eurasian golden oriole Oriolus oriolus 4 LC
Eurasian turtle dove Streptopelia turtur 1 V
6 OTHER OBSERVATIONS
6.1 Archaeology and Cultural Heritage

6.1.1 Preamble
The areas along the coastlines and on islands were used to exploit the marine food
resource. Ancient coastal settlements also occur and became particularly developed during
the Nabataean and Roman periods.
6.1.2 Desktop Research

work in 2019 and 2020. There are none present within the footprint of the Early Works Phase
(Figure 6-1).
Project Site
6.1.3 Walkover Results
Walkover in the Staff Village Project site showed minimal anthropogenic influence and
potential archaeological sites. As shown in Figure 1-4C, a makeshift musalla (prayer area)
was noted on-site.
6.2 Land Quality

7 REFERENCES
Abuzinada, A. H. (2005). First Saudi Arabian National Report on the Convention on
Biological Diversity. The National Commission for Wildlife Conservation and
Development .
AECOM. (2020). Habitat Classification Map Book -Terrestrial and Marine Habitats.
BirdLife International. (2017). Streptopelia turtur. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-3.RLTS.T22690419A119457869.en.
Collenette, S. (1985). Illustrated Guide to the Flowers of Saudi Arabia (1st ed.).
IUCN. (2012, February 07). Egyptian Spiny–tailed Lizard. Retrieved March 03, 2021, from
https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/164729/115304711#geographic-range
Jongbloed, M. (2003). The Comprehensive Guide to the Wild Flowers of the United Arab
Emirates (1st ed.). Abu Dhabi: ERWDA.
Kent, M., & Coker, P. (1992). Vegetation description and analysis: A practical approach.
Mandaville, J. P. (1990). Flora of Eastern Saudi Arabia (1st ed.). London: Kegan Paul.
NCWDC. (2005). First Saudi Arabian National Report on the Convention of Biodiversity.
Riyadh: National Commission for Wildlife Conservation and Development.
Pickering, H., & Patzelt, A. (2008). Field Guide to the Wild Plants of Oman. Kew Publishing,
UK. (1st ed.). London: Kew Publishing.
United Nations. (1992). Convention on Biological Diversity.
Wilms, T., Eid, E., Al Johany, A., Amr, Z., Els, J., Baha El Din, S., . . . Werner, Y. (2012).
Uromastyx aegyptia. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Retrieved March 04,
2021, from https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/164729/115304711
APPENDIX A - CONSERVATION CLASSIFICATIONS
Species found as part of this report are evaluated against commitments to conserve them
from national, regional and international levels. Also evaluation of threatened status is
provided by an international conservation organisation.
IUCN Red List

From an international perspective, the global Red List developed by the IUCN classifies
species in accordance with their risk of extinction. The IUCN version 3.1 Categories are
shown in Figure A- 1. Semantic descriptions for each of these Categories is provided in
Table A- 1.
IUCN’s list of threatened species differs from those of international conventions in that the
list has been drawn up without any state involvement or commitment.
Figure A- 1 IUCN Conservation Classifications
Source: IUCN Website: accessed June 2018
Table A- 1 IUCN Extinction Risk Categories
IUCN Extinction Risk Description
A taxon is Extinct when there is no reasonable doubt that the last

individual has died. A taxon is presumed Extinct when exhaustive
surveys in known and/or expected habitat, at appropriate times
EXTINCT (EX)
(diurnal, seasonal, annual), throughout its historic range have
failed to record an individual. Surveys should be over a time
frame appropriate to the taxon's life cycle and life form.
A taxon is Extinct in the Wild when it is known only to survive in
cultivation, in captivity or as a naturalised population (or
populations) well outside the past range. A taxon is presumed
EXTINCT IN THE Extinct in the Wild when exhaustive surveys in known and/or
WILD (EW) expected habitat, at appropriate times (diurnal, seasonal,
annual), throughout its historic range have failed to record an
individual. Surveys should be over a time frame appropriate to
the taxon's life cycle and life form.
A taxon is Critically Endangered when the best available
CRITICALLY evidence indicates that it meets any of the criteria A to E for
ENDANGERED (CR) Critically Endangered and it is therefore considered to be facing
an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild.
A taxon is Endangered when the best available evidence
indicates that it meets any of the criteria A to E for Endangered
ENDANGERED (EN)
and it is therefore considered to be facing a very high risk of
extinction in the wild.
A taxon is Vulnerable when the best available evidence indicates
that it meets any of the criteria A to E for Vulnerable and it is
VULNERABLE (VU)
therefore considered to be facing a high risk of extinction in the
wild.
A taxon is Near Threatened when it has been evaluated against
NEAR THREATENED the criteria but does not qualify for Critically Endangered,
(NT) Endangered or Vulnerable now, but is close to qualifying for or is
likely to qualify for a threatened category in the near future.
A taxon is Least Concern when it has been evaluated against the
LEAST CONCERN criteria and does not qualify for Critically Endangered,
(LC) Endangered, Vulnerable or Near Threatened. Widespread and
abundant taxa are included in this category.
A taxon is Data Deficient when there is inadequate information to
make a direct, or indirect, assessment of its risk of extinction
based on its distribution and/or population status. A taxon in this
category may be well studied, and its biology well known, but
appropriate data on abundance and/or distribution are lacking.
Data Deficient is therefore not a category of threat. Listing of
taxa in this category indicates that more information is required
DATA DEFICIENT
and acknowledges the possibility that future research will show
(DD)
that threatened classification is appropriate. It is important to
make positive use of whatever data are available. In many cases
great care should be exercised in choosing between DD and a
threatened status. If the range of a taxon is suspected to be
relatively circumscribed, and a considerable period of time has
elapsed since the last record of the taxon, threatened status may
well be justified.
NOT EVALUATED A taxon is Not Evaluated when it is has not yet been evaluated
(NE) against the criteria.
Saudi High Conservation Priority Species
Saudi Arabia in its commitments to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity
(UNCBD), (United Nations, 1992) produced a listing of species considered to be of Higher
Conservation Priority (HCP). These were set out in the Kingdom’s first letter to the UNCBD
(NCWDC, 2005) and utilise a range of criterion, some of which relate to cultural importance
of species as much as conservation status. However, this is the only de facto protected list
and so is used within this Site Assessment to provide a national context. Species with High
Conservation Priority status are referred to as HCP species. The criteria used for HCP
species is set out below.
• Criterion 1 - Genera, species, or subspecies that are critically endangered,

endangered, or vulnerable (globally, regionally, or nationally); taxa which are
locally extinct in the wild may be included, provided that there is an NCWCD
policy to reintroduce them.
• Criterion 2 - Genera, species, or subspecies that are endemic to the Arabian

Peninsula, the Red Sea, or the Gulf.
• Criterion 3 - Genera, species, or subspecies of which the conservation of

populations within Saudi Arabia is essential to the conservation of the taxon (e.g.
near-endemics and migrants for which Saudi Arabia represents a critical range).
• Criterion 4 - Relict genera, species, or subspecies that are of global, regional, or

national significance.
• Criterion 5 - Genera or species of special ecological importance (i.e. fulfilling a

vitally important function in an ecosystem such as providing a key habitat for
other species, serving as indicator species, etc.).
• Criterion 6 - Genera of species of significant economic importance.
• Criterion 7 - Genera or species that serve a “flagship” function (i.e. high-profile

species of cultural value, the protection of which will also protect large numbers
of other species that share their habitats).
Source: (NCWDC, 2005).
2001 Convention on the Conservation of Wildlife and their

Natural Habitats in the countries of the GCC (CCW)
The Convention is the first legal instrument binding the six member States of the Gulf
Cooperation Council (GCC) to coordinate their activities toward the conservation of wildlife
and natural habitats. It was signed on 30 December 2001 in Muscat, came into force in April
2003 when Saudi Arabia issued Royal Decree M/54 entitled Accession to the Convention on
the Conservation of Wildlife and their Natural Habitats in the countries of the GCC. This was
issued on 15/8/1424H.
This Convention has been ratified by all the GCC countries including Saudi Arabia. It aims to
preserve ecosystems and wildlife in a healthy and growing state, especially endangered
species and to raise the level of conservation of animal and plant fungi and their habitats.
The Convention also aims at encouraging cooperation among GCC states and affirming their
obligations under international agreements.
Appendix 1 lists flora that must be conserved in natural habitats. This includes banning or
regulating the uprooting or felling any parts of these plants or collecting their seeds save for
authorised scientific or research purposes. Appendix 2 of this Convention lists fauna that
must be conserved and for which hunting is banned.
8.3 Project Maps
8.4 Documents Related to Public Participation
AMAALA is committed to Stakeholder Engagement and Public Participation. The aim is
intended to demonstrate the developer's commitment to fulfil the requirements of relevant
KSA legislation, as well as adopting an international good practice a pproach to engagement
(as prescribed by the IFC Environmental and Social Performance Standards).
AMAALA Website
The AMAALA website has been available since 2018 and has copies of the concept
masterplans and other project information including the companies environmental and
sustainability policies. The website includes contact details for the project. Public
consultation and information enquiries are directed via the AMAALA administration and
media relations teams.
National and International Media

AMAALA has featured in national and international media and has been featured in industry
related media and events for tourism and development. Nationally the project has featured in
national and regional news feeds and papers along with information on the company website
links or contacts to allow feedback.
Social Media
AMAALA is active in national and international social media, including Twitter, LinkedIn,
Facebook, etc., posting information about the projects and masterplans. Comments and
responses are collated by the AMAALA social media team.
Please note that TRSDC has appointed University of Tabuk to undertake social baseline
assessment for AMAALA. Social surveys for AMAALA will be undertaken in March 2022.
Tanmiah is a government authority for undertaking soci al surveys, however, it will no longer
be involved with AMAALA.
8.5 References
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AECOM, 2021c. The Island Masterplan ESIA Baseline Environment, s.l.: s.n.
AECOM, 2021. ESIA of Triple Bay Masterplan, s.l.: s.n.
Albugami, S., Palmer, S., Cinnamon, J. & Meersmans, J., 2019. Spatial and Temporal
Variations in the Incidence of Dust Storms in Saudi Arabia Revealed from In Situ
Observations. Geosciences, 9(4).
Alhowaish, A. K., Al-Shihri, F. S. & Ahmed, S. M., 2014. Inter-Sectoral Linkages and
Economic Growth in Saudi Arabia: Toward a Successful Long -term Development Strategy.
International Journal of Science and Research, 3(8), p. 1654.
BDC, 2019a. Rapid Environmental Baseline Assessment Report, s.l.: s.n.
BDC, 2019b. June 2019 Turtle Survey Results Suggested Mitigation Plan for Amaala DMP,
s.l.: s.n.
BDC, 2019c. June 2019 Avifauna Survey Results Suggested Mitigation Plan for Amaala
DMP, s.l.: s.n.
BDC, 2020a. Sooty Falcon Setback Mitigation Report, s.l.: s.n.
BDC, 2020d. Invertebrate and Reptile Risk Assessment Survey - First Report, s.l.: s.n.
BDC, 2020e. AMAALA Regional Marine Habitat Mapping, s.l.: s.n.
BDC, 2020f. Amaala Marine Environmental Baseline Survey Report, s.l.: s.n.
BDC, 2021a. AMAALA Marine Megafauna Review and Observational Reporting, s.l.: s.n.
BDC, 2021b. Staff Village Vegetation, Reptile and Avifauna Baseline Surveys, s.l.: s.n.
Bendak, S. I., 2011. An in-depth analysis of red light crossing problem in Saudi Arabia.
Adavcnes in Transportation Studies, Volume B25, pp. 67-74.
Binyah, 20 February 2021. Daily Environmental Report, s.l.: s.n.
BirdLife International, 2017. Streptopelia turtur., s.l.: The IUCN Red List of Threatened
Species doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-3.RLTS.T22690419A119457869.en.
Bruckner, A. et al., 2011. Khaled bin sultan living oceans foundation atlas of Saudi Arabian
Red Sea marine habitats. Arizona: Panoramic Press.
Buro Happold and Five Oceans, August 2021. AMAALA Critical Habitat Assessment, s.l.:
s.n.
Buro Happold, 2019. Interpretation of Regional Oceanographic Report, s.l.: s.n.
Buro Happold, 2020. Water, Water Level Analysis and Consequent Design
Recommendations, s.l.: s.n.
Center for International Communication, 2018. Saudi Water Desalination Capacity Sets
Global Record at 5 Million Cubic Meters a Day. [Online]
Available at: https://cic.org.sa/2018/01/saudi-water-desalination-capacity-sets-global-record-
at-5-million-cubic-meters-a-day/
CIA, 2019. The World Factbook. [Online]

Available at: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/sa.html
[Accessed 26 July 2019].
City Population, 2019. Kingdom of Saudi Arabia – Regional Populations estimates based on
2016 Demographic surveys.. [Online]
Available at: http://www.citypopulation.de/en/saudiarabia/cities/
[Accessed 10 November 2021].
Devassy, R., El-Sherbiny, M. & Al-Sofyani, A., 2017. Spatial variation in t he phytoplankton
standing stock and diversity in relation to the prevailing environmental conditions along the
Saudi Arabian coast of the northern Red Sea. Marine Biodiversity, 47(14).
DHI, October 2021. Extreme Water Levels along the Amaala Coastline, s.l.: s.n.
Enstec Services Limited, 2018a. Baseline Air Quality data for NEOM, s.l.: s.n.
Enstec Services Limited, 2018b. Air Quality Assessment of the Red Sea Project
Development, s.l.: s.n.
General Authority for Statistics, 2017. Population In Tabouk region by gender, age groups
and nationality (Saudi/Non-Saudi). [Online]
General Authority for Statistics, 2018. Environmental Indicators, s.l.: s.n.
General Authority for Statistics, 2019a. Unemployment rate. [Online]

General Authority for Statistics, 2019b. Labour Market First Quarter 2019, s.l.: s.n.
General Authority for Statistics, n.d. Tabuk Population 2010 Census. [Online]
Available at: https://www.stats.gov.sa/sites/default/files/en-tabouk-pulation-by-gender-
govnernorate-nationality_0.pdf
Gharbi, S. H., Albarakati, A. M., Alsaafani, M. A. & Saheed, P. P., 2018. Simulation of ti dal
hydrodynamics in the Red Sea using COHERENS model. Regional studies in marine
science, 22(7), pp. 49-60.
Global Water Intelligence, 2016. Saudi Arabia sacks water minister over tariff bungle.
[Online]
Available at: https://www.globalwaterintel.com/news/2016/17/saudi -arabia-sacks-water-
minister-over-tariff-bungle?dm_i=36G3,7X24,2MX9NG,PEKI,1
Government of Saudi Arabia, 2017. Vision 2030. [Online]

Available at: https://vision2030.gov.sa/en
Holman, C. et al., 2014. IAQM Guidance on the assessment of dust from demolition and
construction, London: IAQM.
Hussein, H. & Eissa, F., 2016. Identifying Hazardous Road Locations in Saudi Arabia. Global
Advanced Research Jounral of Engineering, Technology and Innovation, Volume 5, pp. 45 -
56.
IFC/EBRD, 2009. Workers' accommodation: processes and standards, s.l.: IFC/ERBD.
International Finance Corporation, 2012. IFC Performance Standards on Environmental and

Social Sustainability, s.l.: IFC.
Jacobs, October 2020. Highway 5 Traffic Assessment Report, s.l.: s.n.
Kent, M. & Coker, P., 1992. Vegetation description and analysis: A practical approach.
Masuda, H., Yoshinishi, H. & Fuchida, S., 2019. Vertical profi les of arsenic and arsenic
species transformations in deep-sea sediment, Nankai Trough, offshore Japan. Prog Earth
Planet Sci, 6(28).
MEWA, 2017. National Environment Strategy, s.l.: s.n.
Ministry of Health, 2022. Road Traffic Injuries and Deaths. [Online]

Available at: https://www.moh.gov.sa/en/Ministry/Statistics/Pages/Traffic -accidents.aspx
Minority Rights Group International, 2018. World Directory of Minorities and Indigenous
Peoples. [Online]
Available at: https://minorityrights.org/country/saudi-arabia/
Mohorjy, A. M. & Khan, M. A., 2006. Preliminary Assessment of Water Quality along the Red
Sea Coast near Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Water International, 31(1), pp. 109-115.
MoRA, 2016. UN-Habitat III - National Report: Third United Nations Conferenceon Housing
and Sustainable Urbain Development, s.l.: s.n.
Overmars, S. & Agusti, S., 2019. Latitudinal Gradient of UV Attenuation Along the Highly
Transparent Red Sea Basin. Photochemistry and Photobiology, 95(5), pp. 1267-1279.
PERSGA, 2004. Regional action plan for the conservation of marine turtles and their habitats
in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden., Jeddah: PERSGA.
Raitsos, D. E. et al., 2013. Remote Sensing the Phytoplankton Seasonal Succession of the
Red Sea. PLoS ONE, 8(6).
Reidy, S., 2019. Saudi Arabia grows wheat production. [Online]
Available at: https://www.world-grain.com/articles/11796-saudi-arabia-grows-wheat-
production
[Accessed 02 October 2021].
RGF, 2021a. Factual Site Investigation Report, s.l.: s.n.
RGJ, 2021b. Interpretative Geotechnical Investigation Report, s.l.: s.n.
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Maintenance Sector, s.l.: s.n.
Saudi Electricity Company, 2018. 2017 Annual Report, s.l.: SEC.
Saudi Gazette, 2019. Saudi Arabia's economic strength 'Very High'. [Online]
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document. [Online]
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Available at: https://www.saudi.gov.sa/wps/portal/snp/pages/saudiReportsAndStatistics
SIE, 2022. Concept Masterplan Report, AMAALA Staff Village, s.l.: s.n.
SIE, September 2021. AMAALA Staff Village Interim Concept Masterplan, s.l.: s.n.
Sofianos, S. & Johns, W. E., 2003. An Oceanic General Circulation Model (OGCM)
investigation of the Red Sea circulation: 2. Three -dimensional circulation in the Red Sea.
Journal of Geophyiscal Research Atmospheres.
Tago, A. H., 2014. KSA water consumption rate twice the world average. [Online]
Available at: http://www.arabnews.com/news/532571
Tesfamichael, D., Pitcher, T.J. & Pauly, D., 2012. Assessing Changes in Fisheries Using
Fishers’ Knowledge to Generate Long Time Series of Catch Rates: a Case Study from the
Red Sea. Ecology and Society, 19(1), p. 18.
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Available at: http://datatopics.worldbank.org/world-development-
indicators/themes/people.html
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Available at: https://tradingeconomics.com/saudi-arabia/gdp-growth
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Available at: https://www.state.gov/reports/2020-investment-climate-statements/saudi-arabia/
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Available at: http://www.arabnews.com/node/1353116
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[Online]
Available at: https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/164729/115304711
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(PM2.5 and PM10), ozone, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide and carbon monoxide.. s.l.:World
Health Organization.
Staff Village Marine Environmental Baseline Survey

Marine Environmental Baseline Survey
Staff Village,
Amaala, KSA
Survey Report
PO Box 660, Postal Code 131,

Sultanate of Oman
Phone +968 24693886
Fax +968 24696912
Marine Environmental Baseline Survey BEACON
Marine Environmental Baseline Survey
Staff Village,
Amaala, KSA
Prepared for
Issue and Revision
Rev Date Author QA/QC Approved Issue

Hayes, J., Myant-Best, C., Al
0 10/01/2022 Cross, T. Taylor, O. Draft
Balushi, S.
This document has been prepared for the above titled project and should not be relied upon or used for any other project
without first obtaining the written consent of Five Oceans Environmental Services LLC. Five Oceans Environmental
Services LLC, shall not accept responsibility or liability for this document to any party other than the client for whom it
was commissioned. The client is advised that the methodologies and technical material presented in this report remain
an intellectual property of Five Oceans Environmental Services LLC and should not be copied or distributed, in whole
or in part, to any third party other than those parties who are involved directly with the project work to which this report
relates, without our prior written consent. This restriction does not apply to all concerned authorities having an interest
in the project, the project management company, other consultants in the design and engineering team, contractors
appointed to construct the project, and other interested parties authorised by the project owner.
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Contents
1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................... 1
1.1 Project Background ........................................................................................................ 1
2 Methods ................................................................................................................................ 2
2.1 Summary of Surveys ...................................................................................................... 2
2.2 Seawater & Sediment Quality .......................................................................................... 5
2.2.1 Sampling Locations ..................................................................................................... 5
2.2.2 Seawater Quality Profiles & Sampling ........................................................................... 5
2.2.3 Seawater Quality Criteria ............................................................................................. 8
2.2.4 Plankton Sampling ...................................................................................................... 9
2.2.5 Sediment Quality Survey ............................................................................................. 9
2.2.6 Sediment Quality Criteria ........................................................................................... 10
2.2.7 Infauna Sampling ..................................................................................................... 11
2.3 Shoreline & Intertidal Survey ........................................................................................ 12
2.4 Subtidal Ground-truthing .............................................................................................. 12
2.5 Habitat Map Production ................................................................................................ 14
2.6 Coral Reefs .................................................................................................................. 14
2.6.1 Coral and Other Benthic Community Analysis ............................................................. 14
2.6.2 Coral Recruitment ..................................................................................................... 16
2.6.3 Coral Sizes ............................................................................................................... 16
2.6.4 Reef Fish .................................................................................................................. 17
2.6.5 Motile Invertebrates .................................................................................................. 17
2.7 Seagrass ...................................................................................................................... 18
2.8 Other Benthic Habitats.................................................................................................. 19
2.9 Marine Megafauna ........................................................................................................ 21
3 Results ................................................................................................................................ 22
3.1 Seawater Quality .......................................................................................................... 22
3.1.1 Seawater Profiling ..................................................................................................... 22
3.1.2 Trace and Heavy Metals ............................................................................................ 28
3.1.3 Nutrients .................................................................................................................. 30
3.1.4 Inorganics, Hydrocarbons, Microbiology and Other ..................................................... 32
3.2 Plankton ...................................................................................................................... 34
3.2.1 Zooplankton ............................................................................................................. 34
3.2.2 Phytoplankton .......................................................................................................... 34
3.3 Sediment Quality .......................................................................................................... 36
3.3.1 Particle Size .............................................................................................................. 36
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3.3.3 Correlations – Analysis of Metal Pairs ......................................................................... 40

3.3.4 Hydrocarbons and associated compounds .................................................................. 41
3.4 Infauna ....................................................................................................................... 42
3.6 Habitats and Ecology .................................................................................................... 43
3.6.1 Intertidal walkover .................................................................................................... 43
3.6.2 Overview of Staff Village Area ................................................................................... 44
3.7 Coral Reefs – Benthic Community .................................................................................. 47
3.7.1 Coral Species Richness .............................................................................................. 47
........................................................................................................... 49
........................................................................................ 54
.......................................................................................................... 56
3.7.5 Summary of Percentage Cover .................................................................................. 59
3.7.6 Coral Reefs – Reef Fish ............................................................................................. 70
3.7.7 Motile Invertebrates .................................................................................................. 79
3.8 Benthic Investigations .................................................................................................. 85
3.9 Seagrass Surveys ......................................................................................................... 93
3.10 Megafauna ................................................................................................................... 96
4 Discussion & Conclusions ...................................................................................................... 99
4.1 Seawater Quality .......................................................................................................... 99
4.1.1 Seawater Column Profiles .......................................................................................... 99
4.1.3 Nutrients .................................................................................................................. 99
4.1.4 Inorganics, hydrocarbons, microbiology and other ...................................................... 99
4.2 Plankton .................................................................................................................... 100
4.3 Sediment Quality ........................................................................................................ 101
4.3.1 Particle Size Analysis ............................................................................................... 101
4.3.2 Trace and Heavy Metals .......................................................................................... 101
4.3.3 Hydrocarbons ......................................................................................................... 102
4.4 Infauna ..................................................................................................................... 102
4.5 Habitats & Ecology ..................................................................................................... 102
4.5.1 Coral Reefs............................................................................................................. 102
4.5.2 Coral Size and Frequency ........................................................................................ 103
4.5.3 Fish ....................................................................................................................... 106
4.5.4 Invertebrates ......................................................................................................... 106
4.5.5 Intertidal ................................................................................................................ 106
4.5.6 Benthic Investigations ............................................................................................. 106
4.5.7 Seagrass ................................................................................................................ 107
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4.5.8 Megafauna ............................................................................................................. 107

4.5.9 Existing Impacts ..................................................................................................... 108
5 References ..........................................................................................................................109
Appendix 1 – Laboratory Results .................................................................................................115
Appendix 2 – Plankton and Infauna Results .................................................................................116
Appendix 3 – Sediment Statistical Analysis ...................................................................................117
Appendix 4 – Habitat Map Ground-truthing ..................................................................................118
Appendix 5 – Corals ...................................................................................................................120
Appendix 6 – Epibenthic Community Data ...................................................................................124
Appendix 7 – Reef Fish ...............................................................................................................125
Appendix 8 – Benthic Investigation Data .....................................................................................131
Appendix 9 – Seagrass ...............................................................................................................146
Appendix 10 – Marine Megafauna ...............................................................................................149
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Table of Figures
Figure 1-1 Proposed Staff Village development (BDC, 2021). ..................................................... 1
Figure 2-1 Location of all conducted surveys for the Staff Coastal Village. .................................. 4
Figure 2-2 Locations of all water and sediment sampling sites. .................................................. 6
Figure 2-3 Locations of intertidal walkover survey. .................................................................. 12

Figure 2-4 Location of all ground-truthing surveys. ................................................................. 13
Figure 2-5 Coastal-intertidal walkover and georeferenced photo locations. ............................... 14
Figure 2-6 Example CPCe screenshot. .................................................................................... 15

Figure 2-7 Location of detailed coral reef survey sites. ............................................................ 16
Figure 2-8 Seagrass survey sites. ........................................................................................... 18
Figure 2-9 Location of all benthic investigations. ..................................................................... 20
Figure 3-1 Seawater temperature profiles ............................................................................... 22
Figure 3-2 Seawater specific conductivity profiles. ................................................................... 23
Figure 3-3 Seawater salinity profiles. ...................................................................................... 24

Figure 3-4 Seawater pH profiles. ............................................................................................ 25
Figure 3-5 Seawater dissolved oxygen (mg/L) profiles. ............................................................ 26
Figure 3-6 Seawater turbidity profiles. .................................................................................... 27

Figure 3-7 Sediment composition. .......................................................................................... 37
Figure 3-8 Correlation matrix of sediment heavy metals. ......................................................... 40

Figure 3-9 Example of habitats present within the project area. ............................................... 43
Figure 3-10 Supervised habitat map for the project area ........................................................... 45
Figure 3-11 Example of habitats present within the project area. ............................................... 46
Figure 3-12 Hard-coral species within the survey area. .............................................................. 48
Figure 3-13 Coral recruit density within the survey area. ........................................................... 50
Figure 3-14 Coral recruit density on the reef crest. ................................................................... 51
Figure 3-15 Coral recruit size-frequency on the upper reef slope. ............................................... 52
Figure 3-16 Coral recruit size-frequency on the lower reef slope. ............................................... 52
Figure 3-17 Coral recruit size frequency 2021. .......................................................................... 53
Figure 3-18 Coral size distribution. ........................................................................................... 55
Figure 3-19 Coral growth form examples. ................................................................................. 56

Figure 3-20 Coral growth form examples. ................................................................................. 58
Figure 3-21 Epibenthic cover at detailed survey locations. ......................................................... 60
Figure 3-22 Live hard coral benthic coverage. ........................................................................... 62

Figure 3-23 Impacted coral benthic coverage. .......................................................................... 64
Figure 3-24 Dead coral benthic coverage. ................................................................................. 66
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Figure 3-25 Living non-hard coral benthic coverage. ................................................................. 69

Figure 3-26 Number of fish species at each survey location. ...................................................... 70
Figure 3-27 Number of species for each family of fish. .............................................................. 71
Figure 3-28 Mean abundance of reef fish families per site. ........................................................ 72
Figure 3-29 Mean abundance of reef fish families per transect. .................................................. 77
Figure 3-30 Size-frequency distributions of three families of targeted reef fish. ........................... 78
Figure 3-31 Size-frequency distributions of three families of targeted reef fish by site. ................ 79
Figure 3-32 Invertebrate species at each site. .......................................................................... 79
Figure 3-33 Abundance of invertebrate families per transect...................................................... 80
Figure 3-34 Abundance of invertebrate families and species. ..................................................... 84
Figure 3-35 Survey based habitat map with benthic investigation data. ...................................... 86
Figure 3-36 Epibenthic cover of major categories per site. ......................................................... 87
Figure 3-37 Benthic coral cover per site. .................................................................................. 88
Figure 3-38 Examples of live coral observed during benthic investigations. ................................. 88
Figure 3-39 Benthic algal cover per site. ................................................................................... 89
Figure 3-40 Examples of turf algae at site BI-02. ...................................................................... 89
Figure 3-41 Benthic other live cover per site. ............................................................................ 90

Figure 3-42 Examples of other live organisms (BI04 / BI05). ..................................................... 90
Figure 3-43 Seagrass cover per site. ........................................................................................ 91

Figure 3-44 Examples of seagrass at site BI06. ......................................................................... 91
Figure 3-45 Benthic substrate cover per site. ............................................................................ 92
Figure 3-46 Identification of seagrass species present. .............................................................. 94

Figure 3-47 Seagrass species percentage cover by site. ............................................................ 95
Figure 3-48 Marine megafauna sightings in the marina vicinity. ................................................. 97
Figure 3-49 Marine megafauna sightings in the wider area. ....................................................... 98
Figure 4-1 Large sea fan present at ACV DS02. ..................................................................... 103
Figure 4-2 Large Pavona clavus present at ACV DS02. ........................................................... 104
Figure 4-3 Location of the Pavona clavus colony. .................................................................. 105
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Table of Tables
Table 2-1 Summary of surveys undertaken in November 2021. ................................................. 2
Table 2-2 Coordinates for seawater and sediment sampling...................................................... 5
Table 2-3 Water quality probe parameters. .............................................................................. 5
Table 2-4 Seawater quality parameters for laboratory analysis. ................................................. 7
Table 2-5 Seawater quality benchmarks. ................................................................................. 8

Table 2-6 Sediment quality parameters for laboratory analysis. ............................................... 10
Table 2-7 Sediment quality benchmarks. ............................................................................... 11
Table 2-8 Habitat classes assigned to the habitat map. .......................................................... 14

Table 2-9 Coral reef survey transect coordinates. ................................................................... 15
Table 2-10 Seagrass survey coordinates. ................................................................................. 18
Table 2-11 Benthic Investigation transect coordinates. ............................................................. 19

Table 3-1 Trace and heavy metal concentrations in seawater. ................................................ 29
Table 3-2 Nutrient concentrations in seawater. ...................................................................... 31
Table 3-3 Other parameter concentrations in seawater. ......................................................... 33
Table 3-4 Taxonomic breakdown of zooplankton. ................................................................... 34

Table 3-5 Taxonomic breakdown of phytoplankton. ............................................................... 35
Table 3-6 Wentworth scale of sediment classification. ............................................................ 36
Table 3-7 Percentage of grains in each size category. ............................................................ 37

Table 3-8 Trace and heavy metal concentrations in sediment. ................................................ 39
Table 3-9 Taxonomic breakdown of infauna. ......................................................................... 42
Table 3-10 Recruit quadrat sampling summary. ....................................................................... 49

Table 3-11 Summary of coral growth forms. ............................................................................ 57
Table 3-12 Summary of coral growth forms by depth. .............................................................. 57
Table 3-13 Benthic investigation habitat map categories. ......................................................... 85

Table 3-14 Seagrass survey site characteristics. ....................................................................... 93
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Executive Summary
This report provides detailed marine environmental baseline survey (MEBS) information for areas
associated with the proposed Amaala Staff Village presented in the Master Plan (MP).
The report documents physico-chemical attributes associated with seawater and sediment quality. We
also present marine habitat mapping and provide a detailed assessment of the existing status of ecology
in the areas within and adjacent to the footprint of the staff village development. Key ecological
indicators presented include species richness, abundance, and diversity, as well as impact indicators,
relating to coral and fish communities, invertebrates, and marine plants (algae and seagrass). The
report also gives consideration to the coral community in terms of its diversity, growth forms and coral
sizes.
Seawater column profiles were considered to be largely representative of the area at the time of
sampling with recorded parameters broadly in line with those reported from other areas of the wider
Red Sea at the same time of year.
The lack of detected heavy and trace metal parameters in seawater was corroborated by the absence
of any confirmed sources of possible heavy metal contamination within the sampling area. Boron is
regularly detected in marine waters at comparable concentrations to those recorded on the current
survey. Where detected, nutrient concentrations fell within a broader range relative to those measured
in other areas of the Red Sea, however Ammonia concentrations exceeded the KSA threshold of 0.05
mg/L at all sites. Given the relatively undeveloped nature of the offshore borrow areas, results were
largely as expected. Chemical oxygen demand (COD) exceeded the KSA guidelines at all sites; however,
this is regularly the case in KSA coastal waters.
Analysis of detected metals in sediments indicated significant correlations between the majority of
detected metals, indicating the potential for a common source for most metals. Given the current
absence of heavy offshore development, the relevant contributions of the various metals are assumed
to be primarily geological in origin.
A benthic habitat map was created with the help of extensive ground-truthing and remote sensing data
to document the extent of sensitive habitats within the proposed development area. Seagrass was
extensive, with an estimated total coverage of 0.13 km 2. A total of 5.88 km2 of marine and intertidal
habitats were also identified and classified. Of these, approximately 0.92 km2 were coral reef habitats
of varying live cover. Coral reefs extend to depths of at least 30 m.
The average live cover of seagrass in the area was approximately 13.95 %, with a maximum live cover
of 19.31 % documented. Seven species of seagrass were identified during this round of surveys,
including Halophila stipulacea, Cymodocea rotundata, Halodule uninervis, Syringodium isoetifolium,
Halophila ovalis, Thalassodendron ciliatum, and Halodule pinifolia. Seagrass is important as foraging
habitat for vulnerable marine megafauna (including green turtles and dugongs, which have been
recorded in the area), as well as providing wider ecosystem services through sequestering carbon and
stabilising sediments.
A total of 151 species of hard corals, representing 51 genera, were present along the fringing reef
directly in front of the proposed development site. At the sites surveyed, coral cover was low to
moderate, with the hard substrate available having a live coral cover ranging from 12.6 % to 38.1 %
of the total benthic cover, with denser areas of corals located on the upper reef slope. The reef crest
in comparison to the deeper areas tended to have a lower density coral cover, with no trends seen in
coral frequency across the site. Coral sizes were relatively uniform across all depths though there were
fewer large coral colonies (>160 cm) present throughout the depth ranges. However, one very large
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January 2022
Pavona clavus (30m across longest axis) was present in the area and thought to be at least 1,000 years
old based on published growth rate data.
Corals in the area have been previously impacted by a number of factors, evidenced by the presence
of long dead, but also partially dead corals. However, the proportion of dead or impacted colonies is
low in most of the areas surveyed (<1% of the total benthic cover). Factors present in the wider project
area and also documented during previous surveys include coral diseases, Drupella cornus and Crown
of Thorns (COTs) predation, bleaching, sedimentation, and fishing related impacts.
All major trophic groups of reef fish were represented, with 140 species of demersal and semi-pelagic
species representing 31 families recorded during the underwater visual census surveys. Abundances of
many fish species were fairly average for the red sea; though a number of species were not classified
as reaching their full size which may be due to fishing pressure within the immediate area targeting
specific species. Single sightings of the green sea turtle, an unknown species of turtle, and a white tip
reef shark in addition to three humphead wrasse were documented during the survey. Whilst no further
sightings of marine megafauna were documented, records do exist of important IUCN Red List species
including humphead wrasse, unidentified turtles, and dugongs, within the wider project area.
Anthropogenic impacts upon reef areas were evident, with hook and line fishing widespread (all areas
had lost fishing gear present), and the abundance and composition of the reef fish community indicated
a moderate level of fishing effort in most areas. In the intertidal area evidence of reef gleaning was
apparent (e.g., of Tridacna clams and marine molluscs), consisting of large piles of discarded and
broken shells as well as large amounts of marine debris in the form of plastic bottles and oil canisters.
In addition to the marine sources of anthropogenic impacts, a coast guard station is present at the
entrance to the main bay in which the staff village surrounds and a number of locations where improper
disposal of waste (i.e. burning and dumping) was also documented across the entire intertidal zone.
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Abbreviations
µg/L Micrograms per litre
µm Micrometre
µS/cm Micro-Siemens per centimetre
5OES Five Oceans Environmental Services
AIMS Australian Institute of Marine Sciences
ANZECC Australian and New Zealand Environment and Conservation Council
ANZG Australian and New Zealand Guidelines
APHA American Public Health Association
ASTM American Society for Testing and Materials
BOD5 Biological Oxygen Demand
BTEX Benzene, Toluene, Ethylbenzene and Xylenes
CCME Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment
CEQGs Canadian Environmental Quality Guidelines
CFU Colony Forming Units
cm Centimetre
COC Chain of Custody
COD Chemical Oxygen Demand
COTs Crown-of-thorns Starfish
CPCe Coral Point Count with Excel extension
CTD Conductivity, Temperature, Depth probe
DDV Drop-down video
DO Dissolved Oxygen
DGV Default Guideline Values
EN Endangered
ERL Effects Range Low
ERM Effects Range Median
GCRMN Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network
HD High definition
ISQG International Sediment Quality Guidelines
IUCN International Union for the Conservation of Nature
km kilometre
L Litre
LC Least Concern
LoD Limit of Detection
m Metre
MEBS Marine Environmental Baseline Survey
mg/kg Milligrams per kilogram
mg/L Milligrams per litre
ml Millilitre
ml/L Millilitre per litre
mm millimetre
MOOPAM Manual of Oceanographic Observations and Pollutant Analysis Methods
NOAA National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
NT Near Threatened
NTU Nephelometric Turbidity Units
ODK Open Data Kit
PAH Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons
PEL Probable Effects Level
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The Regional Organization for the Conservation of the Environments of the Red Sea
PERSGA
and Gulf of Aden
PSA Particle Size Analysis
PSU Practical Salinity Units
QGIS Q Geographic Information System
SQuiRTs Screening Quick Reference Tables
TCH Total Chlorinated Hydrocarbons
TKN Total Kjehdahl Nitrogen
TOC Total Organic Carbon
TPH Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons
TSS Total Suspended Solid
UVC Underwater Visual Census
VU Vulnerable
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1 Introduction
1.1 Project Background
Five Oceans Environmental Services LLC (5OES) was appointed by Beacon Development Company
(BDC) to undertake a marine environmental baseline survey (MEBS) at the proposed Staff Village
location, within the Amaala project area in the northern Saudi Red Sea. The proposed footprint of the
Staff Village largely encircles a naturally forming lagoon around 13.0 km to the north-west of the Triple
Bay master plan location (Figure 1-1). This report presents MEBS with regards to sediment and
seawater quality, marine habitats and ecology, and summarises the current status of marine
ecosystems in the project vicinity.
Figure 1-1 Proposed Staff Village development (BDC, 2021).
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2 Methods
The following section presents method statements for the surveys undertaken. All methods applied
here have been utilised in a considerable number of projects in Saudi Arabia which conform to national
regulatory requirements and/or International Finance Corporation (IFC) standards, and which have
already been employed in studies on the various current Red Sea giga-projects, as well as more widely
along the Red Sea coast by 5OES.
2.1 Summary of Surveys
Table 2-1 below summarises the surveys and methods carried out during the staff village baseline
survey. The locations are shown in the survey plan in Figure 2-1.
Table 2-1 Summary of field surveys conducted in November 2021.

Item No. Stations / Area Size Details
Ground-truthing and Allocation of locations for • Imagery review

mapping of marine and infield verification (43 • Allocation of ground-truthing points for coral
intertidal habitats, points), supported by reef, soft sediment, seagrass, and channels
including coral reefs, etc.
walkover survey of
mangroves, seagrass, • Field verification & georeferenced photo-
lagoons, and intertidal intertidal area.
records
habitats • Description of habitats for mapping and
ecological inventory / status for sensitivity
Coral Reef Surveys Data collected at a total of • At each location five 50 m transects were
three locations for established in series at three survey depths
Quantitative Epibenthic
quantitative epibenthic per location (Reef Crest, Upper Slope, lower
Survey
slope) depending on geomorphology.
analysis
Published research • Coral and benthic cover by major taxa using
techniques: Australian photoquadrat and CPCe analysis.
Institute of Marine Science (Other aspects of the coral community
surveys are considered below)
(AIMS), Global Coral Reef
Monitoring Network
(GCRMN), PERSGA etc.
Coral Reefs Data collected, presented • Full species list (presence / absence data) of
Coral Species Lists and analysed for three hard corals present from reef flat to
selected stations mid/lower reef slope, resulting in a full
species inventory for each station location.
• Area-based search covering 250 m length of
reef down to base of reef slope
Coral Reef Surveys Data collected, presented • Presence / absence of all non-cryptic coral
and analysed for three reef fish which occur between the reef flat
Detailed Assessment: Reef
selected stations and lower reef slope, including full species
fish species inventory
richness inventory.
• Area-based search covering 250 m length of
reef down to base of reef slope

January 2022
Item No. Stations / Area Size Details
Coral Reef Surveys Data collected, presented • Individual fish sizes recorded for important
and analysed for a fisheries indicator species (e.g., all sharks,
Reef fish abundance and
selection of three stations groupers, snappers, emperors, plus
Sizes
humphead wrasse and bumphead
Detailed Assessment: parrotfish).
Underwater Visual Census • Size data estimates to the nearest 5 cm size
– Fish Sizes classes plotted as size-frequency histograms
by transect or site totals.
Seagrass Surveys Three (depending on • Documentation of seagrass beds in intertidal

PERSGA and availability of habitats) and subtidal areas where present:
SeagrassWatch sites in shallow coastal Application of transect and quadrat
areas. methods.
• Four parallel 20 m transect lines: quadrats at
intervals to document species, density, and
status.
Benthic Investigations Six sites in shallow and • Quantitative documentation of non-reef or
intertidal areas. seagrass habitats in intertidal and shallow
marginal areas.
• Four parallel 20 m transect lines: quadrats at
intervals to document species, density, and
status.
• Point count-based analysis using CPCe or
CoralNET
Marine Megafauna All surveys and during • Records and observations of marine
transit mammals, turtles, large elasmobranchs, and
reef fish.
Seawater and Sediment Sampling of seawater and • Collection of seawater samples.
Quality Survey sediment quality at 6 • CTD / multiparameter sonde profiles.
locations (including one • Sediment samples for laboratory analysis.
PERSGA, MOOPAM, AIMS
• Seawater and sediment samples for
control station outside the
phytoplankton and zooplankton and infauna
zone of impact).
taxonomy. Statistical analysis using PRIMER
6.0.

January 2022
Figure 2-1 Locations of surveys within the Amaala Staff Village footprint.

January 2022
2.2 Seawater & Sediment Quality
2.2.1 Sampling Locations

The seawater and sediment quality sampling locations are shown in Figure 2-2, and have been allocated
equitably throughout the proposed development area. Coordinates of the locations are provided in
Table 2-2 below.
Table 2-2 Coordinates for seawater and sediment sampling.

Site Latitude Longitude
V01 26.72647 36.12304
V02 26.72511 36.11691
V03 26.72334 36.11989
V04 26.72267 36.12299
V05 26.72301 36.12640
V06 26.72247 36.13198
(WGS 84 – decimal degrees)
2.2.2 Seawater Quality Profiles & Sampling

Seawater column profiles were recorded at all sites. All profile data was recorded using a multi-
parameter sonde (YSI PRO DSS), profiling from the seabed to the surface and logging at 1-second
intervals. A list of the parameters recorded, and their detection limits, is shown in Table 2-3.
Table 2-3 YSI PRO DSS water quality probe parameters.

Parameter Resolution Equipment
Temperature 0.1 °C YSI PRO DSS
pH 0.01 YSI PRO DSS
Dissolved Oxygen 0.01 ml/L / 0.1 % YSI PRO DSS
Conductivity 0.1 µS/cm YSI PRO DSS
Turbidity 0.01 NTU YSI PRO DSS
Salinity 0.01 PSU (calculated) YSI PRO DSS
Seawater samples were collected using a 2 L Niskin water sampler. Samples were obtained 1 m below
the surface and 1 m above the seabed where water depth was < 10 m. If the sampling location was >
10 m an additional water sample was taken from mid-water. Samples were then decanted in to pre-
prepared, sterilised sample containers provided by the laboratory. Samples were stored in suitable
containers in the dark and on ice before being shipped to a fully certified and accredited laboratory
(ALS Arabia Jeddah), following holding time guidelines for specific parameters wherever possible
(although the remoteness of the survey location precluded transport to the laboratory within 24 hours;
as such, offshore sampling protocols were enacted), and incorporating full chain of custody (COC)
procedures. A list of the parameters included in the analysis is shown in Table 2-4.

January 2022
Figure 2-2 Amaala Staff Village seawater and sediment sampling locations.

January 2022
Table 2-4 Seawater quality parameters for laboratory analysis.
Parameter Method LoD Units

Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD5) APHASM 5210 B 2.00 mg/L
Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) APHA 5220 B 5.00 mg/L
Oil & grease APHA 5520 B 5.00 mg/L
US EPA 8260 P&T GC/MS,
Total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) 1 – 50 µg/L
USEPA SW 846-8015B (M)
Total cyanide APHA 4500-CN- C&N 0.01 mg/L
Free & Total Chlorine APHA 4500-Cl G 0.20 mg/L
Chlorophyll a APHA 10200 H 5.00 mg/L
AS/NZS 4276.7:2007 /
Faecal & Total Coliforms 1 CFU/100 ml
AS/NZS 4276.5:2007
Total Suspended Solids (TSS) APHA 2540 D 5.00 mg/L
Ammonia APHA 4500-NH3 H 0.01 mg/L
Nitrite APHA 4500-NO2- B 0.01 mg/L
Nitrate APHA 4500-NO3- F 0.01 mg/L
Total Nitrogen APHA 4500-Norg/4500-NO3- 0.10 mg/L
Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen (TKN) APHA 4500-Norg D 0.10 Mg/L
Reactive Phosphorus APHA 4500-P A, B & F 0.01 mg/L
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons
US EPA 8270 GC/MS 1.00 %
(PAH)
US EPA 8260 P&T GC/MS,
BTEX 1 – 2.00 µg/L
USEPA SW 846-8015B (M)
Total Chlorinated Hydrocarbons (TCH) USEPA 8260B 5-50 µg/L
Total Organic Carbon (TOC) APHA 5310 B 1.0 mg/L
Phenols (total) APHA 5530 B&D 0.01 mg/L
Fluoride APHA 4500 F—C 0.1 mg/L
Sulphide APHA 4500-SO2-D 0.1 mg/L
Aluminium 0.01 mg/L
Arsenic 0.001 mg/L
Barium 0.001 mg/L
Boron 0.05 mg/L
Cadmium 0.0001 mg/L
Chromium US EPA 6020 ICP/MS 0.001 mg/L
Cobalt 0.001 mg/L
Copper 0.001 mg/L
Iron 0.01 mg/L
Lead 0.001 mg/L
Manganese 0.001 mg/L
Mercury APHA 3112 B FIMS 0.0001 mg/L
Molybdenum 0.001 mg/L
Nickel 0.001 mg/L
Selenium US EPA 6020 ICP/MS 0.01 mg/L
Vanadium 0.01 mg/L
Zinc 0.005 mg/L
Silicon US EPA 6020 ICP/MS 0.02 mg/L
Chloride - 1 mg/L
Total Cyanide APHA 4500-CN- O 0.01 mg/L
Calcium US EPA 6010 1.0 mg/L

January 2022

Magnesium 1.0 mg/L
Potassium 1.0 mg/L
Sodium 1.0 mg/L
Sulfate (SO42-) US EPA 6010 1.0 mg/L
Silicate (SiO3) APHA 4500-SiO2 F 0.1 mg/L
2.2.3 Seawater Quality Criteria
All laboratory results were compared with the Implementing Regulation for the Protection of Aquatic
Media from Pollution under the Environmental Law, issued by Royal Decree No. (M/165) (dated
19/11/1441), as well as the Australian and New Zealand Guidelines (ANZG) for Fresh and Marine Water
Quality, toxicant default guideline values (ANZECC) (Table 2-5).
Table 2-5 Seawater quality benchmarks applied by this study.

KSA (M/165)** (µg/L
ANZG * (µg/L unless
Parameter unless indicated
indicated otherwise)
otherwise)
Temperature - +/- 2°C
Conductivity - -
Salinity - -
pH - 6.5-8.5 pH units
Dissolved Oxygen - >5 mg/L
Turbidity - 2 NTU
Aluminium - 200
Arsenic - 50
Barium - 500
Boron - -
Cadmium 0.7 8
Chromium 27 (CrIII) / 4.4 (CrVI) 2
Cobalt 1 50
Copper 1.3 -
Cyanide 2 1
Iron - 100
Lead 4.4 5
Manganese 80(1) 10
Mercury 0.1(inorg) 0.4
Molybdenum - -
Nickel 7 50
Selenium - 71
Silicon - -
Vanadium 100 -
Zinc 8 80
Free Chlorine - -
Total Chlorine - 7.5
Chloride - -
Oil & Grease - 1 mg/L
Ammonia 910 50
Nitrates - -
Nitrites - -
Total Nitrogen - -
Reactive Phosphorus (Orthophosphates) - -

January 2022
KSA (M/165)** (µg/L

ANZG * (µg/L unless
Parameter unless indicated
indicated otherwise)
otherwise)
Silicate (SiO3) - -
Total Cyanide 1
Calcium - -
Magnesium - -
Potassium - -
Sodium - -
Sulfate (SO42-) - -
Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons - 200
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH) - 3
BTEX 500 , 180 , 80E, 75m-X
B T 50 , 1T, 5X
B
Total Organic Carbon (TOC) - 10 mg/L

Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD5) - 10 mg/L
Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) - 20 mg/L
Faecal & Total Coliforms - -
Total Suspended Solids (TSS) - -
Chlorophyll a - -
- not defined in guidelines
* As defined in the Australia & New Zealand Guidelines for Fresh and Marine Water Quality, Toxicant Default Guideline Values.
Values apply to typical slightly-moderately disturbed systems. Available at https://www.waterquality.gov.au/anz-
guidelines/guideline-values
** Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) Implementing Regulation for the Protection of Aquatic Media from Pollution under the
Environmental Law, issued by Royal Decree No. (M/165), dated 19/11/1441. Coastal Water – (2) High Value guidelines used.
(1)
Low reliability trigger to be used as indicative interim working level.
2.2.4 Plankton Sampling
Both phytoplankton and zooplankton samples was collected concurrently with water samples. For
phytoplankton, one sample was collected at each site by performing a vertical haul through the water
column to the surface at a slow towing speed (10-20 m per minute) with a 120 µm mesh net. A 500
ml sample was taken from the cod end after a net wash down and preserved using Lugol’s Iodine
solution to an approximate final concentration of 1%. Labelled bottles were kept in the dark and stored
in cool conditions until analysed.
For zooplankton, one vertical tow with a mesh size of approximately 300 µm was conducted at each
site throughout the water column at a slow towing speed (10-20 m per minute). The start and end time
of the tow were recorded, in addition to the depth of the water column, to enable cell count estimations
if flowmeter data was unavailable. The net was washed down into the cod end, with the concentrate
fixed using 37 % formalin solution to a final concentration of approximately 5 %. Labelled bottles were
kept in the dark and stored in cool conditions until analysed.
2.2.5 Sediment Quality Survey

Sediment quality samples were collected at six locations. Samples were collected by divers, excavated
using a box-corer down to a depth of 10 cm from within a 33 cm x 33 cm surface area, resulting in
individual sub-samples of 1 litre each. Sub-samples were separated into suitable volumes and containers
(provided by the laboratory) for laboratory analysis according to the requirements of the individual
parameters (Table 2-6) (a sediment grab was not used due to the presence of corals in the area). All
samples were stored on ice and transported to an accredited and certified laboratory for analysis (ALS
Arabia Jeddah).

January 2022
Table 2-6 Sediment quality parameters for laboratory analysis.

Particle Size Analysis (PSA) ASTM D422 0.045 mm
Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons (TPH) US EPA SW 846-8015A 0.2 - 50 mg/kg
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH) US EPA 8270 GC/MS 0.5 mg/kg
Arsenic 0.1 mg/kg
Cadmium 0.1 mg/kg
Chromium 0.1 mg/kg
Copper US EPA 6020 ICP/MS 0.1 mg/kg
Iron 50.0 mg/kg
Lead 0.1 mg/kg
Manganese 0.1 mg/kg
Mercury APHA 3112 B 0.1 mg/kg
Nickel 0.1 mg/kg
US EPA 6020 ICP/MS
Zinc 0.1 mg/kg
2.2.6 Sediment Quality Criteria

Sediment quality was determined through comparison with standards including Australian and New
Zealand’s toxicant default guideline values (DGV) for sediment quality, the Dutch Soil Remediation
Circular (2013), values for contaminants in sediments for Saudi Arabia matching those used by Canadian
Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME) Canadian Environmental Quality Guidelines (CEQGs),
and ecotoxicology guidelines published by Long et al. (1995), which are also utilised by the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Screening Quick Reference Tables (NOAA SQuiRT cards). The
criteria values applied are provided in Table 2-7 below.

January 2022
Table 2-7 International standards relevant to sediments; units in mg/kg.
Long et al.
ANZG * Dutch ** CCME ***
(1995) ****
GV-
Parameter DGV Target Action ISQG PEL ERL ERM
High
Total Petroleum
280 550 - - - - - -
Hydrocarbons (C5-C40)
Polycyclic Aromatic
10 50 - 10(1) -(1) -(1) 4022 44792
Hydrocarbons (PAHs)
Aluminium - - - - - - - -
Arsenic 20 70 29 55 7.24 41.6 8.2 70
Cadmium 1.5 10 0.8 12 0.7 4.2 1.2 9.6
Chromium 80 370 100 380 52.3 160 81 370
Copper 65 270 36 190 18.7 108 34 270
Iron - - - - - - - -
Lead 50 220 85 530 30.2 112 46.7 218
Manganese - - - - - - - -
Mercury 0.15 1 0.3 10 0.13 0.7 0.15 0.71
Nickel 21 52 35 210 - - 20.9 51.6
Zinc 200 410 140 720 124 271 150 410
- not defined in guidelines
* As defined in the Australia & New Zealand’s toxicant default guideline values for sediment quality
(https://www.waterquality.gov.au/anz-guidelines/guideline-values/default/sediment-quality-toxicants)
** As defined in the Dutch Soil Remediation Circular, 2013.
*** As defined in the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME) Sediment Quality Guidelines for the Protection
of Aquatic Life (https://www.ccme.ca/en/resources/canadian_environmental_quality_guidelines/)
**** As defined in Long et al., 1995. Incidence of Adverse Biological Effects Within Ranges of Chemical Concentrations in Marine
and Estuarine Sediments.
(1)
Sum of 10 PAHs
(2)
individual guidelines for PAHs available
Particle size analysis (PSA) and interpretation was performed according to Folk and Ward (1957) and
the moments method using the Gradistat V8 package (Blott & Pye 2001). The descriptive terms for the
mean grain size follow the Udden-Wentworth grade scale. These techniques involve the division of the
sediment sample into a number of size fractions, enabling a grain size classification to be constructed
from the weight or volume percentage of sediment in each size fraction. The key impacts associated
with sediments are usually related to the proportion of the fines (e.g., silt, clays, and colloids) present
within the sample; those sediments with higher proportions of fine material (<63 µm) are more likely
to be re-distributed in the water column and are more likely to bind with potential pollutants such as
heavy metals. Fine materials are typically prevalent in dredged environments, including channels
surrounding port areas. Sediment grains occur in a wide range of sizes from microns to centimetres.
Grain size is usually expressed as a projected cross section, with the assumption that the particle is
roughly circular. Wentworth (1922) divided sediments into four size categories based on grain diameter:
cobble/boulder (size > 64 mm), gravel (>2 - <64 mm), sand (>0.063 - 2 mm) and mud (<0.063 mm).
2.2.7 Infauna Sampling

Infauna samples were collected at six sample sites, using the same method of non-contaminating
scoops used in sediment collection. Sediment was then sieved on board through a 0.5 mm sieve before
being stained with Rose Bengal and fixed in 5 % formosaline solution. Infauna specimens were
extracted by a team of 1-2 biologists with prior experience of sorting infauna samples and placed into
labelled pots containing approximately 70% ethanol. Extracted infauna specimens were then shipped
to a regionally experienced taxonomist for identification and statistical analysis where appropriate. Each

January 2022
specimen was identified to the lowest practicable taxonomic level with reference to a range of literature
– principally Al-Omari (2011), Bosch et al. (1995), and Richmond (2002).
2.3 Shoreline & Intertidal Survey
A walkover survey of the shoreline and intertidal zone was conducted in November 2021, in order to
define coastal habitats for representation within the habitat map and to document associated species
where present. The walkover included the shoreline likely to be directly impacted from the proposed
development plans (Figure 2-3). At each location, data was collected following the guidelines set out
by PERSGA (2004) and entered into Android tablets equipped with a customised ODK data entry form.
The GPS location was recorded and HD photos were taken to aid in the description of the general area.
Substrates, habitats, flora, fauna (and their status), plus any existing anthropogenic impacts were
documented.
Figure 2-3 Intertidal walkover within the survey area.
2.4 Subtidal Ground-truthing
A total of 42 ground-truthing and Drop-Down Video (DDV) locations, covering polygons and features
of interest, were established through the review of satellite imagery (Figure 2-4). Each location was
documented using geo-referenced photography or video, and was supported by descriptive information
including date, time, position, depth, sea-state, and water column characteristics, as well as semi-
quantitative data relating to substrates, habitats, and associated ecology present at the point of interest.
Data entry was undertaken in the field at the time of the survey, using hand-held Android tablets with
a tailor-made ODK application used to standardise the data entry. The resultant habitat map was
prepared using the software QGIS 3.22.1 (QGIS, 2021).

January 2022
Figure 2-4 Drop down video and shallow rapid assessment locations to support
habitat mapping.

January 2022
2.5 Habitat Map Production
A habitat mapping exercise was undertaken to determine the presence and distribution of substrate
and habitat classes within the project area. The production of the habitat map utilised freely available
satellite imagery for the delineation of substrate polygons. The classifications attributed to the habitat
map outputs are shown in Table 2-8.
Table 2-8 Habitat classes assigned to the habitat map of the project area.
Habitat Class Description
Land Terrestrial classification of land above the high tide mark
Rocky Shore Rock platform covering >90% of the substrate
Sand/Bare substrate Grain size of 0.063 to 2 mm present, covering at least 90 % of site
Coral (1 - 15 %) Dominated by hard coral with a live coral of 1 – 15 %
Coral (15-25 %) Dominated by hard coral with a live coral of 15 - 25 %
Coral (25 – 50 %) Dominated by hard coral with a live coral of 25 - 50 %
Coral Reef + Macroalgae Mixed hard coral community and macroalgae
Coral Reef + Seagrass Mixed hard coral community and seagrass
Macroalgae (1 – 15 %) Dominated by macroalgae with a live cover of 1 – 15 %
Seagrass (1 - 15 %) Dominated by seagrass with a cover of 1 – 15 %
Seagrass + Macroalgae Mixed seagrass and macroalgae
2.6 Coral Reefs
2.6.1 Coral and Other Benthic Community Analysis
The methods used followed widely utilised standards for coral reef benthic community baseline surveys
and monitoring set out by the Australian Institute of Marine Science (English et al., 1997), which form
the approved methods promoted by the Regional Organization for the Conservation of the Environment
of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden (PERSGA, 2004).
Following the ground-truthing exercise, depths of 1-2 m, 4-5 m, and 11-12 m were determined to
support the most significant coral communities (i.e., those areas with the highest coral cover and
diversity) at three coral survey sites. Each site survey consisted of five 50 m transect lines established
in series along the depth contour, as shown in Figure 2-6. The sites were located on areas of continuous
reef which were determined to be representative of the coral cover and densities in the vicinity of the
proposed development site. All sites were marked using transect markers and a hand-held GPS. Along
each transect line, a series of 50 cm x 50 cm photoquadrats were taken at 2 m intervals, using a photo-
framer with HD digital camera attachment, resulting in 25 photoquadrats per transect. The
photoquadrats were then analysed using the software program Coral Point Count with Excel extension
(CPCe) version 4.1, based on a stratified-random overlay of 20 points per frame (n = 500 points per
transect, 2500 points per site depth) (Kohler & Gill, 2006).
The status of the coral community and associated benthic ecology community structure (e.g.,
macroalgae, turf algae, coralline algae, bivalves, sponges, zoanthids, bryozoans, and hydroids, etc.)

January 2022
was defined in terms of percentage cover. Categories assigned to the analysis included live hard coral
cover determined for each coral genus present, recently dead and long dead coral, coral bleaching,
crown-of-thorns starfish and their feeding scars, coral breakage (as an indicator of anthropogenic
attrition), turf and macroalgae, various sponges, coralline algae, sedimentation, and substrate groups
(sand, rock, rubble etc.). Impacts to coral reefs include chronic forms of mortality; categories reflecting
this were also included to try to account for live coral colonies and communities which may be in decline
due to chronic factors such as diseases, corallivores (e.g., Drupella cornus, crown-of-thorns starfish
(COTs)), and clionid sponges. Sample point-based analysis does have some limitations when it comes
to more cryptic forms of mortality or those which only occupy a small area of tissue (e.g., diseases),
but these factors may result in significant proportions of dead coral based on observations in the wider
project area. A full hard coral species list was also compiled for each site and study area as a whole.
Figure 2-5 Example CPCe screenshot overlaid with stratified random points.
Table 2-9 Coordinates for coral reef survey transects.

Site Latitude Longitude
ACV DS01 S 26.72631 36.11484
ACV DS01 E 26.72539 36.11699
ACV DS02 S 26.72348 36.11995
ACV DS02 E 26.72281 36.12239
ACV DS03 S 26.72305 36.12554
ACV DS03 E 26.72335 36.12809
(WGS 84 – decimal degrees. S=start; E=End)

January 2022
Figure 2-6 Detailed coral reef survey sites surrounding the proposed Staff
Village.
2.6.2 Coral Recruitment
The abundance/standing stock of juvenile corals (recruits) was determined at each site following the
method described by Obura and Grimsditch (2009). Quadrats (50 cm x 50 cm) were placed along 20
m transect lines at 2 m intervals at each of the surveyed depths. Underlying substrate data was then
recorded based on the following categories: bare rock, exposed coral rock, long dead coral etc.
Quadrats which fell on soft substrates or massive live corals were discounted. A search was undertaken
within each quadrat and individual recruits were then documented according to growth form, as well
as measurements of the longest axis (l). All hard corals with a length axis (l) between of 2 mm to 50
mm were recorded. The size thresholds adopted for recruits follow findings of similar studies which
consider colonies up to 50 mm in diameter (Miller et al., 2000; Mundy, 2000).
2.6.3 Coral Sizes

Coral size frequency data collection was based on the approach applied by Obura and Grimsditch
(2009). At each of the surveyed locations, and for each surveyed depth (1-2 m, 4-5 m, and 11-12 m),
20 m transect lines were laid parallel to the reef. These transect lines functioned as belt transects, with
a width of 1 m established on the landward/shallower side of each transect line within which coral
measurements were made. As per the methodology of Obura and Grimsditch (2009), only those
colonies whose centres lay within the transect were counted, i.e. large colonies with their centre outside
the transect line were not counted.

January 2022
Data recorded included the underlying substrate, the growth form and health status of the colony. For
the purposes of this report, the data is presented as longest axis (l). All colonies with a longest axis
length of >100 mm were included.
The growth forms were applied the following categories (English et al., 1997):
• Acropora Branching
• Acropora Digitate
• Acropora Encrusting
• Acropora Submassive
• Acropora Table
• Coral Branching (excl. Acropora)
• Coral Digitate (excl. Acropora)
• Coral Encrusting (excl. Acropora)
• Coral Foliose
• Coral Laminate
• Coral Massive
• Coral Submassive (excl. Acropora)
• Millepora
• Mushroom coral
Size classes used for data collection and presentation (Obura & Grimsditch, 2009):
11-20, 21-40, 41-80, 81-160, 161-320, >320 cm
2.6.4 Reef Fish
The reef fish population was documented following methods established the Australian Institute of
Marine Science (AIMS) and adopted by PERSGA (English et al. 1997). A full species list of all fish
encountered within the wider vicinity of each station was recorded over a 250 m reef length between
the reef flat and base of the lower reef slope. Reef fish abundance data was collected through the
application of five 50 m x 5m belt transects. Species level counts were based on a pre-determined list
of families/species: groupers (14 species), snappers (8 species), emperors (5 species), sweetlips (5
species), surgeonfish (11 species), parrotfish (16 species), triggerfish (7 species), rabbitfish (4 species),
angelfish (5 species) and butterflyfish (13 species). The number of each species present within the
bounds of each of the transects was recorded. Other notable species were also included where present
(e.g., Humphead wrasse (Cheilinus undulatus, IUCN Red List – Endangered (EN)), as well as
elasmobranchs including sharks, guitarfish, and rays. The survey data was recorded as a mean
abundance per transect (250 m2), as well as species and family-based data. Size data were also
recorded in 5 cm size classes for groupers and were archived for future reference.
2.6.5 Motile Invertebrates
Motile invertebrate abundance data was collected at each station along a series of transect depths,
through the application of five 50 m x 5 m belt transects per depth. Species counts were based on a
pre-determined list of families/species derived from an extended list based on the Regional Organization
for the Conservation of the Environment of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden (PERSGA, 2010). The survey
data was recorded as invertebrate abundance data, interpreted as mean abundance per 250 m2 from
five transect replicates per depth per station, as species and family-based data.

January 2022
2.7 Seagrass
Seagrass survey locations were defined following the completion of each of the ground-truthing
exercises. A total of 3 seagrass surveys were carried out during the survey (Table 2-10 and Figure 2-7).
Table 2-10 Coordinates for seagrass survey locations.
Site Northing Easting

ACV SG01 26.72489 36.13279
ACV SG02 26.72511 36.12987
ACV SG03 26.72416 36.12172
(WGS 84 – decimal degrees.)
Figure 2-7 Seagrass survey locations.

At each survey location four parallel 25 m transect lines were established, with 5 m spacing between
transects. For each transect survey a series of 50 cm x 50 cm photoquadrats were taken at 1 m intervals,
resulting in 25 photoquadrats per transect line, equivalent to 100 photoquadrats per site.
The status of seagrass at each site was defined in terms of percentage cover. Seagrass species were
identified and percentage cover was estimated for the total seagrass cover, as well as for each species
within each photoquadrat, using SeagrassWatch percentage cover guidance (McKenzie et al., 2003).
Average percentage cover was then calculated for each transect, as well as for each contributing species
present.

January 2022
2.8 Other Benthic Habitats
Following the ground-truthing exercise, a series of locations were allocated and subjected to
quantitative assessment to document the substrates, habitats and species present in areas where mixed
assemblages of macroalgae, seagrass and corals may occur. These areas tended to fall outside the
boundaries of previous detailed assessments but did occur within the vicinity of proposed developments.
The locations of the benthic investigations were positioned so as to give the best ground coverage in
front of the proposed development areas, in order to determine if the satellite imagery used previously
was clear enough to predict the habitats present within the survey area. Locations and coordinates are
shown in Figure 2-8 and Table 2-11 respectively. The purpose of the benthic investigations was to
capture and quantify low levels of sensitive habitat substrate cover across the survey area, typically
present as mixed assemblages of coral reefs, macroalgae and seagrasses, which may have been missed
by surveys specifically targeted at these habitat types yet be cumulatively ecologically significant.
At each site survey, four parallel 20 m transect lines were established at 3 – 5 m intervals. Along each
transect line, a series of 50 cm x 50 cm photoquadrats were taken at 1 m intervals using a photo-
framer with HD digital camera attachment, resulting in 20 photoquadrats per transect. The
photoquadrats were then analysed using the software program CPCe version 4.1, or CoralNET, based
on a stratified-random overlay of 20 points per frame (n = 400 points per transect, 1600 points per site
depth) (Kohler & Gill, 2006). Substrates, benthic flora and fauna categories were then determined for
each site and presented within the reporting.
Table 2-11 Coordinates of Benthic Investigation transects.

Site Latitude Longitude Site Latitude Longitude
ACV-BI01 26.72626 36.11626 ACV-BI04 26.72359 36.12633
ACV-BI02 26.72432 36.11933 ACV-BI05 26.72510 36.12852
ACV-BI03 26.72332 36.12288 ACV-BI06 26.72501 36.12975
(WGS 84 – decimal degrees)

January 2022
Figure 2-8 Benthic Investigations for Staff Village.

January 2022
2.9 Marine Megafauna
Boat-based turtle, cetacean, and dugong observations, as well as any large elasmobranchs and IUCN
threatened/endangered reef fish species, were recorded during the survey. Observations were based
on incidental sightings rather than transect surveys. Surfacing turtles or cetaceans were documented
using a handheld GPS unit. Locations of elasmobranchs and relevant large reef fish species encountered
during the in-water surveys were attributed following the dive or, where towed surface GPS units were
used, allocated using the track route. The location of the animal was then plotted on a base map and
imported into QGIS (2021). Data collected included the species, as well as any observed behaviour
(e.g., foraging, resting, spawning / mating).

January 2022
3 Results
3.1 Seawater Quality
3.1.1 Seawater Profiling

Temperature
Temperature ranged from 25.4 °C (V01) to 27.6 °C (V05 and V06), with a survey average of 27.7 °C.
The majority of sites showed temperature profiles within a relatively narrow range of temperatures,
with the exception of sites V01 and V06, which showed a slightly larger temperature variation
throughout the water column (Figure 3-1). Several of the sites (V01, V02, V05 and V06) showed a
gradual decrease in temperature with increasing depth throughout the water column, whilst the
remaining sites showed little overall variation with increasing depth (V03 and V04). Site V01 showed
lower water column temperatures throughout the water column than the remaining five sites.
10
Depth (m)
15
VO1
VO2
VO3
20 VO4
VO5
VO6
25
25.0 25.5 26.0 26.5 27.0 27.5 28.0
Temperature (°C)
Figure 3-1 Temperature profiles for sites established within the survey area.

January 2022
Specific Conductivity
The Specific conductivity (SpC) ranged from 59275 µS/cm (V05) to 59659 µS/cm (V01), with a survey
average of 59343 µS/cm. V01 and V06 showed an overall increase in SpC throughout the water column,
with the exception of sites V02, V03, V04, and V05, which showed either little overall variation in SpC
with increasing depth (Figure 3-2). Site V01 showed increased SpC values throughout the water column
when compared to the remaining 5 sites.
SpC is a measure of water’s ability to conduct electricity and is therefore a measure of the water’s ionic
activity and content. The higher the concentration of ionic (dissolved) constituents, the higher the
conductivity will be. Conductivity of water changes substantially as its temperature changes and as
such, changes in SpC generally follow depth-related temperature changes.
10
Depth (m)
15
VO1
VO2
VO3
20 VO4
VO5
VO6
25
59200 59300 59400 59500 59600 59700
Specific Conductivity (µS/cm)
Figure 3-2 Specific Conductivity profiles for sites established within the survey
area.

January 2022
Salinity
Salinity was derived from measured specific conductivity, as the multiparameter probe did not measure
this in-situ. The salinity ranged from 39.6 psu (V03, V04, V05, and V06) to 39.9 psu (V01) with a survey
average of 39.6 psu. The majority of sites showed little variation in salinity with increasing depth, with
the exception of V01 and V06, which showed an increase in salinity with depth (Figure 3-3). As with
specific conductivity, calculated salinity at site V01 was higher throughout the water column than at
the remaining 5 sites.
10
Depth (m)
15
VO1
VO2
VO3
VO4
20
VO5
VO6
25
39.5 39.6 39.7 39.8 39.9 40.0
Salinity (psu)
Figure 3-3 Salinity profiles for sites established within the survey area.

January 2022
pH
pH ranged from 8.46 (V01) to 8.89 (V05), with a survey average of 8.67. pH values at the majority of
sites fell within a 0.5 pH unit range, with the exception of site V01, which had a slightly lower pH than
the rest of the sites. V01 was the only site that showed minimal (≤0.01 pH) variation across the entire
water column with the remaining sites showing a slightly larger variation (0.02-0.11 pH) (Figure 3-4).
10
Depth (m)
15
VO1
VO2
VO3
20 VO4
VO5
VO6
25
8.4 8.5 8.6 8.7 8.8 8.9 9.0
pH
Figure 3-4 pH profiles for sites established within the survey area.

January 2022
Dissolved Oxygen
Dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations ranged from 6.10 mg/l (V01) to 6.68 mg/l (V06), with a survey
average of 6.46 mg/l. A variety of DO profile trends were seen; some sites (V03, V04, and V06) showed
little overall variation with increasing depth, site V02 showed an overall decrease, whilst the remainder
(V01 and V05) showed an overall increase in DO with increasing depth. DO concentrations at site V02
were slightly lower than the majority of sites below a depth of approximately 5 m, whilst site V01
recorded DO concentrations that were lower than all other sites throughout the water column (Figure
3-5).
10
Depth (m)
15
VO1
VO2
VO3
20 VO4
VO5
VO6
25
6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 6.7 6.8
Dissolved Oxygen (mg/L)
Figure 3-5 Dissolved Oxygen (mg/L) profiles for sites established within the
survey area.

January 2022
Turbidity
Turbidity ranged from 0.00 nephelometric turbidity units (NTU) at site VO5, to 5.49 NTU (V01) with a
survey average of 0.65 NTU. All sites showed a gradual increase in turbidity with increasing depth
through the water column, with most sites showing a turbidity maximum close to, or just above, the
seabed, with the exception of V01 (which is located inside the lagoon) where turbidity increased
throughout the entire water column (Figure 3-6).
10
Depth (m)
15
VO1
VO2
VO3
20 VO4
VO5
VO6
25
0 1 2 3 4 5 6
Turbidity (NTU)
Figure 3-6 Turbidity profiles for sites established within the survey area.

January 2022
3.1.2 Trace and Heavy Metals

Full laboratory results are available in Appendix 1 – Laboratory Results. The concentrations of measured
elements are listed in order in Table 3-1 and are described below.
Boron was detected in all seawater samples with concentrations that ranged from 3360 µg/L (V06 D)
to 4520 µg/L (V01 S). There are no available ANZG or KSA thresholds against which to compare boron
concentrations in seawater.
No detectable concentrations of aluminium, arsenic, barium, cadmium, chromium, cobalt, copper, iron,
lead, manganese, mercury, molybdenum, nickel, selenium, silicon, vanadium, or zinc were detected in
seawater samples (Table 3-1).

January 2022
Table 3-1 Heavy and trace metal concentrations detected in marine water.
Lab Result (µg/L)

ANZG* KSA**
LoD V01 V01 V02 V02 V02 V03 V03 V03 V04 V04 V04 V05 V05 V06 V06 V06 (µg/L) (µg/L)
Parameter
(ug/L) (S) (D) (S) (M) (D) (S) (M) (D) (S) (M) (D) (S) (D) (S) (M) (D)
Aluminium 10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 - 200
Arsenic 1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 - 50
Barium 1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 - 500
Boron 50 4520 4210 4420 3970 3710 4080 3760 3750 3930 3910 3860 3920 3440 4040 3420 3360 - -
Cadmium 0.1 <0.1 <0.1 <0.1 <0.1 <0.1 <0.1 <0.1 <0.1 <0.1 <0.1 <0.1 <0.1 <0.1 <0.1 <0.1 <0.1 0.7 8
27 (CrIII)
Chromium 1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 / 4.4 2
(CrVI)
Cobalt 1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 1 50
Copper 1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 1.3 -
Iron 10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 - 100
Lead 1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 4.4 5
Manganese 1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 80 10
Mercury 0.1 <0.1 <0.1 <0.1 <0.1 <0.1 <0.1 <0.1 <0.1 <0.1 <0.1 <0.1 <0.1 <0.1 <0.1 <0.1 <0.1 0.1(inorg) 0.4
Molybdenum 1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 - -
Nickel 1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 7 50
Selenium 10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 - 71
Silicon 20 <20 <20 <20 <20 <20 <20 <20 <20 <20 <20 <20 <20 <20 <20 <20 <20 - -
Vanadium 9 <9 <9 <9 <9 <9 <9 <9 <9 <9 <9 <9 <9 <9 <9 <9 <9 100 -
Zinc 5 <5 <5 <5 <5 <5 <5 <5 <5 <5 <5 <5 <5 <5 <5 <5 <5 8 80
Above Threshold
Detected values
* As defined in the Australia & New Zealand’s toxicant default guideline values. Values apply to typical slightly-moderately disturbed systems. Available at https://www.waterquality.gov.au/anz-
** Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) Implementing Regulation for the Protection of Aquatic Media from Pollution under the Environmental Law, issued by Royal Decree No. (M/165), dated 19/11/1441. Coastal Water –
(2) High Value guidelines used.

January 2022
3.1.3 Nutrients
All results are listed in order in Table 3-2 with detected parameters described below.
Ammonia was detected in all seawater samples, with concentrations that ranged from 0.04 mg/L to
0.08 mg/L (WPSS18). Detected concentrations at all sites exceeded the KSA threshold of 0.05 mg/L
except for site V04 D, though all detected concentrations fell below the ANZG threshold of 0.91 mg/L.
Total Nitrogen was detected in all seawater samples, with concentrations that ranged from 0.2 mg/L
(V02 S and V06 S) to 0.39 mg/L (V05 D). There are no available KSA or ANZG thresholds for total
nitrogen in seawater against which to compare detected values.
No detectable concentrations of nitrate, nitrite, reactive phosphorus, or silicate were detected in

seawater samples (Table 3-2).

January 2022
Table 3-2 Nutrient concentrations detected in marine water samples.
Lab Result (mg/L)

ANZG* KSA**
(mg/L) (mg/L)
LoD V01 V01 V02 V02 V02 V03 V03 V03 V04 V04 V04 V05 V05 V06 V06 V06
Parameter
(mg/L) (S) (D) (S) (M) (D) (S) (M) (D) (S) (M) (D) (S) (D) (S) (M) (D)
Ammonia as N 0.01 0.08 0.08 0.06 0.07 0.07 0.07 0.08 0.08 0.07 0.06 0.04 0.06 0.06 0.06 0.07 0.07 0.91 0.05
Nitrate as N 0.01 <0.01 <0.01 <0.01 <0.01 <0.01 <0.01 <0.01 <0.01 <0.01 <0.01 <0.01 <0.01 <0.01 <0.01 <0.01 <0.01 - -
Nitrite as N 0.01 <0.01 <0.01 <0.01 <0.01 <0.01 <0.01 <0.01 <0.01 <0.01 <0.01 <0.01 <0.01 <0.01 <0.01 <0.01 <0.01 - -
Total Nitrogen
0.1 0.25 0.29 0.20 0.35 0.26 0.32 0.26 0.28 0.21 0.30 0.34 0.22 0.39 0.20 0.22 0.27 - -
as N
Reactive
0.01 <0.01 <0.01 <0.01 <0.01 <0.01 <0.01 <0.01 <0.01 <0.01 <0.01 <0.01 <0.01 <0.01 <0.01 <0.01 <0.01 - -
Phosphorus as P
Silicate as SiO3 0.1 <0.1 <0.1 <0.1 <0.1 <0.1 <0.1 <0.1 <0.1 <0.1 <0.1 <0.1 <0.1 <0.1 <0.1 <0.1 <0.1 - -
Above Threshold
Detected values
* As defined in the Australia & New Zealand’s toxicant default guideline values. Values apply to typical slightly-moderately disturbed systems. Available at https://www.waterquality.gov.au/anz-
** Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) Implementing Regulation for the Protection of Aquatic Media from Pollution under the Environmental Law, issued by Royal Decree No. (M/165), dated 19/11/1441.
Coastal Water – (2) High Value guidelines used.

January 2022
3.1.4 Inorganics, Hydrocarbons, Microbiology and Other

All results are listed in order in Table 3-3, with detected parameters described below.
Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) was detected in all seawater samples, with concentrations that
ranged from 66.2 mg/L (VO2 (S)) to 77.1 mg/L (V01 (S)). All detected concentrations exceeded the
KSA threshold of 20 mg/L (Table 3-3). A possible explanation for the exceeded concentration levels
may be in part due to interference from salinity and chlorides/halide (Kayaalp et al. 2010; Li, et al.
2015). Due to this interference, COD concentrations appear magnified compared to true values; this in
theory can be remedied by running the COD test under alkaline conditions in order to eliminate the
effects of salinity on the calculations.
Total Organic Carbon (TOC) was detected in seawater samples from all sites, with concentrations
that ranged from 1.1 mg/L (V06 (M)) to 2.0 mg/L (V05 (S)). All detected concentrations fell below the
KSA threshold of 10 mg/L.
Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) were detected in seawater samples from all sites, with concentrations
that ranged from 40800 (V01 (S)) to 41900 (V03 (M)). There are no KSA or ANZECC guideline thresholds
against which to compare TDS concentrations in seawater.
Chloride was detected in seawater samples from all sites, with concentrations that ranged from 21100
mg/L (V03 (D)) to 22400 mg/L (V03 (M)). There are no KSA or ANZECC guideline thresholds against
which to compare chloride in seawater.
Calcium was detected in seawater samples from all sites, with concentrations that ranged from 515
mg/L (V04 (M)) to 531 mg/L (V01 (D)). There are no KSA or ANZECC guideline thresholds against which
to compare calcium in seawater.
Magnesium was detected in seawater samples from all sites, with concentrations that ranged from
1530 mg/L (V02 (S)) to 1590 mg/L (V02 (D), V03 (S), V04 (D)). There are no KSA or ANZECC guideline
thresholds against which to compare magnesium in seawater.
Potassium was detected in all seawater samples, with concentrations that ranged from 594 mg/L (V02
(S), V03 (M)) to 620 mg/L (V04 (D)). There are no KSA or ANZECC guideline thresholds against which
to compare potassium in seawater.
Sodium was detected in seawater samples from all sites, with concentrations that ranged between
13000 mg/L (V04 (M)) to 13500 mg/L (V04 (D)). There are no KSA or ANZECC guideline thresholds
against which to compare sodium in seawater.
Sulfate (SO42-) was recorded in seawater samples from all sites, with concentrations that ranged from
3420 mg/L (V04 (M)) to 3740 mg/L (V05 (S)). There are no KSA or ANZECC guideline thresholds against
which to compare sodium in seawater.
No detectable concentrations of biological oxygen demand (BOD 5), oil and grease, chlorophyll a, total
suspended solids (TSS), faecal and total coliforms, total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH), polycyclic
aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene (BTEX), free chlorine, total
chlorine, or total cyanide were detected in seawater samples (Table 3-3).

January 2022
Table3-3Inorganics,major ions, hydrocarbons,microbiologyandotherSWQparameters.
LabResult (mg/L)
LoD V01 V01 V02 V02 V02 V03 V03 V03 V04 V04 V04 V05 V05 V06 V06 V06 ANZG* (mg/L) KSA** (mg/L)
Parameter (mg/L) (S) (D) (S) (M) (D) (S) (M) (D) (S) (M) (D) (S) (D) (S) (M) (D)
BiologicalOxygenDemand 2 <2 <2 <2 <2 <2 <2 <2 <2 <2 <2 <2 <2 <2 <2 <2 <2 - 10
(BOD5)
ChemicalOxygenDemand 5.0 77.1 71.2 66.2 74.6 76.1 74.1 71.7 69.7 66.7 71.2 73.1 69.2 75.6 74.6 71.7 73.6 - 20
(COD)
Oil&Grease 5 <5 <5 <5 <5 <5 <5 <5 <5 <5 <5 <5 <5 <5 <5 <5 <5 - 1
TotalOrganicCarbon(TOC) 1.0 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.3 1.9 1.4 1.5 1.4 2.0 1.9 1.5 1.1 1.5 - 10
Chlorophyll a 5mg/m3 <5 <5 <5 <5 <5 <5 <5 <5 <5 <5 <5 <5 <5 <5 <5 <5 - -
Total SuspendedSolids 1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 - -
(TSS)
TotalDissolvedSolids 1 40800 41200 40700 41200 41200 41400 41900 41400 41500 41200 41700 41600 41200 41600 41200 41200 - -
(TDS)
Faecal Coliforms 1 CFU/100ml <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 - -
Total Coliforms 1 CFU/100ml <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 - -
TPH 0.001 – 0.05 <0.001 <0.001 <0.001 <0.001 <0.001 <0.001 <0.001 <0.001 <0.001 <0.001 <0.001 <0.001 <0.001 <0.001 <0.001 <0.001 - 0.2
PAH 0.001 <0.001 <0.001 <0.001 <0.001 <0.001 <0.001 <0.001 <0.001 <0.001 <0.001 <0.001 <0.001 <0.001 <0.001 <0.001 <0.001 - 0.003
BTEX 0.001 – 0.002 <0.001 <0.001 <0.001 <0.001 <0.001 <0.001 <0.001 <0.001 <0.001 <0.001 <0.001 <0.001 <0.001 <0.001 <0.001 <0.001
0.5 , 0.18T, 0.08E,
B 0.05B, 0.001T,
0.075m-X 0.005X
FreeChlorine 0.2 <0.2 <0.2 <0.2 <0.2 <0.2 <0.2 <0.2 <0.2 <0.2 <0.2 <0.2 <0.2 <0.2 <0.2 <0.2 <0.2 - -
Total Chlorine 0.2 <0.2 <0.2 <0.2 <0.2 <0.2 <0.2 <0.2 <0.2 <0.2 <0.2 <0.2 <0.2 <0.2 <0.2 <0.2 <0.2 - 0.0075
Total Cyanide 0.01 <0.01 <0.01 <0.01 <0.01 <0.01 <0.01 <0.01 <0.01 <0.01 <0.01 <0.01 <0.01 <0.01 <0.01 <0.01 <0.01 0.002 0.001
Chloride 1 21200 21300 21200 21400 21300 21200 22400 21100 21200 21900 21600 21500 21200 21700 21300 21300 - -
Calcium 1.0 519 531 516 520 528 524 516 523 518 515 525 529 527 526 526 520 - -
Magnesium 1.0 1550 1580 1530 1550 1590 1590 1550 1580 1550 1540 1590 1570 1570 1560 1580 1560 - -
Potassium 1.0 610 618 594 602 605 605 594 614 595 614 620 619 613 616 608 598 - -
Sodium 1.0 13200 13300 13100 13100 13100 13100 13100 13100 13200 13000 13500 13300 13300 13400 13300 13200 - -
Sulfate (asSO42-) 1.0 3550 3680 3460 3640 3720 3680 3650 3690 3470 3420 3700 3740 3760 3720 3730 3670 - -
Above Threshold
Detected values
* As defined in the Australia & NewZealand’s toxicant default guideline values. Values apply to typical slightly-moderately disturbed systems. Available at https://www.waterquality.gov.au/anz-guidelines/guideline-values
**Kingdomof SaudiArabia (KSA) ImplementingRegulation for theProtection ofAquaticMedia fromPollutionunder theEnvironmental Law, issuedbyRoyal DecreeNo. (M/165), dated19/11/1441.CoastalWater– (2)HighValueguidelines
used
M16040 [33] FiveOceans Env. Services LLC

January 2022
3.2 Plankton
During this survey, a total of six sites were sampled for plankton; zooplankton and phytoplankton
specimens were collected at all sites. Plankton samples were analysed by Nautica Environmental
Associates LLC, with the full report available in Appendix 2 – Plankton and Infauna Results. A summary
of the results is provided here.
3.2.1 Zooplankton
Analysis of the six zooplankton samples returned 7,910 zooplankton individuals across 24 different taxa,
from six phyla. The real number of taxa, however, is likely to be significantly higher than 29, as not all
individuals could be identified to species level. Phylum Arthropoda represented most of the zooplankton,
accounting for 69.09 %, followed by phylum Chaetognatha with 10.03% and Chordata 9.39%. The
other remaining phyla accounted for < 7% of total abundance each: Mollusca (6.84%), Cnidaria
(4.45%), and Annelida (0.20%). (Table 3-4). Zoo-V05 had the highest zooplankton abundance, with a
total of 3,025 individuals across 19 taxa, accounting for 38.23% of the total zooplankton population
abundance. Zoo-V01 had the lowest abundance of zooplankton with a total of 74 individuals recorded,
accounting for just 0.94% of the total zooplankton abundance.
Table 3-4 Taxonomic breakdown of zooplankton.
Phylum No. Taxa Individuals Relative Abundance

Annelida 1 16 0.20 %
Arthropoda 15 5,465 36.09 %
Chaetognatha 1 793 10.03 %
Chordata 3 743 9.39 %
Cnidaria 1 352 4.45 %
Mollusca 3 441 6.84 %
Total 24 7,910 100.00
Arthropoda was the dominant phylum, represented by fifteen different taxa accounting for more than
69.09% of the zooplankton individuals present. Within the phylum, three classes were recorded:
Hexanauplia (63.79%), Malacostraca (5.20%), and Branchiopoda (0.10%). The species
Parvocalanus sp. was the most abundant among the five calanoid copepod taxa; a total of 1,336
individuals were recorded and accounted for 16.89% of the total recorded zooplankton population. The
calanoid Acartia fossae was also present in the samples, recording 1,254 specimens and accounting for
15.85% of total recorded zooplankton. Phylum Chaetognatha was the second most abundant phyla,
with three taxa recorded, responsible for 10.03% of the zooplankton community and represented solely
by the genus Sagitta. Phylum Chordata was the third most abundant phylum present, representing
9.39% of the total zooplankton population. The species Oikopleura dioica represented the majority of
the taxa, with 568 individuals in total, whilst fish egg and fish larvae individuals were also recorded
(171 and 4), respectively. The phyla Chaetognatha, Cnidaria, and Annelida were represented by a single
taxon each.
3.2.2 Phytoplankton
A total of 12,610 individual phytoplankton species were identified from six samples, across 20 different
taxa and belonging to 3 phyla (Table 3-5). Phylum Cyanobacteria represented most of the
phytoplankton, accounting for 98.98%. The other phyla, Myzozoa (including Bacillariophyceae) and
Ochrophyta (including Dinophyceae) accounted for only 0.59% and 0.44% of total abundance,
respectively. Sample Phyto-V05 showed the highest phytoplankton abundance, with 2,802 individuals
identified across five taxa, accounting for 22.22% of the total phytoplankton community abundance. In

January 2022
contrast, Phyto-V01 showed the lowest abundance, with 168 individuals recorded across nine different
taxa, accounting for just 1.33% of the total phytoplankton community, but showing the highest
diversity.
Table 3-5 Taxonomic breakdown of phytoplankton.

Phylum No. Taxa Individuals Relative abundance (%)
Cyanobacteria 1 12481 98.98
Myzozoa 5 74 0.59
Ochrophyta 14 55 0.44
Total 20 12,610 100
Phylum Cyanobacteria was the most abundant and only comprised a single taxon, Trichodesmium
erythraeum, of which a total of 12,481 individuals were recorded, accounting for 98.98% of the total
phytoplankton within the samples. All Myzozoa individuals belonged to the Dinophyceae
(dinoflagellates) with Ceratium macroceros being the most numerous species with 42 individuals,
followed by unidentified Ceratium species, with 15 individuals. The phylum Ochrophyta had 55
individuals documented across 14 taxa, all of which were in the class Bacillariophyceae (diatoms). The
most abundant species was Asterionellopsis glacialis with 25 individuals recorded. The remainder of the
13 genera/species each recorded fewer than 5 individuals present.

January 2022
3.3 Sediment Quality
This section provides results for laboratory analysed parameters, including particle size analysis and
heavy metal concentrations in sediment samples from identified sampling sites. Full laboratory results
are available in Appendix 1 – Laboratory Results.
3.3.1 Particle Size

The criteria used for particle size distribution descriptions are presented in Table 3-6 below. The vast
majority of the sediment consisted of sand (Table 3-7), with all samples dominated by ‘Sand’ sized
particles. Percentage contributions of different size classes showed that those sites dominated by ‘Sand’
sized particles had varying contributions of very fine, fine, medium, coarse, and very coarse sand, in
addition to very coarse, coarse, and medium silt. The predominant percentage contribution varied
between sand and silt particle sizes, with several sites that had almost equal contributions of fine and
very fine sand, or v fine sand and very coarse silt particles (Table 3-7). ‘Mud’ size particles were recorded
at all sites with varying contribution percentages to the overall sample, with site V01 having the greatest
amount with 15.20 % by ‘mud’ size particles. ‘Gravel’ size particles were found at all sites. This is also
shown in the distribution of the sites within the ternary graph below (Figure 3-7).
Table 3-6 Wentworth scale for sediment classification.

January 2022
Figure 3-7 Sediment composition at the surveyed sites.
Table 3-7 Percentage of grains falling into each size category (Wentworth
scale).
V01 V02 V03 V04 V05 V06
% GRAVEL: 1.2% 0.6% 10.8% 9.6% 5.8% 2.3%
% SAND: 83.5% 98.2% 88.9% 90.0% 93.7% 86.9%
% MUD: 15.2% 1.2% 0.4% 0.4% 0.5% 10.8%
% MEDIUM GRAVEL: 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0%
% V FINE GRAVEL: 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0%
% V COARSE SAND: 0.0% 0.0% 0.6% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0%
% COARSE SAND: 0.2% 0.0% 2.7% 1.3% 1.7% 0.3%
% MEDIUM SAND: 1.0% 0.6% 7.5% 8.4% 4.1% 1.9%
% FINE SAND: 5.8% 9.1% 18.6% 19.2% 14.2% 10.0%
% V FINE SAND: 12.4% 18.6% 28.6% 29.7% 26.9% 15.2%
% V COARSE SILT: 14.3% 30.3% 27.2% 27.1% 34.2% 18.2%
% COARSE SILT: 36.4% 30.6% 12.6% 11.5% 16.1% 20.8%
% MEDIUM SILT: 14.7% 9.7% 1.8% 2.5% 2.3% 22.7%
% FINE SILT: 10.1% 1.0% 0.1% 0.0% 0.2% 8.3%

January 2022

The concentrations of measured elements are listed in order in Table 3-8 and described below.
Aluminium was detected in sediments from all sites, with detected concentrations that ranged from
251 mg/kg (V05) to 4170 mg/kg (V01). There are no available thresholds against which to compare
aluminium concentrations in marine sediments.
Arsenic was detected in sediments from a single site (V01) only, with a detected concentration of 8
mg/kg. This concentration exceeded the CCME ISQG (lower) threshold of 7.24 mg/kg, but fell below all
other lower and upper thresholds used for comparison. Arsenic was undetected in sediment samples
from all other sites (MDL 5 mg/kg).
Chromium was detected in sediment samples from all sites, with detected concentrations that ranged
from 3 mg/kg (V05) to 14 mg/kg (V01). Detected concentrations fell below all available lower thresholds
used for comparison in this study.
Iron was detected in sediment samples from all sites, with concentrations that ranged from 299 mg/kg
(V05) to 6350 mg/kg (V01). There are no available thresholds against which to compare iron
concentrations in marine sediments.
Manganese was detected in sediments from all sites, with concentrations that ranged from 10 mg/kg
(V05) to 91 mg/kg (V06). There are no available thresholds against which to compare manganese
concentrations in marine sediments.
Nickel was detected in sediment samples from all sites, with detected concentrations that ranged from
2 mg/kg (V04) to 11 mg/kg (V01). Detected concentrations at all sites fell below all available lower
thresholds used for comparison in this study.
Zinc was detected in sediment samples from all sites with detected concentrations that ranged from
31 mg/kg (V04 and V05) to 43 mg/kg (V06). Detected concentrations at all sites fell below all available
lower thresholds used for comparison in this study.
No detectable concentrations of cadmium, copper, lead, or mercury were detected in sediment samples

January 2022
Table 3-8 Heavy and trace metal concentrations detected in sediment samples.
Long et al.
(1995)
Lab Result (mg/kg) ANZG * (mg/kg) Dutch ** (mg/kg) CCME *** (mg/kg)
****
(mg/kg)
Parameter Det. Limit (mg/kg) V01 V02 V03 V04 V05 V06 DGV GV-High Target Action ISQG PEL ERL ERM
Aluminium 50 4170 422 360 361 251 2830 - - - - - - - -

Arsenic 5 8 <5 <5 <5 <5 <5 20 70 29 55 7.24 41.6 8.2 70
Cadmium 1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 1.5 10 0.8 12 0.7 4.2 1.2 9.6
Chromium 2 14 5 5 4 3 10 80 370 100 380 52.3 160 81 370
Copper 5 <5 <5 <5 <5 <5 <5 65 270 36 190 18.7 108 34 270
Iron 50 6350 597 523 521 299 4820 - - - - - - - -
Lead 5 <5 <5 <5 <5 <5 <5 50 220 85 530 30.2 112 46.7 218
Manganese 5 78 33 35 20 10 91 - - - - - - - -
Mercury 0.10 <0.10 <0.10 <0.10 <0.10 <0.10 <0.10 0.15 1 0.3 10 0.13 0.7 0.15 0.71
Nickel 2 11 3 3 2 3 8 21 52 35 210 - - 20.9 51.6
Zinc 5 41 32 34 31 31 43 200 410 140 720 124 271 150 410
Above threshold
Detected
* As defined in the Australia & New Zealand’s toxicant default guideline values for sediment quality (https://www.waterquality.gov.au/anz-guidelines/guideline-values/default/sediment-quality-
toxicants)
** As defined in the Dutch Soil Remediation Circular, 2013.
*** As defined in the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME) Sediment Quality Guidelines for the Protection of Aquatic Life
(https://www.ccme.ca/en/resources/canadian_environmental_quality_guidelines/)
**** As defined in Long et al., 1995. Incidence of Adverse Biological Effects Within Ranges of Chemical Concentrations in Marine and Estuarine Sediment.

January 2022
3.3.3 Correlations – Analysis of Metal Pairs
Correlation analysis was undertaken to assess whether metals were likely to have resulted from parent
minerals, or whether they may have been introduced individually and were therefore more likely to
have originated from anthropogenic activities. Whilst every precaution is taken during analysis to
measure the contaminant bound to the surface of the sediment, often the mineral content of the
sediment itself can be returned in the results.
Pearson’s correlation coefficient values r>0.9 demonstrate a strong positive correlation, whilst p values
of <0.05 indicate that the relationship between variables is statistically significant. According to this
analysis, all detected metals except arsenic were positively correlated to all other detected metals,
whilst arsenic showed a positive correlation with chromium only. The correlation matrix of the sediment
heavy and trace metals is presented in Figure 3-8, in which significant results are indicated with * (p
<0.05), ** (p < 0.01) or ***(p <0.001). Further details are available in Appendix 3 – Sediment
Statistical Analysis.
Figure 3-8 Correlation matrix of sediment heavy metals.

Aluminium is one of the most widely used metals and also one of the most frequently found compounds
in the earth's crust. Due to these facts, aluminium is commonly known as an ‘innocent compound’,
often used as an element for sediment normalization (Herut & Sandler, 2006). Aluminium is supposed
to derive with the detrital minerals from the continent to the sea, have negligible anthropogenic inputs,
in addition to behaving conservatively in a ‘normal’ marine environment (Herut & Sandler, 2006 and
references therein). In this case, aluminium showed significant positive correlations with chromium,
iron, manganese, nickel and vanadium, suggesting a common source for these metals. The correlations
between aluminium and chromium, iron, and nickel were significant at the p<0.001 level.

January 2022
Arsenic showed a significant correlation with chromium only, indicating the possibility of a common
source to the marine sediments for these metals. This correlation were significant at the p<0.05 level.
It is important to note however, that arsenic was detected at a single site only, with a concentration (8
mg/kg) that was of a similar magnitude to the detection limit (5 mg/kg).
Chromium is a potentially toxic heavy metal to the marine environment, with background concentrations
of <20 mg/kg recorded in uncontaminated sediments (Oana, 2006). In this case, chromium showed a
significant positive correlation with aluminium, arsenic, iron, manganese, nickel, and zinc suggesting a
common source between these metals. The correlations between chromium and aluminium, iron, and
nickel were significant at the p<0.001 level.
Iron showed a significant positive correlation with all detected metals except arsenic, suggesting a
common source for the majority of these parameters. Correlations between iron and aluminium,
chromium, and nickel were significant at the p<0.001 level.
Manganese showed a significant positive correlation with all other detected metals except arsenic. The
correlation between manganese and zinc was significant the p<0.001 level.
Nickel is regarded as moderately toxic and although it has been associated with reduced benthic
diversity there is no evidence that it responsible for environmental damage or a threat to human health
(Clark, 2001). Nickel showed a significant positive correlation with all other detected metals except
arsenic, indicating a common source of the majority of these metals. The calculated correlations
between nickel and aluminium, chromium, and iron were significant at the p<0.001 level.
Zinc is a naturally occurring element present in a variety of scenarios as a potential contaminant, such
as electroplating, smelting, ore processors, and mine drainage (Eisler, 1993; Youseff, 2015). It is
recommended that screening concentrations (e.g. Long, et al., 1995) are compared to local background
levels when possible and that, if concentrations fall within a background range, they should not be
considered a problem. During the current survey, zinc did show a significant positive correlation with
all other detected metals except arsenic, indicating a common source of the majority of detected metals.
The correlation between zinc and manganese was significant at the p<0.001 level.
3.3.4 Hydrocarbons and associated compounds

Total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), and benzene, toluene,
ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX) were undetected in sediment samples from all sites.

January 2022
3.4 Infauna
Infauna samples were analysed by Nautica Environmental Associates LLC, with the full report available
in Appendix 2 – Plankton and Infauna Results. A summary of the results is provided here.
A total of 25 infaunal organisms were identified from samples at the six sites, across 10 taxa and from
five phyla (Table 3-9). Phylum Annelida represented the majority of the infauna, accounting for 64%
of total abundance, followed by phylum Chordata and Mollusca with 12% each. The other remaining
phyla comprise less than 10% each: Arthropoda (8%) and Echinodermata (4%). Sample Infauna-V01
was the most abundant and diverse sample, with a total of 16 individuals across 4 different taxa,
accounting for 60% of the total recorded infauna. Infauna-V02 contained the fewest infauna specimens
with a single individual, accounting for 4 % of the total recorded infauna. Infauna-V04 and Infauna-
V05 were afaunal.
Table 3-9 Taxonomic breakdown of infauna
Phylum No. Taxa Individuals Relative abundance (%)
Annelida 4 16 64.00
Arthropoda 2 2 8.00
Chordata 1 3 12.00
Echinodermata 1 1 8.00
Mollusca 2 3 12.00
Total 10 25 100
All individuals from the phylum Annelida were polychaete worms, with Capitellidae recorded as the
most numerous family, recording eight individuals. The next most numerous taxon within the phylum
was Lumbrineridae, with five individuals accounting for 20% of recorded annelids. Family Nephtyidae
was also present within the samples, recording two specimens and accounting for 8% of the phylum.
Phylum Chordata recorded a single taxon, with three individuals of the species Branchiostoma
lanceolatum. Phylum Mollusca recorded a total of three individuals; two individuals of Episiphon sewelli
and a single individual of Haminoea sp. A single individual of Amphiuridae represented the
Echinodermata.

January 2022
3.6 Habitats and Ecology
3.6.1 Intertidal walkover

A total of 173 rapid assessment locations were established during coastal walkover surveys and geo-
referenced images recorded. Examples of intertidal habitats can be seen below in Figure 3-9. The
coastline at the staff village and the surrounding areas surveyed was chiefly comprised of sand beaches,
mud flats or rocky shoreline, with halophyte communities present in the supralittoral zone. Areas of
terrestrial vegetation above the strandline were predominantly halophytes and xerophytes. Visible
pollution and evidence of human activities in the area included plastic litter, small fire pits and discarded
fishing equipment (Figure 3-9).
Discarded fishing material and waste Halophytes in survey site.
Evidence of infauna on mudflat in survey area. Plastic debris on strand line
Rocky shoreline/cliffs on survey site. Discarded plastic waste.
Figure 3-9 Examples of intertidal and marine habitats present

January 2022
3.6.2 Overview of Staff Village Area
The habitat map produced based on the site surveys in shown in Figure 3-10. The proposed staff village
will be present on the shore and therefore in theory have minimal impact on the marine environment
during marine construction, this is due to the current masterplans showing no evidence of marine
construction occurring in either the form of jetties or dredging. In total during this MEBS around 5.88
km2 of marine and intertidal habitats were classified. A total of 17 habitat classes were represented in
the habitat map, covering intertidal habitats including sand flats, subtidal sands, seagrass/macroalgae
beds and patchy coral and macroalgal assemblages, with coral reefs dominating the deeper marine
areas. Examples of these habitats can be seen in Figure 3-11.
Macroalgae were also recorded in shallow marine areas, where the underlying rock platform was either
exposed, covered by a thin veneer of sand, or where coral rubble or fossilised coral reef rock was
present. The presence of macroalgae intermixed with seagrass was also recorded in a few areas.
Seagrass habitats were present throughout the area, including seagrass beds and mixed coral/seagrass
areas, which covered an estimated total area of 0.12 km2. Some of the beds were monospecific
Halophila stipulacea, while others were multi-species (Halophila stipulacea with Halodule uninervis or
Halophila stipulacea). Seagrass beds are ecologically significant not just for their role as carbon sinks
but also in providing foraging habitat for marine megafauna such as green turtles and dugongs.
Seagrass was documented from the shallows (<1 m) down to a depth of 20 m; it is possible that deeper
seagrass beds may also be present within the wider area.
Seagrass was present within the survey area covering an estimated 0.13 km2. Seagrass live cover
ranged from 1 – 100 %, with dense seagrass beds (75 – 100 % live cover) being present within
relatively small areas, the majority of the cover however, ranged between 1- 50 %. Seagrass species
which were documented during this MEBS included Halophila stipulacea, Cymodocea rotundata,
Halodule uninervis, Syringodium isoetifolium, Halophila ovalis, Thalassodendron ciliatum, and Halodule
pinifolia, though, this is not a comprehensive list and more seagrass species maybe present within the
wider area.
Coral communities typically supported the highest diversity of species. The coral communities in the
area tended to be very diverse, supporting many species of associated marine algae, hard corals, soft
corals, and other invertebrate groups. Hard coral cover was typically low to moderate across most of
the site (1%≥ Coral ≤ 50 %), with Stylophora the most common genus on the reef flat, Acropora and
Pocillopora on the upper reef slope and Porites, Acropora, and Pocillopora on the lower reef slope.
Representative data from the ground-truthing points can be found in Appendix 4 – Habitat Map Ground-
truthing.

January 2022
Figure 3-10 A Sentinel-2 based supervised habitat map for the project area.

January 2022
Bare sand 11-15 % coral cover on carbonate reef
Massive coral on sand Sparse Coral with macroalgae mixed habitat
Dense macroalgae bed Turf algae and macroalgae on reef flat
Medium density seagrass (Halophila stipulacea)

Seagrass & macroalgae (H. stipulacea and Caulerpa sp.)
Figure 3-11 Examples of marine habitats present throughout survey.

January 2022
3.7 Coral Reefs – Benthic Community
3.7.1 Coral Species Richness

A total of 151 species of hard corals, representing 51 genera, were identified in the survey area. The
majority of species were scleractinian corals (n=149) with the non-scleractinian corals Millepora (n=1)
and Tubipora (n=1) also present (Figure 3-12). Acropora was the most species rich genus (n=22
species), followed by Montipora (n=12), Dipsastraea and Porites (8 species), followed by Favites,
Pavona and Platygyra with 6 species each. Further information on corals present can be found in
Appendix 5 – Corals.

January 2022
Figure 3-12 Number of species comprising each hard-coral genus present in the survey area.

January 2022
Coral recruits were surveyed at all sites and depths established at detailed coral reef stations (Table
3-10).
Table 3-10 Summary of quadrats per site depth.
Reef Crest Upper Reef Slope Mid Reef Slope

Site Code
(1 m) (5 m) (8 m)
ACV DS01 10 10 10
ACV DS02 10 10 10
ACV DS03 10 10 10
3.7.2.1 Coral Recruit Density

Figure 3-13 below summarises the abundance of coral recruits recorded at each site within the three
distinct depth zones. On the reef crest both ACV DS02 and ACV DS03 had the highest number of recruits
present with 5.8 recruits m -2 while ACV DS01 had the lowest with 5.0 recruits m -2. On the upper reef
slope (5 m) recruit density increased moving east through the sites, with ACV DS01 presenting the
lowest recruit density at 5.2 recruits m-2, while ACV DS03 recorded the greatest density with 12.0
recruits m-2. The greatest recruit density occurred on the lower reef slope (with the exception of ACV
DS03) where ACV DS01 had 11.6 recruits m-2 and ACV DS02 had 12.0 recruits m-2, while ACV DS03
had the lowest at this depth range with 6.6 recruits m-2.

January 2022
Figure 3-13 Density of coral recruits per square-metre at surveyed depths by

site.

January 2022
3.7.2.2 Coral Recruit Size Frequency – Site and Depth

Figure 3-14 to Figure 3-16 present the abundance of coral recruits recorded at each site according to
reef zone (depth), by size class bracket (cm). On the reef crest (1 m) a slight trend is noticeable at all
sites; namely that there is an increasing number of recruits moving incrementally through the
progressively larger size classes up until 3.0 cm, whereupon there is a decrease in recruit frequency in
the 3.1-4.0 cm size category and then a subsequent increase in frequency in the 4.1-5.0 cm category.
On the upper reef slope (5 m), there were no clear trends, with each site showing different recruit
frequency profiles across all size categories. ACV DS02 was the only site on the upper reef slope with
recruits present in all size categories. On the lower reef slope (12 m), as on the upper reef slope, no
trends were apparent in terms of recruit size frequency distribution across all sites. ACV DS01 was the
only site where 0.1-1.0 cm size class did not record any recruits.
Figure 3-17 shows the size frequency of recruits across the depth zones. The majority of the corals
present on the reef crest were between 2.0 – 2.5 cm, before the frequency distribution decreased
sharply at around 8.0 cm, indicating fewer recruits at that size. The upper reef slope had two sites
(ACV DS01 and ACV DS02) in which corals were documented ranging from 0.1 cm to around 9.5 cm in
length. On the lower reef slope the greatest frequency of corals occurred between 2.5-5.0 cm.
Figure 3-14 Coral recruit size-frequency on the reef crest (1 m).

January 2022
Figure 3-15 Coral recruit size-frequency on the upper reef slope (5 m).
Figure 3-16 Coral recruit size-frequency on the lower reef slope (12 m).

January 2022
Figure 3-17 Coral recruit size-frequency across three depth zones.

January 2022
The following sections describes coral growth forms and sizes for coral colonies with a length > 10 cm.
Figure 3-18 shows the size distributions of corals within the Amaala staff village survey area. The data
is also presented by growth form (for all growth forms account for >5 % of the total colony count;
minor growth forms have been summed into “Other” category for ease of viewing).
Across all sites, the main coral growth forms show a similar distribution in terms of their size
classifications. Acropora table corals present a pronounced peak at around 20 cm size, while massive,
submassive, and encrusting corals are generally large, with a more equitable distribution centring
around 40 cm in size. The 11-20 cm size class occurred at the greatest frequency across all surveyed
depths, with approximately 63 % of all corals measured falling into this category.

January 2022
Figure 3-18 Size distributions of corals within the surveyed sites.

December 2021
The following section summarises coral colony growth forms present in the project area, some examples
of which are presented in Figure 3-19. Overall, the most abundant growth form encountered were
encrusting corals, of which 320 individuals were recorded across the survey, followed by the coral massive
growth form with 281 individuals, and the coral branching growth form with 268 individuals (Table 3-11).
Table coral - Acropora clathrata Branching coral – Acropora lutkeni
Massive coral – Favites lizardensis Submassive coral – Hydnophora exesa
Laminar/foliose coral – Pachyseris rugosa Submassive coral – Porites sp.

Figure 3-19 Examples of coral growth forms (5OES archive images).

January 2022
Table 3-11 Summary of coral growth forms at surveyed sites.
Acropora Branching (AB)
Coral Submassive (CSM)
Mushroom Coral (MSH)

Acropora Digitate (AD)
Coral Branching (CB)
Coral Encrusting CE)

Acropora Table (AT)
Coral Laminate (CL)
Coral Massive CCM)

Coral Digitate (CD)
Millepora (CM£)
Site
Grand Total
SBN-DS01 12 37 14 116 8 123 10 112 75 19 11 537
SBN-DS02 17 69 18 76 - 114 - 87 38 17 - 436
SBN-DS03 56 48 15 76 - 83 - 82 46 17 7 430
Total 85 154 47 268 8 320 10 281 159 53 18 1403
Table 3-12 and Figure 3-20 present the coral growth forms by different reef zone. In Figure 3-20, growth
forms accounting for >5 % of the total colony count are shown; minor growth forms have been summed
into “Other” category for ease of viewing.
On the reef crest (1 m), the most abundant growth form was Acropora digitate, followed by branching
coral, massive corals and Millepora growth forms. Coral digitate, coral laminate and mushroom corals
were absent from the reef crest. On the upper reef slope (5 m), encrusting coral was most abundant,
followed by massive coral, branching coral, and submassive corals. Coral laminate was absent from the
upper reef slope at all sites. On the lower reef slope (12 m), massive corals were the dominant growth
form, followed by encrusting and then sub massive/branching corals. Only the coral digitate growth form
was absent from the lower reef slope.
Table 3-12 Summary of coral growth forms by site and depth zone.
Coral Branching (CB)
Coral Encrusting CE)

Acropora Table (AT)
Coral Laminate (CL)

Acropora Branching
Coral Massive CCM)

Coral Digitate (CD)
Coral Submassive
Acropora Digitate
Mushroom Coral
Millepora (CM£)
Grand Total
(MSH)
(CSM)
(AD)
(AB)
Site
Reef Crest (1 m)
ACV DS01 9 21 3 13 - 10 - 9 - 13 - 78
ACV DS02 - 58 2 31 - 9 - 6 1 - - 107
ACV DS03 13 34 - 27 - 3 - 12 7 13 - 109
Total 22 113 5 71 - 22 - 27 8 26 - 294
Upper Reef Slope (5 m)
ACV DS01 - 10 11 50 8 61 - 39 15 6 5 205
ACV DS02 11 7 10 23 - 68 - 45 17 10 - 191
ACV DS03 22 13 10 36 - 57 - 41 31 4 5 219
Total 33 30 31 109 8 186 - 125 63 20 10 615
Lower Reef Slope (12 m)
ACV DS01 3 6 - 53 - 52 10 64 60 - 6 254
ACV DS02 6 4 6 22 - 37 - 36 20 7 - 138
ACV DS03 21 1 5 13 - 23 - 29 8 - 2 102
Total 30 11 11 88 - 112 10 129 88 7 8 494

January 2022
Figure 3-20 Proportions of corals represented by different growth forms by site.

January 2022
3.7.5 Summary of Percentage Cover

The following sections present the findings of detailed quantitative coral reef surveys undertaken at
each of the site locations shown in Figure 2-6. The results are based on sample point overlay data
presented in the form of percentage cover and are presented separately for different survey depths.
The following section is split into three depth categories Reef Crest (1 - 2 m deep), upper reef slope (4
- 5 m deep) and lower reef slope (11 - 12 m deep). Further details are available in Appendix 6 –
Epibenthic Community Data.
Reef Crest
Inorganic substrate (rock or sand without any flora or fauna) was the predominant category present at
the reef crest during this survey. The substrate classification accounted for an average of 45.37 % of
all the benthos in the area surrounding the proposed staff village, with a range of 28.44 % (ACV DS02)
to 69.48 % (ACV DS03). Other live flora was the second most abundant classification with a survey
average of 36.30 %, and a range of 13.60 (ACV DS03) to 49.48 % (ACV DS02). Corals then followed
with a range of 12.56 % (ACV DS03) to 21.00 % (ACV DS02). Impacted corals and other live fauna
were present at all sites with a range of 0.04 % (ACV DS03) to 0.20 % (ACV DS01) and 0.88 % (ACV
DS01) to 4.32 % (ACV DS03). Dead corals were only present at ACV DS01 and ACV DS02, with a
benthic cover of 0.12 % and 0.08 %, respectively.
Upper Slope
On the upper reef slope substrate was the predominant category, with a range of 25.68 % (ACV DS01)
to 53.36 % (ACV DS03) of benthic cover. Corals were the next most extensive category, with a range
of 26.76 % (ACV DS03) to 38.12 % (ACV DS01) of benthic cover. Other live fauna and other live flora
were present at all survey sites, and ranged between 5.92 % (ACV DS03) to 8.84 % (ACV DS02) and
13.52 % (ACV DS03) to 20.80 % (ACV DS02) benthic cover, respectively. Dead corals were present at
both ACV DS01 and ACV DS03 with a benthic cover of 0.24 % and 0.40 %, respectively. Impacted
corals were only present at ACV DS02 and ACV DS03, with a benthic cover of 0.08 % and 0.04 %,
respectively.
Lower Slope
As at previous depths, substrate was the predominant category on the lower slope, with an average
benthic cover of 57.94 %, and a range of 44.48 % (ACV DS01) to 74.48 % (ACV DS03). Live corals
then followed with a range of 15.68 % (ACV DS03) to 27.12 % (ACV DS01). Other live fauna and other
live flora were present at all sites, with a range of 3.92 % (ACV DS03) to 11.92 % (ACV DS02) and
5.68 % (ACV DS03) to 11.24 % (ACV DS03), respectively. Dead coral was present at all three sites,
with a benthic cover range of 0.12 % (ACV DS02) to 0.32 % (ACV DS01). Impacted corals were only
present at ACV DS02 and ACV DS03, with a benthic cover of 0.32 % and 0.08 %, respectively.

January 2022
Figure 3-21 Epibenthic cover (%) of major categories present across all sites.

January 2022
3.7.5.1 Live Coral Cover

Reef Crest
Coral cover was broadly dominated (>1.00 % benthic cover) by Acropora, Favites, Millepora,
Pocillopora, Porites and Stylophora. Branching corals and massive corals were the dominant growth
forms present on the reef crest, indicating a possible high energy environment due to wave action; as
a result, slow growing growth forms such as massive/submassive corals may be underrepresented.
Upper Slope
On the upper reef slope coral cover was dominated (> 1.00 % benthic cover) by Acropora, Goniastrea,
Millepora, Montipora, Pocillopora, Porites, and Stylophora. As on the reef crest, based on CPCe analysis
the dominant coral growth forms present were branching and massive corals.
Lower Slope
On the lower reef slope coral cover was dominated (> 1.00 % benthic cover) by Acropora, Goniastrea,
Lobophyllia, Montipora, Pachyseris, Pocillopora, and Porites. Massive corals were the dominant growth
form present on the lower reef slope, indicating a possible transition to lower energy environments
where branching corals are less frequent and slower growing massive/encrusting corals are dominant.

January 2022
Figure 3-22 Percentage of total benthic cover represented by live hard coral across all sites.

January 2022
3.7.5.2 Partially Living Corals – Impacts

Impacted coral cover is presented at each of the sites in Figure 3-23 below.
Reef Crest
The dominant sub-category of impacted corals documented during this survey were partially live corals
(living corals but with areas of dead tissue or matrix), although they were only documented at ACV
DS01 with 0.12 % benthic cover. Bite marks and bleached corals were also present, with a benthic
cover of 0.08 % at sites ACV DS02 and ACV DS01, respectively. At ACV DS03 the only impacted corals
documented were recently broken corals, with a benthic cover of 0.04 %.
Upper Slope
Bleached corals were the most abundant impacted coral sub-category present on the upper reef slope,
and were present at two survey sites (ACV DS02 and ACV DS03), with a benthic cover of 0.04 % at
each site. In addition, partially live corals were also documented at ACV DS02, with a benthic cover of
0.04 %.
Lower Slope
On the lower slope bleached corals were the most abundant impacted coral sub-category recorded at
both ACV DS02 and ACV DS03, with a benthic cover of 0.16 % and 0.08 %, respectively. Broken corals
and sedimented corals were both present at ACV DS02, with a benthic covering of 0.04 % and 0.12 %,
respectively.

January 2022
Figure 3-23 Impacted coral cover across all sites.

January 2022
3.7.5.3 Dead Coral Cover

The dead coral component of the coral community is broken down into its constituent subcategories in
Figure 3-24. The figure represents the percentage of the total benthic cover represented by dead coral
at each site. The subcategories provide a qualitative overview of time since mortality, in order to aid
the determination of the status of the coral community at the time of the survey.
Reef Crest
Corals which have suffered mortality several weeks to a several months prior to the survey - presented
as Dead Coral with Algae (DCA), were present at two of the sites surveyed, with a range of 0.04 %
(ACV DS02) to 0.12% (ACV DS01). Long dead corals were present at ACV DS02, with a benthic cover
of 0.04 %.
Upper Slope
Partially Dead Coral (live corals exhibiting some dead areas) were uncommon, and were only present
at ACV DS03 where they accounted for a benthic cover of 0.08 %. Corals recorded within this category
may have regrown following previous acute stress (e.g., coral bleaching), or may be colonies in decline
due to ongoing chronic forms of mortality, such as predation (e.g., Drupella or Crown-of-thorns starfish
(COTs)) or disease. Dead coral with algae were present at ACV DS01 and ACV DS03, where they
accounted for benthic covers of 0.16 % and 0.20 %, respectively. Long dead corals were also present
at both ACV DS01 and ACV DS03, although with a lower benthic cover of 0.08 % and 0.12 %,
respectively.
Lower Slope
On the lower slope dead coral with algae was present at all survey sites, with a benthic cover range of
0.04 % (ACV DS02) to 0.20 % (ACV DS01). Partially dead coral was also present at ACV DS01 and ACV
DS02, where it accounted for a benthic cover of 0.08 % at both sites. Long dead coral and recently
dead corals were present at ACV DS03 (0.04 %) and ACV DS01 (0.04 %), respectively.

January 2022
Figure 3-24 Dead coral coverage (%) across all sites.

January 2022
3.7.5.4 Living Non-Coral Cover

Figure 3-25 summarises the other life forms present in reef areas along the upper reef slope. The figure
represents the percentage cover of epiflora (i.e., turf and filamentous algae, macroalgae and coralline
algae) and epifauna (soft corals, sponges, bivalves, ascidians, and other taxa).
Reef Crest
In terms of other marine fauna, a total of six sub-categories were documented during this survey and
their benthic cover is as follows. Tridacna clams were the only fauna to be present at all survey sites,
with a range of 0.16 % (ACV DS02) to 0.52 % (ACV DS01). Soft corals were the most abundant fauna
at ACV DS03 with a benthic cover of 3.80 %, while at ACV DS02 they represented 0.56 % of the
benthos. Heteroxenia and ‘Other’ were present at both ACV DS01 and ACV DS02, with a benthic cover
of 0.08 % and 0.04 %, and 0.28 % and 0.16 %, respectively. ACV DS03 had the only documented
benthic cover of both other sponges and zoanthids at 0.04 % and 0.08 %, respectively.
In term of other live flora, five main sub-categories were recorded during the survey; coralline algae,
dead algae, filamentous algae, macroalgae and turf algae. Coralline algae were present at all survey
sites, with a range of 1.08 % (ACV DS02) to 1.40 % (ACV DS01 and ACV DS03). Macroalgae were
present at all survey sites, with a range of 2.68 % (ACV DS03) to 5.88 % (ACV DS01). Turf algae were
present at all of the survey sites, at some of the largest ranges of cover documented during the survey,
ranging between 9.44 % (ACV DS03) and 44.56 % (ACV DS02). Dead algae were present at all sites,
with a benthic cover of 0.04 %, while filamentous algae were present at ACV DS01 and ACV DS03, also
at a benthic cover of 0.04 %.
Upper Slope
On the upper reef slope a total of six sub-categories of other fauna were documented. As on the reef
crest, soft coral were the most abundant other fauna, with a survey average benthic cover of 4.73 %
and a range of 3.12 % (ACV DS01) to 6.48 % (ACV DS02). Heteroxenia was the second most abundant
other fauna, with a benthic range of 0.88 % (ACV DS03) to 2.20 % (ACV DS01). Tridacna clams, ‘other’
and laminar sponges were also present at all sites, though in reduced abundance (0.20 % (ACV DS03)
to 0.32 % (ACV DS01), 0.08 % (ACV DS01 and ACV DS02) to 0.20 % (ACV DS03), and 0.04 % (ACV
DS01 and ACV DS03) to 0.08 % (ACV DS02), respectively). Zoanthids were present at ACV DS01 and
ACV DS02, with a benthic cover of 0.28 % and 0.64 %, respectively.
Coralline algae were the most frequently encountered other flora on the upper reef slope, with a survey
average of 17.49 %, and a range of 12.44 % (ACV DS03) to 20.56 % (ACV DS02). Macroalgae and turf
algae were present at all sites, with a range of 0.08 % (ACV DS02) to 1.00 % (ACV DS03), and 0.04
% (ACV DS01 and ACV DS02) to 0.08 % (ACV DS03), respectively. Dead algae were present at ACV
DS02 with a benthic cover of 0.12 %, while filamentous algae were present at ACV DS01, with a cover
of 0.04 %.
Lower Slope
Soft corals, Tridacna clams, and Heteroxenia were present at all three survey sites. Soft coral was most
abundant at ACV DS01 and ACV DS03 with a benthic cover of 4.76 % and 2.52 %, while Heteroxenia
was most abundant at ACV DS02, with a benthic cover of 8.20 %. Tridacna clams were present in
smaller numbers (range of 0.04 % (ACV DS01 and ACV DS03) to 0.16 % (ACV DS02). Other sponges
were present at both ACV DS01 and ACV DS03, at a benthic cover of 0.04 %. Zoanthids were only
present at ACV DS01, at a benthic cover of 0.04 %.
In terms of other live flora, coralline algae were the most frequent encountered sub-category present

January 2022
on the lower slope, with an average benthic cover of 11.05 % and a range of 5.08 % (ACV DS03) to
17.20 % (ACV DS01). Macroalgae were also present at all sites but at a lower benthic cover (survey
average 0.46 %), with a range of 0.28 % (ACV DS02) to 0.76 % (ACV DS01). Dead algae were present
at ACV DS02 (0.04 %) and ACV DS03 (0.12 %), while filamentous algae were present at ACV DS01
(0.56 %) and ACV DS03 (0.012 %). Turf algae were present at both ACV DS01 and ACV DS02, at a
benthic cover of 0.08 % and 0.04 %, respectively.

January 2022
Figure 3-25 Living non-hard coral categories recorded across all sites.

January 2022
3.7.6 Coral Reefs – Reef Fish

3.7.6.1 Reef Fish - Species Richness
The number of fish species recorded at three of the survey sites is shown in Figure 3-26 below. Reef
fish were surveyed at each of the three survey sites at three different depths (1 m, 5 m, and 12 m).
Species richness was highest in the reef area at ACV-DS03 (105 species) and joint lowest at ACV-DS02
and ACV-DS01 (95 species). Further details are available in Appendix 7 – Reef Fish.
Figure 3-26 Number of fish species at each survey location.
A total of 140 species of fish, from 31 families, were identified in the full survey area. Labridae (28
species) were the most species rich family, followed by Pomacentridae (22 species), Scaridae (12
species), Serranidae (9 species), and Chaetodontidae (9 species) (Figure 3-27).

January 2022
Figure 3-27 Number of species comprising each family recorded in the survey area.

January 2022
3.7.6.2 Reef Fish Abundance

Figure 3-28 below summarises the abundance of the surveyed reef fish families in the reef areas in the
survey area. The data are presented as mean (average) numbers of fish per transect (250 m 2).
The mean abundance of reef fish within the families included in the survey differed between sites,
ranging from 0.1 to 53.9 fish per transect, recorded at site ACV-DS01 for Lethrinidae and Acanthuridae,
respectively. The most abundant families were Acanthuridae (surgeonfish), Scaridae (parrotfish) and
Chaetodontidae (butterflyfish). All other families were relatively scarce averaging less than six
individuals per transect across all sites, but were present at all sites, with the exception of Haemulidae
(squirrelfish), which were absent from site ACV-DS01.
Figure 3-28 Mean abundance of reef fish by surveyed family per transect.

January 2022
Figure 3-29 summarises the contribution of individual species which comprised the target species of
the Underwater Visual Census (UVCs).
Acanthuridae (surgeonfish) were present in high abundances in the areas surveyed and were
represented by seven species. Ctenochaetus striatus, Acanthurus sohal, and Acanthurus nigrofuscus
were the most common species. The highest abundance of Ctenochaetus striatus was recorded at site
ACV-DS02, of Acanthurus sohal at ACV-DS01, and of Acanthurus nigrofuscus at ACV-DS03.
Ctenochaetus striatus and Acanthurus sohal were found in the highest numbers on the reef crest,
whereas Acanthurus nigrofuscus were most abundant along the 5m transect. Naso unicornis were
recorded in the greatest numbers along the 12m transect and most abundant at site ACV-DS01, while
the other three species were recorded in relatively low numbers and sporadically across sites.
Balistidae (triggerfish) abundances were relatively low and this family were most abundant at site ACV-
DS03, with the highest abundances recorded along the 12m transect. Only Balistapus undulatus and
Sufflamen albicaudatus were present at all survey sites, with Rhinecanthus assassi only recorded at site
ACV-DS01, and Odonus niger only at site ACV-DS03. Larger species such as Pseudobalistes
flavimarginatus were absent.
Chaetodontidae (Butterflyfish) were represented by nine species, six of which were present at all sites
(Chaetodon auriga, Chaetodon austriacus , Chaetodon fasciatus, Chaetodon paucifasciatus, Chaetodon
trifascialis, and Heniochus intermedius). The remaining species were documented at two of the three
survey sites, while Chaetodon melapterus were only present at site ACV-DS03. The most abundant
species was Chaetodon austriacus, which was recorded in relatively high numbers at site ACV-DS03
(4.1 per 250 m2).
Only one species of Haemulidae (grunts) was recorded, and this taxon was only observed at sites ACV-
DS02 and ACV-DS03. This species, Plectorhincus gaterinus, was found in low abundances (0.2 – 0.3
per 250 m2) and was not observed along any of the 12m transects.
Four species of Lethrinidae (emperors) were encountered across the survey area, all at low abundances
(ranging from 0.1 to 1.0 per 250 m2). All four species were recorded at site ACV-DS03; however, only
one species was recorded at each of the other two sites. Lethrinus harak was the most abundant
species, although it was only recorded at site ACV-DS03 (along the 5m transect). Lethrinus mahsena
was also only recorded at site ACV-DS03 along the 1m and 5m transects.
Lutjanidae (snappers) were moderately abundant compared to other families. Lutjanus ehrenbergi was
the most abundant species and was observed in highest numbers at ACV-DS02 (5.5 per 250 m2) and
ACV-DS03 (3.5 per 250 m2), although only along the 1m transect. The second most frequently
encountered species recorded was Lutjanus monostigma, however all other species were recorded
sporadically at low abundances or were absent.
Four species of Pomacanthidae (angelfish) were observed at the survey sites, with Pygoplites
diacanthus recorded at the highest abundances (0.9 – 1.5 per 250 m2), at all sites and at each of the
three depths. The other species were observed in lower abundances and at only two of the three sites,
with Pomacanthus imperator only observed along the 12m transect at sites ACV-DS02 and ACV-DS03.
Scaridae (parrotfish) were the second most abundant family and were represented by 12 species.
Chlorurus sordidus, Scarus niger and Scarus ferrugineus were the most abundant species and observed
at all sites. All other species were recorded in lower abundances and present at all three survey sites,
with the exception of Scarus collana which was only observed at site ACV-DS02.

January 2022
Serranidae (Groupers) were represented by seven species, with Cephalopholis hemistiktos observed in
the highest abundance at site ACV-DS03 (1.4 per 250 m2) and Aetheloperca rogaa at site ACV-DS02
(0.7 per 250 m2). Aetheloperca rogaa were recorded along all transect depths and at all survey sites,
however Cephalopholis hemistiktos were only recorded along the 5m and 12m transects, but present
at all sites. All other species were observed at two of the three survey sites, with the exception of
Epinephelus fasciatus which was only observed at site ACV-DS03 (along the 12m transect and the 1m
transect, respectively).
Siganidae (rabbitfish) were represented by three species within the transect surveys: Siganus luridus,
Siganus rivulatus and Siganus stellatus. Siganus luridus was the most abundant species and the only
species present at all survey sites (ranging from 1.3 to 2.5 per 250 m 2), and at all transect depths.
Siganus rivulatus was only observed at site ACV-DS02 along the 1m transect, and Siganus stellatus was
only recorded at site ACV-DS01 along the 12m transect.

January 2022

January 2022

January 2022
Figure 3-29 Mean abundance of reef fish families and their contributing species per transect.

January 2022
3.7.6.3 Reef Fish Sizes

The follow section summarises the size frequency distributions of a selection of preferred hook-and-
line fisheries targets, groupers (Serranidae), snappers (Lutjanidae) and emperors (Lethrinidae). The
data includes only those species which ordinarily respond to baited hooks (so Monotaxis grandoculis
has been excluded from the lethrinids data presented).
Figure 3-30 summarises the size-frequency of three reef fish families which are targeted by artisanal
and commercial coral reef fisheries.
Emperor sizes were dominated by mid-sized fish in the 25 – 35 cm size range, with the majority
represented by the species Lethrinus harak. No individuals were observed >35 cm.
Snappers were largely represented by the smaller species Lutjanus ehrenbergi, with the highest
frequency in the 10 – 15 cm size class and the majority <25 cm. A relatively low frequency of the larger
species were observed at sizes >40 cm, including 3 individuals in the 50 – 100 cm size class.
Grouper sizes were dominated by small-sized fish (20 - 30 cm), primarily from the genus Cephalopholis,
and C. hemistiktos in particular, with all grouper ranging from 15 cm to 45 cm. The largest individuals
observed at the survey sites were of the species Variola louti.
Figure 3-30 Size-frequency distributions of three families of targeted reef fishes.

Figure 3-31 summarises the size-frequency of the same species as recorded at each of the detailed
coral reef survey sites. Lethrinidae species were only present within two of the detailed survey locations
(ACV-DS01 and ACV-DS03), while Lutjanidae and Serranidae were both present at all three of the
survey sites.

January 2022
Figure 3-31 Size-frequency distributions of three families of targeted reef fishes

by site.
3.7.7 Motile Invertebrates
Below in Figure 3-32 the number of species of key invertebrates as identified in PERSGA (2010) are
shown. Site ACV DS02 and ACV DS03 presented the greatest number of species detected at eight,
followed by ACV DS01 with five species.
Figure 3-32 Number of invertebrate species at each site.

January 2022
In terms of invertebrate families present at the survey locations, Echinometridae were by far the most
populous at all sites surveyed. Ophisiasteridae were present at a mean abundance per transect of 2.4
individuals per transect at ACV DS01. The remaining families were present but in significantly lower
numbers (<0.12 per 50 m transect) (Figure 3-33).
Figure 3-33 Mean abundance of reef invertebrates by surveyed family per

transect.
Figure 3-34 summarises the contribution of individual species which comprised the target species of
the Underwater Visual Census (UVCs).
Cassidae (helmet snails) were present at ACV DS01 and ACV DS02 survey locations, with an abundance
of 0.1 per 250 m2.
Charoniidae (triton snails) were only present at ACV DS03. Charonia tritonis was the only species of
Charoniidae present, with an abundance of 0.1 per 250 m2.
Strombidae (true conchs) were represented by a single species. Lambis truncata sebae was present at
both ACV DS02 and ACV DS03 with an abundance of 0.1 per 250 m 2.
Colobometridae (crinoids) were only present at ACV DS02. Oligometra spp. were present, with an
abundance of 0.1 per 250 m2.
Diadematidae (long spined sea urchins) were present at both ACV DS02 and ACV DS03. Diadema
setosum was the only species recorded, with a range of 0.1 per 250 m2 (ACV DS02) to 0.8 per 250 m2
(ACV DS03).

January 2022
Echinometridae (short spined sea urchins) were present at all three survey locations, with two recorded
species at each site. Echinometra mathaei, was the most abundant of the Echinometridae species with
a range of 0.5 per 250 m2 (ACV DS01) to 10.5 per 250 m2 (ACV DS03). Heterocentrus spp. were also
present but in much smaller numbers (1.3 per 250 m2 (ACV DS03) to 4.5 per 250 m2 (ACV DS01)).
Goniasteridae (biscuit stars) was represented by a single genus ( Fromia), which was documented at
ACV DS02 (0.1 per 250 m2) and ACV DS03 (0.1 per 250 m2).
Ophidiasteridae (sea stars) were represented by a single genus (Gomophia), which were present at
ACV DS01 (4.0 per 250 m2) and ACV DS02 (0.2 per 250 m2).
Holothuridae (sea cucumbers) was represented by a two species. Holothuria atra were only recorded
at ACV DS02 with an abundance of 0.1 per 250 m2. Pearsonothuria spp. was present at ACV DS01 and
ACV DS03 with an abundance of 0.1 per 250 m2.

January 2022

January 2022

January 2022
Figure 3-34 Mean abundance of reef invertebrate families and their contributing species per transect.

January 2022
3.8 Benthic Investigations
3.8.1.1 Summary of Percentage Cover

The percentage cover of indicator categories and substrates is summarised in Figure 3-36. Corals were
present at all sites with the exception of ACV BI03 and ACV BI05, with a range of 0.13 % (ACV BI01)
to 1.45 % (ACV BI06) of benthic cover. Other Live categories were present at all sites, at a similar
coverage range to coral, ranging between 0.06 % (ACV BI02, ACV BI03, and ACV BI06) to 1.56 % (ACV
BI05) of benthic cover. Seagrass was only present at ACV BI06, with a benthic cover of 11.81 %. Algae
was present at all survey sites, with a benthic cover of 21.56 % (ACV BI06) to 94.37 % (ACV BI02).
Finally, substrate was present at all sites, with a benthic cover range of 5.31 % (ACV BI02) to 66.81 %
(ACV BI06). Results can be found in Appendix 8 – Benthic Investigation Data.
The results of the benthic investigations (BI) corroborate the results from the benthic habitat map and
ground-truthing results and have been used to verify and further inform the benthic habitat map shown
in Figure 3-35, which presents the benthic investigation locations together with the habitats present in
the project area. The habitat map and benthic investigation data indicate a benthos mainly comprising
sparse coral mixed with macroalgae, macroalgae at varying percentage covers and turf algae dominated
reef flat within the project area. From the classifications present in Table 2-8, the majority of the benthic
survey areas are classified as predominantly algal environments with variable live cover of macroalgae
and turf algae (Table 3-13).
Table 3-13 Habitat map categories for benthic investigation sites.
BI Location Habitat Map Category Quantitative Data Justification (Mean % cover)
ACV BI01 Macroalgae (25-50 %) Macroalgae cover of 27.12%

ACV BI04 Turf algae Turf algae cover of 81.77%

January 2022
Figure 3-35 Survey based habitat at Amaala Staff Village with BI data overlaid.

January 2022
Figure 3-36 Epibenthic cover (%) of major categories present at each site.

January 2022
3.8.1.2 Coral Cover

Coral cover was recorded the majority of the survey sites, with the exception of ACV BI03 and ACV
BI05. Live coral cover was recorded of 0.13 %, 0.25 %, 1.45 %, 0.38 % at ACV BI01, ACV BI02, ACV
BI04 and ACV BI06, respectively. No bleached or dead corals were recorded within the photoquadrats
though they still maybe present within the wider area (Figure 3-37). The majority of live corals present
were either small encrusting, massive or submassive corals with both Favia spp. and Platygyra spp.
documented on a number of occasions (Figure 3-38).
Figure 3-37 Coral cover (%) at each benthic investigation site.
Favia sp. present at ACV BI02 Platygyra sp. coral colony present at ACV BI04.
Figure 3-38 Examples of live coral observed during the benthic investigations.

January 2022
3.8.1.3 Algal Cover

Algae was recorded at all sites during the survey and was the dominant major category. The
predominant algal subcategory was Turf Algae, with the greatest abundance at ACV BI04 where 81.77
% of the benthic area was classified as such. Macroalgae was present at all of the sites surveyed, with
a range of 0.85 % (ACV BI04) to 50.81 % (ACV BI03). Algal mats were documented at ACV BI05, with
a benthic cover of 0.12 %, and cyanobacteria mats were documented at ACV BI06, with a benthic cover
of 1.06 % (Figure 3-39). Examples of the macroalgae present during the survey can be seen below in
Figure 3-40, with Padina spp. and Turbinaria decurrens the most commonly documented macroalgal
taxa.
Figure 3-39 Algal cover (%) at each site.
Figure 3-40 Turf algae, Padina sp. and Turbinaria decurrens present in ACV BI02.

January 2022
3.8.1.4 Other Live

Invertebrates (Holothuroidea) were documented at the greatest number of sites (three in total) with a
range of 0.06 % (ACV BI01) to 1.38 % (ACV BI05). Both gastropods and soft corals were recorded at
two sites each, with a benthic cover range of 0.06 % (ACV BI06) to 0.18 % (ACV BI05) and 0.06 %
(ACV BI01) to 0.33 % (ACV BI04), respectively. Bivalves and sponges were both recorded at ACV BI04,
with a benthic cover of 0.06 % each, and urchins were documented at ACV BI02 at a benthic cover of
0.06 % (Figure 3-41). Examples of the Other Live fauna documented during the survey can be seen
below (Figure 3-42).
Figure 3-41 Other live cover (%) at survey sites.
Tridacna clam present at ACV BI04. Ophiocoma erinaceus present at ACV BI05
Figure 3-42 Examples of other live organisms present in benthic investigations.

January 2022
3.8.1.5 Seagrass
Seagrass was only present at one of the benthic investigation sites, with a benthic cover of 11.81 %
at ACV BI06, where Halophila stipulacea was recorded (Figure 3-43). Examples of seagrass cover
present during the surveys can be seen below in Figure 3-44.
Figure 3-43 Seagrass cover (%) at each site.
Figure 3-44 Seagrass (Halophila stipulacea) present at ACV BI06.

January 2022
3.8.1.6 Substrate
At all sites surveyed, inorganic substrate was the either the predominant or the second most common
major category documented. Sand was the most common substrate sub-category recorded throughout
the survey area, with the highest cover present at ACV BI06 (64.37 %) and the lowest at ACV BI02
(4.68 %). Rubble was the second most prevalent substrate sub-category, with a benthic cover range
of 0.63 % (ACV BI02 and ACV BI05) to 8.38 % (ACV BI01). Rock substrate was present at all four
survey sites but at significantly less benthic cover than the other substrate sub-categories, with a range
of 0.13 % (ACV BI06) to 5.00 % (ACV BI01) Figure 3-45.
Figure 3-45 Substrate cover (%) at each site.

January 2022
3.9 Seagrass Surveys
Seagrass surveys were conducted at three locations, were defined following the completion of the
ground-truthing exercises. Descriptions of the sites can be seen below in Table 3-14. Full percentage
cover data of seagrass quadrats can be found in Appendix 9 – Seagrass.
Table 3-14 Characteristics of the seagrass survey sites.

Site Description
Large, shallow, multi-species seagrass bed in around 1.5 m of water. Scattered coral bommies
ACV SG01
present within the wider area. Very fine sediment possibly from alluvial discharges.
Large, shallow, multi-species seagrass bed in around 1.5 m of water. Scattered coral bommies
ACV SG02
present within the wider area. Very fine sediment possibly from alluvial discharges.
Shallow seagrass bed at the mouth of the lagoon in the centre of the proposed development.
ACV SG03 Seagrass bed present in around 1 m of water. Large concentration of Caulerpa racemosa
present within the area and a large frequency of burrowing bivalves also present.
A total of seven species were identified over the three transects: Halophila stipulacea, Cymodocea
rotundata, Halodule uninervis, Syringodium isoetifolium, Halophila ovalis, Thalassodendron ciliatum,
and Halodule pinifolia. ACV SG01 was a multi-species seagrass bed, with Halophila stipulacea,
Cymodocea rotundata, Halodule uninervis, Syringodium isoetifolium, and Halophila ovalis documented.
ACV SG02 was also a multi-species seagrass bed, with Halophila stipulacea, Thalassodendron ciliatum,
Cymodocea rotundata, Halodule uninervis, Halodule pinifolia, and Halophila ovalis recorded. At ACV
SG03 only two species of seagrass (Halophila stipulacea and Halodule uninervis) were present. These
species were identified in the field, and samples images of roots, rhizomes and other identifying features
were collected to help identify the species present. A selection of these images is presented below in
Figure 3-46. The average benthic cover of seagrass was 8.17 %, 14.38 %, and 19.31 % at ACV SG01,
ACV SG02, and ACV SG03, respectively (Figure 3-47).

January 2022
Seagrass species present at ACV SG01. Seagrass species documented at AV SG02.
Seagrass species present at ACV SG03.

Figure 3-46 Identifications of seagrass species present.

January 2022
Figure 3-47 Seagrass species percentage cover at each site.

January 2022
3.10 Megafauna
The locations of marine megafauna sightings recorded during the survey are shown in Figure 3-48. All
sightings in the wider project compiled from previous surveys by 5OES are shown in Figure 3-49.
Additional information can be found in Appendix 10 – Marine Megafauna.
Records show that a single green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas – IUCN Red List: EN) and unidentified
turtle (Cheloniidae sp.), were observed during this survey effort.
During the transit to the detailed reef surveys a small pod of three bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops sp.)
was observed, in which two larger animals and a calf were sighted (Figure 3-48).
During the detailed reef surveys a single whitetip reef shark (Triaenodon obesus– IUCN Red List:
Vulnerable (VU)) was observed, in addition to three humphead wrasse ( Cheilinus undulatus – IUCN
Red List: EN (Figure 3-48).
Previous surveys conducted within the wider area surrounding the proposed staff village have shown
that this area is utilised by marine megafauna. In terms of marine mammals, three dugongs (Dugong
dugon – IUCN Red List: VU), 3 pods of unknown bottle nose dolphins (Tursiops sp.), 1 pod of spinner
dolphins (Stenella longirostris – IUCN Red List: Least Concern (LC)) and one pod of an unknown dolphin
species (Delphinidae sp.) were previously observed. Ten unidentified turtles (Cheloniidae sp.) were also
documented in the area; however, a positive ID of the species in question was not achieved due to the
animals quickly submerging after the initial sighting. Four sightings of the green sea turtle were also
previously recorded. Elasmobranchs and large Actinopterygii have been previously documented in the
area, with six humphead wrasse (Cheilinus undulatus), two spotted eagle rays (Aetobatus narinari –
IUCN Red List: Near Threatened (NT)) and three whitetip reef sharks (Triaenodon obesus) also recorded
during previous surveys. (Figure 3-49).

January 2022
Figure 3-48 Sightings of marine megafauna within the vicinity of the proposed development during this survey.

January 2022
Figure 3-49 Sightings of marine megafauna within the wider survey area during previous surveys.

January 2022
4 Discussion & Conclusions

4.1 Seawater Quality
4.1.1 Seawater Column Profiles

Seawater column profiles were considered to be largely representative of the area at the time of
sampling, with expected variation recorded with increasing depth for the majority of parameters.
Recorded parameters were broadly in line with those reported in the literature from other areas of the
Red Sea (Mohorjy & Khan, 2009; Fahmy, 2003; Abdelmongy & El-Moselhy, 2015), in addition to data
recorded by 5OES during 2019 and 2020 survey efforts elsewhere in the wider area. Profiles from site
V01 diverged from other sites for most parameters, which is likely attributable its location within a
shallow lagoonal bay, and the differing conditions of wind and wave mixing that it experiences as a
consequence.

Boron was the only trace and heavy metal parameter detected in samples. There are no ANZG or KSA
thresholds against which to compare boron concentrations in seawater. The lack of detected heavy and
trace metal parameters is supported by the fact that there are currently no known major sources of
possible heavy metal contamination within the sampling area at the time of sampling. Concentration
ranges for boron are comparable to results collected by 5OES during previous survey efforts from the
wider northern Red Sea (5OES, 2021a; 2021b ;2021c).
4.1.3 Nutrients
Ammonia and total nitrogen were detected in all seawater samples; there are no available ANZG or KSA
guideline thresholds for total nitrogen against which to compare values. Ammonia concentrations fell
below the ANZG guideline threshold of 0.91 mg/L at all sites; however, concentrations exceeded the
KSA guideline of 0.05 mg/L at all sites. Ammonia concentrations were similar to those reported for the
Red Sea at Jeddah (Omar et al., 2013), and fell within a broader range measured along the north-west
coast of the Red Sea (0.03 – 0.244 mg/L, Abdelmongy and El-Moselhy, 2015) and previous surveys
within the wider area (5OES, 2021a; 2021b; 2021c). Nitrate, nitrite, reactive phosphorus, and silicate
were undetected in all seawater samples.
4.1.4 Inorganics, hydrocarbons, microbiology and other
There was no detected biological oxygen demand (BOD) in any seawater samples. However, a chemical
oxygen demand (COD) was detected in all seawater samples, with concentrations that exceeded the
KSA guideline of 20 mg/L in all samples. COD measures the oxygen demand of pollutants (including
non-biodegradable oxidizable pollutants), giving an indication of the presence of oxidizable chemicals
in a water body. Measurements of COD in seawater regularly exceed KSA guidelines – even in relatively
undeveloped areas such as is currently found around the al Wajh bank. A possible explanation for the
exceeded concentration levels may be in part due to interference due to salinity and chlorides/halide
(Kayaalp et al. 2010; Li, et al. 2015). Due to this interference COD concentrations appear magnified
compared to true values; this in theory can be remedied by running the COD test under alkaline
conditions in order to eliminate the effects of salinity on the calculations.
Total organic carbon (TOC) was detected in all seawater samples, with a detected concentration range
similar to that documented elsewhere for waters of the Red Sea (Dehwah et al., 2015) and slightly
lower compared to values recorded elsewhere in the Red Sea during 2021 surveys (5OES 2021b, c).

January 2022
This may be as a result of seasonal variability or may imply an increase in natural organic matter within
the water column. The lack of a detected BOD however, suggests that the marine waters surrounding
the staff village area remain, at present, unpolluted.
Total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) fractions, benzene,
toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene (BTEX), and oil and grease were all undetected in all seawater
samples.
Free chlorine, total chlorine and total cyanide were undetected in all seawater samples. Given the
undeveloped nature of the area and the overall lack of industrialisation of the wider area, these results
are as expected. Chlorophyll a, total suspended solids (TSS), and total and faecal coliforms were also
undetected in all seawater samples, again supporting the lack of current pollution in waters surrounding
the staff village area.
The major ions of seawater detected (calcium, chloride, magnesium, potassium, sodium, and sulphate)
are considered to be conservative ions, with constancy based on Marcet's Principle; "Specimens of
seawater contain the same ingredients all over the world…. These (ingredients) bear nearly the same
proportion to each other…… (the samples) differ only as to the total amount of their saline content"
(Marcet, 1819). The marine distributions of conservative ions are controlled by physical, rather than
chemical processes and, as such, changes in their concentration are driven most commonly by process
such as evaporation, precipitation, and turbulent mixing, acting to alter the salinity. The location of the
proposed staff village area in relatively shallow coastal waters, with a small lagoonal bay means that it
is subject to different environmental conditions than those recorded in the open sea and, as such, the
salinity (and therefore concentrations of major ions) may be slightly elevated as a result of physical
factors such as evaporation. As there are no immediate sources of brine outfall (e.g. from an RO plant),
it is considered that the concentrations of these conservative ions is representative of ambient
conditions around the staff village area at the time of sampling.
4.2 Plankton
Phytoplankton samples at all sites showed a cyanobacteria-dominated community, in contrast with

observations made elsewhere in the Red Sea where a diatom-dominated community is widely reported,
particularly with winter productivity peaks dominated by diatoms of the genera Chaetoceros, Nitzschia,
Rhizosolenia and Bacteriastrum (Ismael, 2015; 5OES 2021a; 2021c). The phytoplankton diversity, in
general, decreases from the south to the north of the Red Sea, with the phytoplankton community in
the northern Red Sea dominated by the diatoms during winter, along with the presence of
Trichodesmium spp. (Qurban et al., 2019; Ismael, 2015). The high concentration of cyanobacteria
within all plankton samples indicates would indicate the likely presence of a recent Trichodesmium
bloom, either in formation or decay at the time of sampling. Phytoplankton samples were collected
approximately a week later than dive surveys were carried out, so no in-water observations were
available to support this. However, heavy rainfall in the intervening period between dive surveys and
plankton surveys would potentially have allowed for nutrient input to the coastal system via wadi runoff,
providing suitable conditions for rapid growth of certain phytoplankton species.
Two individuals of Prorocentrum micans recorded at site V01; this species was previously believed to
produce the toxin responsible for Ciguatera fish poisoning, however, early observations on P. micans
producing toxins (Pinto & Silva, 1956) are considered doubtful and have not been confirmed (Tillmann
et al., 2019; Faust & Gulledge, 2002). P. micans has been associated with the presence of
Gambierdiscus sp. in ciguatera poisoning outbreaks, however P. micans is generally considered as a
non-toxic species (Faust & Gulledge, 2002; Lassus et al., 2016), although capable of causing adverse
effects in bloom formation due to oxygen depletion (Lassus and Berthome, 1988; Gentien et al., 2003).

January 2022
Seven other ‘non-toxic’ phytoplankton species were also recorded. These are classified in this manner
as they do not produce toxins but can have significant detrimental effects on other organisms or
ecosystems, either through the production of suffocating mucus, or indirectly damaging the gill
membranes of fish with spines when present in high enough concentrations. The diatoms
Leptocylindrus danicus and Chaetoceros decipiens, in addition to the dinoflagellates Ceratium
macroceros, C. fusus, C. tripos, and other Ceratium sp., and the cyanobacteria Trichodesmium
erythraeum, were identified as non-toxic phytoplankton, together comprising 99.61 % of the
phytoplankton community.
Based on the knowledge of 463 identified species of phytoplankton within the Red Sea and the Gulfs
of Aqaba and Suez (Qurban et al., 2019), it is likely that with continued sampling efforts, a higher
number of phytoplankton species would likely be identified within the wider staff village area.
The zooplankton samples collected showed a copepod-dominated community at all sites. The findings
are in line with a number of previous surveys in the Red Sea, which documented arthropod-dominated
communities (5OES, 2021a; 2021c), with smaller proportions of the community attributed to
Chaetognatha, Cnidaria, Urochordata and Mollusca (Pearman and Irigoien, 2015). A similar ratio
between the copepods and other zooplankton groups is seen in the plankton in many parts of the
world’s oceans, where the copepods make up 55-95 % of plankton samples (Mauchline, 1998).
It is important to remember that zooplankton abundances are also variable based on the availability of
prey, water column depths and mixing patterns, and time of day, as the majority of zooplankton
undergo some degree of diel migration. These factors combined can lead to apparent ‘patchiness’ in
distribution when a small number of samples are analysed.
4.3 Sediment Quality
4.3.1 Particle Size Analysis
The mean particle size at the majority of sites was classified as either Medium Sand (1 sites), Fine Sand
(2 sites), and Coarse Sand (3 sites). Sediments from the majority of sites were comprised of >80 %
sand size particles, with sorting in all of the samples being deemed as poorly sorted, indicating a low-
energy environment.
Concentrations of aluminium, chromium, iron, manganese, nickel, and zinc were detected in sediments
from all sites, whilst cadmium, copper, lead, and mercury were undetected in all samples. Arsenic was
detected in sediment from a single sample only. Concentrations of detected metals were notably higher
in sediments from site V01, located within the lagoonal bay, and site V06, located in the mouth of the
wider bay area to the east. These areas are likely to be subject to slightly different oceanographic forces
such as mixing due to current and wave activity, and are potentially more susceptible to wadi
sedimentation inputs after periods of rain. Analysis of detected metal concentrations indicated
significant correlations between every detected metal except arsenic which was correlated to chromium
only, indicating the potential for a common source for the majority of detected metals. Given the
presence of metals in sediments from the majority of sites at comparable values, and the relatively lack
of heavy development within the wider area, the relevant contributions of the various metals are
assumed to be geological in origin. The concentrations of detected heavy metals at the majority of
coastal sites were broadly similar to those recorded within sediments from the wider Red Sea area by
5OES in recent years (5OES, 2021a; 2021c), however concentrations recorded at sites V01 and V06
were higher than those recorded by 5OES elsewhere in the wider Red Sea area.

January 2022
4.3.3 Hydrocarbons
Total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), and BTEX (benzene,
toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene) were undetected in all sediment samples. No anthropogenic sources
of hydrocarbons, beyond small day boats, operate in the area. Other sources might include offshore
maritime activities but as the results indicate there was no documented contamination in the samples
collected.
4.4 Infauna
A total of 25 individuals across 10 different taxa were recorded from the six infauna samples collected
during the survey. The abundance of infauna specimens was considered relatively low at most sites,
with sample diversity and richness also considered average. The polychaete Capitellidae species were
the most numerous within the samples, with Chordata and Mollusca also well represented.
The composition of benthic communities and their roles vary from one habitat to another, depending
on the local conditions and environmental characteristics. An annelid-dominated infauna community is
characteristic of that recorded elsewhere in the wider Red Sea, with polychaete species comprising the
bulk of the community (5OES, 2020a; 2021c). Annelids are extremely variable in both form and lifestyle;
Capitellids are mostly abundant in fine (muddy) sediments with some tolerant of polluted conditions,
which historically has led to their use as pollution indicators, particularly around offshore oil and gas
facilities.
4.5 Habitats & Ecology
4.5.1 Coral Reefs
Coral reefs were widespread along the coast adjacent to the proposed staff village area, with corals
present in a relatively narrow band mixed with macroalgae, before transitioning to a coral dominated
habitat as distance from shore increased. Reef areas were generally ecologically diverse and largely
intact. Live coral cover was average across the entire site (12.6 – 38.1 %), while diversity was
considered normal for this area of the Red Sea (151 species of hard corals, representing 51 genera),
indicating a relatively healthy reef environment.
Dead and impacted corals (live corals but with areas of some mortality) within the survey area
accounted for very low proportions of benthic cover across each site. Bleached corals were present at
just over half of the sites surveyed - with corals present on the lower reef slopes having a greater
chance of bleaching in comparison to the reef crest and upper reef slope. The underlying geology,
coastal, and bay formation in this area of the Red Sea, in addition to possible currents and
meteorological patterns may play a role in the low levels of coral bleaching documented during this
MEBS. During the summer months where sea surface temperatures (SSTs) are elevated, especially in
enclosed seas such as the Red Sea, exceeding the corals’ upper or lower habitual temperature range
by as little as 1 - 2 °C can result in the expulsion of the zooxanthellae and lead to eventual coral
mortality (Jaap, 1979; Mayor, 1914). Further investigation is needed to explain why these relatively low
levels of bleaching have occurred in comparison to other sites around the Red Sea (where some reefs
have documented bleaching of up to 55.6 %, Monroe et al., 2018).
During the survey large sea fans (Gorgonia sp.), greater than 2 m in diameter were documented within
transect ACV DS02 (Figure 4-1). Sea fans are ecologically important filter feedings within the marine
environment, the diversity of sea fans and octocorals are poorly known and as a result many new
species are regularly being described (Bryce and Poliseno 2014; Bryce et al. 2015). Further surveys into
the octocorals and sea fans present within the area would be fundamental in assessing the long-term

January 2022
changes in the coral reef community structure in addition to monitoring and assessing any coral reef
habitat restoration (Chanmethakul, et al. 2010, Benayahu, et al. 2012, Shackleton and Rees, 2016).
Figure 4-1 Large sea fan (Gorgonia sp.) present at ACV DS02.
4.5.2 Coral Size and Frequency
Coral recruits (<5.0 cm) were present at all locations surveyed, with an increase in recruit density
occurring towards the south of the survey area. Recruit densities across the current survey sites were
in line with historical measurements from the area (5OES, 2021f, 2021g), possibly indicating that coral
recruitment within the wider Amaala project area is relatively stable on mainland reefs. High numbers
of sea urchins were present within the areas of reef, Nozawa et al., (2020) note that there is a positive
correlation between diadematids and coral recruitment, with greater subsequent coral recovery
recorded on these reefs relative to those with lower urchin abundances.
Larger coral colonies (> 10.0 cm) were determined to be in overall good health, with the majority
comprising either branching, encrusting or massive coral colonies. In terms of colony size frequency,
no large coral colonies (> 160 cm) were recorded, although a number of corals were present that
exceeded 100 cm in length. The majority of the corals present were between 11-20 cm in length (63
% of all corals counted). The large proportion of corals in smaller size classes may be linked to the
spawning rates of different coral genera and their relative adult sizes. Studies have suggested that
smaller corals rely on spawning and recruitment to a greater extent than their larger counterparts,
which are longer lived and recruit less frequently (Meesters et al., 2001). In effect, this may reflect
contrasting ‘R’ selected and ‘K’ selected life history strategies, with smaller corals favouring rapid
recruitment rates and frequent mortality relative to slower reproduction and greater longevity in larger
corals.
Encrusting coral growth forms were the most abundant, with 320 individuals recorded, followed by
massive and branching growth forms, with 281 and 268 individuals, respectively. There were notable
differences in growth forms between the reef crest (dominated by Acropora digitate corals, followed by
branching corals), the upper reef slope (dominated by encrusting corals followed by massive corals),
and the lower reef slope which was dominated by massive corals, followed by encrusting corals.
Laminate corals and mushroom corals were recorded only at the deeper sites.

January 2022
Encrusting coral growth forms were the most abundant, with 320 individuals recorded, followed by
massive and branching growth forms, with 281 and 268 individuals, respectively. There were notable
differences in growth forms between the reef crest/flat (dominated by Acropora digitate corals, followed
by branching corals), the upper reef slope (dominated by encrusting corals followed by massive corals),
and the lower reef slope which was dominated by massive corals, followed by encrusting corals.
Laminate corals and mushroom corals were present only at the deeper sites, whilst foliose coral growth
forms were not recorded at any depth zone.
At ACV DS02 a very large coral colony was documented but not on the transect (Figure 4-2 and Figure
4-3 below). This coral colony was a Pavona clavus with an estimated length of 30.00 m by 5.00 m by
7.00 m consisting of two large colonies at 25 m depth. Research into the growth rates of P.clavus have
documented a growth range of 4.86 mm yr-1 (Wellington, 1982) to 23.00 mm yr-1 (Jimenez and Cortes,
2003), with a possible average growth rate of 14.20 mm yr-1 (based on 31 growth rates attained from
literature). Based on available growth estimates for this species, this coral colony is likely to be at least
1,000 years old, and potentially 2,000 years old or more. These age estimates do not take into account
sea surface temperatures or any other stress that the corals may have encountered (i.e. increase in
turbidity, growth on soft substrate, growth at depth), or exponential growth that occur in some larger
coral species, therefore further studies and cores would be needed to determine the true age of the
coral. Large corals of this size are very infrequent and noteworthy (and worthy of protection).
Figure 4-2 Large Pavona clavus present at ACV DS02.

January 2022
Figure 4-3 Location of the 30m Pavona clavus colony.

January 2022
4.5.3 Fish
A total of 140 species of fish were observed across the survey area. This diversity was considered
moderately high, with species richness highest in the reef area at site ACV-DS03. Acanthuridae,
Scaridae, and Chaetodontidae were the three most abundant families, however the abundance of many
other common families was low. While smaller site-attached fish populations appeared generally
healthy, larger fish species abundances appeared depressed and were in many cases absent. Three
individuals in the 50-100 cm size class of Lutjanidae were the largest individuals recorded throughout
the survey. Fishing activity and lost fishing gear (primarily hook and line) was present in the area.
Families typically more vulnerable to fishing activities were typically present in low abundance for the
majority of the species present: E.g. sweetlips (Haemulidae), groupers (Serranidae) and snappers
(Lutjanidae) and emperors (Lethrinidae). The IUCN Red List Endangered species Cheilinus undulatus
(Humphead wrasse) was present with 3 individuals recorded during the current survey. A single white
tip reef shark (Triaenodon obesus) was also recorded.
4.5.4 Invertebrates
During this survey a total of eleven key invertebrate species were documented in and around the reefs
surrounding the proposed staff village area. Urchins (Echinometridae) and sea cucumbers
(Holothuridae) were the most abundant in terms of species richness, while the former was the most
abundant, with a mean abundance of up to 7.08 individuals per 50 m transect. Invertebrates play a
significant role in both the regulation of the benthos and the recycling of nutrients back into marine
food chains (Froelich, 1983; Hughes, 1994). Invertebrates have also been linked to increased
recruitment of corals through either predation of older coral colonies (in the case of Drupella and COTs)
or by clearing macroalgae from base carbonate reef rock, in the case of urchins (Glynn and Enochs,
2010; Coean 1988a, 1988b). That said, an over abundant invertebrate corallivore population would
clearly be detrimental to reefs within the vicinity. As such, further monitoring of the invertebrates
present within the area would be beneficial to monitor the presence of Drupella or COTs populations.
4.5.5 Intertidal
The intertidal zone present within the immediate vicinity of the proposed staff village were documented
as either rocky cliff or rocky shoreline interspersed with sandy beaches and fossil reef. Within the bay,
rocky cliffs/ledges were still dominate though towards the rear where alluvial inputs are greater finer
sediment/sand beaches are present. In terms of infrastructure within the area, at the entrance to the
bay a local coast guard station is present. Evidence of a large number of fires and rubbish pits are
present across the entire length of the intertidal walkover covered during this survey. In land halophytes
and xerophytes were the dominate flora types. In addition, the sand beaches present showed no
previous nesting attempts of turtles. Fishing activity is present within the area due to a small shark (ID
was not possible due to deterioration of the animal) and numerous Tridacna clam/ spider conch (Lambis
truncata sebae) shells being documented.
4.5.6 Benthic Investigations
Six benthic investigations were carried out within the proposed staff village development coastal area
to help quantify the percentage cover of sessile fauna and flora across the wider area. Corals were
present at all but two sites, with very low (0.1 – 1.5 %) benthic cover. The majority of BI sites were
dominated by algal coverage which ranged from 21.6 % at the eastern most site to 94.4 % towards
the western edge of the survey area. Seagrass was present at the easternmost site only (BI06) with a
benthic cover of 11.8%. When detailed benthic investigation data was overlaid with habitat mapping,
a benthos comprised of spare coral mixed with macroalgae, macroalgae at varying percentage covers,
and turf algae dominated reef flat was indicated. Although coral coverage at the benthic investigation
sites was low, it is nonetheless recommended that any construction works likely to affect the marine

January 2022
environment consider the use of silt screens and turbidity monitoring stations to mitigate construction
impacts upon the flora and coral communities in the area.
4.5.7 Seagrass
Seven species of seagrass are present in the waters surrounding the proposed development, out of a
possible 55 which exist globally and 12 which are known to inhabit the Red Sea (Green & Short, 2003;
El Shaffai, 2016). All of the seagrass beds surveyed were multi-species, with varying degrees of live
seagrass cover (8.17% - 19.31 %). Seagrass beds were present across a wide swath of the survey
areas especially in areas of high alluvial input from adjacent wadis where sufficient soft sediment was
present to allow a foothold to begin, this is especially noticeable at the mouth of the bay (ACV SG01)
and to the east of the survey area (ACV SG02 and ACV SG03).
Seagrass beds are important foraging habitats for both green turtles and dugongs, nursery areas for
fish and invertebrates, and provide habitat for unusual species such as seahorses (Hearne, et al., 2019;
Lourie et al., 1999).
Seagrass act as sinks for carbon and act as a binding mechanism for marine microplastics (Duarte et
al., 2013; Unsworth et al., 2019; De los Santos, et al., 2021; Huang et al., 2019). Under the Paris
Climate Accord and the Katowice Climate Package, seagrass restoration could be considered with
respect to Nationally Determined Contributions (Kuwae & Hori, 2019) where an impacts to seagrass
beds can be mitigated.
4.5.8 Megafauna
During this survey, relatively few species of megafauna were observed. A total of two turtles were
observed with one being a green turtle (Chelonia mydas) and one unidentified turtle (Cheloniidae sp.).
Those species of turtles may frequent the area due to the presence of sandy beaches for nesting
(despite no evidence of nests being present on the beaches walked during the survey), or the turtles
may be present due to the extensive seagrass and coral reef in the area, which provide foraging
opportunities (Hearne, et al., 2019; Bjorndal & Bolten, 2010). C. mydas is listed on the IUCN Red List
of Endangered Species and is considered to be globally Endangered.
During the survey, a small pod of dolphins (Tursiops sp.), whitetip reef shark (Triaenodon obesus), and
three humphead wrasses (Cheilinus undulatus) were recorded. Although limiting, those sightings
provide insight on the importance of the area with respect to various megafaunal species. A number of
sightings of the IUCN Red List Endangered humphead wrasse (Cheilinus undulatus) were also recorded
during coral reef surveys in previous survey in the waters surrounding the proposed staff village (5OES,
2022d). In addition, eagle rays and a number of white tip sharks were also recorded within the
immediate waters surrounding the proposed staff village (5OES, 2021e).
In addition, previously 5OES surveys have documented a number of marine mammals in the area
including the dugong (Dugong dugon), a pod of spinner dolphins (Stenella longirostris), three pods of
bottle nose dolphins and a pod of unknown species of dolphin. From the available literature around 16
species of marine mammals have been recorded in the Red Sea. Included in these species, which should
be considered likely to occur in the Amaala project area, are false killer whale (Pseudorca crassidens –
IUCN Red List: Data Deficient (DD)), short finned pilot whale ( Globicephala macrorhynchus – IUCN Red
List: LC), and the Risso’s dolphin ( Grampus griseus – IUCN Red List: LC) (Notarbartolo et al., 2017,
5OES, 2021).
Due to a number of large megafauna observed during current and past surveys, as well as cetaceans
in previous surveys, their presence in the waters surrounding the area should be considered accordingly
when managing vessel movements and underwater noise during dredging/construction operations.

January 2022
4.5.9 Existing Impacts

Currently, anthropogenic impacts on the survey site include, but are not limited to, a coastguard station
at the entrance to the main bay, improper waste disposal (burning and dumping of waste), and fishing
activities such as line fishing and spearfishing. In addition, anchor damage and fishing boat
paraphernalia such as oil canisters, were found during the intertidal survey in various locations.

January 2022
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Appendix 1 – Laboratory Results

January 2022
Appendix 2 – Plankton and Infauna Results

January 2022
Appendix 3 – Sediment Statistical Analysis

Descriptive Statistics (calculated from detected concentrations). Total number of sites (N) was 6 for all
parameters, ND shown in table below indicates the number of samples with a detected concentration.
Mean Std. Deviation N ND

Aluminium 1399 1683 6 6
Arsenic 8 - 6 1
Chromium 7 4 6 6
Iron 2185 2680 6 6
Manganese 45 33 6 6
Nickel 5 4 6 6
Zinc 35 5 6 6
Pearson Correlation for detected metals in sediment samples.
Arsenic Chromium Iron Manganese Nickel Zinc

Aluminium Pearson Correlation 0.807 0.988*** 0.997*** 0.897* 0.993*** 0.912*
P Value >0.05 <0.001 <0.001 <0.05 <0.001 <0.05
N 6 6 6 6 6 6
Arsenic Pearson Correlation 0.824* 0.761 0.504 0.809 0.522
P Value <0.05 >0.05 >0.05 >0.05 >0.05
N 1 1 1 1 1
Chromium Pearson Correlation 0.982*** 0.905* 0.982*** 0.903*
P Value <0.001 <0.05 <0.001 <0.05
N 6 6 6 6
Iron Pearson Correlation 0.922** 0.989*** 0.936**
P Value <0.01 <0.001 <0.01
N 6 6 6
Manganese Pearson Correlation 0.888* 0.986***
P Value <0.05 <0.001
N 6 6
Nickel Pearson Correlation 0.911*
P Value <0.05
N 6
*. Correlation is significant at the 0.05 level.

**. Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level.
***. Correlation is significant at the 0.001 level.

January 2022
Appendix 4 – Habitat Map Ground-truthing

Marine Ground-Truthing Points
Latitude Longitude Date Site code Depth (m) Substrate class Habitat classification % cover
26.7277 36.12417 5/11/2021 1 0.4 Fine Sand Seagrass + Macroalgae Mix 56-60 %
26.7276 36.12583 5/11/2021 2 1 Fine Sand Sand Flat 95-100%
26.7254 36.12122 5/11/2021 5 0.2 Fine Sand Seagrass 21-25 %
26.7238 36.12085 4/11/2021 6 0.5 Coarse Sand Macroalgae 91-95 %
26.7242 36.12172 4/11/2021 8 0.5 Coarse Sand Seagrass + Macroalgae Mix 36-40 %
26.7232 36.12353 4/11/2021 9 0.5 Fine Sand Coral + Macroalgae Mix 36-40 %
26.7239 36.1248 4/11/2021 10 1 Fine Sand Coral + Macroalgae Mix 1-5 %
26.7233 36.12478 4/11/2021 11 0.6 Carbonate Reef Rock Coral Reef 11-15 %
26.7246 36.12795 3/11/2021 12 0.2 Carbonate Reef Rock Macroalgae + Turf Algae Mix 6-10 %
Coral + Seagrass + Macroalgae
26.7244 36.12867 3/11/2021 13 0.2 Carbonate Reef Rock 61-65 %
Mix
26.7254 36.13037 3/11/2021 15 0.3 Fine Sand Seagrass 36-40 %
26.7248 36.12978 3/11/2021 16 0.6 Carbonate Reef Rock Coral + Macroalgae Mix 41-45 %
26.726 36.13127 3/11/2021 17 0.1 Fine Sand Sand Flat 95-100%
26.7269 36.13197 3/11/2021 18 0 Coarse Sand Sand Flat 36-40 %
26.7263 36.13207 3/11/2021 19 0.1 Coarse Sand Sand Flat 95-100%
26.7247 36.13217 5/11/2021 20 1.5 Fine Sand Coral + Macroalgae Mix 31-35 %
26.7235 36.13206 5/11/2021 21 1 Fine Sand Macroalgae 71-75 %

January 2022
Latitude Longitude Date Site code Depth (m) Substrate class Habitat classification % cover
26.7225 36.12618 4/11/2021 25 17.8 Fine Sand Coral Reef 1-5 %
26.7229 36.12551 4/11/2021 26 9 Carbonate Reef Rock Coral Reef 21-25 %
26.7255 36.11785 4/11/2021 28 0.5 Coarse Sand Coral + Macroalgae Mix 26-30 %
26.7267 36.11517 4/11/2021 31 1 Carbonate Reef Rock Coral + Macroalgae Mix 1-5 %
26.7259 36.11582 4/11/2021 32 12.3 Coarse Sand Coral Reef 6-10 %
26.7262 36.1151 4/11/2021 33 9 Carbonate Reef Rock Coral Reef 6-10 %
26.7238 36.11884 4/11/2021 35 15.3 Fine Sand Coral Reef 1-5 %
26.7227 36.12148 4/11/2021 37 17 Fine Sand Coral Reef 1-5 %
26.7241 36.12626 3/11/2021 40 0.2 Carbonate Reef Rock Macroalgae 41-45 %

January 2022
Appendix 5 – Corals
Coral Species
Date Nov-21 Coral Species List

Project M16040 Amaala Staff Village
Survey Lead Jamie Hayes www.5oes.com Site
ACV ACV ACV
Family Genus Species
DS01 DS02 DS03
arabensis 1 1 1
austera(cf) 1 0 1
cytherea 1 0 1
digitifera 1 1 1
downigi 0 1 0
eurystoma 1 1 1
gemmifera 1 1 1
haimei 1 1 1
hemphrichii 1 1 1
hyacinthus 1 1 1
intermedia 0 0 1
Acropora
lamarki 0 1 0
maryae 1 1 1
ocellata 0 1 1
parapharaonis 1 1 1
pharaonis 1 1 1
plantiganea 1 1 1
Acroporidae samoensis 1 1 1
secale 1 1 1
sp 1 1 1
squarosa 1 1 1
variolosa 1 1 1
Alveopora viridis 1 1 1
gracilis 1 0 1
Astreopora myriophthalma 1 1 1
suggesta 0 1 1
danae 1 1 1
echinata 1 0 0
efflorescens 1 1 1
floweri(cf) 1 1 1
Montipora griesla(cf) 1 1 0
informis 1 1 1
meandrina 1 1 1
nodosa 1 0 1
stilosa 1 1 1

January 2022

ACV ACV ACV
DS01 DS02 DS03
tuberculosa 1 1 1
turgescens(cf) 1 1 1
verrucosa 1 1 1
Gardineroseris planulata 1 1 1
explanulata 1 0 0
Leptoseris incrustans 1 0 0
yabei 1 1 1
inattesta 1 1 1
Pachyseris
speciosa 1 1 1
Agariciidae
clavus 0 1 0
danae/frondifera 0 0 1
diffluens 0 1 0
Pavona
maldivensis 1 1 1
varians 1 1 1
venosa 1 1 1
Astrocoeniidae Stylocoeniella guentheri 0 1 1
Coscinaraeidae Coscinaraea monile 1 1 1
Dendrophylliidae Tubastrea sp1 1 1 1
Euphylliidae Gyrosmilia interrupta 1 1 1
Ctenactis crassa 1 1 1
Danafungia scruposa 1 1 1
Fungia granulosa 1 0 0
Fungiidae Herpolitha limax 0 1 0
Pleuractis granulosa 0 0 1
crustacea 1 1 1
Podabacia
sinai 0 1 1
loyae 0 1 0
Blastomussa
merleti 0 0 1
bottae 1 1 1
inaequalis 0 1 0
Incertae sedis
Leptastrea pruinosa 1 1 1
purpurea 1 1 1
transversa 1 1 1
Plerogyra sinuosa 1 1 0
echinata 1 1 1
Acanthastrea faviformis 1 1 0
hemprichii 0 1 1
Lobophylliidae
aspera 1 1 1
Echinophyllia
bulbosa 1 1 1
Lobophyllia corymbosa 1 1 1

January 2022

ACV ACV ACV
DS01 DS02 DS03
erythraea 1 1 1
hataiii 1 0 1
hemprichii 1 1 1
Astrea 1 1 1
Coelastrea aspera 1 0 0
chalcidicum 1 1 1
Cyphastrea microphthalma 1 1 1
serailia 0 1 0
albidus 0 1 1
danae 1 1 1
favus 1 1 1
laxa 1 1 1
Dipsastraea
matthai 1 1 1
maxima 0 0 1
pallida 0 1 0
speciosa 0 1 1
forskaliana 1 1 1
fruticulosa 1 1 1
Echinopora gemmacea 1 1 1
hirsutissima 1 1 1
lamellosa 1 0 1
Merulinidae abdita 1 1 1
complanata 1 1 1
halicora 1 1 1
Favites
micropentagonus 1 1 1
pentagona 1 1 1
rotundata 1 1 1
Galaxea fascicularis 1 1 1
edwardsii 1 1 1
pectinata 1 1 1
Goniastrea retiformis 1 1 1
stelligera 1 1 1
thecata 1 0 1
exesa 1 0 1
Hydnophora
microconos 1 1 1
Leptoria phyrygia 1 1 1
Merulina scheeri 1 1 1
Oulophyllia crispa 1 0 1
Paragoniastrea australiensis 1 1 1
Paramontastraea peresi 1 1 0

January 2022

ACV ACV ACV
DS01 DS02 DS03
acuta 0 0 1
crosslandi 1 1 1
daedalea 0 0 1
Platygyra
lamellina 1 1 1
pini 1 0 0
sinensis 1 1 1
Milleporidae Millepora exsesa 1 1 1
Other Other Other 1 1 1
elephantotus 1 0 0
Pectiniidae Mycedium
umbra 0 0 1
damnicornis 1 1 1
Pocillopora
verrucosa 1 1 1
Seriatopora hystrix 1 1 1
danae 1 1 1
Pocilloporidae
kuehlmanni 0 0 1
Stylophora pistillata 1 1 1
subseriata 1 1 1
wellsi 1 0 0
Bernadpora stutchburyi 0 1 1
ciliatus 1 1 0
columna 1 0 1
Goniopora lobata 1 0 0
savignyi 1 1 0
somalenesis 1 1 1
columnaris 1 0 0
Poritidae
digitata 1 0 0
lichen 1 0 0
lobata 1 1 1
Porites
lutea 1 1 1
monticulosa 1 1 1
nodifera 1 1 1
solida 1 1 0
Sargassaceae Turbinaria reniformis 1 0 1
Siderastreidae Psammocora profundacella 1 1 1
Siderastreidae Siderastrea savignyana 0 1 1
Tubiporidae Tubipora mussica 1 1 1

January 2022
Appendix 6 – Epibenthic Community Data

January 2022
Appendix 7 – Reef Fish

Species List
Date Nov-21 Fish Species List

Survey Lead Alice Lawrence www.5oes.com Site
ACV ACV ACV
DS01 DS02 DS03
nigrofuscus 1 1 1
Acanthurus
sohal 1 1 1
Ctenochaetus striatus 1 1 1
Acanthuridae elegans 1 1 1
Naso
unicornis 1 1 1
desjardini 1 1 1
Zebrasoma
xanthurum 1 1 1
Apogonidae sp. 1 0 1
Balistapus undulatus 1 1 1
Odonus niger 0 0 1
Balistidae
Rhinecanthus assassi 1 0 0
Sufflamen albicaudatus 1 1 1
Cirripectes castaneus 0 0 1
Blennidae Meiacanthus nigrolineatus 0 1 0
Plagiotremus tapeinosoma 0 0 1
lunaris 1 1 1
Caesonidae Caesio
striata 1 1 1
Carangoides bajad 1 0 1
Carangidae
Caranx melampygus 0 0 1
auriga 1 1 1
austriacus 1 1 1
fasciatus 1 1 1
melapterus 1 0 0
Chaetodon
Chaetodontidae melonnatus 1 0 1
paucifasciatus 1 1 1
semilarvatus 0 1 1
trifascialis 1 1 1
Heniochus intermedius 1 1 1
Cirrhitidae Paracirrhites forsteri 0 0 1
Dasyatidae Taeniura lymma 0 0 1
Diodontidae Diodon histrix 0 1 0
Haemulidae Plectorhincus gaterinus 0 1 1
Myripristis murdjan 1 1 1
Holocentridae Neoniphon sammana 1 0 0
Sargocentron spiniferum 0 0 1
Kyphosidae Kyphosus cinerascens 1 1 1

January 2022

ACV ACV ACV
DS01 DS02 DS03
Anampses twistii 1 1 1
anthoides 1 1 1
Bodianus
diana 0 1 0
abudjubbe 1 1 1
lunulatus 1 1 0
Cheilinus
quinquecinctus 1 1 1
undulatus 1 0 0
Chelio inermis 1 0 0
aygula 1 1 1
Coris
variegata 0 0 1
Epibulus insidiator 1 1 1
Gomphosus caeruleus 1 1 1
Halichoeres hortulanus 1 1 1
melapterus 1 1 1
Labridae Hemigymnus
sexfasciatus 1 0 1
Hologymnosus doliatus 0 1 1
Labaricus quadrilineatus 1 1 1
Labroides dimidiatus 1 1 1
Novaculichthys taeniourus 0 1 0
sp. 1 0 0
diagrammus 1 1 1
Oxycheilinus
mentalis 1 0 1
Pseudocheilinus hexataenia 1 1 1
Pseudodax molluccanus 0 1 0
albovittatus 1 0 0
Stethojulis
interrupta 0 0 1
lunare 0 0 1
Thalassoma
rueppelli 1 1 1
harak 0 0 1
Lethrinus mahsena 0 0 1
Lethrinidae
obsoletus 0 1 1
Monotaxis grandoculis 1 0 1
argentimaculatus 1 1 0
bohar 1 1 1
Lutjanus
Lutjanidae ehrenbergi 1 1 1
monostigma 1 1 1
Macolor niger 0 1 1
Malacanthidae Malacanthus latovittatus 0 0 1
Anamses scopas 1 1 1
Monacanthidae
Cantherinus pardalis 1 0 1

January 2022

ACV ACV ACV
DS01 DS02 DS03
flavolineatus 1 0 1
Mulloidichthys
vanicolensis 1 0 1
Mullidae
cyclostomus 1 1 1
Parapeneus
forsskali 1 1 1
Nemipteridae Scolopsis ghanam 0 0 1
Ophichthidae Ostracion cubicus 1 0 0
Centropyge multispinis 1 0 1
imperator 0 1 1
Pomacanthidae Pomacanthus
maculosus 0 1 1
Pygoplites diacanthus 1 1 1
sexfasciatus 1 1 1
Abudefduf
vaigiensis 1 1 1
flavilatus 1 1 1
indicus 1 1 1
Amblyglyphidodon
lacrymatus 0 1 0
sulfureus 1 1 1
Amphiprion bicinctus 0 1 1
dimidiata 1 1 1
flavaxilla 1 1 1
Chromis
viridis 1 1 1
weberi 0 0 1
Pomacentridae
Chrysiptera unimaculatus 0 0 1
aruanus 0 0 1
Dascyllus
marginatus 0 0 1
Neoglyphidodon melas 1 1 1
miryae 1 0 1
Neopomacentrus
xanthurus 0 1 0
sp. 0 1 0
lacrymatus 0 0 1
Plectroglyphidodon
leucozonus 1 1 1
Pomacentrus trichrourus 1 0 1
Pristotis cyanostigma 0 1 0
Priacanthidae Priacanthus hamrur 1 1 0
flavivertex 1 1 0
Pseudochromidae Pseudochromis
fridmani 1 1 0
Calotomus viridescens 1 1 1
Cetoscarus bicolor 1 1 1
Scaridae genozonatus 1 1 1
Chlororus gibbus 1 1 1
sordidus 1 1 1

January 2022

ACV ACV ACV
DS01 DS02 DS03
Hipposcarus harid 1 1 1
collana 0 1 0
ferrugineus 1 1 1
frenatus 1 1 1
Scarus
fuscopurpureus 0 1 1
niger 1 1 1
psittacus 1 1 0
Aetheloperca rogaa 1 1 1
argus 1 1 0
hemistiktos 1 1 1
Cephalopholis
miniata 0 1 1
Serranidae sexmaculata 0 1 1
Epinephelus fasciatus 0 0 1
Grammistes sexlineatus 0 1 1
Pseudoanthias squamipinnis 1 1 1
Variola louti 1 1 0
luridus 1 1 1
Siganidae Siganus rivulatus 0 1 0
stellatus 1 0 0
Sparidae Acanthopagrus bifasciatus 1 1 0
Synodontidae Synodus variegatus 1 0 1
Arothoron diadematus 1 1 1
Tetradontidae Canthigaster margaritata 1 0 0
sp. 0 0 1

January 2022
Abundance Data
Reef Fish five 50m x 5m belt
Date Oct-21 Transect Details
Abundance transects
Amaala Coastal
Project M16040 Transect Depth
Village 1m
(m)
Survey Lead Alice Lawrence www.5oes.com
Site ACV DS01 ACV DS02 ACV DS03 Mean St.Dev St.er
Acanthuridae 331 358 217 302.00 74.84 43.21
Balistidae 1 - 2 1.50 0.71 0.50
Chaetodontidae 34 33 48 38.33 8.39 4.84
Haemulidae - 1 3 2.00 1.41 1.00
Lethrinidae - 4 2 3.00 1.41 1.00
Lutjanidae 2 83 58 47.67 41.48 23.95
Pomacanthidae 2 9 6 5.67 3.51 2.03
Scaridae 69 39 103 70.33 32.02 18.49
Serranidae 1 1 1 1.00 0.00 0.00
Siganidae - 6 25 15.50 13.44 9.50
Sparidae 1 - - 1.00 - -

Abundance transects
Amaala Coastal
Village 5m
(m)
Acanthuridae 84 246 175 168.33 81.21 46.88
Balistidae 1 - 11 6.00 7.07 5.00
Chaetodontidae 19 - 41 30.00 15.56 11.00
Haemulidae - 4 - 4.00 - -
Lethrinidae - - 19 19.00 - -
Lutjanidae 3 3 5 3.67 1.15 0.67
Pomacanthidae 5 5 9 6.33 2.31 1.33
Scaridae 51 150 90 97.00 49.87 28.79
Serranidae 1 10 8 6.33 4.73 2.73
Siganidae 13 8 13 11.33 2.89 1.67
Sparidae - 2 - 2.00 - -

January 2022

Abundance transects
Amaala Coastal
Village 12m
(m)
Acanthuridae 228 205 46 159.67 99.11 57.22
Balistidae 4 4 42 16.67 21.94 12.67
Chaetodontidae 23 41 24 29.33 10.12 5.84
Lethrinidae 1 - 7 4.00 4.24 3.00
Lutjanidae 3 3 2 2.67 0.58 0.33
Pomacanthidae 8 12 10 10.00 2.00 1.15
Scaridae 52 143 42 79.00 55.65 32.13
Serranidae 2 11 19 10.67 8.50 4.91
Siganidae 10 6 - 8.00 2.83 2.00

January 2022
Appendix 8 – Benthic Investigation Data
Project: M16040
Site Code ACV BI01 (1 of 6)
Amaala Coastal
Location:
Village
Date: Nov-21
Survey Lead: Jamie Hayes
Transect Transect Transect Transect
TRANSECT NAME Summary Data
1 2 3 4
Number of frames 20 20 20 20
Total points 400 400 400 400
Total points (minus tape+wand+shadow) 400 400 400 400
STD. STD.
MAJOR CATEGORY (% of transect) MEAN
DEV. ERROR
CORAL (C) 0.25 0.00 0.25 0.00 0.13 0.14 0.07
ALGAE (MA) 73.75 81.75 80.50 85.75 80.44 4.99 2.49
OTHER LIVE (OL) 0.25 0.00 0.25 0.50 0.25 0.20 0.10
SEAGRASS (SEAGRASS) 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
SAND, PAVEMENT, RUBBLE (SPR) 25.75 18.25 19.00 13.75 19.19 4.95 2.48
TAPE, WAND, SHADOW (TWS) 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Sum (excluding tape+shadow+wand) 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00
STD. STD.
SUBCATEGORIES (% of transect) MEAN
DEV. ERROR
CORAL (C)
Bleached Coral (BC) 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Dead Coral (DEAD) 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

January 2022
Project: M16040
Amaala Coastal
Location:
Village
Date: Nov-21
1 2 3 4
Live Coral (CORAL) 0.25 0.00 0.25 0.00 0.13 0.14 0.07
ALGAE (MA)
Algal Mat (ALGAL MAT) 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Cyanobacteria (CB MAT) 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Macroalgae (MACROALGAE) 28.00 24.75 29.00 26.75 27.13 1.83 0.92
Turf Algae (TURF ALGAE) 45.75 57.00 51.50 59.00 53.31 5.96 2.98
OTHER LIVE (OL)
Bivalves (BIVALVES) 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Gastropod (GP) 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Invert (INVERT) 0.00 0.00 0.25 0.50 0.19 0.24 0.12
Other Live (OTHER) 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Soft Coral (SOFT CORAL) 0.25 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.06 0.13 0.06
Sponge (SP) 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Urchin (U) 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Vertebrate (VB) 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
SEAGRASS (SEAGRASS)
Seagrass (SEAGRASS) 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
SAND, PAVEMENT, RUBBLE (SPR)
Rock (ROCK) 6.00 4.75 5.75 3.50 5.00 1.14 0.57
Rubble (RUBBLE) 11.75 6.75 6.25 8.75 8.38 2.50 1.25

January 2022
Project: M16040
Amaala Coastal
Location:
Village
Date: Nov-21
1 2 3 4
Sand (SAND) 8.00 6.75 7.00 1.50 5.81 2.93 1.46
Silt (SILT) 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
TAPE, WAND, SHADOW (TWS)
Shadow (S) 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Tape (TAPE) 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Water (W) 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Project: M16040
Amaala Coastal
Location:
Village
Date: Nov-21
1 2 3 4
Total points 400 400 400 400
STD. STD.
DEV. ERROR
CORAL (C) 0.50 0.50 0.00 0.00 0.25 0.29 0.14

January 2022
Project: M16040
Amaala Coastal
Location:
Village
Date: Nov-21
1 2 3 4
ALGAE (MA) 92.75 92.00 96.50 96.25 94.38 2.33 1.17
OTHER LIVE (OL) 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.25 0.06 0.13 0.06
STD. STD.
DEV. ERROR
CORAL (C)
Dead Coral (DEAD) 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Live Coral (CORAL) 0.50 0.50 0.00 0.00 0.25 0.29 0.14
ALGAE (MA)
OTHER LIVE (OL)

January 2022
Project: M16040
Amaala Coastal
Location:
Village
Date: Nov-21
1 2 3 4
Gastropod (GP) 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Invert (INVERT) 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Other Live (OTHER) 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Sponge (SP) 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Urchin (U) 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.25 0.06 0.13 0.06
Vertebrate (VB) 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
SEAGRASS (SEAGRASS)
Rock (ROCK) 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Rubble (RUBBLE) 0.50 1.50 0.25 0.25 0.63 0.60 0.30
Sand (SAND) 6.25 6.00 3.25 3.25 4.69 1.66 0.83
Silt (SILT) 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Shadow (S) 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Tape (TAPE) 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Water (W) 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

January 2022
Project: M16040
Amaala Coastal
Location:
Village
Date: Nov-21
1 2 3 4
Total points 400 400 400 400
STD. STD.
DEV. ERROR
CORAL (C) 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
ALGAE (MA) 83.50 86.75 95.25 92.00 89.38 5.25 2.63
OTHER LIVE (OL) 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.25 0.06 0.13 0.06
STD. STD.
DEV. ERROR
CORAL (C)
Dead Coral (DEAD) 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Live Coral (CORAL) 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
ALGAE (MA)

January 2022
Project: M16040
Amaala Coastal
Location:
Village
Date: Nov-21
1 2 3 4
OTHER LIVE (OL)
Gastropod (GP) 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Invert (INVERT) 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.25 0.06 0.13 0.06
Other Live (OTHER) 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Sponge (SP) 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Urchin (U) 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Vertebrate (VB) 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
SEAGRASS (SEAGRASS)
Rock (ROCK) 0.50 1.50 0.00 0.50 0.63 0.63 0.31
Rubble (RUBBLE) 3.50 3.25 0.50 0.00 1.81 1.82 0.91
Sand (SAND) 12.50 8.50 4.25 7.25 8.13 3.42 1.71
Silt (SILT) 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

January 2022
Project: M16040
Amaala Coastal
Location:
Village
Date: Nov-21
1 2 3 4
Shadow (S) 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Tape (TAPE) 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Water (W) 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Project: M16040
Amaala Coastal
Location:
Village
Date: Nov-21
1 2 3 4
Total points 400 400 400 400
STD. STD.
DEV. ERROR
CORAL (C) 1.58 1.58 1.05 1.58 1.45 0.26 0.13
ALGAE (MA) 83.42 93.16 75.79 78.16 82.63 7.71 3.85
OTHER LIVE (OL) 0.00 0.26 0.26 1.32 0.46 0.58 0.29

January 2022
Project: M16040
Amaala Coastal
Location:
Village
Date: Nov-21
1 2 3 4
STD. STD.
DEV. ERROR
CORAL (C)
Dead Coral (DEAD) 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Live Coral (CORAL) 1.58 1.58 1.05 1.58 1.45 0.26 0.13
ALGAE (MA)
OTHER LIVE (OL)
Gastropod (GP) 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Invert (INVERT) 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Other Live (OTHER) 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

January 2022
Project: M16040
Amaala Coastal
Location:
Village
Date: Nov-21
1 2 3 4
Sponge (SP) 0.00 0.00 0.26 0.00 0.07 0.13 0.07
Urchin (U) 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Vertebrate (VB) 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
SEAGRASS (SEAGRASS)
Rock (ROCK) 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Rubble (RUBBLE) 1.32 1.58 2.11 0.79 1.45 0.55 0.27
Sand (SAND) 13.68 3.42 20.79 18.16 14.01 7.65 3.82
Silt (SILT) 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Shadow (S) 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Tape (TAPE) 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Water (W) 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

January 2022
Project: M16040
Amaala Coastal
Location:
Village
Date: Nov-21
1 2 3 4
Total points 400 400 400 400
STD. STD.
DEV. ERROR
CORAL (C) 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
ALGAE (MA) 49.50 48.49 36.68 36.00 42.67 7.32 3.66
OTHER LIVE (OL) 2.50 1.51 1.01 1.25 1.57 0.66 0.33
STD. STD.
DEV. ERROR
CORAL (C)
Dead Coral (DEAD) 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Live Coral (CORAL) 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
ALGAE (MA)

January 2022
Project: M16040
Amaala Coastal
Location:
Village
Date: Nov-21
1 2 3 4
OTHER LIVE (OL)
Gastropod (GP) 0.75 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.19 0.38 0.19
Invert (INVERT) 1.75 1.51 1.01 1.25 1.38 0.32 0.16
Other Live (OTHER) 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Sponge (SP) 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Urchin (U) 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Vertebrate (VB) 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
SEAGRASS (SEAGRASS)
Rock (ROCK) 0.50 2.26 1.01 2.25 1.50 0.89 0.45
Rubble (RUBBLE) 1.50 0.75 0.00 0.25 0.63 0.66 0.33
Sand (SAND) 46.00 46.98 61.31 60.25 53.64 8.27 4.13
Silt (SILT) 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

January 2022
Project: M16040
Amaala Coastal
Location:
Village
Date: Nov-21
1 2 3 4
Shadow (S) 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Tape (TAPE) 0.00 0.50 0.50 0.00 0.25 0.29 0.14
Water (W) 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Project: M16040
Amaala Coastal
Location:
Village
Date: Nov-21
1 2 3 4
Total points 400 400 400 400
STD. STD.
DEV. ERROR
CORAL (C) 0.25 0.25 0.25 0.75 0.38 0.25 0.13
ALGAE (MA) 23.75 21.75 19.00 21.75 21.56 1.95 0.98
OTHER LIVE (OL) 0.00 0.25 0.00 0.00 0.06 0.13 0.06

January 2022
Project: M16040
Amaala Coastal
Location:
Village
Date: Nov-21
1 2 3 4
STD. STD.
DEV. ERROR
CORAL (C)
Dead Coral (DEAD) 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Live Coral (CORAL) 0.25 0.25 0.25 0.75 0.38 0.25 0.13
ALGAE (MA)
OTHER LIVE (OL)
Gastropod (GP) 0.00 0.25 0.00 0.00 0.06 0.13 0.06
Invert (INVERT) 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Other Live (OTHER) 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

January 2022
Project: M16040
Amaala Coastal
Location:
Village
Date: Nov-21
1 2 3 4
Sponge (SP) 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Urchin (U) 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Vertebrate (VB) 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
SEAGRASS (SEAGRASS)
Rock (ROCK) 0.50 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.13 0.25 0.13
Rubble (RUBBLE) 1.75 0.25 1.25 3.50 1.69 1.36 0.68
Sand (SAND) 60.00 64.75 64.25 68.50 64.38 3.48 1.74
Silt (SILT) 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Shadow (S) 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Tape (TAPE) 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Water (W) 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

January 2022
Appendix9–Seagrass
ACVSG01 seagrass species

1 2 3 4
seagrass species
seagrass species
seagrass species
Halophila ovalis
Halophila ovalis
Halophila ovalis
% consisting of
% consisting of
% consisting of
% consisting of
% consisting of
% consisting of
% consisting of
% consisting of
% consisting of
% consisting of
% consisting of
% consisting of
% consisting of
% consisting of
% consisting of
% consisting of
% consisting of
% consisting of
% consisting of
Photoqudrats –
Syringodium
Syringodium
Syringodium
Syringodium
isoetifolium
isoetifolium
isoetifolium
isoetifolium
Cymodocea
Cymodocea
Cymodocea
Cymodocea
% cover of
% cover of
% cover of
% cover of
stipulacea
stipulacea
stipulacea
stipulacea
rotundata
rotundata
rotundata
rotundata
Halophila
Halophila
Halophila
Halophila
uninervis
uninervis
uninervis
uninervis
Halodule
Halodule
Halodule
Halodule
1 4 50 - 50 - 12 - - - 40 60 5 50 - 50 - - 2 - - - 100 -
2 8 60 10 30 - 12 - - - 40 60 2 100 - - - - 2 - - - 100 -
3 9 70 20 10 - 10 - 1 15 4 80 5 80 - 20 - - 3 - - - 100 -
4 3 100 - - - 14 30 5 45 - 20 7 80 - 20 - - 6 - 5 - 95 -
5 8 90 - - 10 8 20 - 50 15 15 9 90 - 10 - - 6 - - - 80 20
6 10 80 20 - - 7 - - - 50 50 10 80 - 15 5 - 9 - - - 50 50
7 3 - 10 50 40 12 - - 75 15 10 1 100 - - - - 9 - - - 40 60
8 4 90 10 - - 15 50 - 50 - - 10 90 10 - - - 10 - - - 20 80
9 6 50 58 - - 2 50 - - 50 - 10 90 - - 5 5 8 10 - - 30 60
10 8 50 50 - - 8 20 - 10 60 10 4 75 - - - 25 9 15 5 - 20 60
11 8 100 - - - 18 40 5 45 5 5 14 35 - 35 15 15 10 20 - 20 - 60
12 11 90 10 - - 6 40 - 50 5 5 9 5 10 - 15 70 7 47 6 - 47 -
13 15 80 10 5 5 10 10 - 80 10 - 2 - - - 100 - 4 - - - 100 -
14 12 85 5 5 5 6 80 - 20 - - 5 - - - 50 50 7 50 - 10 40 -
15 24 50 50 - - 14 90 - 10 - - 5 - - - 50 50 16 70 - 5 25 -
16 8 50 - - 50 10 80 - - 20 - 8 - - - 60 40 20 49 - 49 2 -
17 10 25 50 - 25 8 40 - 40 10 - 9 - - - 30 70 16 40 - 58 - 2
18 - - - - - 8 50 - 58 - - 16 - - - 20 80 11 70 - 30 - -
19 4 - 25 35 40 6 40 - 60 - - 7 - - - 80 20 8 75 - 5 5 15
20 2 - - - 100 6 100 - - - - 8 - - - 70 30 5 90 - 10 - -
21 20 10 70 20 - 2 100 - - - - 7 - - - 100 - 8 45 15 40 - -
22 4 - - 50 50 5 80 - 20 - - 6 - - - 100 - 10 60 - 30 5 5
23 9 - - 50 50 6 5 - 95 - - 4 - - - 100 - 3 100 - - - -
24 12 - - 30 70 11 35 - 55 - 10 - - - - - - 2 100 - - - -
25 10 - - 20 80 15 25 - 70 5 - 1 - - - 100 - 3 100 - - - -
Average 8.26 70.00 25.23 26.43 34.38 9.60 49.33 3.67 43.43 24.92 31.50 7.30 72.92 10.00 25.00 41.67 41.36 8.40 48.73 5.33 23.38 53.38 45.22
min 2 25 5 5 5 2 10 1 10 4 5 1 5 10 10 5 5 2 10 5 5 2 2
max 24 100 58 50 100 18 100 5 80 60 80 16 100 10 50 100 80 20 90 6 58 100 80

January 2022
ACVSG02 1 2 3 4
Halodule pinifolia
Halodule pinifolia
Halodule pinifolia
Halodule pinifolia
Thalassodendron
Thalassodendron
Thalassodendron
Thalassodendron
seagrass species
seagrass species
seagrass species
seagrass species
Halophila ovalis
Halophila ovalis
Halophila ovalis
Halophila ovalis
% consisting of
% consisting of
% consisting of
% consisting of
% consisting of
% consisting of
% consisting of
% consisting of
% consisting of
% consisting of
% consisting of
% consisting of
% consisting of
% consisting of
% consisting of
% consisting of
% consisting of
% consisting of
% consisting of
% consisting of
% consisting of
Photoqudrats –
Cymodocea
Cymodocea
Cymodocea
Cymodocea
% cover of
% cover of
% cover of
% cover of
stipulacea
stipulacea
stipulacea
stipulacea
rotundata
rotundata
rotundata
rotundata
Halophila
Halophila
Halophila
Halophila
uninervis
Halodule
ciliatum
ciliatum
ciliatum
ciliatum
1 30 100 - - - - - 5 - - - 50 50 25 50 - - - 50 - - - - - -
2 20 100 - - - - - 10 - - - 70 30 10 30 - - 30 40 - - - - -
3 10 10 - - - - 90 5 - - 100 - - 10 40 - - 20 40 - - - 100 - -
4 15 - - - - - 100 30 - - 80 - 20 20 20 20 - 20 40 40 20 - 80 - -
5 10 - - - - - 100 10 - - - 70 30 30 40 - - 30 30 5 100 - - - -
6 5 - - - - - 100 10 - - 100 - - 15 50 - - 20 30 5 - - - - 100
7 5 - - - - - 100 15 - - 100 - - 30 70 - - - 30 5 - - 70 - 30
8 5 - - - - - 100 5 - - - 50 50 25 60 - - - 40 10 - - 65 - 35
9 10 - 5 - - - 95 15 50 - - - 50 5 - - - - 100 10 - - - - 100
10 5 50 10 - - - 40 10 40 20 - - 40 20 - 20 - 20 60 5 50 - - - 50
11 10 30 - - - - 70 10 50 - - - 50 25 50 - - - 50 10 - - - 20 80
12 5 50 - - - - 50 20 40 - - 30 30 15 50 - - - 50 5 50 - - - 50
13 10 50 - - - - 50 20 60 - - 20 20 5 - - - 20 80 10 50 - - - 50
14 5 - - - - - 100 30 50 - - - 50 15 50 - - - 50 15 50 - - - 50
15 10 50 - - - - 50 20 20 - - - 80 10 50 - - - 50 40 50 50 - - -
16 15 50 - - - - 50 10 30 - - 30 40 10 20 - - - 80 20 - 40 - - 60
17 5 50 20 - - 30 - 5 - 40 - - 60 5 - - 50 - 50 5 50 - - - 50
18 5 - - - 100 - - 2 - - - - 100 20 - - 65 - 35 5 50 - - - 50
19 35 - - - 100 - - 3 - - - - 100 15 - - 70 - 30 5 70 - - - 30
20 - - - - - - - 10 10 - - - 90 3 - - - - 100 30 40 10 - - 50
21 10 - - 100 - - - 15 10 - - 20 70 20 - - 90 - 10 25 50 - - - 50
22 10 50 - 50 - - - 30 80 - - - 20 25 - - 90 - 10 25 - - - 50 50
23 10 - - - 100 - - 20 - - - 20 80 - - - - - - 5 40 - - 20 40
24 30 - - - 80 - 20 25 65 - - - 35 - - - - - - 30 60 - - 10 30
25 5 100 - - - - - 35 60 - - 10 30 - - - - - - 20
Average 11.67 57.50 11.67 75.00 95.00 30.00 74.33 14.80 43.46 30.00 95.00 37.00 51.14 16.27 44.62 20.00 73.00 22.86 47.95 15.00 52.14 33.33 78.75 25.00 53.06
min 5 10 5 50 80 30 20 2 10 20 80 10 20 3 20 20 50 20 10 5 20 10 65 10 30
max 35 100 20 100 100 30 100 35 80 40 100 70 100 30 70 20 90 30 100 40 100 50 100 50 100

January 2022
ACVSG03 1 2 3 4
Photoqudrats
% consisting
% consisting
% consisting
% consisting
% consisting
% consisting
% consisting
% consisting
of Halophila
of Halophila
of Halophila
of Halophila
of Halodule
of Halodule
of Halodule
of Halodule
% cover of
% cover of
% cover of
% cover of
stipulacea
stipulacea
stipulacea
stipulacea
uninervis
uninervis
uninervis
uninervis
seagrass
seagrass
seagrass
seagrass
species
species
species
species
–
1 25 80 20 10 100 - 35 60 40 15 95 5
2 50 - 20 15 100 - 15 58 50 10 100 -
3 40 75 25 15 100 - 10 90 10 10 90 10
4 70 85 15 15 100 - 3 80 20 3 95 5
5 75 100 - - - - 5 100 - 10 90 10
6 65 100 - 5 100 - 11 100 - 3 90 5
7 55 100 - 2 100 - 7 100 - 1 - 100
8 15 100 - 5 100 - 8 95 5 10 100 -
9 25 100 - 20 100 - 17 100 - 1 50 50
10 10 100 - 15 100 - 20 100 - 10 100 -
11 5 100 - 15 100 - 8 100 - 5 100 -
12 15 100 - 2 100 - 25 80 20 15 100 -
13 5 100 - 10 100 - 20 100 - 20 90 10
14 10 100 - 5 100 - 20 100 - 2 100 -
15 15 100 - 35 100 - 9 100 - 10 100 -
16 5 100 - 70 100 - 5 400 - 8 100 -
17 2 100 - 25 100 - 2 100 - 8 65 35
18 15 100 - 35 100 - 3 100 - 7 100 -
19 - - - 45 - - 4 60 40 12 100 -
20 - - - 25 100 - 10 70 30 10 100 -
21 5 100 - 55 85 15 22 50 50 20 95 5
22 5 100 - 80 90 10 15 90 10 8 70 30
23 20 100 - 85 80 20 16 95 5 25 50 50
24 1 100 - 85 70 30 6 100 - 22 40 60
25 20 100 - 35 60 40 9 80 20 38 85 15
Average 24.04 97.27 20.00 29.54 95.00 23.00 12.20 100.32 25.00 11.32 87.71 27.86
min 1 75 15 2 60 10 2 50 5 1 40 5
max 75 100 25 85 100 40 35 400 50 38 100 100

January 2022
Appendix 10 – Marine Megafauna
Latitude Longitude Species Min Max Best Common name Behaviour Project Area
26.71802 36.13499 T u rsio p s s p. 5 9 5 B o ttl e n o s e d ol p hi n s p p. T r a v e lli n g M 16040 A m a ala
26.71802 36.13499 T u rsio p s s p. 5 9 5 B o ttl e n o s e d ol p hi n s p p. T r a v e lli n g M 16040 A m a ala
26.71802 36.13499 Dugong dugon 2 2 2 Dugong M illi n g M 16040 A m a ala
26.72476 36.13299 C h el o nii d a e s p. 1 1 1 U n k n o w n T u r tl e S wi m ming M 16040 A m a ala
26.72267 36.12299 Triaenodon obesus 1 1 1 W h i t e ti p re ef s h a r k S wi m ming M 16040 A m a ala
26.72548 36.11663 Cheilinus undulatus 1 1 1 H u m p h ea d Wrasse S wi m ming M 16040 A m a ala
26.71823 36.13974 Chelonia mydas 1 1 1 G r e e n s e a t u rtl e Br e at hi n g M 16040 A m a ala
26.72049 36.13058 T u rsio p s s p. 3 9 3 B o ttl e n o s e d ol p hi n s p p. Br e at hi n g M 16040 A m a ala

January 2022
Vegetation, Reptile and Avifauna Baseline Surveys, AMAALA Staff
Village

Vegetation, Reptile and
Avifauna Baseline Surveys
AMAALA Staff Village
September 2021
Document Number 83067-AMLA-TREP-19SEP21-033-Rev00
Vegetation, Reptile and Avifauna Baseline

Document Title Survey Baseline Surveys, AMAALA Staff
Village
Report Date Sept 19, 2021
Christopher Clarke, PhD
Prepared by Ricardo Ramalho, PhD
David Wells
Submitted to AMAALA
Revision Number 00
Date of Revision NA
Revised by NA
Approved by Abdulaziz M. Al-Suwailem, PhD
Date of Approval Sept 19, 2021
Date of Transmission Sept 19, 2021

date.
Cover Photo - BDC, 2021

2
1
Sl. No.
00
01
Revision No.
NA
REVISION HISTORY
Reason for Revision
NA
Date of Revision
NA

the Rapporteur
NA

the Reviewer
NA

the Approver
NA
Date of Approval
Contents

1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................ 1
1.1 Scope of Survey ......................................................................................... 1
1.2 Project Description ..................................................................................... 1
1.3 Project Site Description .............................................................................. 2
1.4 Relationship to Other Reports ..................................................................... 4
2 SPECIALIST TEAM ........................................................................... 5
3 TERRESTRIAL FLORA ...................................................................... 8
3.1 Survey Methodology ................................................................................... 8
3.2 Coverage of Vegetation Survey................................................................... 9
3.3 Survey Results ......................................................................................... 10
3.3.1 Habitats of the Project Site ............................................................................... 10
3.3.2 Vegetation Survey Results ................................................................................ 15
4 REPTILE SURVEY ........................................................................... 18
4.1 Preamble ................................................................................................. 18
4.2.1 Weather Conditions .......................................................................................... 19
4.3 Survey Results ......................................................................................... 19
5 AVIFAUNA SURVEY ........................................................................ 20
5.2 Survey Results ......................................................................................... 20
5.2.1 Staff Village ...................................................................................................... 20
5.2.2 Wadi Valleys .................................................................................................... 21
6 OTHER OBSERVATIONS ................................................................ 22
6.1 Archaeology and Cultural Heritage ............................................................ 22
6.1.1 Preamble .......................................................................................................... 22
6.1.2 Desktop Research ............................................................................................ 22
6.1.3 Walkover Results .............................................................................................. 23
6.2 Land Quality ............................................................................................. 23
7 REFERENCES ................................................................................. 24
APPENDIX A - CONSERVATION CLASSIFICATIONS ................................. 25
List of Tables
Table 2-1 Overview of Specialists and their Relevant Experience ............................. 5

Table 3-1 Quadrat Co-ordinates .............................................................................. 9
Table 3-2 Transect Co-ordinates ............................................................................. 9
Table 3-3 Plant Diversity of Survey Locations ........................................................ 16
Table 5-1 Ornithological Survey Results, Staff Village ........................................... 20
Table 5-2 Ornithological Survey Results, Wadi Valleys .......................................... 21
List of Figures

Figure 1-2 Satellite Map .......................................................................................... 3
Figure 1-3 Topographical Map ................................................................................ 3
Figure 1-4 Site Photographs ................................................................................... 4
Figure 3-1 Survey Locations ................................................................................. 10
Figure 3-2 Terrestrial Habitat Map (AECOM, 2020) ................................................ 11
Figure 3-3 Updated Terrestrial Habitat Map ........................................................... 12
Figure 3-4 Coastal Plains on Well-drained Rocky or Gravelly Terrain Habitat ......... 13
Figure 3-5 Coastal Plains on Well-drained Sandy Ground ...................................... 13
Figure 3-6 Mesa Cliffs ........................................................................................... 14
Figure 3-7 Wadis in Open Terrain ......................................................................... 15
Figure 4-1 Distribution of the Spiny-tailed Lizard (IUCN, 2012)............................... 18
Project Site .......................................................................................................... 22
List of Acronyms
DD Data Deficient
EN Endangered
EW Extinct in the Wild
GCC Gulf Cooperation Council
IUCN International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources
LC Least Concern
NE Not Evaluated
NT Near Threatened
VU Vulnerable

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Introduction

(the Project’).
2. Avifauna survey;
4. General walkover to identify any areas of potential land contamination or

cultural heritage and archaeological features and artefacts.

Proposed Development
In order to support the development of AMAALA, the Staff Village is required to provide
office and living accommodation.
Summary of Survey Findings
Terrestrial Flora
A total of 23 different plant species were found within the Project area, by far the majority
being restricted to a small wadi. Elsewhere, vegetation was near absent, apart from within
small runnels, where found. No plants found within the project area are internationally
threatened. The species most often encountered were typical of shoreline areas for example
Limonium axillare and Tetraena alba.
BDC has updated the existing habitat mapping for the Staff Village (AECOM, 2020) based
upon the field survey.
Reptiles
No relevant reptile activity was detected within the area proposed for development, except at
one location where a single reptile species was recorded. Small sized lacertid lizard,
possibly Mesalina sp., was recorded, however, it evaded capture in a burrow and therefore
full identification was not possible.
Avifauna
An avifauna survey was undertaken in April 2021 on the Staff Village Project site and
adjacent wadi valleys. All species found on the Project site have been classified by the
International Union of Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as being of Least Concern with regards
to conservation. The survey of the wadi valleys also recorded species mostly of Least
KAUST BDC I AMAALA | Vegetation, Reptile and Avifauna Baseline Surveys I

Concern for conservation, however, the Eurasian turtle dove (Streptopelia turtur), a
migratory species considered as Vulnerable to extinction by IUCN was confirmed to be
present.

No archaeological or cultural heritage features or artefacts have been identified through
desk-top research or the walkover survey. The walkover showed minimal anthropogenic
influence and potential archaeological sites, however, a makeshift musalla (prayer area) was
noted on-site.
Land Quality
KAUST BDC I AMAALA | Vegetation, Reptile and Avifauna Baseline Surveys II

1 INTRODUCTION
1.1 Scope of Survey

(the Project’).
2. Avifauna survey;
4. General observations to identify any areas of potential land contamination

or cultural heritage and archaeological features and artefacts.

This report comprises the record of the survey methods and fieldwork undertaken. Where
applicable the results have been summarised and compared to relevant standards.
The Coordinate System World Geodetic System - 1984 (WGS-1984) is used within this
report unless stated otherwise.

In order to support the development of AMAALA, the Staff Village will provide office and
living accommodation. Three site options were proposed and the final choice has resulted in
the selection of a location on the coast between Duba and Al Wajh. The location of selected
site for the Staff Village is shown in Figure 1-1.
1.3 Project Site Description

The Project area forms an extension of the northern Tihamah Plain (Tihamat Al-Hejaz). This
is characterised primarily by extensive gravel sheets, which may be covered by sand sheets
of varying degrees of thickness locally. The width of the plain varies across the Saudi
coastline. In some areas, it can exceed 30 km in width, whereas near the Staff Village site,
the plain is no more than 2.6 km wide. The plain is backed by mountains that rise to over
100 m (Figure 1-2 and Figure 1-3). The mountains are in places intersected by wadis that
rise from higher mountains further inland. Low hills outcropping through the gravel sheets
channel the flow of these wadis.
The Project site varies little in topography, varying from sea level to 10 m. It surrounds a
natural cove with a sandy bay (Figure 1-4A), however, the seaward facing areas fall to the
sea as steep cliffs several metres high (Figure 1-4B). There is no evidence of any
settlement, though human influence is evident in the form of windblown rubbish in general
and flotsam along the sandy beach. Built structures include a makeshift musalla (prayer area
- see Figure 1-4C), a marker post inscribed with ‘TDC 90’ (Figure 1-4D), and a coastguard
station that has been recently built. The substrate is fossilised coral with sand. In a few
places, where Limonium axillare has established, some organic matter is also mixed with the
sand. Grazing is evident, however, vegetation coverage is not sufficient to support a
continuous presence of animals.
Figure 1-2 Satellite Map
Figure 1-3 Topographical Map
Figure 1-4 Site Photographs
A. Sandy Bay within the cove B. Edge of cliff
C. Flat plain with moutains in the

D. Marker Post.
background that rise to 100 m.
1.4 Relationship to Other Reports

BDC is unaware of any other baseline survey reports pertaining to the Project site.
2 SPECIALIST TEAM
BDC employs a range of specialists with a depth and breadth of experience in field survey
assessments as well as in environmental and social impact assessment and environmental
monitoring.
Table 2-1 provides an overview of BDC specialists involved in the Project baseline field
surveys, and their relevant experience.
Table 2-1 Overview of Specialists and their Relevant Experience
Key Specialist and

Responsibilities
Dr Stephen Crute has over thirty years’
experience in ecological studies and
assessment, including 13 years in the Gulf
Cooperation Council States much of which
has been based in Saudi Arabia or on Saudi
projects.
He has a background in Environmental and
Social Impact Assessment with a specialism
in terrestrial ecology. His doctoral research
was based on Computer Simulations of
Population Dynamics and Ecosystems.
Dr Crute has lived and worked extensively in
Saudi Arabia and has planned, directed and
Stephen Crute conducted a wide range of terrestrial ecology
surveys throughout the Kingdom. He has a
Environmental PhD Population particular interest in mammals and especially
Specialist dynamics and bats and their role in the ecosystem.
Ecology Specialist ecosystem Dr Crute has conducted ESIA throughout the
analysis. world, working on major infrastructure
Scientific Supervisor projects, including within Saudi Arabia, Ras al
Khair for the Royal Commission and Jazan for
Saudi Aramco. He is experienced in working
with master planners and a wide range of
project types, including transportation,
tourism, energy projects and real estate
developments. His projects as a Project
Director, Project Manager or Lead Author
have included ESIA to international standards
including IFC and World Bank. He has also
worked as an environmental advisor to the
Central and West Asia division of the Asian
Development Bank and has recently produced
a best practice guidance note on impact
assessment for this unit.
Damien is a renowned reptile and amphibian
specialist, author of the Field Guide to the
Damien M. Egan Snakes of the Arabian Peninsula and its
Environmental Shores and Snakes of the Middle East (due
Consultant for publishing in 2021).
Reptile Specialist Formerly the Head of Department for
Herpetology & Freshwater Fisheries at the
Breeding Centre for Endangered Arabian
Key Specialist and
Responsibilities
Wildlife, Damien is an experienced aquarist
and curator as well as being a field scientist.
Damien has recently completed a long-term
study of reptiles and amphibians in the NEOM
area.
A PhD student at the Depart of Zoology,
Charles University in Prague, Lukas has an
interest in the evolution, biogeography, and
systematics of the squamate reptiles on the
Middle East. His master’s thesis was on
concerned the Phylogeography of the
Lukas Pola Bunopus geckos (Squamata, Gekkonidae) in
Environmental the Arabian Peninsula. Lukas has a very
MSc Zoology,
Consultant robust knowledge of, in particular, Middle
BSc Zootechnics Eastern lizards and has significant amount of
Reptile Specialist
field experience in the Middle East. Lukas has
recently completed a long-term study of
reptiles and amphibians in the NEOM area.
As well as studying, Lukas is also an
Assistant Zookeeper of reptiles, amphibians,
and invertebrates at the Zoological and
Botanical Garden in Pilsen.
Abhishekh has fifteen years’ experience in
Geographic Information System and Remote
Sensing Applications, including 10 years in
Post Graduate in Saudi Arabia.
Abhishekh P. Vijayan
Applied Geology Abhishekh has effectively used GIS and
Senior GIS Specialist with specialisation Remote Sensing techniques in various
in mineral environmental projects such as Environmental
GIS Mapping exploration using Sensitivity Index mapping and Coastal
hyperspectral Remediation and Restoration project along
Remote Sensing
remote sensing. the Arabian Gulf coast of KSA. Since
November 2017, he has been supporting
BDC’s Red Sea and NEOM projects as senior
GIS specialist.
Dr Christopher Clarke has over 30 years’
experience of environmental surveys, starting
as leader of an expedition looking for rare
birds of south-western Ecuador in 1989 on
behalf of the International Council for Bird
Chartered Preservation (Birdlife International). Since
Christopher Clarke Environmentalist then, he has carried out field studies in
Mauritania, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Lesotho,
Senior Project PhD Environmental Oman, Qatar, UK, and Peru.
Manager Sciences (Land
restoration) He has been working with BDC as Senior
Project Manager for 18 months, all work
Terrestrial Flora BSc Honours based in Saudi Arabia, during which time he
Surveys Environmental has carried out 14 floral and cultural heritage
Sciences surveys in the NEOM area.
Previously he was Environmental Manager for
AlSafa Environmental and Technical Services
in Oman for seven years and Founding
Director of Anglo Articles Environmental
Consultancy in Mauritania (West Africa) for
Key Specialist and
Responsibilities
four years, during which he carried out
cultural heritage and floral surveys.
Besides the flora of Arabia, his other
taxonomic experience includes birds of UK,
birds of Ecuadorian Dry Forest, reef fish of
Oman, zooplankton of UK potable water and
invertebrates of UK freshwaters. He has
published peer reviewed papers on his
studies of UK heathlands and South American
birds and one paper on turtles of the Red Sea
is under review.
Dr Clarke has carried out cultural heritage
surveys in Turkey (1988), Mauritania (2007),
and Oman (2010-2019) besides Saudi Arabia.
He is currently writing a paper on the Early
Islamic Mosques of Oman.
3 TERRESTRIAL FLORA

The field survey was conducted on the 9 th May 2021. The aim of the survey was to carry out
an assessment of vegetation diversity by examining quadrats and transects spread across
the Project area.
In the field, quadrats were located by searching for the co-ordinates of each grid square with
the aid of a Global Positioning System (GPS) device. Once found, the four corner points
were determined using a tape measure. These were then staked out using tent pegs and a
tape was placed around the boundary.
Plant species encountered within the quadrat area were counted and identified using
Collenette’s Illustrated Guide to the Flowers of Saudi Arabia (Collenette, 1985), Mandaville’s
Flora of Eastern Saudi Arabia (Mandaville, 1990), Jongbloed’s Wildflowers of the United
Arab Emirates (Jongbloed, 2003), and Pickering and Patzelt’s Field Guide to the Wild Plants
of Oman (Pickering & Patzelt, 2008). Plants that were not common were photographed and
identification was carried out after fieldwork. The photographic record includes details of
general habitat, foliage, and where possible the flower and fruit.
follows:
• D - Species observed is "Dominant" in a given area;
• A - Species observed is "Abundant" in a given area;
• F - Species observed is "Frequent" in a given area;
• O - Species observed is "Occasional" in a given area; and
• R - Species observed is "Rare" in a given area.
At each quadrat, a form was completed recording a series of attributes including: species
presence, abundance and provisional habitat type. Field data was later extracted and
transferred into a data matrix.
All photographic landscape shots and soils were taken using an iPhone. Photographic
profiles of plants which could not be immediately identified in the field were also taken -this
avoided the need to collect voucher herbarium specimens.
A habitat 1 map for AMAALA had already been prepared by a third party prior to the field
survey (AECOM, 2020). This map was amended and updated based upon this survey.
1 The correct term is biotope but for the sake of consistency with previous reports, this report will continue to use
the word ‘habitat’.
3.2 Coverage of Vegetation Survey
A total of seven quadrats measuring 10 m by 10 m (100 m 2 ) were examined (categorised as
P1-P7). The co-ordinates of each quadrat are shown in Table 3-1. Co-ordinates for start and
end of the two transects are given in Table 3-2. The spatial distribution of the quadrats is
Table 3-1 Quadrat Co-ordinates
P1 26.7257567 36.12828
P2 26.72652452 36.12783
P3 26.72486398 36.12637
P3 26.72477281 36.12621
P4 26.72419133 36.12313
P5 26.72360123 36.12261
P6 26.72594593 36.11885
P7 26.7257567 36.12828
Table 3-2 Transect Co-ordinates
T1 Start 26.727113° 36.126640°
T1 End 26.726976° 36.126535°
T2 Start 26.728835°, 36.123115°
T2 End 26.729961° 36.121804°
3.3 Survey Results

3.3.1 Habitats of the Project Site
The existing habitat map (AECOM, 2020) identified five different habitats within the Project
boundary (Figure 3-2) and these are:
• Other Industry (in this case a Coastguard station); and
Figure 3-2 Terrestrial Habitat Map (AECOM, 2020)
The dominant habitat type within the Project area is the Coastal Plains on Well-drained
Rocky or Gravelly Terrain. Based on the evidence collected from the site visit the habitat
map has subsequently been updated by BDC (Figure 3-3) and 10 different habitat classes
have been identified within the Project site and a 100 meter buffer:
• Beach Rock and Graverly Beaches;
• Mesa Cliffs East Aspect;
• Mesa Cliffs North Aspect;
• Mesa Cliffs West Aspect;
• Other Industry (in this case a Coastguard station);
• Sandy Beaches; and
Figure 3-3 Updated Terrestrial Habitat Map
Coastal Plains on Well-drained Rocky or Gravelly Terrain

By far the majority of the Project site is composed of this habitat type. As its name implies, it
is composed of gravels or rocks. Vegetation is virtually non-existent, however, in some
cases, there is a very sparse cover of dwarf, mildly halophytic shrubs (Figure 3-4). Small
runnels contain scant vegetation such as Limonium axillare and Tetraena cinerea. Only few
plants develop in the areas that contain deposits of wind-blown sand, but there is potential
for perennials after good rains.
Although rainfall is low over the project area in general, extra moisture is gained from sea
spray, particularly near cliffs. This explains the general greater cover of vegetation nearest
the cliffs.
Quadrats P1-P7 were all carried in this habitat type.
Figure 3-4 Coastal Plains on Well-drained Rocky or Gravelly Terrain Habitat
Coastal Plains on Well-drained Sandy Ground

Within the Project area, this habitat type is only found by the littoral, and a transect was
carried out just outside the project boundary as this area had the greatest plant coverage
from this habitat (Figure 3-5). Nevertheless, only three species were found in this habitat
type; Limonium axillare, Tetraena propinqua and Tetraena alba. These species are
characteristic of coastal areas.
Figure 3-5 Coastal Plains on Well-drained Sandy Ground
Mesa Cliffs South Aspect

In some locations, hills that are found near the coast are the result of elevated fossil
coralline reefs, and these are developed as mesas, i.e. hills that have a flat top and usually
steep sides. The harder top layer is undermined by a softer lower layer, causing the top layer
to overhang. Eventually the overhang fractures, and rocks roll down the slope leading to an
accumulation of large boulders at the foot of the mesa. Depending on the direction of uplift
experienced by the reef, which occurred during the Quaternary, the top may be distinctly
tilted, so that one side rises more gently (Figure 3-6).
Mesa cliffs take up a tiny fraction of the project site so were not surveyed for his report. In
AMAALA in general, south-facing mesa cliffs are colonised by Anabasis setifera, Limonium
axillare, Suaeda monoica, and Tetraena simplex.
Figure 3-6 Mesa Cliffs
Note: This photograph taken from MP4 area
Wadis in Open Terrain, and Drainage Channels

Plant cover and diversity is greater in the wadi areas due to the higher moisture availability,
as the wadis channel water during rare rainfall events (Figure 3-7). Typical species found
include Aizoon canariense, Anastatica hierochuntica, Cyperus conglomeratus, Erodium
laciniatum, Euphorbia retusa, Fagonia paulayana, Haloxylon salicornicum, Limonium axillare,
Lycium shawii, Lotononis platycarpa, Lotus glinoides, Lycium shawii, Panicum turgidum,
Polycarpaea robbairea, Salsola imbricata, Salsola vermiculata, Senna italic, Tetraena alba,
Tetraena coccinea, Tetraena decumbens, Tetraena propinqua, Tetraena simplex, and
Vachellia gerrardii.
For this survey, Transect 1 was carried out along this habitat type that is marked in the
AMAALA Habitat Map as within Coastal Plains within Rocky or Gravelly Terrain (AECOM,
2020), however, the localised characteristics match those of Wadis in Open Terrain. T1P7
Figure 3-7 Wadis in Open Terrain
3.3.2 Vegetation Survey Results

Status of Plants
moisture availability was greater. Elsewhere, plants were virtually non-existent, apart from
along the littoral. There was no evidence of recent rainfall, however, grazing was apparent
on the larger shrubs and Cyperus conglomeratus.
Degradation of Site
A coastguard station has recently been built in the site, with an access track. The project site
also lies in the path of a coastal track, used by coastguards and hunters for reaching coastal
areas, and there was some evidence of off-piste driving throughout the site. Apart from this,
there was no other evidence of degradation, thanks to the remoteness of the area. As in
most places in Saudi Arabia, scattered litter was found.
Abundance of Plants
A total of 23 plant species were recorded within the project site. Table 3-3 lists the species
found and shows the level of abundance (according to the DAFOR scale) at each quadrat or
transect. The much higher diversity at the wadi habitat (column 2) compared to the other
habitat types is striking.
Aizoon canariense R
Anastatica
O
hierochuntica
Cyperus
R
conglomeratus
Euphorbia retusa R
Fagonia paulayana R
Haloxylon
R
salicornicum
Lotus glinoides R
Lycium shawii R
Panicum turgidum R
Polycarpaea
R
robbairea
Salsola imbricata R
Senna italica R
Tetraena alba R
Tetraena coccinea R
Tetraena simplex O
Categories. Details on conservation classifications can be found in Appendix A.
4 REPTILE SURVEY
4.1 Preamble
Peninsula as well as east of the Nile in Egypt, southern Israel, and north-eastern and
southern Jordan (Figure 4-1). It is a diurnal, ground-dwelling species that prefers higher
ambient temperatures to be active, while on cooler winter days they may remain inactive in
their burrows or with short peaks of activity in the warmer periods of the day. Adult
specimens are almost exclusively vegetarian, feeding on a range of plant species including
very poor-quality grasses. They have a preference for gravel plains, interdunal plains and
flat wadi beds with scattered vegetation and low hills and typically avoid habitats with soft
sand.
Figure 4-1 Distribution of the Spiny-tailed Lizard (IUCN, 2012)
expected to continue into the future (Wilms, et al., 2012). The Spiny-tailed Lizard is also
classified as a national High Conservation Priority species (NCWDC, 2005).
The species is declining due to pressure from the international pet and medicinal trade as
well as disappearing habitat due to over-grazing, human development, agricultural
expansion, and reclamation, waste deposition, hunting and off-road driving.
During a reconnaissance site visit of the Staff Village Project site in April 2021, locations
were noted where the species was likely to occur and there was some evidence for low
density presence to the east of the proposed development site. As such, further surveys
were undertaken on-site to confirm their presence or absence.

The Project site was visited on 23 rd August 2021 in the morning hours to cover morning
activity patterns of diurnal lizards (lacertids, Acanthodactylus spp. or Mesalina spp. and
agamids, Trapelus sp.) and snakes (such as Sand Snake, Psammophis schokari), given the
time of the year. Evidence of any lizard burrows or snake tracks was recorded.
A diurnal driven transect was completed driving slowly (up to a maximum speed of 20 km/hr)
across the Project site making use of existing roads and tracks whenever possible.
Experienced observers surveyed both sides of the vehicle (covering a minimum of 50 m to
each side) looking for reptiles and/or evidence of their presence (such as burrows and other
tracks and signs). Where habitat favourable to the occurrence of reptiles was encountered
walked transects were conducted aiming to further the chances of finding evidence of the
reptile’s presence. Walked transects were also used to explore areas where no easy access
was possible for the vehicle (such as raised hills with steep slopes). A total of six walked
transects were performed.
4.2.1 Weather Conditions

The temperature was more or less constant with very high humidity, with mild westerly
breeze.
4.3 Survey Results

recorded. Small sized lacertid lizard, apparently Mesalina sp. was recorded, however, it
evaded capture in a burrow and therefore full identification was not possible.
5 AVIFAUNA SURVEY

A site visit was conducted in April 2021. The surveyor scanned the area using binoculars
and recorded all contacts with birds through time spent within the survey area. A further two,
30 minute point counts were conducted where all contacts made with birds were recorded in
each particular location.
5.2 Survey Results

as these are often important bird habitats. These surveys provided site-specific data on the
Staff Village as well as any seasonal migratory birds of interest.
5.2.1 Staff Village

All species found on the Project site have been classified by IUCN as being of Least
Concern with regards to their conservation status. The counts in spring included migratory
birds so it is anticipated that the resident birds on-site are few in number (Table 5-1).
Woodchat shrike Lanius senator 1 LC
Greater hoopoe lark Alaemon alaudipes 2 LC
5.2.2 Wadi Valleys
The wadi valleys provide additional plant cover and feeding grounds for migratory and
resident birds, especially during spring season. As such, the wadi valleys adjacent to the
Project site were also surveyed to ensure that nearby habitats that maybe affected by the
Early Works Phase were full considered.
The survey recorded a number of species which were also of Least Concern (Table 5-2).
Only the Eurasian turtle dove (Streptopelia turtur) is classed by IUCN as Vulnerable. The
Wadis Scientific Name Count IUCN
Eurasian golden oriole Oriolus oriolus 4 LC
Eurasian turtle dove Streptopelia turtur 1 V
6 OTHER OBSERVATIONS
6.1 Archaeology and Cultural Heritage

6.1.1 Preamble
The areas along the coastlines and on islands were used to exploit the marine food
resource. Ancient coastal settlements also occur and became particularly developed during
the Nabataean and Roman periods.
6.1.2 Desktop Research

work in 2019 and 2020. There are none present within the footprint of the Early Works Phase
(Figure 6-1).
Project Site
6.1.3 Walkover Results
Walkover in the Staff Village Project site showed minimal anthropogenic influence and
potential archaeological sites. As shown in Figure 1-4C, a makeshift musalla (prayer area)
was noted on-site.
6.2 Land Quality

7 REFERENCES
Abuzinada, A. H. (2005). First Saudi Arabian National Report on the Convention on
Biological Diversity. The National Commission for Wildlife Conservation and
Development .
AECOM. (2020). Habitat Classification Map Book -Terrestrial and Marine Habitats.
BirdLife International. (2017). Streptopelia turtur. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-3.RLTS.T22690419A119457869.en.
Collenette, S. (1985). Illustrated Guide to the Flowers of Saudi Arabia (1st ed.).
IUCN. (2012, February 07). Egyptian Spiny–tailed Lizard. Retrieved March 03, 2021, from
https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/164729/115304711#geographic-range
Jongbloed, M. (2003). The Comprehensive Guide to the Wild Flowers of the United Arab
Emirates (1st ed.). Abu Dhabi: ERWDA.
Kent, M., & Coker, P. (1992). Vegetation description and analysis: A practical approach.
Mandaville, J. P. (1990). Flora of Eastern Saudi Arabia (1st ed.). London: Kegan Paul.
NCWDC. (2005). First Saudi Arabian National Report on the Convention of Biodiversity.
Riyadh: National Commission for Wildlife Conservation and Development.
Pickering, H., & Patzelt, A. (2008). Field Guide to the Wild Plants of Oman. Kew Publishing,
UK. (1st ed.). London: Kew Publishing.
United Nations. (1992). Convention on Biological Diversity.
Wilms, T., Eid, E., Al Johany, A., Amr, Z., Els, J., Baha El Din, S., . . . Werner, Y. (2012).
Uromastyx aegyptia. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Retrieved March 04,
2021, from https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/164729/115304711
APPENDIX A - CONSERVATION CLASSIFICATIONS
Species found as part of this report are evaluated against commitments to conserve them
from national, regional and international levels. Also evaluation of threatened status is
provided by an international conservation organisation.
IUCN Red List

From an international perspective, the global Red List developed by the IUCN classifies
species in accordance with their risk of extinction. The IUCN version 3.1 Categories are
shown in Figure A- 1. Semantic descriptions for each of these Categories is provided in
Table A- 1.
IUCN’s list of threatened species differs from those of international conventions in that the
list has been drawn up without any state involvement or commitment.
Figure A- 1 IUCN Conservation Classifications
Source: IUCN Website: accessed June 2018
Table A- 1 IUCN Extinction Risk Categories
IUCN Extinction Risk Description
A taxon is Extinct when there is no reasonable doubt that the last

individual has died. A taxon is presumed Extinct when exhaustive
surveys in known and/or expected habitat, at appropriate times
EXTINCT (EX)
(diurnal, seasonal, annual), throughout its historic range have
failed to record an individual. Surveys should be over a time
frame appropriate to the taxon's life cycle and life form.
A taxon is Extinct in the Wild when it is known only to survive in
cultivation, in captivity or as a naturalised population (or
populations) well outside the past range. A taxon is presumed
EXTINCT IN THE Extinct in the Wild when exhaustive surveys in known and/or
WILD (EW) expected habitat, at appropriate times (diurnal, seasonal,
annual), throughout its historic range have failed to record an
individual. Surveys should be over a time frame appropriate to
the taxon's life cycle and life form.
A taxon is Critically Endangered when the best available
CRITICALLY evidence indicates that it meets any of the criteria A to E for
ENDANGERED (CR) Critically Endangered and it is therefore considered to be facing
an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild.
A taxon is Endangered when the best available evidence
indicates that it meets any of the criteria A to E for Endangered
ENDANGERED (EN)
and it is therefore considered to be facing a very high risk of
extinction in the wild.
A taxon is Vulnerable when the best available evidence indicates
that it meets any of the criteria A to E for Vulnerable and it is
VULNERABLE (VU)
therefore considered to be facing a high risk of extinction in the
wild.
A taxon is Near Threatened when it has been evaluated against
NEAR THREATENED the criteria but does not qualify for Critically Endangered,
(NT) Endangered or Vulnerable now, but is close to qualifying for or is
likely to qualify for a threatened category in the near future.
A taxon is Least Concern when it has been evaluated against the
LEAST CONCERN criteria and does not qualify for Critically Endangered,
(LC) Endangered, Vulnerable or Near Threatened. Widespread and
abundant taxa are included in this category.
A taxon is Data Deficient when there is inadequate information to
make a direct, or indirect, assessment of its risk of extinction
based on its distribution and/or population status. A taxon in this
category may be well studied, and its biology well known, but
appropriate data on abundance and/or distribution are lacking.
Data Deficient is therefore not a category of threat. Listing of
taxa in this category indicates that more information is required
DATA DEFICIENT
and acknowledges the possibility that future research will show
(DD)
that threatened classification is appropriate. It is important to
make positive use of whatever data are available. In many cases
great care should be exercised in choosing between DD and a
threatened status. If the range of a taxon is suspected to be
relatively circumscribed, and a considerable period of time has
elapsed since the last record of the taxon, threatened status may
well be justified.
NOT EVALUATED A taxon is Not Evaluated when it is has not yet been evaluated
(NE) against the criteria.
Saudi High Conservation Priority Species
Saudi Arabia in its commitments to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity
(UNCBD), (United Nations, 1992) produced a listing of species considered to be of Higher
Conservation Priority (HCP). These were set out in the Kingdom’s first letter to the UNCBD
(NCWDC, 2005) and utilise a range of criterion, some of which relate to cultural importance
of species as much as conservation status. However, this is the only de facto protected list
and so is used within this Site Assessment to provide a national context. Species with High
Conservation Priority status are referred to as HCP species. The criteria used for HCP
species is set out below.
• Criterion 1 - Genera, species, or subspecies that are critically endangered,

endangered, or vulnerable (globally, regionally, or nationally); taxa which are
locally extinct in the wild may be included, provided that there is an NCWCD
policy to reintroduce them.
• Criterion 2 - Genera, species, or subspecies that are endemic to the Arabian

Peninsula, the Red Sea, or the Gulf.
• Criterion 3 - Genera, species, or subspecies of which the conservation of

populations within Saudi Arabia is essential to the conservation of the taxon (e.g.
near-endemics and migrants for which Saudi Arabia represents a critical range).
• Criterion 4 - Relict genera, species, or subspecies that are of global, regional, or

national significance.
• Criterion 5 - Genera or species of special ecological importance (i.e. fulfilling a

vitally important function in an ecosystem such as providing a key habitat for
other species, serving as indicator species, etc.).
• Criterion 6 - Genera of species of significant economic importance.
• Criterion 7 - Genera or species that serve a “flagship” function (i.e. high-profile

species of cultural value, the protection of which will also protect large numbers
of other species that share their habitats).
Source: (NCWDC, 2005).
2001 Convention on the Conservation of Wildlife and their

Natural Habitats in the countries of the GCC (CCW)
The Convention is the first legal instrument binding the six member States of the Gulf
Cooperation Council (GCC) to coordinate their activities toward the conservation of wildlife
and natural habitats. It was signed on 30 December 2001 in Muscat, came into force in April
2003 when Saudi Arabia issued Royal Decree M/54 entitled Accession to the Convention on
the Conservation of Wildlife and their Natural Habitats in the countries of the GCC. This was
issued on 15/8/1424H.
This Convention has been ratified by all the GCC countries including Saudi Arabia. It aims to
preserve ecosystems and wildlife in a healthy and growing state, especially endangered
species and to raise the level of conservation of animal and plant fungi and their habitats.
The Convention also aims at encouraging cooperation among GCC states and affirming their
obligations under international agreements.
Appendix 1 lists flora that must be conserved in natural habitats. This includes banning or
regulating the uprooting or felling any parts of these plants or collecting their seeds save for
authorised scientific or research purposes. Appendix 2 of this Convention lists fauna that
must be conserved and for which hunting is banned.
Public Participation
AMAALA is committed to Stakeholder Engagement and Public Participation. The Master Plan
ESIAs have implemented a Stakeholder Engagement Fr amework and are developing a
Stakeholder Engagement Plan for AMAALA.
The aim is intended to demonstrate the developer's commitment to fulfil the requirements of
relevant KSA legislation, as well as adopting an international good practice approach to
engagement (as prescribed by the IFC Environmental and Social Performance Standards).
The following Section outlines AMAALA’s current public participation avenues and outlets as
well as the information from public meetings for the masterplan.
AMAALA Website
The AMAALA website has been available since 2018 and has copies of the concept
masterplans and other project information including the companies environmental and
sustainability policies. The website includes contact details for the project. Public
consultation and information enquiries are directed via the AMAALA administration and
media relations teams.
National and International Media

AMAALA has featured in national and international media and has been featured in industry
related media and events for tourism and development. Nationally the project has featured in
national and regional news feeds and papers along with information on the company website
links or contacts to allow feedback.
Social Media
AMAALA is active in national and international social medi a, including Twitter, LinkedIn,
Facebook, etc., posting information about the projects and masterplans. Comments and
responses are collated by the AMAALA social media team.
Please note that TRSDC has appointed University of Tabuk to undertake social baseline
assessment for AMAALA. Social surveys for AMAALA will be undertaken in March 2022.
Tanmiah is a government authority for undertaking social surveys, however, it will no longer
be involved with AMAALA.

AMAALA CESMP Template

CESMP Project Name
INTRODUCTION TO THIS CESMP TEMPLATE
CESMPS ARE MANDATORY FOR ALL CONTRACTORS
It is a mandatory requirement that every contractor working on a construction site within an AMAALA
project submits a Construction Environmental and Social Management Plan (CESMP) for review and
approval first by AMAALA and the Regulator.
The purpose of the CESMP is to identify potential environmental impacts from the contract activities
and determine appropriate management measures to reduce the impacts to an acceptable level.
TENDER SUBMISSIONS MUST ADDRESS CESMP RESOURCING
Contractors must allow for the cost and time required to develop and implement the requirements of a
CESMP for their proposed activities.
During the tender process, contractors may be asked to provide details of how they will provide for the
cost and time required to develop and implement a CESMP for the proposed works, for example, budget
allocation and/or engagement of suitably qualified and experienced professionals. The Contractor must
engage an NCEC approved environmental consultant to endorse the draft CESMP.
SUBMISSION OF CESMPS
Submission to AMAALA
The Contractor must submit the first draft of their CESMP to AMAALA at least 30 days prior to starting
physical work. AMAALA and a third-party reviewer will review the draft CESMP and approve it where it
meets the CESMP requirements. Unsatisfactory draft CESMPs will be returned with comments to the
Contractor for subsequent revision and re-submission of a satisfactory draft document. Any revisions
should be completed in tracked changes and a response should be provided to the review comments.
Once AMAALA and their third-party reviewer have approved the draft CESMP, AMAALA will submit the
FINAL CESMP to the Regulator for their information and records, if requested.
Draft CESMPs must be submitted electronically and must be accompanied by a document transmittal
form with relevant details of the sender, including a telephone number of the sender for enquiries.
CESMP REQUIREMENTS
There are mandatory issues that the CESMP must address. These are:
▪ Environmental legislation and approvals;
▪ Roles and responsibilities;
▪ Environmental inspections and audits;
▪ Environmental and social awareness and training;
▪ Incidents, emergency response and grievances;
▪ Grievance management and reporting
▪ Environmental and social performance reporting;
▪ Monthly environmental performance reports;
▪ Likely environmental impacts from the Contractor’s activities; and
▪ Control measures to reduce or eliminate the identified environmental impacts to acceptable
levels.
A CESMP template has been provided for use by Contractors working on a construction site within an
AMAALA project. The aim of the template is to make preparation of a CESMP easier for contractors,
whilst still addressing the minimum mandatory requirements.
Revision No. X CONTRACTOR NAME Page 1 of 97

CESMP Project Name
ENVIRONMENTAL KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS
AMAALA may derive environmental key performance indicators for the contract based on compliance
with the CESMP.
AMAALA may share this information with other areas of its business.

CESMP Project Name
CONSTRUCTION ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL

MANAGEMENT PLAN (CESMP)
[Enter Project Name]
Prepared by
[Enter Contractor Name]
Date
[Enter Date]
Revision No.
[Enter Revision No.]

CESMP Project Name
COPYRIGHT NOTICE
This document template is and will remain the property of AMAALA and may only be used by AMAALA
construction contractors for the purpose that it was written. The document template will not be used,
copied in part or in full, or distributed without the written permission of AMAALA.
AMAALA
58th Floor
Kingdom Center
Riyadh
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
INSTRUCTIONS
1. This document is a TEMPLATE only.

2. This aim of this document template is to help AMAALA construction contractors prepare a
Construction Environmental and Social Management Plan (CESMP).
3. Contractors intending to use this document template must add or delete information, as
necessary. Instruction text and information that must be changed by the Contractor is indicated
by blue-coloured highlighting. An example of blue-highlighted text that must be changed by the
Contractor is given here: [example of text to change].
REVISION STATUS
Revision and resubmission of a Contractor’s CESMP should be conducted as a minimum annually or

as per the requirements outlined below.
Where controls are perceived to be inadequate, or the construction activities change from the original
contract scope, a revision of the CESMP will be required to address the activity changes.
The Contractor’s Environmental Representative is responsible for distributing revised versions of the
CESMP to all copy holders. The Contractor’s Environmental Representative is responsible for ensuring
that the site staff and subcontractors are aware of any changes to the CESMP.
[INSTRUCTIONS: Details of revision must be recorded in the table below.]
Revision Prepared Reviewed Approved

Date Details of Revision and Page(s)
No. by by by

CESMP Project Name
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION TO THIS CESMP TEMPLATE ................................................................................... 1

CESMPS ARE MANDATORY FOR ALL CONTRACTORS .............................................................. 1
TENDER SUBMISSIONS MUST ADDRESS CESMP RESOURCING ............................................. 1
SUBMISSION OF CESMPS ............................................................................................................. 1
CESMP REQUIREMENTS ............................................................................................................... 1
ENVIRONMENTAL KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS............................................................... 2
1. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................ 10
1.1 CONTRACT DESCRIPTION ............................................................................................... 10
1.2 SCOPE OF CESMP ............................................................................................................. 10
1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE CESMP ........................................................................................... 11
1.4 ENVIRONMENTAL KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS .................................................. 11
1.5 LEGISLATION AND APPROVALS ...................................................................................... 11
2. RESPONSIBILITIES ...................................................................................................................... 13
2.1 CESMP ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES......................................................................... 13
3. DESCRIPTION OF THE WORKS .................................................................................................. 15
4. ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING ........................................................................................................ 16
4.1 SITE OVERVIEW ................................................................................................................. 16
4.2 KEY SENSITIVITIES ........................................................................................................... 16
5. ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECT AND IMPACTS .............................................................................. 17
5.1 ACTIVITIES ......................................................................................................................... 17
5.2 ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS FROM EACH ACTIVITY ..................................................... 17
5.3 SUMMARY IMPACT MITIGATION TABLES ....................................................................... 18
6. ENVIRONMENTAL INSPECTIONS AND AUDITS ....................................................................... 19
6.1 SITE ENVIRONMENTAL INSPECTIONS ............................................................................ 19
6.2 AUDITING ............................................................................................................................ 19
7. ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS AND TRAINING .................................................................... 21
7.1 SITE ENVIRONMENTAL INDUCTION ................................................................................ 21
7.2 MANDATORY AND RECOMMENDED TRAINING ............................................................. 21
7.3 SPECIFIC ENVIRONMENTAL TRAINING .......................................................................... 23
7.4 TOOLBOX TALKS ............................................................................................................... 23
7.5 TRAINING RECORDS ......................................................................................................... 23
8. INCIDENTS, EMERGENCY RESPONSE AND GRIEVANCES .................................................... 24
8.1 INCIDENTS.......................................................................................................................... 24
8.2 RESPONSIBILITY ............................................................................................................... 27
8.3 INCIDENT RESPONSE ....................................................................................................... 27
8.4 REPORTING AND INCIDENT REGISTER .......................................................................... 29
8.5 EMERGENCY RESPONSE ................................................................................................. 29
8.6 INCIDENT AND EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS ............................................................. 29
8.7 HANDLING GRIEVANCES .................................................................................................. 30
9. ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE REPORTING .................................................................... 31
9.1 MONTHLY ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE REPORTS ............................................ 31
9.2 REPORTING RESPONSIBILITIES ..................................................................................... 31
10. ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL MEASURES ................................................................................ 32
10.1 WORK METHOD STATEMENTS ........................................................................................ 32
10.2 MANAGEMENT PLANS ...................................................................................................... 32
10.3 ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS AND REQUIRED CONTROL MEASURES ......................... 33

CESMP Project Name
10.4 WASTE MANAGEMENT CONTROL MEASURES .............................................................. 45

10.5 AIR QUALITY MANAGEMENT MEASURES ....................................................................... 46
10.6 WATER QUALITY MANAGEMENT MEASURES (SURFACE WATER, GROUNDWATER
AND MARINE WATERS) ..................................................................................................... 46
10.7 HAZARDOUS MATERIALS & LAND CONTAMINATION MANAGEMENT MEASURES .... 51
10.8 NOISE AND VIBRATION MANAGEMENT MEASURES ..................................................... 52
10.9 PLANTS AND ANIMALS MANAGEMENT MEASURES ...................................................... 52
10.10 HERITAGE MANAGEMENT MEASURES ........................................................................... 54
10.11 EROSION AND SEDIMENT CONTROL MEASURES ......................................................... 55
10.12 TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT MEASURES .............................................................................. 55
10.13 SOCIAL IMPACT MANAGEMENT MEASURES ................................................................. 56
ANNEX A: SUMMARY OF ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS FOR
AMAALA CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTORS ......................................................... 58
ANNEX B: SITE ENVIRONMENTAL INSPECTION CHECKLIST ............................................... 64
ANNEX C: ENVIRONMENTAL AUDIT CHECKLIST ................................................................... 67
ANNEX D: ENVIRONMENTAL TRAINING ATTENDANCE FORM ............................................. 70
ANNEX E: ENVIRONMENTAL TRAINING REGISTER – TRAINING TOPICS ........................... 73
ANNEX F: ENVIRONMENTAL INCIDENT REPORT FORM ....................................................... 75
ANNEX G: ENVIRONMENTAL INCIDENT REGISTER ............................................................... 78
ANNEX H: FUEL AND LIQUID CHEMICAL SPILL RESPONSE PROCEDURE ........................ 80
ANNEX I: GRIEVANCES REGISTER ......................................................................................... 83
ANNEX J: MONTHLY ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE REPORT .................................... 85
ANNEX K: GUIDELINES FOR PREPARING A WASTE MANAGEMENT PLAN ....................... 94

CESMP Project Name
ABBREVIATIONS
Environmental and Social Impact Assessment, a document prepared by the project

proponent, to obtain environmental approval to proceed with the development. It
ESIA
identifies environmental impacts from the proposed development, and makes
recommendations relating to these.
L litre
m metre
m3 cubic metres
MSDS Material Safety Data Sheet
PERMIT No Objection Certificate
PPE Personal Protective Equipment
SIMT Summary Impact Mitigation Table
STP Sewage Treatment Plant
TSE Treated Sewerage Effluent
WMS Work Method Statement
[Contractor to add any additional abbreviations used.]

CESMP Project Name
DEFINITIONS
A structure designed to retain liquid around a primary liquid storage unit (a

Bund primary storage unit may be a tank or a drum). It is usually comprised of four
(4) sealed walls and a sealed floor.
Construction Party employed by AMAALA or a third party, who is carrying out construction
Contractor activities at a construction site on AMAALA land or on a AMAALA Project.
Any site where construction activities are being conducted within a AMAALA
project, or related sites, such as lay down areas, logistics areas, precast yards
Construction site
or labour accommodation for a construction workforce supplied to a
construction site within a AMAALA project.
Contractor’s
The person nominated by the Contractor to take responsibility for the
Environmental
implementation of the environmental requirements prescribed in the CESMP.
Representative
The role that is responsible for making financial and managerial decisions in
Contractor’s Senior the Contractor’s site management team. This could be the Contractor’s Project
Management Director, Project Manager or Resident Engineer (if this is the most senior
position on the site).
Government
The regulatory authority for AMAALA land and AMAALA projects.
regulator
Material Safety Data An internationally standardised way to document the hazardous properties of
Sheet chemicals and other hazardous agents.
AMAALA’s
The Senior Environmental Manager representing AMAALA on a specific
Environmental
project site.
Representative
Refers to AMAALA’s management team for a specific project, or AMAALA’s
Project project management representative for a specific site. This may include a
Management Team consultant employed by AMAALA or a third-party approval authority acting for
AMAALA.
[Contractor to add any additional definitions.]

CESMP Project Name
CONTACT INFORMATION
[INSTRUCTIONS: Enter names and contact information into the table below as required, delete non-
applicable positions.]
Company Position Name Contact Details
[Contractor] Project Manager [Name] [phone/email]
[Contractor] Site Engineer [Name] [phone/email]
Contractor’s Environmental
[Contractor] [Name] [phone/email]
Representative
[Contractor] Site Foreman [Name] [phone/email]
Emergency Response
[Contractor] [Name] [phone/email]
Coordinator
General Manager – [Project
AMAALA [Name] [phone/email]
Name]
Director Environmental
AMAALA Shaun Lenehan [phone/email]
Compliance
Project Environmental
AMAALA [Name] [phone/email]
Representative
Project
Project Management
Management [Name] [phone/email]
Representative
Team
Project Project Management Team’s
Management Environmental [Name] [phone/email]
Team Representative
[Add other
relevant contacts
for environmental
management on
site]

1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 CONTRACT DESCRIPTION
A description of the [enter project name] contract is provided in Table 1-1.

Table 1-1 Contract Description
Client Name AMAALA
Contract Number [Enter contract number]
Site Location [Enter description of location. Include co-ordinates in decimal degrees]
Area of Site [Enter the physical area of the site, in hectares]
Brief Description
[Enter a brief description of contract works, full details to be given in Section 3]
of Work
[Enter contract start work date]

Contract Start
[Enter the date for site mobilisation also if this is different to contract start work
Date
date]
Duration [Enter duration of contract works]
Project
[*AMAALA’s Environmental Representative will provide this information, full
Environmental
details to be given in Section 4]
Sensitivities
Status of
Environmental
and Social Impact [*AMAALA’s Environmental Representative will provide this information]
Assessment
(ESIA)
National Center
for Environmental
Compliance
[Enter NCEC ESIA reference number]
(NCEC) ESIA
Reference
Number
1.2 SCOPE OF CESMP
This Construction Environmental Management Plan (CESMP) has been prepared for use by all [enter
Contractor company name] staff and its subcontractors involved in the construction of [enter project
name].
It lists environmental management controls required for the work to be carried out under the contract,
and environmental management tasks such as reporting, inspections and training.

This CESMP does not address health and safety matters. For advice on health and safety matters, refer
to a suitably qualified and experienced safety professional. However, if during the implementation of
this CESMP an individual observes a health and safety violation then they are required to report (even
anonymously) it to the Health and Safety Manager.
1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE CESMP
The objectives of this CESMP are to:

▪ Identify the potential environmental impacts that can result from the planned construction
activities, and identify measures to control or avoid these impacts;
▪ Incorporate relevant environmental control measures as identified in the approved ESIA and in
the Summary Impact Mitigation Tables (SIMTs) issued by AMAALA;
▪ Recognise and incorporate NCEC conditions of approval that accompany the approval of the
ESIA;
▪ Outline specific roles and responsibilities of [enter Contractor name] staff related to
environmental management;
▪ Define reporting, training, auditing, and other procedures required to ensure appropriate site
▪ Monitor and audit the environmental and social performance of the project, its employees, and
contractors;
▪ Engage and communicate on environmental and social matters with stakeholders;
▪ Allocate appropriate resources to ensure that the principles of the plan are implemented;
▪ Provide supplementary information to support design changes and prescribe appropriate

▪ Ensure compliance with national and international legislative regulations, industry standards,
and guidelines; and
▪ Provide appropriate information, instruction, training and supervision to all employees and
contractors such as is required to actively promote awareness and compliance.
1.4 ENVIRONMENTAL KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS
AMAALA may derive environmental key performance indicators for this contract, based on compliance
with this CESMP.
AMAALA may share this information with other areas of its business.
1.5 LEGISLATION AND APPROVALS
ENVIRONMENTAL LEGISLATION
Environmental laws, regulations, guidelines, and requirements that have been identified as relevant to
this contract are listed in Annex A.
ENVIRONMENTAL APPROVALS
The environmental approvals in Table 1-2 are [required/have been obtained] to carry out the contract
works.
[INSTRUCTIONS: Answer “Yes” or “No” for each of the following types of No Objection Certificates
(PERMITs) listed in Table 1-2. The list in the example Table 1-2 is not exhaustive. Where the Contractor
has identified the requirement for additional permits, then these will need to be added to Table 1-2 e.g.

waste disposal, borehole drilling. If “Yes”, add in the “Date of Application”, “Date of Issue”, and any
additional information in the “Comments” column. Attach a copy of the PERMIT with conditions of
approval to this CESMP as an Annex.]
Table 1-2 Environmental Approvals
Environmental Required Date of Date of

Comments
Approval (Yes/No) Application Issue
PERMIT for Site [Yes/No]
Mobilisation
PERMIT for Labour [Yes/No]
Accommodation
Construction
PERMIT to carry out [Yes/No]
Dewatering
PERMIT to remove [Yes/No]
vegetation
[Yes/No]
PERMIT to Import Fill
PERMIT to Capture and [Yes/No]

Relocate Fauna
Permit to work within the [Yes/No]
marine environment.
[Yes/No]
[Other]

2. RESPONSIBILITIES
2.1 CESMP ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
This section sets out the roles and responsibilities of all relevant project personnel during the
construction phase, in relation to the delivery of this CESMP. AMAALA requires the appointment of
certain specialist roles to oversee the construction activities. All project personnel have a responsibility
to comply with the requirements of the CESMP, however the key roles relevant to the delivery and
implementation of the CESMP are described in Table 2-1.
[INSTRUCTIONS: Change titles or add any roles as detailed in the Contractor’s team structure and add
any environmental responsibilities required of the Contractor’s staff. Include an organogram to show
the lines of reporting and accountability for environmental and social matters, including to AMAALA
and, where relevant, external stakeholders]
Table 2-1 Key Roles and Responsibilities
Title Responsibility
▪ Follow the requirements of this CESMP and those of the Site Foreman;
▪ Follow requirements as directed by the Site Foreman;
▪ Report any potential environmental issues to the Site Foreman, including but
not limited to diesel or oil spillages, uncontrolled waste storage, excessive dust
All Staff
generation, sewage holding tank overflow;
▪ Carry out work in accordance with the requirements of this CESMP;
▪ Exercise due care, skill and judgment when carrying out tasks; and
▪ Implement corrective actions which have been approved by the site supervisor.
▪ Is the accountable authority for environmental and regulatory compliance;
AMAALA Project ▪ Provides mandate and resources so that AMAALA can deliver its
Delivery Director responsibilities under the CESMP; and
▪ Participates in environmental meetings as required.
▪ Has responsibility to ensure AMAALA CESMP is implemented;
▪ Regularly engages with AMAALA Senior Environmental Manager to seek
AMAALA Senior feedback on the Contractor’s environmental performance;
Project Manager ▪ Participates in monthly and weekly environmental meetings; and
▪ Reviews the Contractor’s reports on their environmental performance and
engages with the Contractor at the leadership level for continual improvement.
▪ Coordinates with the AMAALA Project Delivery Director, AMAALA Senior
Project Manager and the Contractor’s Environmental Representative on
environmental management of the AMAALA construction;
▪ Ensures that the AMAALA corporate environmental policy is understood by the
Contractor’s project leadership team in relation to their activities;
▪ Reviews and approves the Contractor’s Site-Specific Environmental
Management Plans (SSEMP) (which are part of this CESMP);
AMAALA Senior ▪ Leads/participates in environmental audits and communicates the findings to
Environmental the AMAALA Project Delivery Director;
Manager ▪ Ensures that findings from the AMAALA quarterly environmental audit are
closed and lessons learnt integrated into this CESMP and SSEMPs;
▪ Assists the Contractor’s Environmental Representative by advising on
environmental issues;
▪ Provides oversight on the Contractor’s monitoring activities;
▪ Undertakes a periodic review of the Contractor’s CESMP(s) and SSEMPs to
verify their effectiveness and provides advice and feedback; and
▪ Participates in monthly and weekly environmental meetings.
▪ Reports to AMAALA Project Manager;
Construction ▪ Connects with Contractor’s Environmental Representative/Site Engineer during
Supervision field supervision to understand status of environmental compliance; and
Superintendent ▪ Provides feedback to the Senior Environmental Manager on incidents, hazards
or other environmental related deficiencies observed during field supervision.

Title Responsibility
▪ Ensure resources equipment are provided to prepare & implement the CESMP;
Contractor ▪ Approve the CESMP and any amendments to the CESMP; and
Project Manager ▪ Approve monthly reports or other environmental reports and non-conformances
to AMAALA, in the regular reporting structure and when an issue arises.
▪ Control and monitor actions required by the CESMP;
▪ Monitor subcontractor performance and commitment;
▪ Report all environmental issues to the Contractor’s Environmental
Representative and Project Manager;
▪ Maintain systems and records for waste management, sewage disposal, fuels
and chemicals, and training;
Site Engineer
▪ Ensure documented procedures are followed, and records kept on site;
▪ Ensure any grievances are passed onto AMAALA within 24 hours of receiving
the grievance; and
▪ The Site Engineer and/or the Contractor’s Environmental Representative will
confirm the information on site and then report the matter to the Project
Manager.
▪ Prepare, review, and update this CESMP;
▪ Prepare monthly environmental reports to AMAALA;
▪ Ensure any changes to the CESMP are made known to all staff and
subcontractors;
▪ Liaise with AMAALA and the Project Manager’s Environmental Representative
to ensure variations to the scope or timing of the work that may impact on the
environment are discussed, and be point of contact for all environmental issues
and reporting;
▪ Prepare information for environmental site training (toolbox talks);
Contractor’s ▪ Deliver or prepare information for environmental inductions;
Environmental ▪ Ensure materials being used on the site are environmentally friendly and safe;
Representative ▪ Close-out all environmental non-conformances;
▪ Conduct audits and inspections as required by the CESMP at work sites;
▪ Undertake confirmation of staff observations regarding non-conformances;
▪ Maintain the environmental training register;
▪ Maintain the incidents and grievances register;
▪ Liaise with the Project Manager’s Environmental Representative, where this
person exists, otherwise the Contractor’s Environmental Representative will
liaise directly with AMAALA’s Senior Environmental Manager; and
▪ Be the point of contact for discussing changes to scope of works, project
boundaries, incidents and non-conformances and other environmental issues.
▪ Ensure the environmental controls in this CESMP are being implemented
across the contract site;
▪ Ensuring changes to the CESMP are communicated to staff;
▪ Inform staff of environmental requirements;
▪ Report all environmental issues to the Site Engineer and Contractor’s
Environmental Representative;
Site Foreman
▪ Monitor subcontractor performance on work sites;
▪ Communicate instructions or information (from the CESMP or the Contractor’s
Environmental Representative) to staff on site;
▪ Conduct toolbox talks containing environmental information; and
▪ Report information to the Site Engineer and the Contractor’s Environmental
Representative.
Where a control measure used to limit environmental harm is found to be inadequate, or a potential
incident is likely, the Contractor’s Environmental Representative may request remedial works to be
carried out.
AMAALA’s Environmental Representative and the Contractor’s Environmental Representative have the
authority to stop work in the affected area immediately if an unacceptable impact on the environment is
occurring or likely to occur. The Project Manager will be immediately informed of the instruction to cease
work.

3. DESCRIPTION OF THE WORKS
[INSTRUCTIONS: Contractor to add a description of the works. This description is not looking to be too
extensive but is to be to a level of detail sufficient to ensure the works are described in a way to allow
all site staff and any external parties an understanding of the operations to be undertaken particularly
as they relate to any potential environmental and social impacts. This section is to set the framework
for the identification of potential impacts and the subsequent control measures to be implemented in
Section 10.
This section should include as a minimum:
▪ Description of the proposed works giving an overview of the key activities. Appropriate content
from the Project Execution Plan may be used;
▪ Figures illustrating the locations of the site, the boundary of the proposed working area,
locations of ancillary facilities, e.g. offices, welfare, lay down areas, etc., transport routes to and
from the site as appropriate and the area of main construction activity within the site boundary;
▪ Specific detail on the methods of working, including approximate workforce, equipment, plant,
vehicles to be used, construction materials to be imported, excavations, dewatering, etc.; and
▪ Information on the identification and management of solid and liquid waste, and their disposal
requirements, e.g. from vehicle maintenance, dewatering of excavations, welfare facilities, etc.]

4. ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING
4.1 SITE OVERVIEW
[INSTRUCTIONS: This section to is to identify the sites environmental setting so as to allow

identification of any specific receptors that may be sensitive to the activities being proposed.
Superimposing the proposed works on this setting will then provide for the identification of potential
effects as identified through the ESIA.
This section should include as a minimum:
▪ An overview of the nature of the environment within, and surrounding, the site boundaries;
▪ Maps/figures/drawings etc., identifying the general habitats of the site and any potentially
sensitive environmental receptors that may be affected by the works;
▪ Identify any agreed protection/exclusion zones such as set-back areas to sensitive habitats;
▪ Overlain the boundaries of the site activities on this mapping to clearly identify proximity to any
sensitive receptors/habitats. This should include any access arrangements via existing and
new/temporary roads, offices, laydown areas and welfare facilities;
▪ Provide details of any current prevention measure that are in place, e.g. jersey barriers, set up
to restrict entry into any sensitive areas;
▪ Consult AMAALA’s Environmental Representative and use the relevant ESIA as a guidance
document to identify habitats and receptors that may be affected by the proposed works. Only
map the environmental constraints that are relevant to the works covered by the CESMP and
for which control measures are required.
All maps should be at a suitable scale and clearly annotated with the relevant information and include
a key/legend.]
4.2 KEY SENSITIVITIES
[INSTRUCTIONS: From the information in Section 4.1 and the ESIA provide a summary of the key
sensitive receptors within, or close to, the site works boundary that will require particular management
actions. These may include:
▪ Turtle nesting beaches;
▪ Sites of archaeological or cultural significance;
▪ Spiny tailed lizards;
▪ Wadis;
▪ Panicum Grass Sheets;
▪ Seagrass beds;
▪ Mangroves;
▪ Coral reefs; and
▪ Marine environment.]
Management plans for these aspects are set out within Section 10.

5. ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECT AND IMPACTS
This section identifies the potential impacts that may arise from the conduct of the proposed operations
on site with reference to the various environmental aspects that may be present.
5.1 ACTIVITIES
The physical activities that will be carried out on site are listed in Table 5-1.
[INSTRUCTIONS: Answer “Yes” or “No” for each activity listed in Table 5-1. Add any activities that are
relevant to the works being carried out to this list, which have not been included.]
Table 5-1 Activities
Is this Activity planned for this

Activity
Site?
Site mobilisation [Yes/No]
Sewage storage in holding tanks [Yes/No]
Labour accommodation [Yes/No]

Use of diesel generators, heavy vehicles, and machinery [Yes/No]
operation
Storage/handling of diesel, petrol, oil or waste oil, and [Yes/No]
chemicals such as paint, solvents, pesticide, or acid
Recycling and general waste management [Yes/No]
Workshop for vehicles and equipment maintenance [Yes/No]
Ground Improvement [Yes/No]
Earthworks and importing fill onto the site [Yes/No]
Building construction and fit-out [Yes/No]
Concrete batching on site (other than concrete batch plant) [Yes/No]
Dewatering [Yes/No]
Landscaping [Yes/No]
Demolition [Yes/No]
Site demobilisation [Yes/No]
Dredging/reclamation [Yes/No]
[Other activities] [Yes/No]
Each activity that indicated as ‘Yes’ is reviewed in Table 5-2 in Section 5.2 to identify potential
environmental impacts on each environmental aspect.
5.2 ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS FROM EACH ACTIVITY
Table 5-2 identifies the potential environmental impacts on each environmental aspect, arising from the
activities noted in Table 5-1.
[INSTRUCTIONS: This section should:
▪ Identify where activities have the potential to cause impacts upon any environmental aspect;
▪ The measures for managing those impacts are then set out within Section 10;
▪ Draw the information from the relevant ESIA and AMAALA’s Environmental Representative.]

Table 5-2 Aspects and Impacts Register
Environmental Aspect
Groundwater Quality
Land Contamination
Traffic Management
Noise and Vibration
Waste Management
Plants and Animals
Sediment Control
Social Impact
Activity
Erosion and
Surface and
Air Quality
Heritage
1. [Earthworks ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
and importing
fill onto the
site]
2. ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
[Dewatering]
3. [Other ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
activities]
[INSTRUCTIONS: Where an activity affects any of the key sensitive receptors identified at Section 4.2,
and therefore requires specific control measures, a brief description of the nature and scale of the that
impact should be set out here, e.g.:
▪ Cut and fill activity will be undertaken within 20 m of a turtle nesting beach. Planned duration of
works are two months between April and May;
▪ Dredging will be undertaken across the coral reef at XX, affecting an area of approximately XX
m2 with activities planned over a period of 3 weeks;
▪ etc]
The environmental control measures that will be implemented to prevent or minimise the environmental
impact associated with each activity that will be carried out have been identified in Section 10. These
control measures will be implemented by [enter Contractor name] as required during the relevant
activities.
An activity will not proceed if the environmental mitigation measures in Section 10 do not eliminate or
sufficiently reduce the environmental impact of that activity.
5.3 SUMMARY IMPACT MITIGATION TABLES
The environmental control measures provided in this CESMP have been developed with reference to
AMAALA’s SIMTs. The SIMTs are a guidance tool that collate all of the accepted mitigation measures
identified through the ESIA process. The SIMTs also provide guidance as to when a specific
management plan is required to further mitigate a potential adverse impact.

6. ENVIRONMENTAL INSPECTIONS AND AUDITS
6.1 SITE ENVIRONMENTAL INSPECTIONS
Weekly site environmental inspections will be carried out by the Contractor’s Environmental
Representative. The objectives of these inspections are to:
▪ Check compliance with this CESMP; and
▪ Identify any new site environmental issues not addressed by the CESMP.
The site environmental inspection checklist is included in Annex B.
[NOTE: The Contractor must use the checklist provided in Annex B.]
Completed environmental inspection checklists must be retained at the Contractor’s site office.
All non-conforming actions (non-compliance) observed during the routine environmental inspections
will be recorded. A non-compliance can be, for example, an incorrectly stored fuel drum, over-full waste
skips, or an environmental incident, such as an oil spill or leaking sewage holding tank.
The following information about non-compliances will be recorded within the environmental inspection
checklist, or in an attached report:
▪ Description of each non-compliance, including location and root cause;
▪ Corrective actions corresponding to each non-compliance;
▪ Identify actions to address risks and opportunities;
▪ Due dates for completion of corrective actions;
▪ Responsible person/party for completion of each corrective action; and
▪ Update aspects and impacts register.
The non-compliance must be checked during the next routine site inspection, or earlier. Progress must
be noted, until the action has been satisfactorily completed.
If an environmental incident has been observed, the appropriate incident response actions must be
taken (refer to Section 8).
Copies of the completed weekly site environmental inspection checklists will be reported to the Project
Manager each week, with any supporting information, and signed report noting progress of completion
of corrective actions.
All site environmental inspection records will be made available to AMAALA upon request.
6.2 AUDITING
The Contractor’s Environmental Representative will audit the environmental records, processes and
systems using the audit checklist in Annex C.
[NOTE: The Contractor may use the checklist provided in Annex C or replace with their own checklist.]
Environmental audits will be carried out every six (6) months [Contractor to agree on audit plan with
AMAALA] after the contract start date listed in Section 1.1.
As a minimum, the following records will be audited:
▪ Weekly site environmental inspections;
▪ Environmental audits;
▪ Waste collection and disposal record keeping;
▪ Environmental training records;
▪ Environmental incident and grievance records;
▪ CESMP documentation;
▪ Environmental permits; and

▪ Any other relevant issue.
The audit will record:
▪ Description of any non-conformances;
▪ Corrective actions;
▪ Due date for completion;
▪ Party/person responsible for completing the corrective actions; and
▪ Audit details, including the date and staff who participated in the audit.
Copies of the completed environmental audits will be reported to the Project Manager each quarter,
with any supporting information, and signed report noting progress of completion of corrective actions.
All environmental audit records will be made available to AMAALA upon request.
[NOTE: Change or add inspection and auditing requirements as applicable.]

7. ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS AND TRAINING
7.1 SITE ENVIRONMENTAL INDUCTION
The Contractor’s Environmental Representative will present a site environmental induction to new staff
before they start their first day of work. This includes all site managers and relevant field staff. The
training will be held at [enter location for training], every [enter how often training will be scheduled].
The induction will include the following minimum content:
▪ A definition of “environment” that includes air, sea, land, stormwater, groundwater, waste
management, recycling, noise, plants and animals, and heritage items;
▪ Duty of care (responsibilities) – a statement that every worker has a responsibility to carry out
their duties in an environmentally responsible way, and to report environmental harm or
incidents, and to carry out their work in accordance with the responsibilities outlined in Section
2 of this CESMP;
▪ CESMP – purpose of the CESMP and any specific CESMP requirements. This may include
some of the topics listed above;
▪ Environmental incident response and reporting – requirement to report incidents, procedure for
reporting incidents, incident response procedure;
▪ Waste management practices – minimise waste generated; sort and store recyclable waste
separately; location of waste recycling areas and skip bins; duty to report overflowing waste
bins;
▪ Fuel and chemical usage and storage practices – including location of spill clean-up kits, and
general instructions on how to use;
▪ Specific environmental impacts that may arise from activities at the construction site, and the
appropriate controls – for example:
▫ Any site, time, or task specific mitigation that is required in order to comply with
commitments, and/or identified impacts;
▫ Separating recycling waste from general waste;
▫ Avoiding ground disturbance within the beds of wadis;
▫ Managing potential disturbance to sensitive ecological areas;
▫ Covering truck loads to limit dust;
▫ Using drip trays under portable diesel generators;
▫ Location of oil spill clean-up equipment;
▫ Draining oil filters prior to disposal; and
▪ Disciplinary action, outcomes, and penalties for failing to comply with environmental
requirements.
7.2 MANDATORY AND RECOMMENDED TRAINING
It is the responsibility of the Contractor to ensure staff attend “recommended” training as per Table 7-
1, where it is considered appropriate to the activity, project, or role, or as requested by AMAALA in
relation to an incident, ongoing non-compliance issue, continued poor environmental performance, or
other circumstance.
Specialist environmental training may be required, based on the specific requirements of each role, and
must be arranged by the Contractor where relevant. For example, emergency response training is
mandatory for staff involved in activities that have higher environmental risk, including the use of
emergency response equipment.

CESMP Project Name
Table 7-1: Environmental Training Requirements
Roles & Responsibilities

Site
Contractor’s
Training Module1 Objectives Senior Managers Labourers /
Environmental Supervisors
Managers and Others
Representatives
Engineers
Provide site-specific environmental
Site Environmental
information, to allow staff to carry out duties MANDATORY MANDATORY MANDATORY MANDATORY MANDATORY
Induction2
in an environmentally responsible way.
Improve understanding of CESMP process;
CESMP MANDATORY3 MANDATORY3 RECOMMENDED3
practical guidance on preparing a CESMP.
Explain waste management requirements,
Waste
improve staff participation in waste reduction RECOMMENDED RECOMMENDED RECOMMENDED RECOMMENDED
Management
and recycling practices.
Correct practices for washing out concrete
Concrete Wash-out trucks and management of concrete wash RECOMMENDED RECOMMENDED RECOMMENDED RECOMMENDED
bays.
Fuel and Chemical Practical requirements and considerations in
MANDATORY MANDATORY MANDATORY
Spill Management managing spills.
Marine Spill
Management Management of a marine spill. RECOMMENDED MANDATORY MANDATORY
(marine projects)
Provide targeted information on an
Toolbox Training /
environmental issue at the site level; specific RECOMMENDED RECOMMENDED
Specialist Training
job training.
Notes:
1. Roles and responsibilities are generically described as follows:
▪ Senior Managers – typical functions may include project approval, planning, project control, budget approval (for example, Project Director);
▪ Site Managers and Engineers – typical functions may include supervision of foremen and management of third party contractors, management of on-site progress (for example, project
manager, resident engineer);
▪ Contractor’s Environmental Representative – typical functions include monitoring the implementation of the requirements of the CESMP, for example, routine environmental inspections,
incident response);
▪ Supervisors – typical functions may include supervision of labour staff, coordination of site activities (for example, site foreman, lead ganger);
▪ Labourers / Others – typical functions may include physical work, machinery operation and trade-qualified work such as carpentry or metal work. Others may include office administrators or
office cleaners;
2. Annual refresher training is required for the Site Environmental Induction; and
3. This training is only mandatory / recommended where contracts are longer than three (3) months in duration.

CESMP Project Name
7.3 SPECIFIC ENVIRONMENTAL TRAINING
The contract specific environmental training that will be provided includes: [Contractor to identify other
mandatory training].
7.4 TOOLBOX TALKS
Toolbox talks for all labourer and supervisory staff will be incorporated into daily/weekly briefings, as
required, and will provide specific information to personnel involved in certain activities. These talks will
highlight environmental risks and confirm control measures to implement and mitigate the likelihood of
the work impacting on the environment. These topics can be scheduled or planned but recurring themes
or issues should take precedence over the schedule. The topic schedule is to be agreed with AMAALA
or the PMC at weekly progress meetings. Topics that will be covered in toolbox talks are:
▪ Environmental/archaeological/social exclusion zones and the necessary mitigation measures
to be followed;
▪ Location of fuel spill clean-up materials, and procedures;
▪ Environmental incidents or recurring non-conformances;
▪ Waste segregation and recycling;
▪ General good environmental actions and ‘house-keeping’; and
▪ Environmental incident reporting.
Records will be kept of environmental information presented at toolbox talks, the date of training and
the staff who received the training.
7.5 TRAINING RECORDS
A record of training attendance will be kept for each training presentation, using the form attached in
Annex D.
All information recorded on the training attendance form will be transferred into a training register, which
records all information from the training attendance form, and date for refresher training, and results of
any assessment. The training register template has been included in Annex E.
[NOTE: Contractor may use the template provided in Annex E or replace with their own version.]
It is the responsibility of the Contractor’s Environmental Representative to maintain the training register.
The Contractor’s Project Manager must receive updated copies of the training register.

8. INCIDENTS, EMERGENCY RESPONSE AND GRIEVANCES
8.1 INCIDENTS
All environmental incidents will be responded to in a timely manner to stop or limit environmental harm
or nuisance, and will be reported, investigated, remedied, and documented.
Examples of environmental incidents include:
▪ Incorrect disposal of hazardous waste (such as chemical residues or waste oil);
▪ Covering contaminated soil with clean soil;
▪ Diesel spills (greater than 20 litres) onto unsealed ground, during routine fuelling of trucks and
vehicles;
▪ Causing injury or death to land or marine animals;
▪ Oil spill to marine waters; and
▪ Discovery of heritage artefacts during earthworks.
An Environmental Incident Classification Guideline is provided in Table 8-1 to ensure a consistent
approach to the assignment of classifying incidents.
Table 8-1 Environmental Incident Classification Guideline
Classifications Minor Moderate Major
A General Pollution or Pollution or Pollution or

environmental degradation which has degradation which has degradation which has
and social short-term (less than persistent (greater or may have
effects - (to be one month) and than three months) but irreversible detrimental
used where reversible detrimental reversible detrimental effects on the
other effects on the effects on the environment and/or
categories do environment and/or environment and/or project.
not apply) project. project.
B Controlled and Minor pollutant Major or persistent Major and persistent
uncontrolled discharge to water. No discharge to water. discharge of pollutant
discharges to impact on marine Short term impact on to water outside site or
water habitat or desalination marine habitat or workplace. Major long
intake resources e.g. desalination intake term impact on marine
- discharge above resources e.g. habitat or desalination
allowable limits. - oil spill escapes into intake resources e.g.
- uncontrolled wadi or directly into - extensive
discharge of site the sea. contamination /
drainage runoff water. - operations cause pollution event.
- placement of minor pollution of
material in a location groundwater in
(wadi/drainage line) localised area(s).
where it could
potentially result in
pollution.
C Contamination Minor spill of Significant spill of Major spill or escape
of land hydrocarbons or hydrocarbons or of hydrocarbons or
chemicals: chemicals: chemicals:
- no residual - some residual - persistent
contamination of land. contamination of land. contamination of land.
- spill contained to - spill contained to - spill may or may not
defined area(s) within defined area(s) within be contained to
site or workplace. site or workplace. defined area(s) within
- no significant - significant cleanup site or workplace.
cleanup required other required over and - extensive cleanup

than removal of above removal of required.
contaminated material contaminated material - spill greater than
to nominated to nominated 1000 litres from
approved waste area. approved waste area. operations or storage
- spill less than 100 - spill greater than 100 into ground.
litres. litres.
D Controlled and Minor discharge of Major or persistent Major or persistent

uncontrolled pollutant to release of pollutant to discharge of
emissions to atmosphere outside atmosphere outside hazardous pollutant to
atmosphere site or workplace e.g. site or workplace e.g. atmosphere outside
- cement dust release. - some contained risk site or workplace e.g.
- no risk to human to human health. - explosion or leak of
health. hazardous gas.
- possible or actual
evacuation of local
work area.
- risk to human health
or the environment.
E Noise, dust, Generation of dust, Generation of dust, Generation of dust,
vibration and noise, vibration or noise, vibration or noise, vibration or
odour odour causing periodic odour causing odour causing
inconvenience or sustained periods of damage to the
disruption to workforce inconvenience or environment or human
and the environment disruption to workforce health e.g.
e.g. and the environment - noise generated
- periodic generation e.g. causes damage to
of dust with - sustained generation hearing and human
inadequate dust of dust with health
suppression, causing inadequate dust - non-contained
nuisance or local suppression, causing hazardous dust
hazard. nuisance or local generation.
hazard. - vibration causes
damage to habitat.
F Solids and Unapproved storage, Unapproved storage, Unapproved storage,
other wastes transport, treatment or transport, treatment or transport, treatment or
disposal of a minor disposal of a disposal of a
quantity (205 litres, significant quantity significant quantity
200 kg or 0.2 m3) of (10,000 litres, 10 (10,000 litres, 10
non-hazardous waste tonnes or 10.0 m3) of tonnes or 10.0 m3) of
(solid or other), easily non-hazardous waste hazardous waste
removed to an or minor quantity (205 (solid or other) not
appropriate location. litres, 200 kg or 0.2 easily removed to an
m3) of hazardous appropriate location.
waste (solid or other),
easily removed to an
appropriate location.
G Effects on the Minor loss or impact Medium impact on Major loss or impact
natural on terrestrial or marine terrestrial or marine on terrestrial or marine
environment flora, fauna and flora, fauna and flora or fauna.
habitat, but no habitat. Short-term Destruction of
negative effect on the impact on ecosystem. ecologically significant
ecosystem. Limited Damage that can be habitat. Endangering
damage to an area of remediated e.g. viability of species,
land of no ecological - partial destruction of habitat or ecosystem.
significance e.g. native habitat leading Damage that cannot
to impact on local be remediated without

- death of a native species numbers or risk of long-term loss
animal or species, that disruption to breeding e.g.
is not identified as cycles. - destruction of
abundant or a pest. - short-term disruption habitat.
of protected fauna - death of an animal or
breeding cycle. species that is in
danger of extinction.
- disruption of
protected fauna.
-breeding cycle for an
entire season.
H Archaeological, Minor repairable Damage to structures / Destruction or
heritage or damage to low items of cultural / irreparable damage to
cultural issues significance heritage significance, highly valued
structures, or minor or significant structures / items /
infringement of cultural infringement of cultural locations of cultural or
values. values / sacred heritage significance
locations. or value.
I Use of land, Operations cause Operations cause Operations cause
water, fuels temporary unplanned substantial unplanned persistent unplanned
and energy, disruption to the disruption to the disruption to the
and other availability of availability of availability of
natural resources to the resources to the resources to the
resources community or the community or the community or the
environment. Minor environment. e.g. environment.
impact on other - disruption to Exhaustion or serious
energy / natural desalinated water degradation of natural
resource users outside supply or access to resources for future
site or workplace e.g. marine resources use e.g.
- short-term loss of (fisheries/tourism). - operations cause
water or power supply. closure of desalination
plants.
- operations cause
closure of fishing and
tourism activities.
J Legal Minor license non- Possible or potential Major breach of
compliance or serious breach of regulation identified
nonconformance. regulation or license and / or serious
conditions with incident notification
financial penalties investigation by
and/or regulatory regulatory authority
authority notification with actual or potential
with possible prosecution and/or
prosecution. significant financial
penalties against
company.
K Public/ Media Public concern - may attract attention - public or media
restricted to repeated from local media attention with national
local complaints. and/or heightened or international
concern by local coverage.
community. - significant actual or
- negative attitudes potential damage to
towards company. reputation.
- calls for action by - access to finance
regulatory authorities. jeopardised.

L Total Cost ($) - < SAR100,000 > SAR100,000 - < >SAR200,000

fines, \ SAR200,000
remedial
action, lost
time, legal
costs, liabilities
etc.
8.2 RESPONSIBILITY
Environmental incidents which occur during work carried out by [enter Contractor name] are the
responsibility of [enter Contractor name] to manage.
Environmental incidents which occur on land allocated to [enter Contractor name], in circumstances
where the party who caused the incident cannot be identified, will also be responsibility of [enter
Contractor name] to manage.
AMAALA’s Environment Representatives may assist or offer advice, however, AMAALA does not bear
liability or responsibility for management of incidents caused by contractors, or for any advice given in
relation to management of an incident.
8.3 INCIDENT RESPONSE
GENERAL INCIDENT RESPONSE PROCEDURE
The general response procedure (refer to Steps 1 – 5 below) will be used for all environmental incidents,
other than:
▪ Fuel and liquid chemical spills – a specific procedure is given in Annex H. [contractors must
add/change information to ensure procedure addresses their activities];
▪ Marine pollution events – [contractors involved in marine construction must develop a specific
procedure for marine pollution events. The procedure should be included as an Annex to this
CESMP]; and
▪ Other specific types or high-risk incidents – [contractors must identify potential types of
incidents with significant environmental impacts, or difficult/unusual circumstances to manage.
Specific environmental incident response procedures must be written for these incidents and
included as an Annex to this CESMP].
Step 1 Safety. Assess the safety hazards to the incident observer, other staff, other contractors, and
the public. Do not carry out any unsafe actions when responding to environmental incidents –
safety considerations must take precedence.
Safety considerations should include:
▪ Identify specific safety hazards such as dangerous chemicals, fire, toxic smoke from chemical
fires, or injured wildlife;
▪ Close off areas to prevent traffic or public access;
▪ Locate and use personal protective equipment (PPE) such as gloves, glasses, helmet, safety
footwear, or a lifting device;
▪ In case of fire or where fuel or chemical spills pose a significant risk to the community, call Civil
Defence (Fire) on telephone 998;
▪ Take other actions as necessary to create safe conditions (for example, stop all smoking and
remove ignition sources); and
▪ Consult the health and safety representative for further advice.

Step 2 Stop the source. Where simple, ongoing incidents are continuing to cause environmental
impacts, identify the cause, and if it is safe to do so, stop or limit the incident from occurring (for
larger, dangerous, or complex incidents go straight to Step 3), for example:
▪ Turn off pumps or isolate lines if pipes are leaking;
▪ Arrange for sewage holding tank pump-out if a sewage overflow has occurred;
▪ Stop earthworks where injury or death to animals is occurring; and
▪ Stop the use of excessively noisy equipment or noisy practices, particularly during the night
time, if a noise complaint has been received.
Step 3 Report the incident. Notify the relevant parties of the incident.
It is mandatory to notify the following parties immediately (after or as part of making the incident
site safe):
▪ Notification to site management, including as per any CESMP requirements. If the CESMP is
not in place, notify the supervisor on duty and the Contractor’s Environmental Representative
(if this person did not observe or identify the incident); and
▪ Notify AMAALA by telephone for difficult to contain, complex, or larger incidents, or by email for
minor incidents easily contained or controlled by the Contractor or project management team.
AMAALA will determine whether the Government regulator, or other authorities (for example, Civil
Defence, Police, Municipality) need to be notified. If the incident is urgent and AMAALA is unable to be
contacted, then the Contractor must contact the Government regulator (Ministry of Environment, Water
and Agriculture (MEWA)) directly on telephone 8002472220 and other authorities as relevant.
Step 4 Control the impacts. Take immediate action (determine personnel, materials, and equipment
necessary) to prevent or limit environmental harm that has occurred or that may occur as a
result of the incident. For example:
▪ Contain free liquids, fuels, or chemicals by draining into containers or pumping into mobile tanks
or other containment vessels. Do not pump any wastewater or chemicals into stormwater
drains or wadis unless directed by civil services;
▪ Deploy fuel spill clean-up materials (from spill kits), such as booms, absorbent particulate
matter, or absorbent mats; and
▪ Get extra waste skips delivered, for temporary storage of contaminated soil or other waste
associated with the clean-up.
If required seek help to manage the incident’s impacts and to implement control measures. For
example:
▪ For specialist environmental advice contact the Contractor’s Environmental Representative or
AMAALA’s Environment Representatives; and
▪ Fuel and chemical spills on public roads can present traffic hazards, call Civil Defence (Fire)
on 998 for assistance in clean-up of spills on roads.
Step 5 Follow-up management. When the incident is under control, and initial clean-up or prevention
measures have been implemented, the Contractor must complete the following:
▪ Monitor any controls that have been put in place for the incident, for example, absorbent
materials used in fuel spill clean-up will require changing when fully saturated;
▪ Carry out an incident investigation and document it. The basic cause of the incident must be
identified, and the corresponding preventative actions determined;
▪ Submit a written incident report to AMAALA within 48 hours of the incident occurring;
▪ Monitor or re-inspect the area for any impacts. Sometimes environmental impacts from
incidents may become more apparent over time (for example, vegetation dying in an area over
time due to changes in groundwater height or quality);
▪ Re-stock any materials used in incident response, such as personal protective equipment
(PPE) or spill clean-up materials;

▪ Update the Environmental Incident Register with details of the incident, investigations, and
follow-up actions. The following information must be included in the Environmental Incident
Register:
▫ Date and time of incident or when incident was first brought to the attention of the
Contractor;
▫ Incident location;
▫ Incident details – what happened;
▫ Incident reported by and incident reported to;
▫ Immediate actions taken;
▫ Environmental Incident Report submitted to AMAALA (yes/no);
▫ Corrective and preventative actions and who is responsible for these;
▫ Due date for corrective/preventative actions; and
▫ Incident close-out date and sign-off.
8.4 REPORTING AND INCIDENT REGISTER
Incidents will be reported using the form provided in Annex F. [A sample Environmental Incident Report
form is provided in Annex F. Contractors may use this form to report incidents or replace with their own
form, if it provides the information.]
Information from incident reports and any updates will be entered into the Environmental Incident
Register. The template for the Incident Register is provided in Annex G. [Contractors may use the
template in Annex G, or replace with their own version, provided it records all the above-listed
information.]
8.5 EMERGENCY RESPONSE
Environmental management under emergency circumstances is documented in the Emergency

Response Plan. The Emergency Response Plan integrates other management areas such as security,
site activities/control, and health and safety [contractors must ensure environmental issues are
considered within an overall Emergency Response Plan]. The scope considers the environmental
impacts on the community, workers, and the environment.
The following items will be included in the Emergency Response Plan:
▪ Details of emergency services – Police, Fire, Ambulance/Civil Defence, nearest hospital, the
Government regulator for AMAALA projects);
▪ A communications strategy, including a list of contact details for other parties that should be
notified or involved in emergency response. The information documented should include
company name, contact person, telephone numbers including for after business hours, and fax
number; and
▪ Specific incident response procedures for activities that require specialised response,
techniques or equipment, or activities that may pose an unlikely, but significant impact risk to
the environment, workers, or the community.
8.6 INCIDENT AND EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS
The following will be done to ensure that the staff are prepared for incidents and emergencies:
▪ Copies of incident response procedures will be displayed/placed in higher-risk areas. For
example, the Fuel and Liquid Chemical Spill Response procedure (Annex H) will be placed
in/near spill response kits or bulk fuel storage facilities;
▪ Emergency response equipment will be kept in stock at the location where higher risk
activities are being carried out. The emergency response equipment must be labelled and have
simple directions for usage. Minimum amounts and types will be agreed with AMAALA.;
▪ PPE required for responding to emergencies, as well as other emergency response equipment,
will be available at appropriate locations;

▪ Materials Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) will be kept for each chemical or fuel that is used, in an
accessible location near the storage and usage areas and at each site office;
▪ Emergency response training and awareness will be carried out for staff involved in activities
that have higher environmental risk, including the use of emergency response equipment.
Training details must be recorded in the Training Register (refer to Section 0); and
▪ Emergency response drills will be carried out as part of training.
[Contractor must change or add any emergency response procedures as applicable.]
8.7 HANDLING GRIEVANCES
[NOTE: A grievance handling mechanism needs to be drawn up that delivers on the IFC requirements
to address concerns promptly, using an understandable and transparent process that is culturally
appropriate and readily accessible to all segments of the affected communities, and at no cost and
without retribution. Where a wider grievance mechanism exists as part of the AMAALA projects, this
should be referenced and appended to the CESMP.]
All grievances from the public or neighbours relating to environmental matters will be managed as
follows:
▪ Details of the grievance will be recorded in a Grievances Register, and updated as necessary;
▪ The grievance will be investigated. The investigation will identify appropriate corrective actions,
the responsible parties/person to complete the corrective actions, and due date for completion;
▪ The grievance will be updated regularly, until the time follow-up action on a grievance is
deemed complete; and
▪ The grievance will be signed-off as complete by the Contractor’s Project Manager once the
matter has been satisfactorily addressed.
The Grievances Register will record the following details:
▪ Date and time of grievance;
▪ Name of person/company making the grievance;
▪ Contact telephone number for the complainant;
▪ Details of the grievance;
▪ Details of action taken; and
▪ Time/date that the complainant is contacted and given follow-up information/grievance closed-
out.
The Grievances Register template is included in Annex I [Contractor must use the template in Annex
I].

9. ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE REPORTING
9.1 MONTHLY ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE REPORTS
A monthly report on environmental performance will be submitted to AMAALA, which provides

information about the following issues, as a minimum:
▪ Quantity of waste sent for disposal to landfill;
▪ Quantity of waste materials recycled or salvaged;
▪ Quantity of freshwater usage;
▪ Quantity of diesel usage;
▪ Incidents and grievances, including investigations and corrective actions;
▪ Inspections and audits, including investigations and corrective actions;
▪ CESMP revision number;
▪ Environmental training, including both induction and toolbox training; and
▪ Other environmental initiatives or comments.
The report will be prepared using the mandatory Monthly Contractor Environmental Performance
Report form in Annex J.
Extra information will be attached to the report where necessary, however, not in substitution for the
completed report form.
9.2 REPORTING RESPONSIBILITIES
Environmental performance monthly reports will be:
▪ Prepared by the Contractor’s Environmental Representative;

▪ Approved by the Contractor’s Project Manager prior to submission [or equivalent site Senior
Manager - change Section 2 if this task is carried out by a position other than the Project
Manager]; and
▪ A copy submitted each to the Project Management Team, AMAALA, and the Contractor’s
Project Director [or equivalent company senior management] within seven (7) days following
the close of each calendar month.
[Change or add any reporting procedures as applicable to the contract.]

10. ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL MEASURES
10.1 WORK METHOD STATEMENTS
Environmental control measures will be implemented and monitored through documented procedures
or Work Method Statements (WMSs), which have been developed by first identifying the potential
environmental impacts that an activity may cause, and then adopting relevant environmental
management measures to mitigate those impacts.
A WMS will be developed for each activity listed in Section 5.1. and as set out in Section 10.3
subsequent control measure guidance.
Specific WMSs or procedures for this contract include:
▪ Procedure – Fuel and Liquid Chemical Spill Response - refer to Annex H;
▪ [Add any other procedures or WMSs that include environmental controls.]
10.2 MANAGEMENT PLANS
In some instances specific management plans will be implemented to control and monitor impacts
across the whole site and for some specific environmental aspects. These may be generic plans relating
to such aspects as waste management or more specific plans relating to potential impacts on sensitive
habitats. Where relevant, reference should be made to AMAALA’s overriding management plans for
these sensitive sites.
Specific management plans or WMSs for this contract include [NOTE: the list below is for reference,
select those standard plans that are relevant to the proposed works]:
▪ Terrestrial Ecological Management Plan (TEMP) (including spiny tailed lizards);
▪ Marine Environmental Management Plan (MEMP) ;
▪ Turtle Mitigation/Management Plan (TMP);
▪ Marine Megafauna Management Plan (MMMP);
▪ Lighting Management Plan;
▪ Waste Management Plan;
▪ Noise Management Plan;
▪ Air Quality Management Plan;
▪ Landscaping Plan;
▪ Soils and Groundwater Management Plan;
▪ Fertiliser, Pesticide and Herbicide Management Plan;
▪ Traffic Management Plan;
▪ Transport and Logistics Management Plan;
▪ Benthic Management Plan;
▪ Biosecurity Management Plan;
▪ Dredging, Reclamation and Dredged Spoil Placement Management Plan;
▪ Shipboard Oil Pollution Emergency Plans; and
▪ Emergency Response and Spill Contingency Plan.

CESMP Project Name
10.3 ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS AND REQUIRED CONTROL MEASURES
For each activity, Table 10-1 identifies the potential environmental impacts for each environmental aspect in the absence of mitigation and provides
a reference to the control measures to be implemented throughout the works in order to prevent or minimise impacts. The environmental control
measures will be implemented by [enter Contractor name] as required during the relevant activities. An activity will not proceed if the environmental
control measures in Section 10 do not eliminate or sufficiently reduce the environmental impact of that activity.
Table 10-1 Environmental Control Measures
Environmental Control Measures

Activity Environmental Impacts Without Mitigation
Aspect (Reference)
▪ Excess fill generated from earthworks;
Site mobilisation ▪ Excess building materials through poor procurement, excessive packaging waste, and
building waste;
Waste
(includes building ▪ Excess workshop waste from plant maintenance; and Section 10.4
Management
of roads, site ▪ Incorrect waste storage can result in wind-blown litter and encourage predatory animals
offices, toilets to scavenge for food and come into conflict with protected habitats/species (e.g. turtle
and staff beaches).
facilities, and ▪ Vehicle exhaust fumes and greenhouse gas contributions from earthmoving equipment,
diesel storage) Air Quality construction, and transport for labourers (buses), materials and waste; and Section 10.5
▪ Dust from vehicle movements and earthworks.
Surface Water, ▪ Groundwater contamination from diesel spills during on-site refuelling, or hydraulic oil
Ground Water spills; and
▪ Groundwater contamination from sewage (e.g. septic tank overflows). Section 10.6
and Marine
Water Quality
▪ Ground contamination from incorrect waste storage, including liquid wastes;
Land ▪ Oil or diesel contamination from hydraulic hose spilt oils, vehicle refuelling,
Section 10.7, 10.4
Contamination maintenance, repair; and
▪ Spillage of paints, thinners, chemicals, or sewage.
▪ Delivery and construction works may generate noise that impacts on sensitive
Noise and receptors; and
Section 10.8
Vibration ▪ Installation of new generators near office and labour accommodation may cause
disturbances.
Plants and ▪ Site fencing may trap animals within the site, so they cannot escape; and
▪ Trees accidentally or intentionally damaged or destroyed. Section 10.9
Animals
▪ Earthworks, trenching and excavations may uncover archaeological finds, and these
Heritage Section 10.10
may be destroyed.
Erosion and ▪ For work during rainy season (winter) - heavy rain may cause dirt to flow off site or onto
adjacent sites. Section 10.11
Sediment Control

CESMP Project Name

Aspect (Reference)
▪ Building and plant delivery may create traffic hazards on the internal or public road
network;
Traffic
▪ Driveway entry creation may cause traffic hold ups and dangerous driving conditions; Section 10.12
Management
and
▪ Soil may be carried on wheels and deposited onto public roads.
▪ Compound may be located adjacent to residents, reducing privacy and amenity;
▪ Inadequate waste management from staff kitchens, and delayed or inadequate
Social Impact installation of ablutions for workers may cause soil or groundwater contamination; and Section 10.13, 10.4
▪ Transport of labourers to and from site may result in increased air pollution and
greenhouse gas emissions.
Waste
▪ Illegal sewage dumping causing a range of environmental problems. Section 10.6, 10.13
Sewage storage Management
in holding tanks ▪ Odours from overflowing sewage tanks and poor pump-out equipment and practices;
and
Air Quality Section 10.5
(all temporary on- ▪ Vehicle exhaust fumes and greenhouse gas contributions from sewage pump trucks
site storage of (tankers).
sewage) Surface Water, ▪ Contamination of surface and groundwater from leaks and overflows from sewage
Ground Water holding tanks; and
Section 10.6
and Marine ▪ Contamination of surface and groundwater from poor pump-out equipment and
Water Quality practices (spillages).
Land ▪ Land contamination from leaks and overflows from sewage holding tanks; and
Section 10.7
Contamination ▪ Land contamination from poor pump-out equipment and practices (spillages).
Noise and ▪ Noise and vibration nuisance from afterhours/Friday scheduling of sewage pump trucks
Section 10.8
Vibration (tankers) for pump-out of holding tanks.
Plants and
▪ Illegal sewage dumping harms habitats/plants and animals. Section 10.9
Animals
Heritage ▪ Installation of holding tanks may disturb archaeological finds. Section 10.10
Erosion and
▪ Illegal off-site dumping causes erosion and lack of sediment control. Section 10.11
Sediment Control
▪ Vehicles (especially tankers) parking or driving over underground sewage holding tanks
can damage underground sewage tanks and cause leaks;
Traffic
▪ Sewage pump trucks (tankers) increase heavy vehicle traffic on site; and Section 10.12
Management
▪ Inadequate sewage holding tanks or scheduling increases heavy vehicle traffic on
public roads/queuing in public areas for access to sewage treatment plant (STP).
▪ Proximity of sewage holding tanks to offices and labour accommodation, may reduce Section 10.13,
Social Impact
amenity; and 10.12

CESMP Project Name

Aspect (Reference)
▪ Poor sewage management may harbour/spread disease, e.g. rats, bacterial infections.
▪ Inadequate storage and waste collection (especially food waste and sewage) causing
Labour Waste odours, harbouring rats/vermin, loss of recycling opportunities; Section 10.4, 10.6,
accommodation Management ▪ Illegal sewage dumping causing range of environmental problems; and 10.13
▪ Poor waste management may harbour/spread disease, e.g. rats, bacterial infections.
▪ Odours from sewage tanks and poor pump-out equipment/practices, and waste storage;
and
▪ Exhaust fumes and greenhouse gas contributions from sewage pump trucks (tankers)
and generators.
Surface Water, ▪ Contamination of surface and groundwater from sewage leaks/overflows and poor
Ground Water pump-out equipment/practices (spillages); and
Section 10.6
and Marine ▪ Contamination of surface and groundwater from incorrect storage/handling of diesel, oil,
Water Quality oil filters, and waste oil from generators.
▪ Land contamination from sewage leaks/overflows from holding tanks and poor pump-
out equipment and practices;
Land ▪ Land contamination from incorrect storage/handling of diesel, oil, oil filters, and waste oil
Section 10.7, 10.4
Contamination from generators;
▪ Litter, including cigarette butts, causing land contamination; and
▪ Poor waste storage practices causing land contamination.
Noise and ▪ Noise and vibration nuisance from afterhours/Friday scheduling of sewage pump trucks
Section 10.8
Vibration (tankers) for pump-out of holding tanks.
Plants and
▪ Illegal dumping harms habitats/plants and animals. Section 10.4, 10.9
Animals
Heritage ▪ Construction of labour accommodation may disturb archaeological finds. Section 10.10
Erosion and
▪ Illegal off-site dumping causes erosion and lack of sediment control. Section 10.11
Sediment Control
▪ Vehicles (especially tankers) parking or driving over underground sewage holding tanks
can damage underground sewage tanks and cause leaks;
Traffic
▪ Sewage pump trucks (tankers) increase heavy vehicle traffic on site; and Section 10.12
Management
▪ Inadequate sewage holding tanks or scheduling increases heavy vehicle traffic on
public roads/queuing in public areas for access to STP.
▪ Proximity of sewage holding tanks to residences, including labour accommodation, may
reduce amenity; and
Social Impact Section 10.4, 10.13
▪ Poor waste sewage management may harbour/spread disease, e.g. rats, bacterial
infections.
Waste ▪ Failure to drain used oil filters prior to recycling/disposal causes contamination of other
Section 10.4
Management waste;

CESMP Project Name

Aspect (Reference)
Diesel ▪ Failure to drain and store used oil filters separately results in loss of waste oil and metal
generators, recycling opportunities; and
heavy vehicles, ▪ Poor management of used batteries and waste oil storage and collection results in
and machinery incorrect disposal, and loss of recycling opportunities.
operation Air Quality ▪ Exhaust fumes and greenhouse gas contributions from diesel usage. Section 10.5
Surface Water, ▪ Contamination of surface and groundwater from re-fuelling equipment/practices
Ground Water (spillages), bulk diesel storage, field servicing and repairs; and
Section 10.6
and Marine ▪ Contamination of surface and groundwater from incorrect storage/handling of diesel, oil,
Water Quality used oil filters, and waste oil.
▪ Land contamination from re-fuelling equipment/practices (spillages), bulk diesel storage,
Land field servicing and repairs; and
Section 10.7, 10.4
Contamination ▪ Land contamination from incorrect storage/handling of diesel, oil, oil filters, and waste oil
from generators.
▪ Noise and vibration nuisance from 24-hour operation of dewatering pumps and
Noise and generators;
Section 10.8, 10.13
Vibration ▪ Noise nuisance from use of noisy vehicles equipment after hours/Fridays; and
▪ Vibration nuisance from use of piling/compaction equipment near residences.
Plants and ▪ Plants, animals, and their habitats (i.e. where they live) harmed or destroyed by
Section 10.9
Animals operation of heavy earthmoving equipment, e.g. graders, bulldozers.
Heritage ▪ Heavy vehicles may damage or destroy archaeological items. Section 10.10
Erosion and ▪ During rainy season (winter) – lack of traffic control, ground surface clearing and poor
Section 10.11
Sediment Control drainage may result in erosion and sedimentation from rain/flooding.
Traffic ▪ Heavy vehicle traffic on public roads causing congestion; and
Section 10.12
Management ▪ Heavy vehicles carrying mud onto public roads – visual impact, safety.
▪ Noise and vibration nuisance from 24-hour operation of dewatering pumps and
generators;
Social Impact Section 10.13
▪ Noise nuisance from use of noisy vehicles equipment after hours/Fridays; and
▪ Vibration nuisance from use of piling/compaction equipment near residences.
▪ Failure to correctly store or dispose of used paint and chemical containers/drums
Storage/handling Waste causes contamination of other waste; and
Section 10.4
of fuel and Management ▪ Failure to dispose of waste oil correctly may result in illegal disposal and loss of
chemicals recycling opportunities.
Air Quality ▪ Vapours from diesel, solvents, acids, and other chemicals causing air pollution. Section 10.5
(including diesel, Surface Water, ▪ Contamination of surface and groundwater from incorrect storage, handling, re-fuelling
Section 10.6
oil, waste oil, Ground Water practices, and spillages of fuels, liquid chemicals, and waste liquids.

CESMP Project Name

Aspect (Reference)
paints, thinners, and Marine
acids, pesticides Water Quality
and other liquid ▪ Land contamination from incorrect storage, handling, re-fuelling practices, and spillages
fuels and Land of fuels, liquid chemicals, and waste liquids; and
Section 10.7, 10.4
chemicals) Contamination ▪ Land contamination from incorrect storage/handling of fuel and liquid chemical
packaging/containers.
Noise and
▪ Noise nuisance from delivery of diesel by tanker after hours/on Fridays. Section 10.8
Vibration
Plants and ▪ Poor storage/handling of chemicals and chemical wastes – especially pesticides -
Section 10.9
Animals causing harm or destruction of plants, animals, and their habitats.
Heritage ▪ -
Erosion and
-
Sediment Control
Traffic
-
Management
Social Impact -
▪ Loss of recycling opportunities from failure to store recycling waste separately; and
Waste
Waste recycling ▪ Contamination of general waste through failure to separate/store hazardous waste Section 10.4
Management
and general separately.
waste storage Air Quality ▪ Odours from insufficient waste collection/stockpiling of rubbish. Section 10.5
Surface Water, ▪ Surface and groundwater contamination from incorrect waste storage, e.g. storage of
Ground Water waste directly on the ground, waste not stored containers/bins; and
Section 10.6
and Marine ▪ Surface and groundwater contamination from insufficient waste removal from site
Water Quality (overflowing waste bins).
▪ Land contamination from incorrect waste storage, e.g. storage of waste directly on the
ground;
Land
▪ Land contamination from insufficient waste removal from site (overflowing waste bins); Section 10.7
Contamination
and
▪ Inadequate waste storage facilities or awareness, resulting in littering by staff.
Noise and
▪ Noise nuisance from waste collection vehicles after hours/on Fridays. Section 10.8
Vibration
Plants and ▪ Poor storage/handling of chemicals and chemical wastes (especially pesticides) causing
Section 10.9
Animals harm or destruction of plants, animals, and their habitats (i.e. where animals live).
Heritage -

CESMP Project Name

Aspect (Reference)
Erosion and
-
Sediment Control
Traffic
-
Management
▪ Inadequate waste storage may adversely affect AMAALA employees through odour and
Social Impact
unsightly mess.
▪ Contamination of general waste with hazardous waste, through failure to store/separate
Workshop for waste correctly (e.g. wastewater from vehicle washing mixed with waste oil; undrained
maintenance of used oil filters thrown in general waste skips);
Waste
vehicles and ▪ Loss of recycling opportunities from failure to separate and store recycling waste Section 10.4
Management
equipment separately; and
▪ Incorrect hazardous waste disposal through failure to store hazardous
substances/contaminated materials separately.
▪ Vapours from diesel, solvents, acids, and other chemicals causing air pollution; and
▪ Odours from waste stockpiling.
▪ Failure to contain all maintenance/repair work within the workshop, causing
stormwater/groundwater contamination;
Surface Water,
▪ Contamination from unsealed workshop floor, i.e. concrete hardstand in good repair;
Ground Water
▪ Discharge of wastewater from washing of vehicles or workshop floors to stormwater Section 10.6, 10.4
and Marine
causing surface water/groundwater contamination; and
Water Quality
▪ Incorrect waste storage, e.g. storage of waste directly on the ground, liquid waste not
stored sealed, causing contamination of surface water/groundwater.
contamination;
▪ Land contamination from unsealed workshop floor where repairs/maintenance carried
out;
stormwater/groundwater contamination;
Land ▪ Discharge of wastewater from washing of vehicles or workshop floors to stormwater
Section 10.7, 10.4
Contamination causing surface land contamination;
▪ Incorrect waste storage, e.g. storage of waste directly on the ground, liquid waste not
stored sealed, causing contamination of the ground;
▪ Land contamination from insufficient waste removal from site (overflowing waste bins);
and
▪ Littering by staff caused by inadequate waste storage facilities or low staff
environmental awareness.

CESMP Project Name

Aspect (Reference)
Noise and ▪ Noise nuisance from workshop activities after hours/on Fridays, e.g. engine revving,
Section 10.8
Vibration idling.
Plants and
-
Animals
Heritage -
Erosion and
-
Sediment Control
Traffic
-
Management
Social Impact -
▪ Failure to identify areas of contamination on site, prior to starting earthworks, may
Earthworks Waste spread contamination across the site; and
Section 10.4
Management ▪ Failure to stockpile clean fill and contaminated/potentially contaminated fill separately
(includes may contaminate clean fill.
clearing, ▪ Dust nuisance caused by earthworks; and
stockpiling, Air Quality ▪ Diesel use by machinery causing local air pollution and contributes to greenhouse gas Section 10.5
importing fill) emissions.
▪ Spillages and poor practices used in field re-fuelling and maintenance/repair of heavy
Surface Water,
machinery may cause land contamination;
Ground Water
▪ Inadequate bulk diesel storage facilities may cause land contamination; and Section 10.6, 10.7
and Marine
▪ Importing of contaminated fill may cause land contamination on the clean site where it is
Water Quality
used.
▪ Spillages and poor practices used in field re-fuelling and maintenance/repair of heavy
machinery may cause land contamination;
▪ Inadequate diesel bulk storage facilities may cause land contamination, e.g. no bund
Land around tank;
Section 10.7, 10.4
Contamination ▪ Importing of contaminated fill may cause land contamination on the site where it is used;
and
▪ Lack of control over stockpiles may allow clean fill to come into contact with
contaminated materials, spreading contamination.
Noise and ▪ Noise and vibration from heavy machinery causing nuisance for residences, particularly
Section 10.8
Vibration after hours/Fridays.
▪ Heavy machinery can kill burrowing animals or smaller animals, such as dhabs (spiny
Plants and
tailed lizards); Section 10.9
Animals
▪ Trees accidentally or intentionally damaged or destroyed.; and

CESMP Project Name

Aspect (Reference)
▪ The natural “seed bank” within topsoil may be lost if not scraped, stockpiled separately
for later use.
Heritage ▪ Excavation and surface grading may damage or destroy archaeological items. Section 10.10
▪ During rainy season (winter) – inadequate drainage and stockpiling methods may result
Erosion and
in erosion of topsoil, and sediment affecting neighbouring sites, blocking drains, and Section 10.11
Sediment Control
polluting stormwater.
▪ Heavy vehicle entry and exit to sites increases traffic congestion, may lead to accidents;
Traffic and
Section 10.12
Management ▪ Earthmoving equipment may carry mud soil onto public roads, reducing visual amenity
and safety.
Social Impact -
▪ Poor procurement and materials ordering may result in surplus materials, or materials
Building with excessive packaging;
construction and ▪ Recycling waste, such as metal re-bar, must be stored separately, so recycling
fit-out Waste opportunities are not lost;
Section 10.4
Management ▪ Incorrect practices for disposal of drums and containers from paints, solvents, glues,
and thinners can result in contamination of (clean) general waste; and
▪ Lack of storage facilities or insufficient waste collection cause large, uncontrolled waste
stockpiles. Litter and waste may spread beyond the work area.
▪ Inadequately controlled spray painting can cause nuisance from over-spray;
▪ Dust nuisance caused by general construction; and
▪ Air pollution from use of glues, thinners, solvents, and paints (release of vapours -
volatile organic compounds).
▪ Spillages/poor practices for storage and handling of paints, thinners and glues may
Surface Water, cause contamination;
Ground Water ▪ Inadequate waste storage practices and low staff awareness may result in
Section 10.6, 10.4
and Marine contamination, e.g. from littering or storage of waste directly on unsealed ground; and
Water Quality ▪ Disposal of concrete residues and wash-out water directly onto unsealed ground can
result in contamination.
▪ Spillages/poor practices for storage and handling of paints, thinners and glues may
cause contamination;
▪ Inadequate waste storage practices and staff awareness may result in contamination,
Land e.g. from littering or storage of waste directly on unsealed ground;
Section 10.7, 10.4
Contamination ▪ Disposal of concrete residues and wash-out water directly onto unsealed ground can
result in contamination; and
▪ Lack of site fencing may result in sub-contractors storing materials on neighbouring
sites and causing contamination.

CESMP Project Name

Aspect (Reference)
Noise and ▪ Noise from building activity may cause nuisance to residences, particularly after
Section 10.8
Vibration hours/Fridays.
▪ Heavy machinery kills burrowing animals or smaller animals; and
Plants and ▪ Presence of potentially harmful wildlife may result in staff harming animals due to
Section 10.9
Animals concerns for personal safety, e.g. snakes, scorpions. Harmless animals may also be
killed in the process.
Heritage - Section 10.10
▪ During rainy season (winter) – inadequate drainage and excavation methods may result
Erosion and
in erosion of topsoil, and sediment affecting neighbouring sites, blocking drains, and Section 10.11
Sediment Control
polluting stormwater.
▪ Heavy vehicle entry and exit to sites increases traffic congestion, and may lead to
accidents; and
Traffic
▪ Earthmoving equipment may carry mud/earth onto public roads, reducing visual amenity Section 10.12
Management
and safety.
▪
Social Impact -
▪ Excess batching results in extra waste concrete requiring disposal; and
Waste
Concrete ▪ Incorrect practices for storage/disposal of excess concrete and wastewater results in Section 10.4
Management
batching on site loss of recycling opportunities (e.g. water reuse).
Air Quality ▪ Bulk release of dry cement resulting in dust nuisance. Section 10.5
(excluding Surface Water,
concrete batching Ground Water ▪ Disposal of concrete residues and wash-out water directly onto unsealed ground or in
Section 10.6, 10.11
plants/trucks) and Marine an uncontrolled manner can result in contamination.
Water Quality
Land ▪ Disposal of concrete residues and wash-out water directly onto unsealed ground or in
Section 10.7, 10.11
Contamination an uncontrolled manner can result in contamination.
Noise and
-
Vibration
Plants and
▪ Incorrect disposal of concrete residues can affect soil quality (pH) and limit plant growth. Section 10.7, 10.9
Animals
Heritage -
Erosion and ▪ Incorrect disposal of wastewater can cause erosion; and
Section 10.11
Sediment Control ▪ Sediment/cement fine particles may deposit.
Traffic
-
Management

CESMP Project Name

Aspect (Reference)
Social Impact -
Waste
-
Dewatering Management
Air Quality ▪ Discharge of water from dewatering may generate odours. Section 10.5, 10.7
(excluding ▪ Dewatering may result in pollution of receiving waters, due to existing contaminated Section 10.6, 10.7
concrete batching Surface Water,
groundwater being pumped or heavy sediment loads;
Ground Water
plants/trucks) ▪ Dewatering pumps without correct bunding may leak oil/diesel and result in
and Marine
contamination; and
Water Quality
▪ Loss of groundwater resources through discharge to sea.
▪ Dewatering pumps without correct bunding may leak oil/diesel and result in Section 10.7
Land
contamination; and
Contamination
▪ Dewatering may result in pollution of receiving waters, due to existing contamination.
Noise and ▪ Noise from continuous operation (24 hours/day) of dewatering pumps may cause Section 10.8
Vibration nuisance.
▪ Discharge of contaminated water can impact terrestrial and marine habitats; Section 10.7, 10.9
Plants and
▪ Lakes created from dewatering may create habitat for insect pests; and
Animals
▪ Lakes created from dewatering may have poor water quality.
Heritage -
Erosion and ▪ Incorrect disposal of wastewater can cause erosion; and Section 10.7, 10.11
Sediment Control ▪ Sediment deposition from dewatering flow can result.
Traffic
-
Management
Social Impact ▪ Incorrect disposal of wastewater can affect swimming beaches. Section 10.7, 10.13
Waste ▪ Empty pesticide and fertiliser containers must be correctly rinsed or disposed of
Section 10.4
Landscaping Management generating hazardous waste.
Air Quality ▪ Dust from mixing/handling of landscaping raw materials may create dust nuisance. Section 10.5
(including ▪ Irrigation of areas where top dressing, fertilisers or mulch has been applied or stockpiled
planting, fertiliser Surface Water,
will result in run-off water that is high in nutrients, which will then degrade groundwater
application, Ground Water
and surface water quality; and Section 10.6, 10.13
and Marine
maintenance) ▪ Excess application or incorrect choice of pesticides, and any associated irrigation, may
Water Quality
pollute groundwater.
Land
▪ Incorrect choice or application of pesticides may result in soil contamination. Section 10.7
Contamination
Noise and
▪ Mulching machines and other equipment may create nuisance for residences. Section 10.8
Vibration

CESMP Project Name

Aspect (Reference)
▪ Incorrect choice or application of pesticides may result in loss of plants and animals;
Plants and
and Section 10.9
Animals
▪ Nutrient rich runoff can cause eutrophication and algal blooms.
Heritage -
Erosion and ▪ Excessive irrigation may result in soil erosion; and Section 10.9,
Sediment Control ▪ Incorrectly stored raw materials may be subject to erosion during rainy season. 10.13, 10.11
Traffic
-
Management
▪ Incorrect application of pesticides may affect the health of people in the adjacent
Social Impact Section 10.9, 10.13
community.
▪ Unplanned removal of facilities or demolition may result in disposal of a large volume of
Demolition waste which could be reused or recycled;
Waste ▪ Disposal of hazardous waste as general waste, through failure to identify hazardous
Section 10.4
Management materials; and
▪ Hazardous waste stored incorrectly may be mixed with waste left over on site, and not
removed for recycling or disposal.
▪ Release of asbestos fibres through inadequate controls, or failure to identify asbestos
Air Quality containing materials prior to demolition; and Section 10.5
▪ Demolition and earthworks may cause dust nuisance.
Surface Water,
Ground Water ▪ Failure to correctly decommission fuel storage areas, septic tanks or chemical storage
Section 10.6, 10.7
and Marine areas may result in ground or surface water contamination.
Water Quality
▪ Diesel tanks, sewage holding tanks, underground pipes and pits, chemical storage
Land areas not removed can result in contamination; and
Section 10.7, 10.13
Contamination ▪ Failure to identify and correctly manage residual soil contamination around fuel or oil
areas can create environmental health problems for next land use.
Noise and
▪ Noise from vehicles or demolition may disturb residents. Section 10.8
Vibration
▪ Heavy machinery kills burrowing animals or smaller animals or animals inhabiting
buildings; and
Plants and
▪ Presence of potentially harmful wildlife in buildings may result in staff harming animals Section 10.9
Animals
due to concerns for personal safety, e.g. snakes, scorpions. Harmless animals may also
be killed in the process.
Heritage ▪ Excavation and removal of foundations may damage or destroy archaeological items. Section 10.10

CESMP Project Name

Aspect (Reference)
Erosion and ▪ Sites left without drainage channels or planned contouring may be subject to erosion Section 10.11
Sediment Control during rainy season.
Traffic Section 10.11,
▪ Earthmoving vehicles may drag soil onto public roads. 10.12
Management
▪ Removal of toilet and waste storage facilities must be planned so that workers/staff on
site still have access to correctly maintained toilets, waste storage areas.
▪ Unplanned removal of facilities or demolition may result in disposal of a large volume of
Demobilisation Waste waste which could be reused or recycled; and
Section 10.4
Management ▪ Hazardous waste stored incorrectly may be mixed with waste left over on site, and not
(including removed for recycling or disposal.
decommissioning Air Quality ▪ Demolition and earthworks may cause dust nuisance. Section 10.5
of site Surface Water, Section 10.6
compounds, Ground Water ▪ Failure to correctly decommission fuel storage areas, septic tanks or chemical storage
diesel tanks, and Marine areas may result in ground or surface water contamination.
sewage holding Water Quality
tanks, site ▪ Diesel tanks, sewage holding tanks, underground pipes and pits, chemical storage
levelling) Land areas not removed can result in contamination; and
Section 10.7
Contamination ▪ Failure to identify and correctly manage residual soil contamination around fuel or oil
areas can create environmental health problems for next land use.
Noise and
▪ Noise from vehicles or demolition may disturb residents. Section 10.8
Vibration
Plants and
-
Animals
Heritage -
Erosion and ▪ Sites left without drainage channels or planned contouring may be subject to erosion
Section 10.11
Sediment Control during rainy season.
Traffic
▪ Earthmoving vehicles may drag soil onto public roads. Section 10.12
Management
▪ Removal of toilet and waste storage facilities must be planned so that workers/staff on
site still have access to correctly maintained toilets, waste storage areas.
[Other activities]

CESMP Project Name
10.4 WASTE MANAGEMENT CONTROL MEASURES
WASTE MANAGEMENT PLAN
▪ A Waste Management Plan will be completed prior to commencement of works, in accordance with
the Guidelines for Preparing a Waste Management Plan (refer to Annex K). The issues to be
addressed by the Plan and other management control measures that will be implemented are listed
here.
WASTE MINIMISATION
▪ Identify opportunities for “cut and fill” operations within the project, to reduce clean fill being
disposed of off-site. Another contractor/developer may require additional fill generated from a
specific activity on site;
▪ Materials will be purchased in the exact quantity required for the contract, to minimise unused
leftovers;
▪ Materials with minimal packaging will be purchased, to minimise packaging thrown out; and
▪ Concrete will be mixed according to exact requirements, to minimise excess requiring disposal.
WASTE RE-USE AND RECYCLING
▪ Salvaged waste materials will be reused on site where possible;

▪ The following waste will be recycled: paper, cardboard, metal re-bar, scrap metals such as
aluminium, soft-drink cans, glass bottles, used batteries from vehicles/plant, waste oil, plastic,
concrete, timber, gypsum board; and
▪ Vegetation waste and organic matter will be stockpiled and composted by AMAALA.
WASTE STORAGE AND COLLECTION
▪ Waste will be stored in containers or skip bins, and not stockpiled directly on unsealed ground;
▪ All bins/container will be clearly marked identifying the type of waste that it can be used for;
▪ Recycling waste will be stored in separated areas or containers, and not mixed with other waste
types;
▪ Sufficient space will be allocated for waste collection vehicles;
▪ Waste removal from the site will be scheduled so that there is always a waste skip available for use
on site, and that waste skips/container do not overfill;
▪ Waste will only be collected by NCEC-approved waste transporters;
▪ Food waste bins will have lids, and litter waste bins will be available for staff;
▪ All empty pressurised containers for spray paint or spray oil must be punctured before disposal;
▪ Any temporary waste storage areas (not contained in bins or containers) will be covered and/or
surround by a screen mesh fence to prevent it being wind-blown across the site and into waterways
and adjacent sites; and
▪ Liquid wastes including waste oil and liquid chemicals will be stored in sealed drums/containers,
on a concrete or other impermeable surface and have a bund of containment system to retain any
spillage equivalent to 110% of the volume of the drum/container.
WASTE DISPOSAL
▪ Empty pesticide and fertiliser containers will be disposed of using the “triple-rinse” procedure and
punctured before being placed in with general waste; and

CESMP Project Name
▪ All waste will be taken to NCEC-approved facilities, according to type (general/hazardous).

RECORD KEEPING
▪ All waste removal records will be maintained, and reported as required in the monthly
environmental performance report;
▪ Records that will be kept include receipts/invoices/dockets from the waste transport contractor and
the waste receiving facility; and
▪ These records will be kept in a Waste Register, which records collection dates, type of waste,
quantities, waste transport company, destination, and signature of an authorised person.
[Contractor to add/delete waste control measures, depending on specific waste types.]
10.5 AIR QUALITY MANAGEMENT MEASURES
▪ All equipment, generators, machinery, and vehicles used on site will be maintained in good working
condition at all times to ensure minimal fuel consumption and smoky exhausts. Plant with smoky
exhausts must be either serviced to fix the problem or removed from site. This applies to buses
used for transporting labourers to site, as well as earthmoving equipment and other vehicles;
▪ Engines will not be left running unnecessarily when the vehicle/equipment is not in actual use.
▪ Unsealed roads and work areas will be sealed, if possible, to control dust;
▪ Water carts must be used to suppress dust generation on unsealed roads. An adequate water
supply will be provided for dust suppression;
▪ Measure will be applied to stop the transport of soils on site vehicles being carried and deposited
onto main highways;
▪ Truck hauling fill or other dusty materials will be covered, and loads will be kept below the top of
the truck walls. A sheet or tarpaulin must be used to control dust;
▪ Asbestos-containing materials will /not be permitted on site;
▪ Vehicle speeds will be minimised to control dust generation;
▪ Stockpiles will be managed to minimise dust generation;
▪ Painting, abrasive blasting, metal cutting, grinding, or welding will be done within an enclosed and
ventilated area wherever possible, to limit overspray or the discharge of volatile substances, fumes,
and dust/grit suspension into the atmosphere; and
▪ Diesel, oil, paint, thinners, and other chemicals used on the site will be kept in minimum quantities
and stored in sealed containers and in a manner that limits vapours, and in accordance with any
safety requirements.
[Contractor to add/delete air quality control measures, depending on activities being conducted.]
10.6 WATER QUALITY MANAGEMENT MEASURES (SURFACE WATER,

GROUNDWATER AND MARINE WATERS)
10.6.1 Surface Water and Ground Water Quality Management Measures
▪ Diesel, oil and other fuels and liquid chemicals will be kept in sealed containers, drums, or tanks
with suitable spill containment bund capacity to contain spillage from drum failure/rupture;
▪ Drums and containers used for fuel or liquid chemical storage (including waste oil, paints, thinners)
will be in good condition and free from rust or damage;
▪ An MSDS will be available in the site office for all chemicals used on site;

CESMP Project Name
▪ Diesel, oil and other fuels and liquid chemicals stored in bulk quantities (500 litres or more) will be
within a bunded area, capable of storing 110% of the largest container in event of a spill, and
ensuring bunds will be structurally sound and sealed to prevent seepage;
▪ All tanks, drums, pipes, and sewage holding tanks will be decommissioned and removed upon
demobilisation from a site;
▪ All fuel and chemical storage will be in above-ground facilities;
▪ Pesticides and fertilisers will be stored, mixed, and applied in accordance with manufacturer’s
recommendations and so that there is no overspray (mist) contacting non-target areas, or no
ground runoff of excess liquid into drains, waterways and away from target areas;
▪ Re-fuelling of cars, trucks and easily mobile vehicles will be done at a designated area, over an
impervious concrete pad of sufficient size, so that spills and overflow does not fall onto the ground;
▪ Mobile re-fuelling, i.e. delivery to field equipment/plant by tanker, will only be done where
equipment/plant cannot be easily returned to a designated re-fuelling area. Prior to starting re-
fuelling, a drip tray and ground protective sheet will be placed under the refuelling point;
▪ Tankers delivering fuel to field-based equipment/plant must have the following equipment available
within the vehicle: drip trays, ground protective sheets; a labelled and sealed container for storing
spills;
▪ Spill clean-up kits will be kept near areas used for fuel or liquid chemical storage. Staff will receive
training in the use of spill clean-up kits;
▪ Hoses used for re-fuelling from bulk diesel storage tanks will be kept within the bunded area or over
concrete when not in use;
▪ Routine maintenance and repair of mobile equipment/vehicles must be done in a workshop;
▪ Pumps used for dewatering will be placed within metal trays to catch oil/diesel leaks and drips;
▪ Fill will not be imported to site without a PERMIT; and
▪ Sewage holding tanks will be pumped-out as frequently as-required, to prevent overflow. A
schedule for regular sewage tanker pump-out of sewage holding tanks will be established.
▪ Strict adherence to waste management measures.
▪ Dewatering discharge will only be carried out in accordance with a permit from AMAALA;
▪ Clean-up of the intertidal zone must be conducted monthly to clear any accumulated rubbish and
debris. Cleaning must be carried out manually.
10.6.2 Marine Waters Management Measures - Dredging and Marine Construction
▪ Contractor must comply with the Dredging Management Plan (DMP) as outlined in the ESIA.
▪ Contractor to prepare a Dredging Work Method Statement, to be reviewed and approved by
AMAALA that details the sequencing of marine works.
▪ The Contractor is required to prepare a Method Statement for Silt Curtain Deployment and
Management for review and approval by AMAALA prior to deployment. The plan must include the
following, as minimum:
o Ensure that all curtains will be heavy duty, low permeability (Type III) silt screens to
minimise the dispersion of marine sediments with >90% efficiency.
o The installation of the silt curtains must be appropriate to the nature of the site, the water
depth, wave regime and current speed, and the location of the sensitive receptors
surrounding the site in order to avoid negative impacts from silt curtains (damage from
anchorage or smothering and abrasion of coral colonies). The contractor is required to

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demonstrate that the installation of silt curtains will not generate negative impacts to
sensitive marine ecological receptors, such as coral colonies on the northern island reef
crest. If silt curtains are not deemed suitable (e.g., insufficient water depth or because of
potential damage to sensitive ecological receptors) then alternative sediment plume control
measures are to be proposed.
o Include a method statement for maintenance of silt screens.
▪ On-going environmental monitoring is to be undertaken to allow for introduction of adaptive
management measures if double sediment screens are deemed insufficient to limit sediment plume
dispersal beyond the marina basin. All measures to contain suspended sediment within the marina
basin must be implemented at least 48 hours prior to the commencement of dredging.
▪ Real-time monitoring of turbidity should be undertaken via the deployment of monitoring buoys:
o Monitoring system to be deployed at same time as pre-construction/dredging baseline
surveys or, failing that, at least two (2) weeks in advance of the start of marine works. This
is to allow for collation of ambient data against which future compliance may need to be
assessed.
o Readings are to be reported every 10 minutes.
o The real-time monitoring system should be capable of issuing an alert when the KSA
turbidity standard for high-value marine waters (1.5 NTU above ambient) is exceeded.
Water quality must be monitored to ensure trigger values are not exceeded, and if they
are, stop-work policies must be in place. Trigger values should be in line with KSA national
guidelines for ambient water quality for High-Value Marine Habitats.
o Additional real-time monitoring buoys should also be deployed at pre-selected control
stations, where marine environmental conditions (including habitat types, water depth,
hydrodynamic regime, wind exposure) are similar to those encountered in the Project area,
to provide a basis for comparison to ambient conditions.
▪ Monitoring buoys are to undergo regular cleaning to remove biofouling and equipment maintenance
to ensure reliability of data. Sensors are required to be removed on a bi-weekly basis for cleaning
and calibration, with a pre-calibrated replacement sonde swapped in to avoid data gaps. Cleaning
and calibration of equipment in an uncontrolled environment (i.e., on board the survey vessel whilst
tied on to the buoy) is to be avoided to ensure accuracy of calibration.
▪ Given the location, the contractor is required to ensure that there is sufficient stock of replacement
sensors at the site to allow for replacement in the event of sensor failure or damage and ensure
continuity of monitoring throughout the works.
▪ All monitoring equipment is to be maintained and calibrated by suitably qualified technicians with
demonstrable experience of installing and maintaining real-time water quality monitoring networks.
▪ Full maintenance and calibration records are to be maintained on-site and made available for audit
and periodic reporting, as required.
▪ In the event that one or more of the monitoring buoys outside the silt curtains returns readings
above the regulatory standard continuously for a period of one (1) hour the following actions are to
be taken:
o Cross-check readings with other monitoring buoys at the marina site and at the reference
buoy to ascertain whether elevated readings are potentially attributable to the dredging
works or reflective of ambient conditions.
o Identify events that may have led to the elevated readings and determine whether they are
likely to continue to occur or reoccur.
o Instigate aerial investigation of the protective barriers at the marina entrance to identify any
potential breaches or damage as indicated by visible sediment plumes.

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o Prepare to instigate management responses if elevated readings above background

conditions continue to be reported.
o If evidence of a breach in the protective barrier is identified, then dredging is to cease until
the damage has been repaired and the physical protective barrier has been reinstated.
▪ Schedule routine visual inspections of sediment control measures to ensure efficacy.
▪ Appropriate dredging and marine construction equipment and methods must be selected and
employed in order to minimise turbidity and suspended sediments. GPS and GIS tools should be
used to help position dredging tools in areas where there will be minimum impacts to marine
ecosystems.
▪ Minimise dredging footprint to an absolute minimum.
▪ The dredge pump will be stopped as soon as possible after the completion of dredging.
▪ Overflow valves of the dredger are to be managed to prevent exceedance of the water quality
guideline values.
▪ All vessels entering the site must be leak free. Vessel maintenance at the site is prohibited. In the
case that emergency vessel maintenance is required on site, then a designated area within the
marina basin will be provided with proper design and equipment to control leaks.
▪ All vessels to reduce speed below 5 knots within nearshore environments to minimise turbidity
generation caused by propeller wash.
▪ Personnel must be trained on spill response measures and with training records maintained for
audit by AMAALA.
▪ All vessels will be equipped with a spill response kit, including booms that can be deployed from
the vessel. All vessel employees will receive training in the appropriate spill response measures in
accordance with the spillage response plan.
▪ Environmentally safe, biodegradable greases and lubricants must be used in all machines working
in the marine environment.
▪ An Emergency Preparedness Response Plan and Spill Contingency Plan will be prepared for
implementation by the Dredging Contractor prior to mobilisation.
▪ Contractor to carry out ultrasonic gauging of pipelines to assess pipe wall thickness prior to
installation and periodically during operation. The testing schedule is to be specified in the
Contractor’s Works Method Statement and testing is to be documented with records maintained at
the site to be made available for audit and / or reporting, as required.
▪ Ensure use of rubber ball joint gaskets at the pipe connections and keep the ball joints suitably
greased to prevent leaks.
▪ Use of real-time SCADA monitoring of pipeline pressure to identify drops in pressure that would be
indicative of pipeline leaks or damage.
▪ In the event the SCADA detects a pressure drop that may indicate pipeline breach, the alignment
is to be immediately surveyed by the drone operator with instigation of the Emergency Response
and Spill Contingency Plan if a leak is detected.
▪ The Contractor’s Emergency Response and Spill Contingency Plan is to include contingency for
reacting to leaks or pipeline breakage.
▪ Contractor to undertake regular in situ visual inspections of the pipeline.
▪ In the event a section of pipeline is showing wear and requires replacement then the relevant
section of the line is to be cleared of dredged material, sealed and then replaced. Operations are
to be enclosed with low permeability silt curtains to contain accidental releases of dredged material.

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▪ Contractor to maintain pipeline testing and maintenance records for individual pieces of pipe and
monitor wear and usage.
▪ All dredging equipment and vessels will be regularly maintained with proper upkeep (e.g.,
lubrication and repair of winches, generators) to reduce the production of underwater noise.
10.6.3 Marine Waters Management Measures – General Vessel Management
▪ The Contractor to develop a marine transportation strategy which minimises journey distance and
number of journeys.
▪ As part of the Marine Traffic and Transportation Management Plan, safe navigation channels and
safe anchorage locations shall be proposed. Areas not designated for work, navigation or
anchorage shall be considered as having restricted access.
▪ Anti-fouling paint on vessels to be MARPOL compliant.
▪ No vessels permitted to dose cooling systems with anti-fouling agents when in service within project
area.
▪ All vessels to disconnect any chemical-dependent anti-fouling systems for engine cooling water
systems.
▪ All servicing of vessels, cleaning of cooling systems etc. to take place at an approved designated
location
▪ Adherence to international maritime protocols for safe marine navigation.
▪ Use of pre-determined navigation routes only.
▪ Vessels should be equipped with adequate navigational equipment, that should be suitable for all
vessel operations and the crew will be fully conversant with the use of such equipment.
▪ The Contractor is to prepare an Anchoring Plan covering all marine construction/dredging activities.
This is to ensure that anchors for the dredger and other large vessels are installed in locations that
avoid impacts to sensitive marine habitats and associated flora and fauna.
▪ Dragging anchors is prohibited at all times.
▪ Damaged or defective noise mitigation components shall be replaced immediately.
▪ Vessel captains to be provided with charts showing location of any sensitive receptors.
▪ All vessels to adhere to speed restrictions in designated zones with restrictions on speed of vessels
to be set for navigation.
▪ Ensure that engines and equipment on board vessels are properly maintained in good working
order.
▪ Use equipment that is in good working order, is maintained in accordance with manufacturer’s
instructions and that meets current best practice for limiting noise emission levels.
▪ A comprehensive risk management system must be established and appropriately resourced by
the contractor to assess biosecurity issues throughout the project and to demonstrate that the risk
of introduction and spread of marine pests / invasive species has been addressed and minimised,
through adequate control of potential introduction pathways.
▪ Introduced Marine Pest risk assessments should be undertaken for all marine equipment which
may have been subject to biological contamination due to previous use and / or transportation to
the project. This includes semi-submersible barges, dumb barges, dredges, multicats, crew transfer
vessels, survey vessels, floating pipeline, dredging equipment that may be previously used in other
aqueous settings, anchorage systems, buoys, data collection systems, etc. and anything else that
may be subject to biological contamination. All vessels and equipment to be thoroughly cleaned of

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biological hazards prior to entering the Project site. Cleaning of all equipment should be
documented, with a photographic record submitted to AMAALA.
▪ Use vessels that have not visited locations where marine pest outbreaks are present, which have
appropriate anti-fouling solutions in place, and which practice appropriate ballast water exchange.
▪ A hull inspection and environmental audit of a minimum of 20% of each contractor’s vessels is
required prior to mobilisation to the site.
▪ If vessels are sourced from outside AMAALA area, a service history should be requested which
includes ballasting history and treatment for biofouling (e.g., details of anti-fouling coating
application) to demonstrate that the risk of introduction and spread of marine pests / invasive
species has been addressed and minimised, through adequate control of potential introduction
pathways.
▪ All ships will be required to implement a ballast water management plan and undertake all ballast
water exchange in compliance with international convention; i.e., International Maritime
Organisation International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships Ballast Water.
▪ Demonstrable compliance with the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from
Ships (the MARPOL Convention 73/78) which prohibits the discharge of ballast waters and
effluents (a major source of IAS), within 12 nautical miles (nm) from the coast.
[Contractor to add/delete water quality control measures, depending on activities being conducted.]
10.7 HAZARDOUS MATERIALS & LAND CONTAMINATION MANAGEMENT MEASURES
▪ Hazardous waste will be stored within labelled skip bins or containers, and not directly on the
ground;
▪ Where available, use non-oil based or plant-based lubricants for shuttering and geotechnical
equipment;
▪ Concrete residue will only be washed out into a properly designed and managed wash-out bay;
▪ All tanks, drums, pipes, and sewage holding tanks will be decommissioned and removed upon
demobilisation from a site;
▪ Sewage tank removal must be overseen as a control point by AMAALA Environmental
Representative. Tanks are not to be demolished at any point while located within AMAALA or Royal
reserve land.
▪ Dewatering discharge will only be carried out in accordance with a permit from AMAALA;
▪ All fuels and liquid chemicals will be kept in sealed and labelled containers, drums, or tanks;
▪ Drums and containers used for fuel or liquid chemical storage (including waste oil, paints, thinners)
will be in good condition and free from rust or damage;
▪ An MSDS will be available in the site office and at the storage site for all chemicals used on site;
▪ Diesel, oil and other fuels and liquid chemicals stored in bulk quantities (500 litres or more) will be
within a bunded area, capable of storing 110% of the largest container in event of a spill, and
ensuring bunds will be structurally sound and sealed to prevent seepage;
▪ All fuel and chemical storage will be above-ground;
▪ Re-fuelling of cars, trucks and easily mobile vehicles will be done at a designated area, over an
impervious concrete pad of sufficient size, so that spills and overflow does not fall onto the ground;
▪ Mobile re-fuelling, i.e. delivery to field equipment/plant by tanker, will only be done where
equipment/plant cannot be easily returned to a designated re-fuelling area. Prior to starting re-
fuelling, a drip tray and ground protective sheet will be placed under the refuelling point;

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▪ Tankers delivering fuel to field-based equipment/plant must have within the vehicle: drip trays,
ground protective sheets; a labelled and sealed container for storing spills;
▪ Spill clean-up kits will be kept near areas used for fuel or liquid chemical storage. Staff will receive
training in the use of spill clean-up kits;
▪ Routine maintenance and repair of mobile equipment/vehicles must be done in a workshop;
▪ Pumps used for dewatering will be placed within metal trays to catch oil/diesel leaks and drips;
▪ Only clean fill will be imported to site, in accordance with a permit from AMAALA;
▪ Sewage holding tanks will be pumped-out frequently to prevent overflow. Piezometers must be
installed to detect leaks with samples to be tested for faecal coliforms.;
▪ Diesel, oil, paint, thinners, and other chemicals will be stored on the site in minimum quantities;
▪ Store in a manner that prevents any potential contamination risks, and in accordance with MSDS
requirements; and
▪ Fill nozzles and hoses must be stored within bunded areas or over concrete when not in use.
[Contractor to add/delete land contamination control measures, depending on activities being conducted.]
10.8 NOISE AND VIBRATION MANAGEMENT MEASURES
▪ Vehicles and equipment including generators and pumps will be well-maintained, and fitted with
mufflers to reduce noise;
▪ All noise or vibration complaints will be investigated and addressed appropriately;
▪ Generators and pumps will be positioned away from labour accommodation, or site offices; and
▪ Transport routes for import of construction materials will be designated to avoid, where possible,
labour accommodation of office areas to minimise and noise and vibration impacts.
[Contractor to add/delete noise and vibration control measures, depending on activities being conducted.]
10.9 PLANTS AND ANIMALS MANAGEMENT MEASURES
10.9.1 General Management Measures

▪ Specific conditions related to the protection of animals and plants from the ESIA will be
implemented as directed under the specific management plans [contractor to list specific
requirements];
▪ Plants and animals (both native and introduced) will not be directly or indirectly harmed (damaged,
hurt or killed), except where this is part of the contract scope;
▪ Existing vegetation will be kept on site, where possible;
▪ Native wildlife (animals), including snakes, will not be handled and/or killed, in accordance with
KSA law;
▪ Pesticides will only be used where necessary, and will be selected considering ecological toxicity;
▪ Pesticides and fertilisers will be stored, mixed, and applied in accordance with manufacturer’s
recommendations and so that there is no overspray (mist) contacting non-target areas, or no
ground runoff of excess liquid into drains, waterways and away from target areas;
▪ Where animals may be harmed or threatened, or are interfering with construction works or pose a
safety risk to workers, a contracted wildlife specialist or ecologist will be contacted to arrange for
the animal to be moved off-site;
▪ If injured or dead animals are encountered on site, a contracted wildlife specialist or ecologist will
be contacted and AMAALA’s environmental representative will be informed;

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▪ No works will be conducted in protected or sensitive areas (marine or terrestrial), without prior
approval. [Drawing illustrating protected and sensitive areas and designated setbacks to be
included]; and
▪ Topsoil will be graded and stored separately for later reuse in landscaping, to preserve natural
seedbanks.
10.9.2 Marine Fauna and Habitat Management Measures

▪ Marine works are not permitted during coral mass spawning events.
▪ If environmental monitoring during marine construction activities identifies more than 10% of live
coral bleaching along fixed monitoring transects, potential turbidity generating activities (including
rock placement and vessel movements in shallow water) should be halted until daily average sea
surface temperatures fall below 30°C (as measured by the real-time monitoring stations).
▪ Coral bleaching should be assessed during each ecology survey, with additional bleaching
assessments undertaken on reefs next to work areas on a weekly basis if daily average sea surface
temperatures exceed 31°C and on a daily basis when temperatures exceed 32°C (as measured by
the real-time monitoring stations).
▪ Prevent potentially environmentally harmful activities from being undertaken on-site (e.g.,
employees fishing, swimming or washing in the shallow waters around the site).
▪ Depending in the scale, nature and location of the activities, the Contractor may be required by
AMAALA to develop a Protected Species Management Plan (PSMP) for the project. The Plan
would be reviewed and approved by AMAALA before commencement of works. Contractor to
ensure adequate resourcing and that appropriate personnel are trained in the requirements of the
Plan
▪ No anchoring in seagrass, coral reefs or any other areas that that have been defined as sensitive
or vulnerable habitat.
▪ Depending in the scale, nature and location of the activities, the Contractor may be required to
establish a marine megafauna reporting protocol for coastal and open waters. This should include
informing other vessels of marine fauna observations as they occur and ensuring that all vessels
and marine work areas are updated on the local presence of mammals or turtles on a daily basis
and as observations occur.
▪ AMAALA staff will have stop-work authority in the event of a vessel strike or reported mortality of
marine mammals, cetaceans and / or turtles.
▪ All captains and crew shall receive initial and on-going training regarding awareness of marine
megafauna and their likely presence within waters, as well as appropriate protocols following an
observation.
▪ Contractors staff, sub-contractors and visitors shall be provided with relevant marine environmental
awareness training. Appropriate actions to be communicated through inductions and toolbox talk
sessions.
▪ Verifiable evidence to be submitted to AMAALA to demonstrate appropriate training once marine
works have commenced.
▪ When in operation, vessels to have a designated, certified Protected Species Observer (PSO) with
clearly defined roles and responsibilities and with stop-work authority keeping active watch for
protected species including marine mammals, turtles and other megafauna. Appropriate avoidance
measures to be undertaken by all vessels, in line with instructions by the PSO and / or project
requirements, unless unsafe to do so.
▪ A PSO shall be present for all marine works, to ensure that species of interest that may enter the
work area are not harmed in any way.

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▪ All PSOs to be Arabian Marine Species Observer (AMSO) certified as a minimum.

▪ Any injury to marine megafauna shall be recorded and reported to AMAALA within 24 hours.
▪ Small vessels operating at the site should be jet-powered or fitted with propeller guards.
▪ Contractor to establish a procedure for checking the presence of trapped animals, especially
marine mammals, turtles or dugongs within the project work area. The PSO must report to AMAALA
any observations.
▪ Contractor’s staff and any sub-contractors shall not cause wilful or reckless harm to any marine
animals.
▪ Activities within the marine environment which may produce underwater noise shall require
supervision by a Marine Mammal Observer (MMO) / PSO. MMO / PSO will utilise passive acoustic
monitoring (PAM) as appropriate. All observations will require the completion of daily record
observation logs.
▪ A PSO shall watch for 30 minutes prior to start of any significant noise generating activity. If a
species of interest is observed within 500 m of activity (exclusion zone), operations will not
commence until no sightings have been made for a minimum 20 minutes. If a there is a break of
more than 10 minutes during noise generating activities, a PSO observation period of 30 minutes
and a soft-start should be undertaken.
▪ If there is a pause in marine construction/dredging operations for greater than 10 minutes, then the
pre-dredging search and soft-start procedure should be repeated before the activity recommences.
However, if a watch has been kept during construction/dredging activities, the MMO/PSO or PAM
operative should be able to confirm the presence or absence of marine mammals, and it may be
possible to commence the soft-start immediately.
▪ If a marine mammal or reptile is observed within 300 metres of an active dredging vessel, the
following noise controls shall be instigated by the designated observer:
o Ceasing/reducing the pumping rate;
o Lifting the drag-head off the seafloor but continuing to pump;
o Ceasing dredging and lifting drag-head off the seafloor; and
o Reduction in propulsion effort.
▪ Light levels from dredging works and vessels will be limited to what is necessary for the health and
safety of those on board and for spotting marine megafauna at night. The light should not be
disruptive to the marine fauna outside of the immediate work area.
▪ Contractor to avoid unnecessary lighting to prevent light pollution and light spill onto the marine
and terrestrial environment. No lighting shall spill upwards to add to sky glow. Light beams should
be directed away from sensitive receptors.
[Contractor to add/delete plant and animal management measures, depending on activities being
conducted.]
10.10 HERITAGE MANAGEMENT MEASURES
▪ Specific conditions related to the protection of cultural heritage items from the ESIA will be
implemented as directed under the contract [contractor to list specific requirements];
▪ When work is conducted near identified heritage items, the items will be clearly marked with
temporary flagging or fencing prior to the commencement of works;
▪ When work is conducted near identified heritage items, an exclusion zone will be created around
the items to prevent damage by excavation, vehicle movement and vibration, resulting from
vehicles and equipment;

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▪ The possible or confirmed existence of heritage objects or places, known as Chance Finds, and
the responsibility to report any suspected heritage discoveries, will be communicated to all staff
including machinery operators;
▪ The discovery of any potential heritage items (Chance Finds) will be reported through the
supervisor, to the Project Management Team and AMAALA’s Environmental Representative or
AMAALA Environment Representatives for further instructions; and
▪ It is noted that Chance Finds can include:
▫ Evidence of historical occupation (such as aged building remains), fishing artefacts,
shipwrecks, pottery, flint, and other tools;
▫ Evidence of early industrial heritage;
▫ Articles of religious heritage value; and
▫ Items or places of importance to the early inhabitants of the site.
▪ Where such Chance Finds are discovered works will be stopped in the specific area until approval
to proceed is granted by the AMAALA representative; and
▪ A Chance Find reporting form will be completed by the Contractor and forwarded to AMAALA.
AMAALA will report the finding to the Ministry of Culture who will determine the next steps to
managing the site.
[Contractor to add/delete heritage management measures, depending on activities being conducted.]
10.11 EROSION AND SEDIMENT CONTROL MEASURES
▪ Discharge from dewatering will be done in accordance with an approval from AMAALA to prevent
excessive sediment discharge or erosion;
▪ Concrete batching and washout of concrete mixing equipment will be controlled to prevent the
potential release of sediment into wadis or marine waters;
▪ Sediment will be contained within the site boundaries during rainstorms and prevented from
escaping into wadis and the sea;
▪ Sediment will be prevented from being carried on the wheels or underside of vehicles and
equipment onto sealed roads when they exit the site;
▪ Surface grading will be carried out as part of demobilisation to prevent concentrated surface runoff
or stormwater flows; and
▪ Where working within or adjacent to wadis control measures will be implemented to prevent erosion
during rainfall events.
[Contractor to add/delete erosion and sediment control measures, depending on activities being
conducted.]
10.12 TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT MEASURES
▪ Vehicles used on site will be well maintained to ensure efficient fuel consumption and minimal
emission of air pollutants and noise;
▪ No parking of any vehicles will be permitted over underground sewage holdings tanks. Adequate
space for parking of sewage pump-out trucks (tankers) will be allocated adjacent to, but not directly
over, underground sewage holding tanks;
▪ Vehicles leaving site will not spread mud, soil, or dirt onto public roads. Any mud, soil or dirt which
has been spread onto public roads will be removed and cleaned promptly;
▪ All vehicle movements on site will be in accordance with the Traffic Management Plan for the project
which has been approved by the Project Management Team or AMAALA;

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▪ Vehicles will only travel on designated roads, to limit dust generation near residents and
unnecessary disturbance of plants and animals;
▪ Entry and exit points from the work area will be clearly designated, and fencing or other traffic
barriers will be put in place, to limit uncontrolled movement of traffic over undisturbed land;
▪ Concrete trucks delivering concrete to site must drive to a designated wash out area.;
▪ Truck hauling fill or other dusty materials will be covered, and loads will be kept below the top of
the truck walls. A tarpaulin will be used to control dust; and
▪ Diesel tankers providing on-site re-fuelling to vehicles and equipment (i.e. mobile re-fuelling) will
carry on board at all times:
▫ Drip tray/s;
▫ Ground protective sheet/s;
▫ A labelled, sealable container for storing spilled fuel;
▫ Equipment such as funnels for transferring fuel captured in drip trays into the storage drum;
▫ A suitable diesel/oil spill clean-up kit; and
▫ A shovel for use in diesel/oil spill clean-up.
[Contractor to add/delete traffic management measures, depending on activities being conducted.]
10.13 SOCIAL IMPACT MANAGEMENT MEASURES
▪ Vehicles used to transport workers to and from the site will have current registration and must be
air conditioned and well maintained;
▪ Toilets and other ablutions will be provided early during mobilisation activities, throughout contract
works, and up to the last stage of site demobilisation, so that staff always have access to such
facilities;
▪ The layout of site compound and labour accommodation will consider placement of facilities such
as sewage holding tanks, sewage tanker parking areas, waste storage and collection facilities, and
generators, to limit impacts from odour/diesel fumes, noise and vibration on offices and sleeping
areas;
▪ The choice of materials for boundary fencing will take into account the surrounding land use. For
sites in or directly adjacent to labour accommodation - a solid fence providing security, safety, visual
barrier, and partial acoustic attenuation will be used. For sites in more remote areas or adjacent to
other construction sites – a chain link or similar fencing may be sufficient);
▪ All contractor activities, equipment and material storage will be confined to the allocated area
identified by the Project Management Team;
▪ Treated sewerage effluent (TSE) used for irrigation will be delivered through drip irrigation systems
only, to limit run-off beyond the irrigated area and potential aerosol delivery of pathogens within
accommodation areas;
▪ Waste and recyclables will be stored in labelled containers or skip bins, and not stockpiled directly
on unsealed ground;
▪ Sufficient space will be allocated for waste collection vehicles;
▪ The removal of waste and recyclables from the site will be scheduled so that there are always
sufficient skips available for use on site, and that skips/containers do not overfill;
▪ Food waste bins will have lids;
▪ Any temporary waste or recyclables storage areas (not contained in bins or containers) will be
covered and/or surround by a screen mesh fence to prevent it being wind-blown across the site
and into wadis, marine waters, or adjacent land;

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▪ Open ground will not be used for sanitary purposes such as bathing, toilet, cooking, washing dishes
or other items, laundry, or other activities that pose potential risks to human health and the local
environment;
▪ Sewage holding tanks, plumbing and associated wastewater facilities will be inspected regularly
and well-maintained at all times to ensure sanitary conditions; and
▪ Local services, workforce, etc., will be used as appropriate to maximise benefit to the local
economy.
[Contractor to add/delete social impact management measures, depending on activities being conducted.]

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ANNEX A: SUMMARY OF ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATIONS AND

REQUIREMENTS FOR AMAALA CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTORS

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INTRODUCTION
The potential environmental impacts of the activities addressed in this CESMP were assessed through an
Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA). A range of mitigation measures have been
developed through the ESIA process, through the Contractor’s risk management planning, and with
consideration for any Conditions of Approval issued by National Center for Environmental Compliance
(NCEC) in approving the activities. The preparation of the ESIA considered the following:
▪ Policies, laws, and regulations applicable to the environmental and social aspects of the project
▪ Environmental standards prescribed under national legislation that shall apply to the project;
▪ Approvals, licenses and permits required for the project as stipulated under national legislation;
▪ International conventions to which KSA is a signatory that shall apply to the project; and
▪ Best practices and standards, including IFC Performance Standards.
Aligned with this approach, the preparation of this CESMP and the prescribed method of execution of the
management measures also consider the same standards, regulations, policies, and conventions. An
overview of the standards, regulations and policies that are relevant to the preparation and implementation
of this CESMP is provided below.
The format and content of this CESMP has been developed to support AMAALA’s Environmental
Management System (EMS) (in preparation) under ISO 14001. The EMS is a management tool that enables
AMAALA to identify and control the environmental impact of its activities and services; to continuously
improve its environmental performance; and to set and achieve environmental objectives and targets.
SAUDI ARABIA ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATORY FRAMEWORK
NATIONAL CENTER FOR ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE
Under the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture (MEWA), NCEC is the consent authority for all
AMAALA development proposals.
NCEC oversees and enforces environmental affairs in KSA. This responsibility is executed through:
▪ a set of regulations known as the General Environmental Regulation and Rules for Implementation
(GERRI), enacted by Royal Decree in 2001. Link:
https://elaw.org/system/files/attachments/publicresource/saudiarabia.General%20Environmental
%20Regulations.pdf?_ga=2.202322385.1550030270.1584000600-750610768.1584000600 ; and
▪ a set of twenty environmental standards that were prepared and published under the then General
Authority of Meteorology and Environmental Protection (GAMEP – known now as NCEC) (see
Table A-1).
Table A-1 Environmental Standards
No. Environmental Standard No. Environmental Standard

1 Material Recovery and Recycling of Waste 11 Biological Treatment – Design and Operation
2 Mobile Source Emissions 12 Waste Regulatory Control and Alignment
3 Environmental Noise 13 Waste Handling and Storage
4 Control of Emissions to Air from Stationary 14 Waste training & assessment of technical
Sources competence of operators
5 Prevention of Major Accidents 15 Waste Transportation
6 Storage and Material Reclamation Facilities 16 Landfill Design and Operation
– Design & Operation

CESMP Project Name
No. Environmental Standard No. Environmental Standard

7 Thermal Treatment and Incineration – 17 Industrial and Municipal Wastewater
Design and Operation Discharges
8 Waste Acceptance Criteria 18 Best practicable environment option for waste
disposal
9 Waste Classification 19 Ambient Air Quality
10 Drinking Water Quality 20 Ambient Water Quality
COMMITTEE OF EIGHT
If a proposed development activity lies between the coastline and 400 m inland then the consent of the
Permanent Committee of Coastal Zone Environment Protection (Committee of Eight) must be obtained for
the ESIA. In determining an ESIA, the Committee of Eight may issue Conditions of Approval that must be
addressed through the implementation of the CESMP. The Committee of Eight comprises the following
eight government entities:
▪ The General Authority for Meteorology and Environmental Protection;
▪ The Ministry of Finance;
▪ The Ministry of Energy;
▪ The General Directorate of Fish Resources;
▪ The General Directorate of Border Guard;
▪ The Saudi Wildlife Authority;
▪ The Ministry of Tourism; and
▪ The Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs / (Municipality of the Area).
PRINCE MOHAMMED BIN SALMAN ROYAL RESERVE (PMBSRR).
AMAALA is situated within the Prince Mohammed Bin Salman Royal Reserve. As such, AMAALA must
engage with the Board of Reserves during the ESIA process and CESMP preparation, and on a regular
basis during the construction phase to provide an account of all current and proposed activities and
management measures.
INTERNATIONAL FINANCE CORPORATION (IFC)
IFC PERFORMANCE STANDARDS
Along with KSA Environmental Law, AMAALA has adopted the International Finance Corporation (IFC)
requirements as the guiding principles for assessing potential environmental impacts of the Project. The
IFC Environmental and Social Performance Standards (see Table A-2) define the responsibilities for
managing environmental and social risks and guide the ESIA process and CESMP preparation.

CESMP Project Name
Table A-2 IFC Performance Standards
IFC Standard
Assessment and Management of
Land Acquisition and Involuntary
PS 1 Environmental and Social Risks and PS5
Resettlement
Impacts
Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable
PS 2 Labour and Working Conditions PS6
Management of Living Natural Resources
Resource Efficiency and Pollution
PS 3 PS7 Indigenous People
Prevention
PS 4 Community Health, Safety and Security PS8 Cultural Heritage
Link: https://www.ifc.org/wps/wcm/connect/topics_ext_content/ifc_external_corporate_site/sustainability-at-ifc/policies-standards/es-
categorization
IFC INDUSTRY SPECIFIC HEALTH AND SAFETY GUIDELINES
Further to the Performance Standards, the IFC has developed Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS)
guidelines. The guidelines relevant to the preparation of this CESMP include:
▪ EHS General Guidelines (2007), including but are not limited to:
▫ Air Emissions and Ambient Air Quality;
▫ Energy Conservation;
▫ Wastewater and Ambient Water Quality;
▫ Waste Management;
▫ Hazardous Materials Management;
▫ Occupational Health and Safety;
▫ Water and Sanitation; and
▫ Community Health and Safety.
IFC SOCIAL AND STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT GUIDELINES
The IFC Social and Stakeholder Engagement guidelines relevant to the preparation of this CESMP include:
▪ 2007 Stakeholder Engagement Handbook;
▪ 2009 Good Practice Note Addressing Grievances from Project-Affected Communities;
▪ 2009 Handbook for Addressing Project-Induced In-Migration; and
▪ 2009 Introduction to Health Impact Assessment.
INTERNATIONAL AND REGIONAL CONVENTIONS AND PROTOCOLS
Saudi Arabia has ratified or is a signatory to numerous international agreements and conventions. Those
agreements and conventions relevant to the preparation and implementation of this CESMP are listed in
Table A-3.

CESMP Project Name
Table A-3 Treaties, Conventions and Protocols
Treaties, Conventions, and

Focus
Protocols
Stockholm Convention (2001) Protection of human health and the environment from persistent
organic pollutants (POPs).
Rotterdam Convention (1998) International cooperation on the management of hazardous chemicals.
Agenda 21 of the UN conference Agenda 21 is a comprehensive plan of action aimed at achieving global
on Environment and sustainable development.
Development, 1992
Convention Concerning the The Convention recognizes the way in which people interact with
Protection of the World Culturalnature, and the fundamental need to preserve the balance between the
and Natural Heritage 1972 two. The Convention defines the kind of natural or cultural sites which
(World Heritage Convention) can be considered for inscription on the World Heritage List.
UN Convention to Combat Land degradation/desertification is a major economic, social and
Desertification, 1977 environmental problem of concern to many countries in all regions of
the world.
Vienna Convention for the International reductions in the production of chlorofluorocarbons due to
Protection of the Ozone Layer, their contribution to the destruction of the ozone layer, resulting in an
1985 increased threat of skin cancer.
Basel Convention on the Control Protection of human health and the environment against the adverse
of Transboundary Movements of effects of hazardous wastes.
Hazardous Wastes and their
Disposal, 1989
Convention on International CITES is an international agreement between governments. Its aim is
Trade in Endangered Species of to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and
Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) plants does not threaten their survival.
Convention on Biological The Convention on Biological Diversity has three main goals:
Diversity, 1992 conservation of biodiversity; sustainable use of biodiversity; fair and
equitable sharing of the benefits arising from the use of genetic
resources.
UN Framework Convention on The objective of the treaty is to stabilize greenhouse gas (GHG)
Climate Change, 1992 and the concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent
Paris Agreement (UN dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system.
Framework Convention on
Climate Change), 2016
UN Educational, Scientific and The UNESCO Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural
Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Heritage, adopted in 2001, is intended to enable States to better
protect their submerged cultural heritage.
Convention for the Safeguarding Safeguard and raise awareness of intangible cultural heritage.
of the Intangible Cultural
Heritage, 2003.
The Montreal Protocol on Protection of the stratospheric ozone layer by phasing out the
Substances that Deplete the production and consumption of ozone-depleting substances.
Ozone Layer, 1987
Kyoto Protocol to the UN Parties in Annex I of the FCCC agreed to commitments with a view to
Framework Convention on reducing their overall emissions of six GHGs by at least 5% below
Climate Change (FCCC), 1997 1990 levels between 2008 and 2012. The protocol also establishes
emissions trading, joint implementation between developed countries,
and a "clean development mechanism" to encourage joint emissions
reduction projects between developed and developing countries.

CESMP Project Name
AMAALA POLICIES AND MANUALS
AMAALA works under a set of policies and manuals to achieve high quality tourism development objectives
through rigorous and standardized procedures. Those policies and manuals relevant to the preparation and
implementation of this CESMP are listed in Table A-4. The Contractor must refer to the current versions of
these policies at the time of CESMP preparation or revision.
Table A-4 AMAALA Policies
Policy Description
Change Management The purpose of the Change Management Manual is to define the Change Management
Manual process for AMAALA projects. Standards, policies, and procedures in the document
form the basis of the Change Management System and shall be applied to the Project.
The primary objective of this document is to ensure a structured, efficient, and
controlled management of change to reduce risk to the Project’s goals and objectives
throughout its lifecycle.
Construction The purpose of the Construction Management Manual (CMM) is to define the
Management Manual construction management process for the AMAALA Project.
Th manual describes the delivery department’s role during the planning, design, and
construction process as broken into district phases: design, tender/procurement,
delivery, completion / hand-over, operations / warranty period
Environmental The purpose of this Manual is to define the environmental management processes for
Management Manual the AMAALA Projects.
The objective is to enhance the built environment and, during construction, to minimise
the environmental impacts.
Safety, Health and The Manual defines the safety, health and environmental aspects of the AMAALA
Environment Projects.
Management The purpose of the manual is to prevent work related injuries or illnesses, damage to
property, equipment or the environment arising from project and operational activities
Quality Management The Manual defines the best practice approach for quality management for the
Manual AMAALA Projects.
It also provides an understanding of the control systems for documentation, record
keeping, design, construction works, close-out and handover.
Sustainability The Manual defines the sustainability management procedures and policies and
Management Manual considers the environmental, social, and economic impacts during construction,
operation, and maintenance i.e., the whole lifecycle of the development.
It also provides an understanding of sustainability evaluations tools, project
management tools, technology innovation and integration, supply chain management
and sustainable material procurement.

CESMP Project Name
ANNEX B: SITE ENVIRONMENTAL INSPECTION CHECKLIST

WEEKLY SITE ENVIRONMENTAL INSPECTION CHECKLIST
Project Name:
Company Name: Inspection Date:
Inspection By (name): Signature:
ENVIRONMENTAL INSPECTION CRITERIA OK?

Where site conditions are non-compliant, give details under “Comments” ✓ or X
Toilets and Wash Areas - all sewage holding tanks must be emptied regularly to prevent over filling and waste
waters from contaminating soil. The sewage holding tank and pipes must not have any cracks or leaks. Sewage
holding tank lids must be kept in place. Records must be kept for all tanker pump-out and sewage disposal.
1. Sewage holding tanks are not full and are regularly pumped out?
2. Sewage holding tanks and pipes are well maintained – no cracks or visible leakage?
3. Records of sewage disposal/tanker pump-out are kept?
Comments:
Waste and Recycling - waste and recyclables must never be stored directly on the ground. Waste must be
regularly removed from site by a NCEC approved waste contractor, and all records must be kept to demonstrate
legal disposal. There must be a sufficient number of litter bins to discourage workers dropping rubbish on the
ground. Contractors must store recyclable waste separately.
4. General waste stored in bins, skips or in other contained areas?
5. No overfull bins or skips, or waste stockpiling?
6. Waste transport and disposal records kept?
7. Site is free from litter?
8. Recyclable waste stored separately?
Comments:
Fuel and Chemical Storage - containers of fuel, paints and chemicals must never be stored directly on the
ground in any quantity. Quantities over 500 litres (combined quantity) must be kept within a properly designed
and constructed bund. Liquid fuels and chemicals must always be stored in their original container and must be
clearly labelled.
9. Fuel, paint, and chemicals with a combined volume of more than 500 litres are stored in a
properly constructed bund – correct size bund, bund walls are structurally sound, walls sealed
if required?
10. Bund is well maintained – for example, no accumulated water or spills inside, no visible
cracks?
11. No other items stored in the bund, other than tank/drums and fuel dispensing hose?
12. No visible soil contamination in the area?
13. Do bulk storage tanks have signage indicating contents and quantity of stored liquids?
14. All minor fuel/chemical storage (combined total less than 500 litres) is stored in sealed
containers, and on a sealed surface (such as a metal drip tray or a concrete pad)?
15. Emergency spill kit is available; MSDS available; relevant staff have been trained in usage?
Comments:
ENVIRONMENTAL INSPECTION CHECKLIST
PAGE 1 OF 2

Soil - soil contamination must be prevented. Measures such as drip trays must be put in place to prevent soil
contamination. If soil contamination is present, contractors must comply with NCEC requirements.
16. Generators and pumps are located on a concrete pad or within a metal drip tray?
17. Generator, concrete pads, and drip trays well maintained – for example, concrete pads are not
cracked, drip trays are empty?
18. Used oil/fuel filters are drained over a container, prior to recycling or disposal?
19. Vehicle maintenance carried out over a protective ground surface (concrete pad, drip tray,
plastic mat)?
20. Concrete trucks/equipment are washed into a purpose-built wash bay, or off-site at a proper
facility?
21. No visible soil contamination or other potential sources of contamination?
22. Erosion and sedimentation control measures in place if relevant?
Comments:
Dust and Air - unsealed roads must be wetted as required to reduce dust. Trucks carrying soil must not be filled
above the top of the tray walls, and loads must be covered. Activities must be monitored to make sure excessive
dust is not created. Vehicle and machinery must be maintained to prevent excessive smoky exhaust.
23. Trucks carrying soil have got their loads covered, and are not overfilled?
24. Water trucks are used as required for wetting down roads?
25. Dust control measures are in place for sensitive areas (such as residents, offices, schools)?
26. No excessive dark exhaust from generators, pumps, other equipment, or vehicles?
Comments:
Noise - noise limits must not be exceeded. Work which will result in high noise levels needs to be scheduled so
that it will cause minimum disturbance to labour accommodation and offices. Noisy equipment must be substituted
for quieter models.
27. Noisy plant/equipment is being located away from sensitive areas (turtle beaches)?
28. Noisy activities carried out in accordance with Noise Management Plan?
29. All heavy vehicles and equipment fitted with effective mufflers?
30. Plant and equipment do not generate excessive noise (well maintained), no unnecessary
idling?
Comments:
Flora and Fauna - It is illegal to harm or capture any native wildlife without Government approval. Contractors
must not attempt to trap wildlife - contact AMAALA for advice.
31. Location of vegetation on site is known?
32. Protection zones established in accordance with conservation setbacks?
33. Adequate gaps in site fencing to allow trapped animals to escape?
34. Temporary dewatering ponds have gentles slopes and fences to prevent animals drowning?
Comments:
Other – for example: use of hazardous materials may generate hazardous wastes (e.g. asbestos piping); Permit
required for dewatering; there may be potential for archaeological/heritage discoveries at some sites.
35. Any other potential or existing environmental problems?
Comments:
ENVIRONMENTAL INSPECTION CHECKLIST
PAGE 2 OF 2

CESMP Project Name
ANNEX C: ENVIRONMENTAL AUDIT CHECKLIST

ENVIRONMENTAL AUDIT CHECKLIST
Project Name:
Company Name: Audit Date:
Auditor Name/s
Signature:
and Position/s:
Auditee Name/s
Signature:
and Position/s:
ENVIRONMENTAL AUDIT CRITERIA OK?

Where records, documents or systems are non-compliant, give details under “Comments” ✓ or X
Site environmental inspection records – environmental inspection checklists completed for each week in the
audit period, reports to project management, evidence on corrective actions addressing non-compliances
completed in the nominated time frame
1. Is there a completed environmental inspection checklist for each week kept on file?
2. Are there any corrective actions outstanding by more than 7 days?
3. Is correspondence or records available showing that Management has received copies of
weekly environmental inspections, and updates on outstanding corrective actions?
Comments/Corrective Actions:
Environmental audits –status of corrective actions arising from previous environmental audits, completeness of
audit records, audit reports issued and filed
4. All corrective actions from previous environmental audits signed-off as complete, by due date?
5. Environmental audits completed within 6 months of the last audit, or 3 months from start of
work?
Waste and recyclables collection and disposal records – all records available for sewage tank pump-outs,
recycling waste collection, and general waste collection
6. Sewage holding tank pump-outs - are receipts, invoices or other records kept on file?
7. Waste oil that has been removed from site - are receipts, invoices or other records kept on
file?
8. Recycling waste that has been removed from site - are receipts, invoices or other records kept
on file?
9. General waste that has been removed from site - are receipts, invoices or other records kept
on file?
10. On and off-site disposal practices recorded?
PAGE 1 OF 2
CESMP – current CESMP version has been reviewed and distributed as required
11. Has the CESMP been reviewed as necessary to address changes in work/conditions or
procedures?
12. Does AMAALA have a copy of the current version of the CESMP?
13. Is “CESMP” introduced during the site environmental induction training?
Environmental training records – Environmental training register up-to-date, refresher training up-to-date,
mandatory training completed (Site induction, CESMP)
14. Is the Environmental Training Register up to date with most recent environmental records?
15. Is there any environmental re-fresher (update) training that is overdue
16. Are copies of the Training Attendance Records kept on file?
17. Have all Senior Managers, Site Managers and Engineers, Contractor Environmental
Representative, and Supervisors received training in environmental training (this is a
mandatory requirement)?
Environmental incident and grievance records – Incident reports completed; grievances register up-to-date,
corrective actions completed by due date
18. Have corrective actions arising from incidents or grievances been completed by due date?
19. Have all incidents been reported using environmental incident report form?
20. Is the Environmental Grievances Register up to date, with all grievances recorded?
21. Have complainants been kept informed of progress of grievance resolution?
Other – any other comments or positive initiatives?
22. Are all permits still valid?

23. Have any notices or fines been received from authorities regrading non-compliance?
24. Have all issues related to Item 23 been closed?
PAGE 2 OF 2
CESMP Project Name
ANNEX D: ENVIRONMENTAL TRAINING ATTENDANCE FORM

ENVIRONMENTAL TRAINING ATTENDANCE SHEET
(print and use this form for each Induction/Training session; keep originals of completed forms)
Training Module or Topic

Date
Location of Training
Presenter’s Name
Project/Work Group being trained
Contact telephone
Attendee name Company Position AMAALA project Signature
no.
PAGE 1 OF 2
Contact telephone
Attendee name Company Position AMAALA project Signature
no.
PAGE 2 OF 2
CESMP Project Name
ANNEX E: ENVIRONMENTAL TRAINING REGISTER – TRAINING TOPICS

ENVIRONMENTAL TRAINING REGISTER – TRAINING TOPICS
(this table format could be entered into Microsoft Excel to allow simplified sorting functions)
Completion Refresher
Name of Training Number of Training Location of
Date of Training Results (i.e. Training
Module/Topics Attendees Presenter Training
test score) Date
PAGE 1 OF 1
CESMP Project Name
ANNEX F: ENVIRONMENTAL INCIDENT REPORT FORM

ENVIRONMENTAL INCIDENT REPORT FORM
(print and use this form to report environmental incidents; keep originals of completed forms)
Question Response Guide

Head contractor and subcontractor
1. Contractor Name:
involved.
AMAALA project, phase, and
2. Project/Construction Site:
development site.
If incident was not observed but
3. Date and Time of Incident: reported to the contractor include
the reporting date.
4. Incident First
Who identified the incident?
Observed/Reported By:
Describe what happened at the
5. Incident Details – what incident, trying to quantify as much
happened? as possible (for example, volumes
of liquid spilt).
What activities were occurring at
6. Incident Details – what activity
the time of incident (for example,
was occurring at the time of the
unloading drums, refuelling
incident?
vehicle, bulldozing)?
7. Incident Details – provide
names of those involved in the
Name of individual and the name
incident (including any other
of the company they work for.
contractors/personnel not
working for the contractor):
Describe the weather conditions
8. Incident Details – weather at
(for example, rain, wind speed and
the time of the incident?
direction, dust storm, king tide).
Where on the project site did the
9. Incident Details – location of
incident occur? Include GPS
incident on the site?
coordinates if possible.
10. Likely receivers at the What is the neighbouring land use,
incident site and surrounding where sensitive receivers affected
areas (e.g. coral reef, offices)?
What was the immediate response
to the incident (for example,
11. Immediate Actions:
replaced lid on container,
instructed noisy work to stop)?
12. Who was the incident
Incident reporting by phone, within
reported to? (company name
12 hours of the incident occurring.
and person’s name/position):
What further actions were taken in
13. Short-term incident Control
response to the incident, including
and Clean-Up Actions:
third party help?
What longer-term actions are
needed to prevent the incident
14. Later or long-term Corrective
recurring, or to remediate impacts
and Preventative Actions:
(for example, staff training, and
relocation of animals)?
TEMPLATE ENVIRONMENTAL INCIDENT REPORT
PAGE 1 OF 1
Question Response Guide
15. Due Dates and Person(s)
When will actions described above
Responsible for Corrective and
be done by and who will do them?
Preventative Actions:
16. Samples or Photos Taken Were water or soil samples taken,
(and results/prints attached): photos available?
17. Report Prepared By: Name and Signature
Should be within 48 hours of
18. Date of Report:
incident occurring
PAGE 2 OF 2
CESMP Project Name
ANNEX G: ENVIRONMENTAL INCIDENT REGISTER

ENVIRONMENTAL INCIDENT REGISTER
(this table format could be entered into Microsoft Excel to allow easy sorting functions)
Incident Corrective/
Date Date and Due Date Samples Incident
Incident Report Immediate Preventative
and Time Incident Reported Reported for or Closed –
Type/ Incident Details Form Actions Actions +
Time of Incident Location By To Corrective Photos Date and
Category Submitted? Taken Person
Incident Reported Actions Taken Name
(yes/no) Responsible
PAGE 1 OF 1
CESMP Project Name
ANNEX H: FUEL AND LIQUID CHEMICAL SPILL RESPONSE PROCEDURE

PROCEDURE - FUEL and LIQUID CHEMICAL SPILL RESPONSE
1. MAKE SAFE
1.1 Safety is always the first consideration.
1.2 Stop people and vehicles passing through or near the spill area (using traffic markers/barricades).
1.3 Prohibit smoking in the vicinity of the spill. Eliminate all ignition sources (for example, engines and live electrical
equipment) and ventilate the area to prevent build-up of fumes.
1.4 Use appropriate personal protective equipment, for example chemical resistant gloves, safety goggles.
2. CONTAIN AND CONTROL FUEL/CHEMICALS
2.1 Stop the flow of fuel or chemicals from the source (by rolling the leaking drum, closing valves, applying putty to
seal a leak, or other safe method).
2.2 Stop the liquid from entering drains, waterways, sewers, ducts, or other sensitive receptors as follows:
▪ Place barriers around the source with absorbent materials (for example, particulate, socks, mats). Follow
manufacturer’s instructions for use. Never use saw dust as an absorbent, as it increases fire hazard;
▪ Divert fuel/chemicals into another container or an area where it can be contained (with a sealed base);
▪ Place barriers around drains, waterways, sewers, ducts, or other, with absorbent materials (for example,
socks, pads) and
▪ Prevent the spread of fuel/chemicals on water by placing floating booms or absorbent socks on the water.
3. REPORT THE INCIDENT (and GET HELP)
3.1 Notify the contractor’s supervisor on duty (and the Environmental Representative) about the fuel/chemical spill.
3.2 Get help to contain the spill from additional personnel at site, if needed. If the spill cannot be contained using
spill response materials or equipment on site, or if fuel or liquid chemicals (including oil) has escaped onto
public roads, drains or watercourses, call Civil Defence (Fire) for help: telephone 998.
3.3 Notify AMAALA Environment Department by telephone. AMAALA Environment Department will decide whether
the regulator should be notified, however, if Civil Defence has been called, then it is likely that the regulator will
need to be notified.
3.4 Additional useful contacts are listed below:
Site Security [enter office number] [enter mobile number]
Project Management Team [enter office number] [enter mobile number]
Civil Defence 998
Police 999
Ambulance 997
4. CLEAN UP
4.1 Collect all used absorbent materials, by shovelling or sweeping loose particulate absorbent, or picking up used
booms, socks, or mats. Collect all used personal protective equipment and other associated waste.
4.2 Absorbents used for soaking up diesel or oil may be disposed of as general waste, provided there is no dripping
or free liquid oil, and the oil does not contain other contaminants. Disposal of absorbents used to collect other
chemicals must be assessed on a case-by-case basis, in accordance with relevant regulations and guidelines,
and possibly disposed of in hazardous waste landfill.
4.3 Residual oil on hard surfaces (for example, concrete) may be cleaned by leaving powder absorbent for a period
of time to absorb the oil.
4.4 Collect all contaminated soil or other material in sealed containers for disposal at hazardous waste landfill.
4.5 Waste management contractors that may be of assistance are listed below. Note this does not represent
endorsement of these parties.
Company NCEC Permit Vehicle Type and Waste Telephone
No. type
PAGE 1 OF 1
5. FOLLOW-UP MANAGEMENT
5.1 Continue to monitor seepage of fuel or chemicals at and in the vicinity of the incident site and replace absorbents
until no further environmental risk.
5.2 Restock spill response products/spill kits used during the incident. Return equipment to normal storage location.
5.3 Prepare a written report for the incident and send it to AMAALA Environment Representative within 48 hours of
the incident occurring: [Contractor to insert contact details of relevant AMAALA Senior Environmental Manager].
5.4 Update the incident register with corrective and preventative actions, and responsibilities for implementing
these.
PAGE 2 OF 2
CESMP Project Name
ANNEX I: GRIEVANCES REGISTER

GRIEVANCE REGISTER
(this table format could be entered into Microsoft Excel to allow easier sorting functions)
Date/Time Date of Sign-off Actions as

Name of Complainant’s Action Taken
of Details of Grievance Follow- Closed (signature
Complainant Telephone No. (include Date)
Grievance Up/Completion and name)
PAGE 1 OF 1
CESMP Project Name
ANNEX J: MONTHLY ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE REPORT

Contractor Name – Monthly Environmental Performance Report
[Contractor Name and Logo]
[Project Name]
[Month / Year]
[Report No]
Page 86 of 97
Report prepared by:
Name
Position
Date
Report approved by:
Name
Position
Date
Page 87 of 97
SUMMARY OF ENVIRONMENTAL DELIVERABLES
No. Environmental Deliverables Target No. Actual No. RAG*

1.1 Site Environmental Inspections
1.2 Environmental Progress Meetings
1.3 Environmental Audits
1.4 Training / Drills / Workshops
1.5 Critical Environmental Issues Closed
1.6 Environmental Alerts Published
*Red / Amber / Green
SUMMARY OF CRITICAL ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
Site Target
No. Date Environmental Risk Required Action Responsible RAG
Location Date
2.1 01/11/2021 Site Office Fuel transfer Contractor to modify fuel transfer Contractor 30/11/2021 Red
methodology which methodology to eliminate known Environmental
led to major spill at risk Manager
site offices also
exists in laydown
area
2.2
ENVIRONMENTAL KPIS
No. Key Performance Indicator Monthly Performance

3.1 Project wide environmental compliance % (observations from site inspections: Compliant, Partially %
compliant, Non-compliant).
3.2 Project wide closure rate % (closure rate of observations) %
3.3 Environmental Incident Frequency Rate (EIFR). EIFR Rate
PAGE 2 OF 2
ENVIRONMENTAL DATA
Reported Converted
No. Topic Unit Comments
Data Data (Y/N)
4.1 Soil Excavation and Soil Sampling
Volume excavated tonnes
Soil Samples taken number
Contaminated Soil Samples number
4.2 Water Discharge and Sampling
Volume direct to sea m3
Water Samples number
Water Samples exceeding limits number
4.3 Water Consumption / Wastewater production / Reuse
Potable Water consumed m3
Wastewater produced m3
TSE produced m3
TSE utilised m3
Groundwater utilised m3
4.4 Waste (non-hazardous)
General Domestic Waste tonnes
Mixed Construction Waste tonnes
Concrete tonnes
Wood / Timber tonnes
Metal / Steel tonnes
Tyres tonnes
Drums / tins / containers pcs
Food / perishables tonnes
Paper / Cardboard kg
Plastic tonnes
Gypsum board tonnes
4.5 Waste (hazardous)
PAGE 2 OF 2
Reported Converted
Data Data (Y/N)
Oil Filters / Air Filters tonnes
Oily Rags & Absorbents tonnes
Used Oil / grease / lubricants Litres
Medical waste kg
Contaminated soil tonnes
Batteries kg
Drums / tins / containers tonnes
4.6 Recycled / Reused Waste
Concrete tonnes
Paper/Cardboard kg
Plastic tonnes
Metal tonnes
Glass tonnes
Asphalt tonnes
Wood tonnes
Empty drums tonnes
4.7 Air Quality / Dust
Sites measured number
Attended sampling events number
Unattended sampling events number
Samples exceeding baseline number
4.8 Noise
Sites measured number
Attended sampling events number
Unattended sampling events number
Samples exceeding baseline number
4.9 Flora and Fauna
Wildlife observations number
Wildlife Relocated number
PAGE 2 OF 2
Reported Converted
Data Data (Y/N)
4.10 Incident and NCR Reports, Environmental Complaints
Man-hours worked number
Minor number
Medium number
Major number
Complaints number
Non-Conformity Reports number
4.11 Training
Training / Workshop Events number
Toolbox Talks (No. and topic) number
Training planned – this month number
Training planned – next month number
4.12 Audits Conducted
Audits conducted number
Audits planned - this month number
Audits planned - next month number
Corrective Actions open number
Corrective Actions closed number
4.13 Inspections / Surveillances conducted
Inspections / Surveillance conducted number
Inspections / Surveillance planned - this month number
Inspections / Surveillance planned - next month number
Observations open number
Observations closed number
PAGE 2 OF 2
ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING SUMMARY
No. Monitoring Task Frequency Responsibility Reporting Completed and

records available
(Y/N)
5.1 General Inspection of Construction Site Daily Construction Conformance Report
Environment Manager
5.2 Dewatering Effluent Visual Inspection Daily Construction Conformance Report
Environment Manager
5.3 Dust Visual Inspection Daily Construction Conformance Report
Environment Manager
5.4 Chemicals and Hazardous Materials Visual Daily Construction Conformance Report
Inspections Environment Manager
5.5 Detailed Inspections of Construction Site Weekly Construction Weekly Inspection
Environment Manager Checklist
Non-Conformance
Report
5.6 Dewatering effluent sampling and testing Weekly Accredited laboratory Laboratory Report
5.7 Dewatering Effluent Sampling Weekly Accredited laboratory Laboratory Report
5.8 Chemicals and Hazardous Materials Monthly Construction Up to date MSDS and
Inventory Environment Manager inventory records
5.9 Waste Management transfer records Monthly Construction Collation of waste
Environment Manager consignment data
5.10 Hazardous Waste Management Monthly Construction Collation of chain of
Environment Manager custody data
5.11 Noise Monitoring Quarterly Competent person To be produced by
Contractor
PAGE 2 OF 2
MONTHLY ENVIRONMENTAL REPORTING – WATER QUALITY
Monthly reports submitted and

No. Report sections
records available (Y/N)
6.1 Summary narrative
6.2 Dewatering activities summary
6.3 Dredging activities summary
6.4 Commentary of variance in turbidity levels
6.5 Calibration of equipment
6.6 Analysis and commentary on parameters, e.g. total suspended solids, dissolved oxygen,
nitrates, total phosphorus and ammonia.
PAGE 2 OF 2
CESMP Project Name
ANNEX K: GUIDELINES FOR PREPARING A WASTE MANAGEMENT PLAN

GUIDELINES FOR PREPARING A WASTE MANAGEMENT PLAN
If a building’s design is already finalised, materials selection and procurement is the most important
consideration when trying to minimise and manage waste. Consider:
▪ Will this product or its packaging result in hazardous or difficult waste left-over?
▪ How much is needed exactly?
▪ Can I purchase pre-used materials or equipment, e.g. timber lengths for formwork?
▪ Can I purchase materials from recycled sources, e.g. road base, metal, timber?
STEPS TO DEVELOP A WASTE MANAGEMENT PLAN
A. Project work review: Review each of the planned contract activities, including support functions such as staff
facilities. Identify likely wastes types and quantities to be generated from each activity, and document this (Waste
forecast).
B. Work method alternatives: Examine the work method for each activity and identify alternative ways that eliminate
or reduce this waste. Particular attention should be paid to any activities generating high waste volumes and
possible hazardous waste generation. There must be a legal method of managing all hazardous waste types, so
if this does not exist, that particular waste type must not be generated. Many hazardous wastes have a high
disposal cost.
C. Materials supply and waste management priorities: Apply the following waste management controls, in the order
listed:
B. Update Waste Forecast: Revised the expected waste types and quantities following application of Steps B and C
above.
C. Plan waste storage and transport needs:

▪ Recyclable wastes will require separate bins or storage areas;
▪ Appropriate bins or storage areas for each type of waste, e.g. kitchen waste storage compared to
bricks;
▪ Appropriate size and number of bins for each waste type, to prevent overflowing;
▪ The size and location of bins around the work site, for ease of emptying and to prevent workers
creating random waste heaps or littering;
▪ Signage or labelling of different waste bins;
▪ Ease of access for waste removal contractors (safety, traffic); and
▪ Availability and cost of licensed waste removal contractors for each waste type.
D. Obtain bins and establish waste transport contracts prior to work starting.
E. Document the plan for each waste type: Document the above considerations, a table may be suitable.
F. Record keeping: Keep accurate records of waste generation, recycling, and disposal to allow future revision of this
plan and project activities. As a minimum, records must be kept on the following waste types:
▪ Soil;
▪ Vegetation;
▪ Landscaping inorganic material (sand, gravel, etc);
▪ Concrete and bricks;
▪ Timber;
▪ Metal; and
▪ Cardboard.
Records are also required to demonstrate legal, responsible management of waste (i.e. no illegal dumping).
For each waste load removed, details should include:
▪ Waste type;
▪ Date and time waste was transported off site;
▪ Name of transport contracting company;
▪ Destination;
▪ Vehicle registration; and
▪ Return copy of waste facility invoice/receipt.
Note that all records and reports are subject to systems auditing by AMAALA (refer to Section 0).
G. Reporting: Waste management must be reported as part of monthly environmental performance reports (refer
Section 0).
H. Training and Awareness: Workers must be trained in waste minimisation, storage, re-use, recycling, and disposal
(refer to Section 0). The success of waste separation for recycling depends on worker awareness.
I. Approval and Review: The Waste Management Plan must be reviewed by the Contractor’s Environmental
Representative as part of each CESMP review, or upon direction from AMAALA’s Environmental Representative.
The Plan is subject to approval by AMAALA’s Environmental Representative.
TRSDC OESMP Template

TRSDC Master ESIA Update
Project
ESIA Approach and Methods
ESIA Deliverables Templates
October 2021
____________________________________________________________________________
Document Number 83049-RSP-ESIA-21OCT21-046-Rev03
Aconex Document Number R00-000F71-BDC-RPT-EN-0005

Document Title
Report Date Oct 21, 2021
Prepared by Mia Fant
The Red Sea Development Company

Submitted to
(TRSDC)
Revision Number 03
Date of Revision Oct 21, 2021
Revised by Mia Fant
Approved by Abdulaziz Al-Suwailem, PhD
Date of Approval Oct 21, 2021
Date of Transmission Oct 21, 2021

date.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
REVISION HISTORY
Name and Signature of the

Reason for Revision
Date of Approval
Date of Revision
Revision No.
Rapporteur
Reviewer
Approver
Sl. No.
01 00 NA NA NA NA NA NA
Review to Mia Fant Abdulaziz

integrate the Stephen
October Stephen Al- October 04,
02 01 comments Crute,
04, 2020 Crute, Suwailem, 2020
received from PhD
PhD PhD
TRSDC
Review to Mia Fant Abdulaziz

integrate the Stephen
March Stephen Al- March 08,
03 02 comments Crute,
08, 2021 Crute, Suwailem, 2021
received from PhD
PhD PhD
TRSDC
Review to
integrate the
new
regulatory
Abdulaziz
requirements Stephen
Oct 21, Al- Oct 21,
04 03 regarding the Mia Fant Crute,
2021 Suwailem, 2021
ESIA process PhD
PhD
and
Environmental
Permitting
Process.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
CONTENTS
1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................ 1
1.1 Preamble ................................................................................................... 1
1.2 Document Structure ................................................................................... 1
PART A - ESIA APPROACH AND METHODS ............................................... 4
2 IMPACT ASSESSMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL STANDARDS ........ 5
2.1 Impact Assessment Requirements .............................................................. 5
2.2 National Legislation ................................................................................... 5
2.2.1 Environmental Law ................................................................................ 5
2.2.2 Environmental Standards ....................................................................... 8
2.3 ESIA Stages and Environmental Permitting Process ................................... 9
2.3.1 ESIA Screening ..................................................................................... 9
2.3.2 ESIA Scoping ....................................................................................... 11
2.4 TRSDC Approach to Impact Assessment .................................................. 13
2.4.1 Alignment with the Red Sea Project Processes ..................................... 13
2.5 TRDSC Value Driven Approach towards Ecosystem Services .................... 15
2.5.1 What are Ecosystem Services and why are they important? .................. 16
2.5.2 Key Values and Ecosystem Services of the RSP ................................... 16
2.5.3 The Value Drive Approach (VDA) towards Ecosystem Services ............. 19
3 GENERIC APPROACH TO ESIA ...................................................... 21
3.1 ESIA as a Process ................................................................................... 21
3.2 International Best Practice ....................................................................... 21
3.3 Purpose of the ESIA................................................................................. 21
3.4 Environmental Design Approach ............................................................... 21
3.5 Hierarchy of Mitigation ............................................................................. 23
4 PROJECT DESCRIPTION ................................................................ 26
4.1 Preamble ................................................................................................. 26
4.2 Project Description ................................................................................... 26
4.2.1 Project Stages ...................................................................................... 26
4.2.2 Information Requirements ..................................................................... 26
5 EXISTING CONDITIONS .................................................................. 29
5.1 Preamble ................................................................................................. 29
5.2 Data Sources ........................................................................................... 29
5.2.1 Existing Data ........................................................................................ 29
5.2.2 Data Collection, Management and Reporting ......................................... 29
5.2.3 Target Values and Ecosystem Services ................................................ 29
5.2.4 Greenhouse Gas Emissions .................................................................. 30
6 IMPACT ASSESSMENT METHODOLOGY ....................................... 31
6.1 Preamble ................................................................................................. 31
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
6.2 Process of Determining Effects ................................................................ 31

6.3 Identifying Receptors ............................................................................... 32
6.3.1 Valued Environmental Receptors .......................................................... 32
6.3.2 Area/s of Influence ............................................................................... 33
6.4 Characterising Impacts ............................................................................ 33
6.4.1 Preamble ............................................................................................. 33
6.4.2 Size of Impact (S)................................................................................. 34
6.4.3 Other Aspects of an Impact .................................................................. 34
6.4.4 Overall Impact Magnitude Scoring Model .............................................. 37
6.5 Assessment of Significance ...................................................................... 38
6.6 Alternatives ............................................................................................. 39
6.6.1 Preamble ............................................................................................. 39
6.6.2 Identification of Alternatives .................................................................. 40
6.6.3 International Best Practice .................................................................... 40
6.6.4 Methodology for Selecting and Evaluating Alternatives/Options ............. 41
6.7 Impacts and Mitigation Register................................................................ 44
6.8 Residual Impacts ..................................................................................... 45
7 CUMULATIVE ASSESSMENT ......................................................... 47
7.1 Preamble ................................................................................................. 47
7.2 Methodology ............................................................................................ 47
7.3 Rapid Assessment of Potential Cumulative Effects .................................... 48
PART B - ESIA REPORT ............................................................................. 50
8 STANDARD ESIA REPORTS ........................................................... 51
8.1 ESIA Scope Report .................................................................................. 51
8.2 ESIA Main Report for a Third Category Project ......................................... 52
PART C - ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL MANAGEMENT PLANS .......... 57
9 OUTLINE OF ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL MANAGEMENT
PLANS 58
9.1 Preamble ................................................................................................. 58
9.2 Framework Environmental and Social Management Plan ........................... 58
9.3 Construction Environmental and Social Management Plan ........................ 63
9.3.1 Asset Level Framework CESMP ........................................................... 63
9.3.2 Contractor’s CESMP ............................................................................ 63
9.4 Operation Environmental and Social Management Plan ............................ 68
9.4.1 Asset Level Framework OESMP ........................................................... 68
9.4.2 Contractor’s OESMP ............................................................................ 69
APPENDICES .............................................................................................. 73
APPENDIX 1 TRSDC EMPLOYER REQUIREMENTS FOR DATA
COLLECTION, MANAGEMENT AND REPORTING ...................................... 74
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
LIST OF TABLES
Table 1-1 Document Structure ............................................................................... 1

Table 2-1 Executive Regulations of the New Environment Law (October 2021) ........ 7
Table 2-2 Environmental Permitting Requirements based on the Assigned Category
............................................................................................................................ 10
Table 2-3 Key Values and Ecosystem Services of the RSP .................................... 18
Table 3-1 Mitigation Hierarchy Components .......................................................... 24
Table 6-1 Value and Sensitivity of Receptors used in the ESIA .............................. 33
Table 6-2 Classification of Extent of Impact and Assigned Scores .......................... 35
Table 6-3 Classification of Duration of Impact and Assigned Scores ....................... 36
Table 6-4 Classification of Frequency of Impact and Assigned Scores.................... 36
Table 6-5 Criteria for Magnitude of Impacts used in the ESIA ................................. 38
Table 6-6 Matrix for Determining the Significance of Environmental Impacts .......... 39
Table 6-7 Project Alternatives ............................................................................... 40
Table 6-8 Abbreviations Used in Impact and Mitigation Summary Table ................. 44
Table 6-9 Example layout for Impacts and Mitigation Register ................................ 46
Table 7-1 Significance of Cumulative Effects ......................................................... 48
Table 7-2 RCIA Summary Table ............................................................................ 49
Table 8-1 ESIA Scope Report Outline ................................................................... 51
Table 8-2 General Outline of the ESIA Main Report ............................................... 52
Table 9-1 Framework ESMP Outline ...................................................................... 59
Table 9-2 CESMP Outline ..................................................................................... 64
Table 9-3 OESMP Outline ..................................................................................... 69
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 2-1 Red Sea Project Development Cascade and Impact Assessment .......... 14
Figure 2-2 Impact Assessment Alignment with Design Stages ................................ 15
Figure 2-3 Existing Ecosystem Services ................................................................ 17
Figure 2-4 Future Ecosystem Services .................................................................. 17
Figure 2-5 VDA Framework Integrated in the ESIA Process ................................... 20
Figure 3-1 Environmental Design Approach to ESIA .............................................. 22
Figure 3-2 Hierarchy of Mitigation ......................................................................... 24
Figure 6-1 SPRC Model as Applied to ESIA ........................................................... 31
Figure 6-2 Generic Process for Identifying and Analysing Alternatives ................... 43
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
ABBREVIATIONS

CIA Cumulative Impact Assessment
CMP Concept Master Plan

EP Equator Principles
ERP Emergency Response Plan

GAMEP General Authority of Meteorology and Environmental Protections
GER General Environment Regulations
GHG Greenhouse Gas
HMMP Hazardous Materials Management Plan
IA Impact Assessment
NCEC National Centre of Environmental Compliance

OESMP Operational Environmental and Social Management Plan
PS Performance Standard
RCIA Cumulative Impact Assessment

RSP Red Sea Project
SPRC Source - Pathway - Receptor - Consequence
TMP Traffic Management Plan
TRSDC The Red Sea Development Company
UNFCCC United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
VDA Value Driven Approach towards Ecosystem Services
VER Valued Environmental Receptor
WHO World Health Organisation
WMP Waste Management Plan
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
1 INTRODUCTION
1.1 Preamble
The Red Sea Development Company (TRSDC) requested Beacon Development Company
(BDC) to undertake a regular update of the Master Environmental and Social Impact
Assessment (ESIA) of the Red Sea Project (RSP) Concept Master Plan.
As part of the ESIA update, BDC has been requested to develop guidance documents for:
• Harmonisation of assessment methodologies adopted for Programs and Asset

ESIA processes of the RSP,
• Standardisation of baseline survey methods and monitoring program, and
• Development of ESIA, Construction Environmental and Social Management Plan

(CESMP) and Operational Environmental and Social Management Plan (OESMP)
including TRSDC requirements for data collection, management and reporting.
These guidance documents will be used by all TRSDC appointed Framework ESIA
Consultants.
1.2 Document Structure

The current document is divided in four parts:
• Part A provides information on TRSDC adopted approach to ESIA, determination

of impact significance and identification of mitigation measures, in line with the
mitigation hierarchy:
• Part B includes general outlines of key ESIA Deliverables; and
• Part C includes general outlines of key Environmental and Social Management

Plans;
The structure of the present document with a description of the content of each part is
provided in Table 1-1.
Table 1-1 Document Structure
Part Chapter Content Description
Part A - ESIA Part A provides information on how impact assessment (IA) is an

APPROACH AND integral part of the overall project development and how ESIA has,
METHODS and continues to, influence project development and design
decisions
1 Introduction
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
KAUST BDC I RED SEA PROJECT | ESIA - Approach & Methods - Deliverables Templates Page 1 of 74
____________________________________________________________________________
2 Impact Section 2 sets out how IA fits into the

Assessment and development of the project, aligning with
Environmental design stages and overall project
Standards development to ensure cumulative impacts
and risks are taken into account.
3 Generic Section 3 on the generic approach to IA which
Approach to ESIA aligns with international best practice.
4 Project Section 4 provides an overview of the
Description standards adopted by the project and utilised
within the ESIA processes undertaken by
TRSDC.
5 Existing Section 5 provides general requirements
Conditions related with data collection, management and
reporting.
6 Impact Section 6 provides a description of the
Assessment adopted methodology for identifying Valued
Methodology Environmental Receptors (VER), identifying
potential impacts and risks to VER’s from the
project development and determining
significance of effects
7 Cumulative Section 7 provides a brief outline of a rapid
Assessment Cumulative Impact Assessment (CIA)
methodology. A separate guidance document
on CIA will be provided by TRSDC
Part B 8 Standard ESIA Section 8 provides the outline of structure and
Reports content of an ESIA Scope Report and of a
Standard ESIA Main Report for the RSP.
These templates are in line with national
Environmental Impact Assessment
requirements for a Third Category Activity and
with international IA standards and best
practice.
Part C Part C provides templates for Environmental and Social
Management Plans for the RSP. These templates are in line with
national regulatory requirements and with international IA standards
and best practice
9 Outline Of Framework Environmental and Social
Environmental And Management Plan
Social Management
Framework Construction Environmental and
Plans
Social Management Plan
Framework Operational Environmental and
Contractor’s Construction Environmental and
Contractor’s Operational Environmental and
Social Management Plan.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
Appendices Appendix 1 TRSDC Employer Requirements for data

collection, management and reporting
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
PART A - ESIA APPROACH AND METHODS
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
2 IMPACT ASSESSMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL

STANDARDS
2.1 Impact Assessment Requirements

The TRSDC has adopted an approach which ensures the fulfilment of the national
requirements for assessment of projects as set out in the Environmental Law of the Kingdom
of Saudi Arabia and related Environmental Regulations and Standards issued by the
National Regulator.
In addition, with part of the aim of the project being to attract international investment,
TRSDC determined to meet where possible the requirements of the Equator Principles (EP)
which are adopted or followed by many lenders and financial agencies. The RSP started
when the third version of the EP (EP3) were in force. In November 2019 the fourth version of
the Equator Principles (EP4) was launched, which entered into force in October 2020. The
requirements of EP4 include a review and assessment of a project’s environmental and
social performance, as well as assessment of risks related to climate change.
In order to fulfil these requirements in a non-designated country such as Saudi Arabia, use
of the IFC Performance Standards (International Finance Corporation, 2012) is considered
best practice. TRSDC is where possible following the IFC Performance Standards.
2.2 National Legislation

2.2.1 Environmental Law
GER and conservation legislation, into a single regulation. The Environmental Law came into
force on the 17 th of January 2021.
• Hunting of Wild Birds and Animals Act, July 1999
• Saudi Wildlife Authority Law, March 2000
• Trade Act of Endangered Species and their Products, September 2000
• The General Environmental Regulations (GER), October 2001
• Pastures and Forests Act, December 2004
• Protected Areas of Wildlife Act, August 2015
• Council of Ministers Decision No. (22) dated 26 January 2009 regarding the
establishment of the Environmental Council
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
• Council of Ministers Decision No. (90) dated 08 July 2016 regarding the
amendment of governance the Environmental Council and its functions
The provisions concerning waste in the GER have been superseded by the new Law on
Waste Management issued by MEWA in August 2021.
• Preparing national strategies for the environment sector;
• Preparing studies with a national and strategic dimension for the environment
sector;
• Representing the Kingdom in regional and international bodies, organisations and

forums;
• Putting incentives to improve environmental performance, stimulate the transition

• Raising the level of environmental awareness, and encouraging social

• Working to enhance the participation of the private sector in order to find job and
investment opportunities in the environmental sector, and raise the level and
• Publishing indicators and reports related to environmental quality.
• Chapter 1, Articles 1 - 5: General Provisions. Provides definitions of terms

that has an environmental impact should take place within a licence or permit.
• Chapter 2, Articles 6 - 11: Ecological Communities and Water Resources, and its
resources is prohibited.
• Chapter 3, Articles 12 - 20: Land Vegetation. Presents the prohibited activities.
• Chapter 4, Articles 21 - 22: Marine and Coastal Environment. States any harmful
activities to the marine or coastal environment is prohibited.
• Chapter 5, Articles 23 - 28: Wildlife. The Competent Authority is to state the

• Chapter 6, Articles 29 - 32: Protected Areas. Presents the prohibited activities

_________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
• Chapter 7, Articles 33 - 34: Emergency and Environmental Disasters. States that

• Chapter 8, Articles 35 - 44: Violations and Penalties. Outlines potential penalties

• Chapter 9, Articles 45 - 49: Final Provisions. It should be noted that Article 45 of


writing this document (October 2021) the majority of the Executive Regulations of the new
Environment Law have been published on MEWA website, written in Arabic. Some
Regulations are available in draft version (as part of public consultation prior to publication 1).
The regulations are listed in Table 2-1.
Table 2-1 Executive Regulations of the New Environment Law (October 2021)
Publication on MEWA
website (Arabic)

Published
violations and impose penalties;
Executive Regulations of Environment Law covering fees
Published
for licences, permits and environmental services
Executive Regulations of Environment Law to prepare for
and responds to environmental emergencies and disasters Draft for consultation
for environment management
Executive Regulations of Environment Law on ozone-
Published
depleting substances and HFCs
Executive Regulations of Environment Law for
environmental rehabilitation of degraded sites and Published
remediation of contaminated sites
Published
Executive Regulations of Environment Law for

Published
Environmental Impact Assessment
1 https://www.mewa.gov.sa/ar/MediaCenter/eParticipation/OnlineConsulting/Pages/OnlineConsulting12.aspx#0
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
Publication on MEWA
website (Arabic)
Published
environmental compliance
Executive Regulations of Environment Law to manage the
Published
marine and coastal environment
Executive Regulations of Environment Law for protected
Published
areas
Executive Regulations of Environment Law regarding trade
Published
in wild organisms, their products and derivatives;
Executive Regulations of Environment Law regarding
Published
hunting of wild species;
Executive Regulations of Environment Law regarding
Published
logging (tree cutting) violations
Executive Regulations of Environment Law on developing
Published
vegetation cover and combatting desertification.
Current Status of the Environment Law

It is understood that, currently, the Environmental Law has not yet been fully implemented
and the new Bylaws and Executive Environmental Regulations with their operationalisation
processes are being developed. As such, BDC is of the opinion that the existing legislation
(i.e., the GER and Rules for Implementation (Presidency of Meteorology and Environment,
2001) and GAMEP/PME Environmental Standards (2012) can still be referred to until such
time as the Environmental Law and its Bylaws are fully enacted.
Environmental Regulations
As a basic minimum standard, the requirements of the Environment Law and related
Executive Regulations and relevant Environmental Regulations will apply to the RSP during
its construction and operational phase. The sensitivity of the RSP site and the
geographically wide ranging activities and compressed timescales for development suggest
that additional limits on certain aspects of the environment and discharge values may be
required. Where required, the national standards shall be referred to in the ESIA Report.
2.2.2 Environmental Standards

In the absence of any national standards for environmental parameters, the ESIA Consultant
should utilise appropriate international standards such as IFC/World Bank Group (WBG)
requirements, USA Federal Standards, European Union Standards and other suitable well-
researched and reasoned standards. IFC PS’s require that where a national standard and
WBG/IFC standard are available the most stringent shall be adopted by the project. This
convention has been followed within the ESIA approach of TRSDC.
As required by IFC Performance Standards, as a minimum relevant national environmental

standards, legislation and guidance has been adopted by TRSDC and used in their ESIA
processes.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
In line with the requirements of the IFC Performance Standards, where the IFC/WB/World
Health Organisation (WHO) have a standard as well as the national standard, then the most
stringent limits will apply. Where the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia does not have a standard, the
project has adopted relevant international standards. Thus TRSDC ESIA’s use a combination
of national limits/standards, and in some cases WHO limits.
2.3 ESIA Stages and Environmental Permitting Process

2.3.1 ESIA Screening
Screening of a project is a required step in both the national legislation of the KSA and the
EP environmental and social risk process. Prior to commencing an ESIA, it is necessary to
screen the project; firstly, for the need for an ESIA and then, if an ESIA is required, to
determine the level of study required.
Environmental Classification of Business Activities

The Environment Law and the Implementing Regulation of Environmental Permits for
Establishing and Operating Business Activities set out the criteria for classification of
activities and related EIA requirements.
The business activities are classified into three categories, as follows:
• First Category Business Activities - Business Activities that are expected to have
minimal impacts on the environment that do not exceed the boundaries of the
Business Activity site.
• Second Category Business Activities - Business Activities that are expected to

have moderate impacts on the environment during the various stages of the
Business Activity. Such impacts can be reduced and controlled, and they do not
significantly exceed the boundaries of the Business Activity site.
• Third Category Business Activities - Business Activities that are expected to

have significant environmental, social and economic impacts. Such impacts may
exceed the boundaries of the Business Activity site, and may adversely affect the
sustainability of Environmentally Sensitive Areas and Receptors.
The classification of a new Project shall be confirmed by NCEC, upon review and approval of
the Environmental Classification Form submitted by the appointed ESIA on behalf of TRDSC
(the Proponent). The ESIA Consultant must be an Environmental Services Provider
registered with NCEC for the specific Category of the proposed Activity.
The EC Form is prepared by the ESIA Consultant and must be approved by TRSDC prior to
submission to NCEC. The EC Form template is provided in Annex 1 of the Regulation.
Equator Principles Categorisation of ESIA

The EP also utilise three categories for ESIA these are shown below.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
• Category A - Projects with potential significant adverse environmental and social

risks and/or impacts that are diverse, irreversible or unprecedented.
• Category B - Projects with potential limited adverse environmental and social

risks and/or impacts that are few in number, generally site specific, largely
reversible and readily addressed through mitigation measures.
• Category C - Projects with minimal or no adverse environmental and social risks

and/or impacts.
RSP Project Category

The Equator Principles/IFC utilises a risk-based approach to categorisation of projects,
based on the likely significance of impacts and the ability to mitigate the effects. Based on
the criterion, as a standalone project, it is considered that the RSP would be considered a
Category A project, that is the highest level of requirements requiring formal ESIA processes
aligned with IFC Standards. The RSP is a Third Category Project, requiring the development
of an EIA Scope Report and then a full EIA Report, in line with Art.8 of the above mentioned
Implementing Regulation. New proposed projects that are part of the wider RSP need to be
viewed in context of this overall project.
Environmental Permitting Requirements

Based on the assigned Category, the Environmental Permitting requirements listed in Table
2-2 shall apply.
Table 2-2 Environmental Permitting Requirements based on the Assigned Category
Requirements for Obtaining the Environmental Permit for

Assigned Category (*)
Establishment
Category 1 The NCEC pproval of the Environmental Management Plan
and the Environmental Rehabilitation Plan (for Business
Activities specified according to the implementing regulation
governing the environmental rehabilitation).
The EMP is prepared by a Service Provider licensed by the
Center according to the controls and requirements set by the
Center and after payment of fees.
Category 2 The Center's approval of the Environmental Impact
Assessment Study for the second category Business Activities
according to Article (7) of the Regulation.
The outline of the EIA for a Second Category Activity is
provided in Annex 2 of the Regulation.
Category 3 The Center's approval of the Environmental Impact

Assessment Study for the third category Business Activities
according to Article (8) of the Regulation.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
Requirements for Obtaining the Environmental Permit for

Assigned Category (*)
Establishment
The outline of the EIA Scope Report and of the EIA Report for
a Third Category Activity are provided in Annex 3 and Annex
4 of the Regulation.
* The Activity Category is assigned by NCEC after reviewing the Environmental Classification
Form submitted by the Applicant on behalf of the Proponent
2.3.2 ESIA Scoping

Establishing the Scope of the ESIA is a fundamental stage of the ESIA project. The scope
provides the Terms of Reference for the ESIA process and allows technical and financial
resources to be focused on those aspects of the interaction between the project activities
and the identified Valued Environmental Receptors (VERs) (see Section 6.3) which may give
rise to significant environmental and social effects.
The definition of the ESIA scope is based on the available project information provided by
TRSDC Project Development Team. Should the project scope, activities or programme be
subject to a material change with the potential to generate additional environmental and
social effects, or cause substantial modifications of the assessed effects, the current ESIA
scope may need to be revised and the ESIA study updated accordingly.
The scope of an ESIA can be described in a number of ways, including:
• Project or Physical Scope;
• Spatial Scope;
• Temporal Scope; and
• Technical Scope.
The followings sections provide a description of these various elements of the scope of the
ESIA.
Physical Scope
The physical scope of the ESIA defines the project extent. In general terms, good practice
for ESIA would expect all elements which are directly related to the project; and any other
elements which are either a consequence of the project or which the project relies upon will
be included in the ESIA process.
The ESIA generally covers assets, facilities and infrastructure of a project, for both the
construction and operation phases, encompassing the full project life cycle. However,
additional detailed assessments may be required by TRSDC for specific assets and
infrastructures.
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Spatial Scope
The spatial scope or Area Of Influence (AOI) is the physical area which is included in the
ESIA process.
The spatial scope varies depending on the topic being studied, and these are explained in
the relevant chapters of this ESIA. The total spatial scope of the ESIA is the result of the
sum of all the areas of influence from each assessed topic.
The spatial extent of the ESIA may comprise geographical area potentially affected by the
Development, either directly or indirectly, including locations that are not encompassed in
the project footprint. These include areas and communities potentially impacted by the
Project and its activities, and areas and communities potentially impacted directly or by
cumulative impacts of the Project due to other ongoing or planned developments, other
sources of similar impacts in the geographical area, and other future Project-related
developments.
Temporal Scope
The temporal scope relates to the time over which the assessment process considers
potential impacts and effects which may occur.
Technical Scope
This ESIA has not been preceded by an Environmental Scoping Report and so this section
summarises the rationale behind inclusion/exclusion of environmental and social parameters
in the ESIA.
The ESIA should focus on those issues which matter, i.e. impacts created by the project
which when acting on a VER may have significant effects, either through the magnitude of
impact or the sensitivity of the VER (or a combination of these and other factors).
Key aspects to establishing the technical scope for the ESIA are:
• Workers welfare and working conditions during construction, operation and

decommissioning phases;
• Impacts on biodiversity and ecosystems, including ecosysem services and the

associated benefits;
• Impacts on the natural environment, including loss of land, change of land use
and modifications of the marine and terrestrial environment and the coastal zone,
including natural features and landscapes;
• Impacts on archaeological resources and cultural heritage;
• Use of natural resurces;
• Impacts on socio-economic systems and public services, including safety and

security of local communities;
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• Waste and wastewater management;
• Traffic movements and logistics - movement of heavy vehicles, transportation of

equipment, materials and workers;
• Ability to control potential effects through good practice construction and

operational mitigation practices; and
• Ability to plan and implement preparedness and response to emergency

situations.
2.4 TRSDC Approach to Impact Assessment

This section sets out TRSDC’s overall approach to integrating IA into the project design
phases, development and operations. This approach has been adopted to ensure that
potential environmental and social impacts or risks and their management are an integral
part of TRSDC’s processes.
This approach is driven by a recognition that the very existence of the project relies upon the
quality of the receiving environment. It is therefore vital, not only for good environmental
reasons, that the existing environment is protected and enhanced.
2.4.1 Alignment with the Red Sea Project Processes
Alignment with the RSP Overall Development

TRSDC approach to IA has been developed to ensure that the assessment process is able to
influence all levels and aspects of the RSP. This extends from initial planning at Concept
Master Plan (CMP) level, through program level planning, asset level and down into the
management of the construction and operational phases of the project.
The cascading approach to the impact assessment of the RSP design and development is
shown graphically in Figure 2-1.
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Figure 2-1 Red Sea Project Development Cascade and Impact Assessment
Alignment with Design Stages

The RSP has three stages of design which each concept, program and individual asset must
pass through. These are:
• Concept Design;
• Schematic Design; and
• Detailed Design.
The IA process has been developed to align with these stages, conducting additional
assessment as the design progresses through its approval gates. This is shown
diagrammatically in Figure 2-2.
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Figure 2-2 Impact Assessment Alignment with Design Stages
This process includes an increasingly detailed assessment as the design progresses. Early
works at concept and schematic stages represent identification of potential impacts and
risks, with the project including mitigation measures to avoid or reduce the identified risks
and impacts. Throughout the process, data is collected as required, leading to a final
assessment at the detailed design stage. Inherent within this process is the application of
best IA practice through the implementation of a hierarchy of mitigation, with avoidance
being the first and preferred option.
This is detailed in the following Chapter.
2.5 TRDSC Value Driven Approach towards Ecosystem

Services
The Value Driven Approach towards Ecosystem Services (VDA) developed by TRSDC is an
ecosystem services based framework designed to enhance environmental values and
benefits provided by marine, coastal and terrestrial ecosystems that is integrated with the
ESIA process and embedded into TRSDC Project Delivery Framework.
The VDA process is in line with TRSDC Environment and Sustainability Policy and Principles
of TRSDC. Through the VDA, the Corporate Development Function of TRSDC seeks to
contribute to achieving the overall goal of 30% net positive conservation benefits to promote
a paradigm shift from mitigation of environmental and social impacts to enhancement of
conservation benefits and sustainability.
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The VDA provides a toolkit aimed to support TRDSC to integrate ecosystem services in the
decision-making process across all stages of development, from the conceptualisation
through to planning, design, construction and operation.
2.5.1 What are Ecosystem Services and why are they important?
Ecosystem services (ES) are the benefits that humans derive from the environment,
according to the definition provided in the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MEA) 2.
Ecosystem services are vital to humanity, including life-support processes (e.g., flood
protection), and life-fulfilling conditions (e.g., beauty, opportunities for recreation), and the
conservation of options (e.g., genetic diversity for future use). Four categories of ES are
defined in the MEA, as follows:
• Supporting services: the ES that are necessary for the production of all other
ES and include primary production, soil formation, nutrient cycling and water
cycling as well as ecological functioning. These are also considered intermediate
ES, because they are not directly enjoyed by the final beneficiaries.
• Provisioning services: the products obtained from ecosystems. These generally

include food, fibre, fuel and genetic resources.
• Regulating services: the benefits obtained from the regulation of ecosystem

processes and include regulation of natural cycles and processes (ie. climate,
carbon, water, air, soil, nutrients and energy flows through ecosystems) as well
as control of diseases and pests.
• Cultural services: the non-material benefits people obtain from ecosystems.

These include spiritual enrichment, cognitive development, recreation and
aesthetic experiences, wellbeing, recreation and tourism, enjoyment of nature
and cultural heritage and sense of place.
2.5.2 Key Values and Ecosystem Services of the RSP

Current ecosystem services are mainly supporting and regulating, with limited provisioning
and cultural services provided to local population and economic activities (breeders,
fishermen) as shown in Figure 2-3.
2 Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MEA), 2005.

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Figure 2-3 Existing Ecosystem Services
The RSP has many opportunities to develop new ecosystem services while preserving the
existing regulating and supporting services, as shown in Figure 2-4.
Figure 2-4 Future Ecosystem Services
The VDA is aimed to develop and enhance priority ecosystem services that are important for
the RSP. Twelve key values have been selected as the most relevant for the RSP. These
values are not strictly ecosystem services themselves, but each can be associated with a
number of ecosystem services, as defined in Table 2-3.
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Table 2-3 Key Values and Ecosystem Services of the RSP
ID RSP Value Ecosystem Service Potential ES type
Biodiversity (species richness and

S
abundance)
Biodiversity
1 Habitat for species S
enhancement
Genetic pools S
Connection and transition between

habitats, including abiotic flows (i.e. S
Ecosystem nutrients, carbon)
2
Connectivity Ecological corridors and ecosystem
networks that allow movement of S
organisms
Carbon Carbon sequestration & storage in
3 sequestration & vegetation and soil and offsetting of carbon R
storage emissions of RSP
Coastal flood protection and runoff control R

4 Coastal protection
Stabilisation of sediment and protection
R
from erosion or siltation
Beach stability and
5 Beach and channel stability and quality R
quality
6 Water quality Water purification and nutrient abatement R
Microclimate, air quality, resilience to

climate change effects (mitigation of
7 Microclimate R
increased temperature, heat waves, heat
island effect)
Environmental education supporting formal
Education &
8 and informal learning and nature-based, C
Research
cognitive tourism
Relationship between people, places and
environment, as a natural condition
indispensable for human existence. This
9 Sense of place C
may include both the character of a place
and the symbolic meanings and spiritual
values people ascribe to it.
Ecotourism and amenity associated with
natural and cultural resources. More
specifically to the RSP, the perceived
10 Tourism and amenity C
value of experience, expectations, and
satisfaction in relation to a specific tourist
destination.
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ID RSP Value Ecosystem Service Potential ES type
Cultural and
Aesthetic appreciation and inspiration for
11 archaeological C
culture, art and design, traditional heritage
heritage
Provision of food products P
Local products and Provision of natural products and raw

12 P
resources materials
Provision of medicinal resources P
2.5.3 The Value Drive Approach (VDA) towards Ecosystem Services

The VDA process is integrated with the ESIA process and embedded into TRSDC’s Project
Delivery Framework. The VDA is aimed to support TRDSC to integrate ecosystem services
in the decision-making process across all stages of development, from the conceptualisation
through to planning, design, construction and operation.
The VDA Framework integrated in the ESIA Process is presented in Figure 2-5.
In general, the integrated ESIA and VDA Process entails four main stages that are
summarised in Figure 2-5:
1. Screening of Target Values and associated Ecosystem Services
2. VDA Risk/Opportunity Index
3. Integrated ESIA & VDA Assessment
4. VDA Monitoring and Reporting
The VDA Process and Tools to be used at each stage of the VDA process are described in
detail in a separate VDA Workbook document.
Depending on the Project Delivery stage and on the complexity of the Program or Asset
under evaluation, each VDA stage may require multiple iterations to be undertaken in
collaboration between the interested stakeholders. These include, but are not limited to: the
Environment and Sustainability Department, the Project Delivery Teams, the RSP SEZ
Regulator, the VDA Consultant, the ESIA Consultants, the Sustainability Consultants.
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Figure 2-5 VDA Framework Integrated in the ESIA Process
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3 GENERIC APPROACH TO ESIA
3.1 ESIA as a Process

A fundamental aspect of the RSP ESIA approach is understanding that ESIA is a process,
which should start from the earliest concept of a project and continue through to
decommissioning of a project. The ESIA process, when applied correctly assists the project
to ‘design out’ potential impacts, effectively reduces those impacts which cannot be removed
and provides suitable mitigation measures to ensure minimisation of effects. This ties in with
the hierarchy of mitigation as set out in the International Finance Organisations (IFC) PS
guidance notes.
3.2 International Best Practice

to influence the design. The essence of this process is the inclusion of environmental and
social matters at the earliest stage of the project, ideally at concept stage, and allowing
environmental factors to influence the design and development of the project. At the heart of
this process in World Bank Group and IFC standards is an Environmental Management
System (EMS) which establishes the Environmental Policy for the project and then is
designed to ensure that the environmental performance of the project meets the objectives
set out in the policy. Part of the EMS system is the assessment of impacts and risks that the
project poses to the environment and the constraints placed on the project by the existing
environment.
3.3 Purpose of the ESIA

Throughout the ESIA process, it should be remembered that the purpose of the ESIA
process can be broadly described as improving environmental performance of the project, as
described below, and importantly as a source of information for decision makers. The
outcomes from an ESIA shall be objective, based as far as possible on scientific approach,
but taking account of human perceptions of key issues and concerns.
3.4 Environmental Design Approach

The environmental design approach is intended to be used across all aspects of the project
impacts or risks through modification of the design.
The environmental design approach is an iterative process, Figure 3-1 provides an overview
of this process. An explanation of the process is provided below the figure.
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© Stephen Crute 2019 - not to be used without written permission

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Any project will give rise to a number of potential impacts and risks to humans and the
environment. Through the iterative process of identification of these potential impacts and
risks and refinement of the design it can be seen that a number of the potential impacts and
risks can be removed or ‘designed out’ of the project. This process can be referred to as
‘design or inherent mitigation’, which means the design has taken on board the possible
impact or risk and mitigated it out of the Project.
The iterative process should take place through all stages of the design process and include
such aspects as site selection, project processes, alternative layouts, timing etc.
In the development of The Red Sea Project, environmental design is underpinned by the
Environment and Sustainability Policy and Principles and by the Environment and
Sustainability Design Guidelines of TRSDC.
3.5 Hierarchy of Mitigation

As previously noted, one of the aims of the ESIA process is to design out or otherwise
remove significant effects from the project and identify opportunities for enhancement of
environmental benefits, in line with TRSDC Environment and Sustainability Policy and
Principles. The overall aim of the ESIA process is to contribute to TRSDC commitment to
‘setting a new global standard for sustainable environmental management based on the
precautionary principle using an integrated masterplan design, construction, and operations
aimed at generating net positive conservation benefits’.
The adverse impacts that cannot be avoided or removed completely should be minimised,
and finally those which remain significant and cannot be reduced further have to be
accepted. For significant residual effects it may be necessary to provide compensation or
offsetting. This is where some other aspect of the environment is developed or managed in
a manner which offsets unavoidable significant effect. Offsetting is often used in managing
biodiversity effects.
As an example, loss of a coral area can be offset; given time, by relocating coral heads from
an asset footprint to other areas of similar habitat within the region of the project, or by
promoting propagation of coral communities on suitable substrates of artificial structures.
Figure 3-2 shows the hierarchy of mitigation as defined by the World Bank Group. It is noted
that the final part of the mitigation hierarchy as set out in the World Bank approach, that is
offset/compensation, is not strictly mitigation but the current ESIA process adopts the
terminology used by the World Bank. General definitions of the mitigation hierarchy
components are provided in Table 3-1. The mitigation hierarchy is implicit within the
approach to ESIA used for the RSP development and is be based on both international
standards and TRSDC Environment and Sustainability Policy and Principles.
In theory mitigation would only be required for those effects which had been determined to
human perceptions and emotions and so mitigation and enhancement may be developed for
reasons other than pure objective ones. In particular, enhancement of environmental
benefits are directly linked with the existing and potential ecosystem services that the RSP
can offer to visitors, resident communities and staff.
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Table 3-1 Mitigation Hierarchy Components
Mitigation
Description
Component
Measures taken to avoid creating impacts from the outset.
Avoidance Example: planning a development footprint outside key species’
breeding sites, or timing of construction operations when aggregations
of migratory birds are not present.
Measures taken to reduce the duration, intensity and/or extent of
impacts that cannot be completely avoided. Effective minimisation can
eliminate some negative impacts.
Minimisation Example: construction activities limited to day time to reduce reducing
disturbance due to noise, lighting, human presence, or building culverts
across road infrastructure to manage runoff during severe rainfall
events.
Measures taken to improve degraded or removed ecosystems following
exposure to impacts that cannot be completely avoided or minimised.
Restoration tries to return an area to the original ecosystem that
Restoration occurred before impacts, whereas rehabilitation only aims to restore
basic ecological functions and/or ecosystem services.
Example: removal of a temporary jetty used during construction and
restoration of pre-existing conditions.
Measures applied to areas not impacted by the project to compensate
for any significant residual, adverse impacts after full implementation of
Offset the previous three steps of the mitigation hierarchy.
Example: relocation of coral heads removed from the footprint of a
marine asset before start of construction.
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No Net Loss is achieved when a potential impact is fully mitigated, including offsetting of any
significant residual adverse impact that could not be avoided, minimised or restored.
Defining appropriate mitigation and enhancement measures is important in the process, but
perhaps more important is recognising that any mitigation measures must be project
commitments. Within the ESIA process a register of commitments is developed, these are
all approved by the TRSDC.
The register will be used to develop the requirements of the Framework Environmental and
Social Management Plan.
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4 PROJECT DESCRIPTION
4.1 Preamble
In order to determine the potential impacts and effects of a project, it is necessary to develop
an adequate description of the project. The following text provides an overview of the
requirements for an effective project description. The description should be focused and
concise and should not be a cut and paste of the engineering description.

4.2.1 Project Stages
The project description should cover all stages of the project to be included in the ESIA
process. These should include:
• Design;
• Site clearance, preparatory works;
• Mobilisation of workforce, plant and materials, temporary facilities, worker welfare

facilities;
• Construction works;
• Operation and maintenance; and
• Decommissioning.
4.2.2 Information Requirements
General
The Project Description should enable a reader of the ESIA to understand what is being
developed, how it will be constructed, how it will be operated and how it will be
decommissioned at the end of life.
The description should highlight those elements of the project which, during all stages of the
project, may interact with the environmental and social receptors. Detailed information
which has no risk of affecting receptors should not be included.
Information should be provided on:
• The main project - the main aspects of the project which is being developed,
generally the permanent footprint and operations of the project.
• Related facilities - these are paid by the project and within the actual project
scope. Examples would include TRSDC borrow pits, waste disposal facilities,
etc.
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• Associated facilities - these are activities or developments which are not part of
the project scope and outside TRSDC budget but which the project will rely upon
or which are a direct consequence of the Red Sea Project. Examples would be
new quarries which are being developed specifically to meet the needs of the
project, roads being constructed by third parties (ministry of transport) to meet
the needs of the project.
Project Design and Operations

A description of the main and pertinent aspects of the project should be provided. These will
include, inter alia:
• Project purpose;
• Footprint - e.g. land take, gross floor areas etc.
• Heights, materials to be used etc.
• Key operational features to include where relevant:
o Number of visitors/guests;
o Number of operational staff;
o Energy use and Greenhouse Gas Emission Management;
o Water use;
o Transportation needs;
o Consumables;
o Waste generation - types and amounts; and
o Maintenance requirements.
Construction Process
The following information should be included, as a minimum, in the project description where
relevant:
• Project Schedule
• Project manpower;
• Construction facilities, e.g. laydown areas, construction yards, offices;
• Hours of construction
• Construction activities;
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• List of equipment;
• Cut and fill balance;
• Construction Transportation and Access Arrangements;
• Estimated vehicle movements; and
• Abnormal loads.
Information should be provided on plans for end of construction period such as

decommissioning of site facilities, clean up and hand back to TRSDC.
Construction Resource Consumption

The Project Description shall include where applicable estimates of:
• Energy and water use;
• Other resources and sources - e.g. sand, gravel, concrete, steel, wood, etc.
• Consumables - e.g. paints, oils and grease, batteries, tyres, etc.
Waste Generation
Anticipated volumes of mass of construction and /or demolition waste to be generated should
be provided. This should include type, waste classification, quantities per month and overall
for construction period and proposed route and location of recycling/reuse or disposal
facility.
Worker Accommodation Arrangements

Information on the arrangements for workers accommodation shall be provided. This should
include location, description of camp facilities if not an existing TRSDC camp, transportation
arrangements, confirmation that the facility conforms with TRSDC requirements on workers
accommodation as established in the IFC/EBRD Workers Accommodation Benchmarks (IFC
and EBRD, 2009).
Decommissioning Arrangements
Where known, the proposed arrangements for decommissioning of the project should be
presented.
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5 EXISTING CONDITIONS
5.1 Preamble
The second important aspect for determining the potential environmental and social impacts
is the development of an understanding of the existing environmental and social receptors
for the project. The level of information required should be commensurate with the potential
risks and impacts of the proposed project across its whole life cycle. The determination of
data requirements will be associated with determination of the projects Area of Influence for
each of the scoped in topics.
5.2 Data Sources

5.2.1 Existing Data
TRSDC has developed a Geographical Information System which has relevant environmental
and social data layers and will be made available to ESIA consultants.
A review of the available data should be conducted as part of the ESIA Scoping and
Methodology process and a data gap analysis conducted. This should result in the need for
additional data collection to meet the requirements of the ESIA.
5.2.2 Data Collection, Management and Reporting

As noted above data collection should be aligned with the requirements of the ESIA needs.
For TRSDC advice on the extent and approach to data collection and field work reference
can be made to TRSDC Guidance for Marine Baseline Environmental Survey and for
Terrestrial Baseline Environmental Survey.
All new data collected shall be (where applicable) be prepared in a GIS ready format, in line
with specific requirements of TRSDC, and provided to TRSDC as part of the ESIA contract.
TRSDC Employer Requirements for data collection, management and reporting requirements
are provided in Appendix 1. These include:
• TRSDC-CES Corporate Environmental Monitoring Program (CEMP) templates;
• TRSDC-CES-Employer Requirements for Consultants EBS Activities; and
• TRSDC-CES-Employer Requirements for Contractors Monitoring.
5.2.3 Target Values and Ecosystem Services

The VDA Workbook will provide guidance on how to identify the target environmental values
and associated ecosystem services for a project, develop a habitat risk assessment to
identify general mitigation and enhancement measures during the early project stages, and
select the suitable methods for undertaking an Ecosystem Services Assessment as part of
the ESIA process, as appropriate.
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The ESIA Consultants shall evaluate the additional data and information needed for
evaluation of ecosystem conditions and their potential to provide the identified ecosystem
services during the ESIA Scoping phase.
5.2.4 Greenhouse Gas Emissions

The ESIA Consultant shall include collection of sufficient information and data on GHG
emissions associated with the project in order to identify proper GHG emission prevention
and mitigation measures, in line with TRSDC Environment and Sustainability Principle ‘Net
Zero Carbon’. Where required, the assessment of GHG emissions should be made in line
with the requirements of LEED for Cities and Communities EN Prerequisite: Energy and
Greenhouse Gas Emissions Management and EN Credit: Low Carbon Economy, as
applicable to the Project.
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6 IMPACT ASSESSMENT METHODOLOGY
6.1 Preamble
TRSDC has developed a standardised approach to determining levels of impacts and
effects. This is to allow objective assessments across different projects and with different
consultants conducting the assessment processes.
The following section provides the detail of the process. It has been based on globally
proven approaches. The process uses a scoring system. Like all scoring systems, there is
always the opportunity to question the basis of scores and division of severity and effects.
However, TRSDC consider use of this single approach across its overall project leads to
improved objectivity and alignment between different projects and consultants.
6.2 Process of Determining Effects

A standardised approach will be based around standard terminology for the determination of
impacts and determination of effects, their significance and mitigation or offsetting. The
following sections provide an overview of the proposed process of impact assessment to be
used for TRSDC projects. This section provides the conceptual model to be used for
determining effects.
The proposed approach for impact identification and assessment of effects relating to air
land and water will be based on the Source - Pathway - Receptor - Consequence Model
(SPRC). Such an approach is commonly used in contamination studies but is highly
applicable for many of the elements considered in an ESIA process. The model is shown
diagrammatically below in Figure 6-1.
Figure 6-1 SPRC Model as Applied to ESIA
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The model shows that to have an effect on a receptor, all elements of the chain need to be
present. Therefore, an effect can only occur if there is a source (of change), a receptor upon
which that change acts and a pathway between the source and receptor.
These include potential exceedances of legislative standards and topics where human
individual perceptions of beauty and scenic value are important.
The first is that the terms impact and effect are not synonymous and should not be used
interchangeably. As can be seen, the IMPACT is the change in the environmental variable.
The size of change can be determined objectively in cases where change can be measured
or predicted, for example increases in emissions to air.
This IMPACT acting on the VALUED ENVIRONMENTAL RECEPTOR (VER) creates a

consequence or EFFECT on that VER.
In order to determine the level or importance of the effects two key aspects need to be
determined. These are:
• Characterisation of the magnitude and nature of the impact; and
• Identification of VERs and their level of importance and/or sensitivity to change.
The following sections show how determination of VER’s and ascribing value/sensitivity is
conducted for the RSP ESIA.
6.3 Identifying Receptors

6.3.1 Valued Environmental Receptors
The VER and its sensitivity to change may not be the same for each discipline. Thus, each
VERs can be defined as:
• Elements of the environment that are of value to the functioning of natural or

human systems (i.e. areas or elements of ecological, landscape or heritage
• Human receptors, such as people (i.e. users of dwellings, places of recreation,

places of employment and community facilities), and human systems (e.g.
employment market).
In addition, receptors will include legislative and policy standards and values. For example,
air quality limits, noise standards and planning policy requirements.
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The VERs are described in terms of their spatial importance and/or the sensitivity of that
The environmental value (or sensitivity) of the receptors identified will be defined using the
Table 6-1 Value and Sensitivity of Receptors used in the ESIA
High importance and rarity, international scale and limited

potential for substitution (e.g. airshed, water bodies,
Sensitive
endangered species etc.) - Extremely sensitive to change
High importance and rarity, national scale, and limited
potential for substitution (e.g. large urban area with dense
National/ Highly sensitive
residential receptor, school, hospital etc.) - Very sensitive to
change
High or medium importance and rarity, regional scale,
Regional/ Moderately limited potential for substitution (e.g. residential receptor,
sensitive commercial or recreational receptor) and moderately
sensitive to change
Low importance and rarity, local scale and insensitive to
Local/ Low sensitivity
change
6.3.2 Area/s of Influence

As part of the ESIA process and for identification of VER’s the ESIA process shall clearly
define the area or areas of influence of the project activities. It is anticipated that different
topics which are scoped into the ESIA process will have a different Area of Influence. These
should be stated clearly within the Scope and Methodology Report.
6.4 Characterising Impacts

6.4.1 Preamble
TRSDC ESIA approach utilises a systematic scoring system to characterise the impacts and
provide a standardised approach across all topics scoped into the impact assessment.
There are no standard regulatory approaches to the assessment of impacts, for example IFC
PS No 1 does not make any reference to the approach to determining and measuring
severity and significance of effects.
The following approach is considered to enable standardisation of determination of

significance across environmental topics and across TRSDC projects. There will always be
interpretation and professional opinion about a scoring system. However, the approach used
here has been shown to be effective over a number of years, types of projects and
previously undergone reviews by statutory authorities.
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As noted, the approach is used to standardise terminology, scoring and determination of

significance across environmental disciplines. In this manner, a High Significance value for
ecology is comparative to a High Significance value for noise for example.
The scoring system applies equally to adverse AND beneficial effects.
6.4.2 Size of Impact (S)

project activity. In general, this change can be measured or estimated in some manner.
For example, a change in sound level of 2 dBA, or an increase in ground concentration of an

air pollutant of 20 µg/m 3 . For some topics the measure may be an area of land to be affected
or number of trees to be lost etc. Wherever possible the size of the impact will be ascribed a
physical measurement.
While the size of the impact will be enumerated wherever possible, for the purposes of
determining scores for the overall impact severity, the Size of the Impact, namely the relative
change in value is described semantically and then assigned a score for the purposes of
overall determination of severity. The semantic descriptions and scores are:
• High 8
• Medium 5
• Low 3
• Negligible 1
Note for impacts with a size of change which is negligible the scoring model defaults to
setting the significance of the effect to Non-Significant.
Other aspects of the impact caused by activities are similarly scored, these are set out in the
following sections.
6.4.3 Other Aspects of an Impact

While the size of the change in environmental parameter is an important aspect of an impact,
there are other aspects which will determine the severity of the impact when it acts on the
receptor.
For TRSDC approach, the following aspects are taken into consideration in addition to the
Size of Impact as set out above:
• Extent of Impact;
• Duration of Impact;
• Frequency of Impact;
• Probability of Impact Occurring; and

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• Reversibility of Impact.
The assessment process uses a bespoke scoring system to enable a systematic and
transparent process to be undertaken to determine the impact severity.
The following sections provide the scoring system to be adopted and its rationale.
Extent of Impact or Area of Influence (E)

tend to lead to increased risk of significant effects occurring than a highly localised area of
influence.
The area of influence is

highly limited, likely to take Minor increases in noise
place only at the point of levels during construction
Very Local 1
impact and not influencing not extending from the work
receptors outside of this site
immediate area
The area of influence is
Loss of local and common
contained within the project
Local habitat within the site during 2
site or immediate surrounding
clearance works
area
The area of influence extends Changes in property or land
to a regional scale, affecting prices within a region due
Regional areas outside the project site to the development. 3
and into the wider Air emissions which affect
environment wide area
The area of influence extends which cannot be handled
National 5
to national scale within the nations existing
capacity/capability
The area of influence will be
cross boundary
climate
Duration of Impact Effect (D)

An impacts magnitude will be increased as its duration increases.
It is important to note that the impact duration is not synonymous with the duration of
the event causing the impact.
The duration is defined as how long the impact will last. For example, a loss of containment
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entering the environment may last much longer depending upon the type of chemical,
location and nature of spill and any remediation efforts.
Delivery of single large item

Transient Less than 1 day of equipment affecting local 1
road network
Very Short Temporary closure of road
1 - 30 days 2
Term or other access
clearance
Construction traffic effects
on large project
Changes to air quality due
to emissions from process
Clearance of natural
Permanent Permanent vegetation which cannot be 10
recreated
Frequency (F)
the event is repeated many times during the course of the project then the magnitude of the
impact would be considered to be increased. The classification of the frequency aspect of an
impact and the ascribed scores is shown in Table 6-4.
Permanent clearance of
soils and habitats at the
The event causing the impact start of the project - would
One off occurs only once in the score 5 1/5 (*)
lifetime of the project
A road closure for a limited
period - would score 1
Increased noise or air
A rare event in the lifetime of
Rare emissions due to 2
the project
emergency situations
An event which is expected to
Increased emissions from a
occur but not commonly as
Infrequent plant during regular 3
part of the normal project
maintenance and shutdown
conditions
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Daily noise from blown

An event is will occur down of steam drums.
regularly throughout a phase
Frequent Delivery of raw materials 5
of the project or the lifetime of
the project and export of products from
a facility on daily basis
An event which by the nature Noise emissions from
Continuous 7
of the project is continuous operational plant
* For one off events, a score of 1 is ascribed if the event does not lead to a permanent non-
reversible impact, if the impact is permanent; a score of 5 is used.
Probability (P)
three-point probability scale and scores will be used as follows:
• Certain 5
• High 3
• Low 2
A certain event is one which has to happen if the project proceeds, for example land take,
clearance of vegetation, loss of species present etc.
A High probability event is one which is considered as a routine part of the project activities
during operation or construction. These may be based on experience and industry
knowledge. For example, minor spills and contamination would be considered a likely event
in any construction project
Reversibility (R)
than if it cannot be rectified. For example, the loss of natural habitats can never be fully
For TRSDC ESIA process a simple Yes or No scale is used with associated scores of 1 and
5 respectively.
6.4.4 Overall Impact Magnitude Scoring Model

The scoring model for the above described variables, results in scores across a range of 9 -
42. TRSDC ESIA Approach uses a four-point terminology to describe impact magnitude.
This is presented in Table 6-5.
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The model ascribes the outcomes of the final scoring of the variables (i.e arithmetic sum of
the individual scores assigned to each of the impact components described above) as
follows:
• 7 - 16 Negligible
• 17 - 24 Minor
• 25 - 33 Moderate
• 34 - 40 Major
Description of Adverse Description of Beneficial

Magnitude
Consequence Consequence
Large scale or major
Loss of resource and/or quality and
improvement of resource quality;
integrity, severe damage to key
Major extensive restoration or
enhancement; major improvement
elements
of attribute quality
Significant impact on the resource,
but not adversely affecting the
Moderate integrity, partial loss of/damage to
elements; improvement of
key characteristics, features or
attribute quality
elements
Minor benefit to, or addition of,
Some measurable change in
one (maybe more) key
attributes quality or vulnerability,
characteristic, feature or element;
Minor minor loss of, or alteration to, one
some beneficial impact on
(maybe more) key characteristic,
attribute or a reduced risk of
feature or element
negative impact occurring
detrimental alteration to one or addition of one or more
Negligible
more characteristic, feature or characteristics, features or
element elements
6.5 Assessment of Significance

effect uses a two-dimensional matrix based on the parameters of Impact magnitude and
Value/Sensitivity of the VER.
TRSDC ESIA approach uses a matrix for determining the significance of an effect as
presented in Table 6-6.
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Sensitivity of
VER
Extreme Moderate
Magnitude
of impact
Medium and Low. They are based on the terminology used in international principles and
• High - An environmental effect that has importance at international or national

• Medium - An environmental effect that has importance at a regional scale and/or

• Low - An environmental effect that is only important in a local context, which is

readily mitigated, and it occurs only within the boundary of the project; and
• NS - An environmental effect that is considered Non-Significant.
Significant adverse effects occur where valuable or sensitive receptors, or numerous

receptors, are subject to impacts of considerable magnitude and duration. Some effects will
be temporary, others are permanent in nature and these will be stated in the assessment.
6.6 Alternatives
6.6.1 Preamble
A key phase of the ESIA is the analysis of alternative solutions that allow mitigation of
potential adverse impacts of the project, as well as enhancement of positive effects, and is
aimed at identification of the most environmentally and socially friendly option for the project
and the local context.
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6.6.2 Identification of Alternatives

The assessment of alternatives helps identify the most appropriate method of developing a
project and can help identify the option(s) with the least direct, indirect and cumulative
environmental impacts. This includes not implementing the project. Due consideration of
alternatives ensures that the ESIA provides the opportunity for an unbiased, proactive
consideration of options, to determine the most optimal course of action rather than a
defence of a single project proposal that is the desire of the proponent.
6.6.3 International Best Practice

When assessing project alternatives, the international best practice summarised in Table 6-7
should be considered.
Table 6-7 Project Alternatives
International Best Practice Description
Guidance Note 25 states that: ‘For Greenfield

developments, the ESIA includes an examination of
technically and financially feasible alternatives to the
source of such impacts, and documentation of the
IFC Performance Standard
rationale for selecting the particular course of action
Guidance Note 1
proposed. The purpose of the alternatives analysis is to
improve decisions on project design, construction, and
operation based on feasible alternatives to the proposed
project’.
Environmental aspects of the Project shall be
incorporated into the site alternatives assessment,
IFC Performance Standard 3 including use and efficiency of resources, and the
equipment selection process should take resource
efficiency into account.
Companies are encouraged to avoid acquisition of land
that results in the physical or economic displacement of
IFC Performance Standard 5 people and requires a meaningful analysis of possible
alternatives which incorporates the social and project
costs associated with displacement.
Client does not significantly convert or degrade natural or
Critical Habitats unless it can be demonstrated that no
viable alternatives exist to development affecting such
habitats.
Paragraph 17, bullet 1 states that:
“In areas of Critical Habitat, the client will not implement
any project activities unless (all) the following are
IFC Performance Standard 6 demonstrated: No other viable alternatives within the
region exist for development of the project on modified or
natural habitat that are not critical”.
Additionally, the Performance Standard Guidance Note 6,
Guidance Note 16 states that:
“Alternatives may include variations in the layout of the
project facilities, alternative engineering and
manufacturing processes and construction practices, the
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International Best Practice Description
selection of different sites or routing of linear facilities,

and selection of alternative suppliers through screening to
identify those with appropriate environmental/social risk
management systems.”
A guidance on removal of “Non ‐ replicable Cultural
Heritage” is provided, which stipulates that it should be
preserved in place unless there are no technically or
financially feasible alternatives, and the overall benefits of
the project conclusively outweigh the cultural heritage
loss
6.6.4 Methodology for Selecting and Evaluating Alternatives/Options

Feasible alternatives to the proposed project site, technology, design, and operation are
evaluated and compared, including the “without project” scenario.
The analysis of alternatives includes the potential environmental impacts of each option,
including the ‘No project’ option, the feasibility of mitigating these impacts, the suitability of
the proposed solution under local conditions, the capital and recurrent costs, and the
institutional, training, and monitoring requirements.
Alternatives should be identified as early as possible in the project cycle and should include
the ‘Do Nothing’ option. The analysis systematically compares feasible, less adverse,
alternative technologies, designs, operations and sites to the proposed project in terms of:
• their effectiveness of achieving the project objectives as well as potential trade-

offs;
• their potential environmental and social impacts;
• the feasibility of mitigating these impacts;
• operational requirements and their suitability under local conditions;
• their institutional, training, and monitoring requirements;
• their estimated cost-effectiveness; and
• their conformity to existing policies, plans, laws and regulations.
The ‘do nothing’ alternative means that the Project would not proceed. The decision of not
proceeding with the Project is the benchmark against which the consequences of
implementing the Project can be measured. In a situation where there are significant adverse
environmental and social impacts, the ‘do nothing’ alternative takes on particular importance.
Comparison of the advantages and disadvantages of proceeding with the Project with the ‘do
nothing’ alternative provides the basis for selecting the preferred alternative. This
comparison ensures that a decision to proceed with the Project would not result in
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substantial negative effects that could negate the obvious positive effects of economic
development.
Consideration should be given to the most appropriate alternatives for each individual
project. The analysis should recommend the most effective way of meeting the need and
purpose of the proposal, either through enhancing the environmental benefits of the
proposed activity, or through reducing or avoiding potentially significant negative impacts.
Such disclosure of impacts associated with alternatives provides the basis for sound
decision-making based on the principles of sustainable development. A generic process for
identifying and analysing alternatives is presented in Figure 6-2.
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Figure 6-2 Generic Process for Identifying and Analysing Alternatives
Define project
objectives
Produce
development
proposal
Identify
alternative
technologies
Identify
alternative
locations
Screen alternative
locations
Operational and
Evaluate selected
mitigation
alternatives
alternatives
Screen alternative Implementation

locations alternatives
Proceed with Design

preferred configuration
alternative(s) alternatives
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6.7 Impacts and Mitigation Register

As discussed in section 3.5, the mitigation hierarchy is implicit within the approach to ESIA
used for the RSP development. Within the ESIA process a register of commitments is
developed that includes the required mitigation and monitoring measures. These
commitments are all approved by TRSDC.
summary table use the following key (Table 6-8).
Table 6-8 Abbreviations Used in Impact and Mitigation Summary Table
Very Local (VL)
Local (Lo)
Extent (E) Regional (Re)
National (N)
International (I)
Transient (T)
Very Short Term (VST)
Short Term (ST)

Duration (D)
Medium (M)
Long Term (LT)
Permanent (Per)
One off (OO)
Rare (Ra)
Frequency (F) Infrequent (IF)
Frequent (Fre)
Continuous (C)
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Certain (Cer)
Probability (P) High (H)
Low (L)
Yes (Y)
Reversibility (R)
No (N)
Low (L)
Size (S) Medium (M)
High (H)
Score (SC) -
A sample of an approach for recording the impacts and mitigation is provided in Table 6-9.
The Mitigation Register is used to develop the requirements of related Environmental and
Social Management Plans at the appropriate project level, spatial scale and detail.
6.8 Residual Impacts

Residual impacts are those impacts that are predicted to remain after the application of all
the proposed mitigation measures. Residual significant impacts need to be carefully
monitored and managed during the implementation phase of the project.
Where residual impacts remain, measures to offset/compensate for risks and impacts to
workers, affected communities, and the environment are identified and implemented within
the RSP region to achieve No Net Impact.
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Table 6-9 Example layout for Impacts and Mitigation Register
Receptor Receptor Significance Significance

Impact
Description Location Impact Magnitude (*) No and Value/ before Approved Mitigation Measures after
ID
Description Sensitivity mitigation Mitigation
AQ001 Emissions of air Coastal Village Im C S 87. National National/High Medium AQ001-01 Contractor to maintain a register of generators, NS
pollutants from construction sites - S Med 5 Air Quality including records of use and amount of fuel
fossil fuel burning location of power E Lo 2 Standards consumption, by type
by construction generators, plus D ST 3
any other F Fre 5 AQ001-02 Air dispersion modelling of air emissions from
equipment and
stationery fossil P Hi 3 multiple sources to evaluate cumulative effects on
plant such as
fuel equipment receptors
diesel generators. Rev Y 1
Minor 19 AQ001-03 Contractors to ensure that transportation of
materials and workers onto/from site is optimised so
that journey distance and number of journeys are
* see key in Table 6-8. minimised.
AQ001-04 Prior to deployment on site, all vehicles and
equipment to be in compliance with national
standards as set out in PME (2012). Once on site,
vehicles and equipment to undergo regular
maintenance and periodic testing to ensure
compliance with National Emissions Standards.
Test certificates to be provided to TRSDC as part of
the Weekly Environmental Metrics (WEM).
Applicable to both stationary emission sources and
mobile plant, such as mobile generators, heavy duty
trucks, and large earthmoving equipment.
AQ001-05 Contractors to ensure that transportation of
materials and workers onto/from site is optimised so
that journey distance and number of journeys are
minimised.
AQ001-06 Contractor to ensure all construction equipment is
Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) compliant
in accordance with Manufacturers specifications.
AQ001-07 Traffic speed limitation. Maximum speed of 40km/h
to be reduced to 20km/h on unsealed access roads,
depending on local situation and weather
conditions.
AQ001-08 Minimising idling of equipment and vehicles when
not in use.
AQ001-09 Plants and equipment shall be operated at their
optimum rated loads and not beyond their design
values.
AQ001-10 All plant and vehicles to be maintained in suitable
working order with records kept of regular
maintenance as specified by the manufacturer.
Contractor must submit this information on a weekly
basis as part of the WEM, as a form of verifiable
compliance evidence.
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7 CUMULATIVE ASSESSMENT
7.1 Preamble
A key aspect of TRSDC ESIA process is ensuring that cumulative impacts are captured. The
overall RSP will be developed in a phased approach with many assets within the project
scope. It is important to ensure that cumulative risks and impacts are identified and
managed. This is achieved through program level and CMP cumulative assessments.
Each asset level ESIA should identify those aspects of the project and its environmental and
social effects which may lead to cumulation. These are addressed at a program or concept
level assessment.
7.2 Methodology
The TRSDC Cumulative Assessment approach has been adapted from the IFC Rapid
Cumulative Impact Assessment approach, or RCIA 3.
Cumulative effects can be of two main types: the inter-project cumulative effects, and the
intra-project cumulative effects.
The inter-project cumulative effects is when two different projects are planned with
overlapping Areas of Influence and similar development schedules. Thus, one project may
be planned to happen adjacent to another within the same timescale and impacts from each
project may add to each other, causing higher significance of effect than the individual
projects. The second type is intra-project cumulative effects. In this, impacts from a single
project may be cumulative across different environmental aspects but all acting on a single
or group of VER’s. In this way noise and dust impacts affecting a group of houses would be
seen as cumulative impacts. Additionally, often on large scale projects, linear developments
etc., there may be accumulation of effects at different work sites.
The RCIA approach is an iterative six-step desk review process to a) determine the
significance of the overall cumulative impacts on selected receptors and the contribution of
the Project to those cumulative impacts, and b) develop Environmental and Social
Management Plans and procedures to appropriately mitigate those contributions.
The focus is on selected receptors, or VERs, where a significant effect is anticipated. The
assessment process proposed by IFC is carried out following the six steps below:
1. Identify the VERs and an appropriate geographic scope and timeframe for
analysis for each;
2. Identify other developments within the geographic area established in step 1

and collate information on them;
3
IFC Good Practice Handbook ‘Cumulative Impact Assessment and Management: Guidance for the Private
Sector in Emerging Markets’.
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3. Define the existing condition of each VER and the indicators used to
determine this condition;
4. Assess cumulative impacts, taking into account both embedded and

additional mitigation, but not compensation;
5. Assess significance; and
6. Design management strategies that are coherent with the expected impacts
on VERs and commensurate with the Project’s contribution.
7.3 Rapid Assessment of Potential Cumulative Effects

Based on the above rapid assessment methodology, a qualitative cumulative assessment
will be undertaken to further evaluate the cumulative effects attributable to other projects
that may be related to some environmental and social aspects mentioned in the preceding
ESIA analysis.
The significance of cumulative effects is evaluated in terms of the ability of the VER to
absorb further impacts before change becomes irreversible. Table 7-1 shows the adopted
criteria for this assessment.
Table 7-1 Significance of Cumulative Effects
Importance (Significance) Significance - before mitigation
Effects that the VER can absorb - no mitigation beyond that

Not significant
identified by the EIA analysis
Effects that are locally significant but limited to only a part of
Low the VER area or very short term - likely no mitigation beyond
that identified by the EIA analysis
Effect where aspects of the project may be re-examined to
see if the effect can be further reduced - iterative process
Medium (as in the EIA analysis) covering review of existing
embedded and additional mitigation and compensation
measures
High Effects that may become a key decision-making issue
Effects that must be taken into account as the VER is

Severe
irretrievably compromised
The results of the RCIA will be presented in a tabular form. An example of a RCIA Summary
Table with proposed content is provided in Table 7-2. A separate guidance document on
Cumulative Impact Assessment will be provided by TRSDC.
The general reference standard for the RCIA is the IFC ‘Good Practice Handbook on
Cumulative Impact Assessment and Management: Guidance for the Private Sector in
Emerging Markets’ (International Finance Corporation, 2013).
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Table 7-2 RCIA Summary Table
The ESIA
assessment Significance
Valued Cumulative Cumulative
conclusions of Proposed
Environmental intra-project inter-project
on residual cumulative Mitigation
Receptor(VER) impact impact
impacts to effects
VER
Discuss
Discuss
whether and
Identification potential Evaluate
how intra-
of significant inter-project significance Proposed
project
VER 1 residual cumulative of potential mitigation
cumulative
impacts on effects to be cumulative measures
effects are
VER in ESIA considered impacts
evaluated in
in the ESIA
the ESIA
VER 2
….
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PART B - ESIA REPORT
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8 STANDARD ESIA REPORTS
8.1 ESIA Scope Report

The ESIA Scope Report presents the outcomes of the Screening and Scoping stage of the
ESIA. In addition to straightforward scoping of technical topics to be addressed in the ESIA,
the Scope Report includes information regarding the proposed methodology for data
collection for technical topics scoped into the assessment and the overall methodology for
determining impact severity, VERs and significance of effects and/or risks.
For the RSP, TRSDC agreed with the Regulator that the ESIA Scope Report is prepared in
English and follows the outline provided in Annex 2 of the Implementing Regulations of
Environmental Permits for Establishing and Operating Business Activities issued by MEWA
in April 2021.
The outline of the ESIA Scope Report is provided in Table 8-1.
Table 8-1 ESIA Scope Report Outline
Chapter# Chapter Title Content
1 Introduction 1.1 General information about the study

1.2 Permit Applicant Information
1.3 Information about the service provider who
prepared the study
1.4 Information about the EIA study
• The scope of the study work.
• Methodology of preparation
• The structure of the study
1.5 Objectives of the EIA Scope Report
2 Institutional and 2.1 Institutional and organizational framework
Legislative framework 2.2 Regulatory framework
3 Activity description 3.1 Determine the objectives and justifications for
the activity
3.2 The proposed site for the project
3.3 Activities during the stages
3.4 Geographical scope of the project
3.5 Schedule and work program
3.6 Activity costs
4 Activity 4.1 Methodology for selecting and evaluating
alternatives/options alternatives/options
4.2 List and description of potential project
alternatives
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Chapter# Chapter Title Content
5 Description of the 5.1 Methodology of data collection and analysis

surrounding 5.2 An initial description of the urban, biological,
environment archaeological, cultural, social and economic
environment
5.3 Sensitive Receptors
5.4 Activities of similar future projects within the
geographical scope of the project
6 Impact identification, 6.1 Methodology used for impact determination,
analysis and evaluation analysis and evaluation
6.2 Analysis and preliminary assessment of the
potential impacts on each environmental and social
component
6.3 Description of the most important potential
environmental impacts
7 Plans 7.1 Emergency, Preparedness and Response Plan
7.2 Environmental rehabilitation and remediation
plan
7.3 Proposed Plan for Mitigating Environmental
Impacts
7.4 Proposed Environmental Management and
Control Plan
8 Appendices 8.1 CVs of the persons prepared the report
8.2 Technical documentation
8.3 Activity Location Maps
8.4 Documents related to public participation
9 References List of references
8.2 ESIA Main Report for a Third Category Project

The general outline of the ESIA Main Report for a Third Category project is set out in Art.8
and related Appendix 4 of the Implementing Regulations of Environmental Permits for
Establishing and Operating Business Activities issued by Ministry of Environment, Water and
Agriculture (MEWA) in April 2021. The general outline of the ESIA Report with an outline of
content of each Section is presented in Table 8-2.
Table 8-2 General Outline of the ESIA Main Report
Section Contents
Table of Contents
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Section Contents
List of Tables
List of Figures
Definition of Terms List of abbreviation and acronyms used in the ESIA
The Non-Technical Summary (NTS) provides an overview

Non-Technical
- of the ESIA Report and key results.
Summary
The NTS is provided in Arabic and English
ESIA Part 1 - Main Report
The introductory chapter provides general information

about the ESIA study and the Project objectives, and the
need for an ESIA. Furthermore, this section provides and
overview of the ESIA screening and scoping phases, in
line with national and international categorisation criteria.
The ESIA Scope is described in terms of the:
• Project or Physical Scope;
• Spatial Scope;
1 Introduction • Temporal Scope; and
• Technical Scope.
This section also includes:
• Structure of the ESIA Report
• Information about the Permit Applicant
• Information about the Service Provider
• ESIA Team composition.
The main assumptions made for the ESIA are also
included in this section.
This section of the ESIA Report sets out the policy,
legislative, and administrative framework, with regard to
environmental and social safeguards, within which the
project will take place. This includes:
• Institutional and Organisational Framework.
Policy, Legal and • National Laws, Regulations, Standards and
2 Administrative Requirements.
Framework • Regional Laws, Regulations, Standards and
Requirements.
• International Laws, Regulations, Standards and
Requirements.
• International Agreements and Treaties to which
the Kingdom is a Party.
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Section Contents
This chapter provides a comprehensive description of the

Project, the location, and the general activities to be
undertaken during construction and operation.
3 Project Description For the construction projects that are included in the
scope of this ESIA, this chapter provides information on
equipment, workforce, materials and resources, and work
schedule.
This section describes the methodology adopted for
evaluation of alternatives.
The ‘No Project’ option is referred to the Red Sea Project.
4 Alternatives The main alternatives and environmental design solutions
developed in the Project are described, from the concept
to the schematic design stage. The evaluation of
alternatives also includes the reasons for rejection or
acceptance of the considered options.
Provides the available information regarding baseline
conditions of the wider project area.
The baseline is focused on the environmental and social
aspects that are included in the scope of ESIA:
Physical Environment:
• Air Quality
• Contaminated Land
• Coastal Processes
• Hydrology
• Landscape and Visual
• Material Resources
• Noise and vibration
• Sea water and sediment quality
Description of the
5 Surrounding • Traffic and Transportation
Environment • Waste Management
• Water Resources
Biodiversity
• Ecosystem Services
• Marine Ecology
• Terrestrial Ecology
Archaeology and Cultural Environment:
• Archaeology
Socio-Economic Environment
• Community Health, Safety and Security
• Community Facilities
• Socio-economics
• Worker Welfare and Safety
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Section Contents
The following aspects should also be considered in the

ESIA:
• GHG Emissions (*)
• Climate Risk
* Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emission – the assessment of
GHG emissions should be made in line with the
requirements of LEED for Cities and Communities EN
Prerequisite: Energy and Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Management and EN Credit: Low Carbon Economy, as
applicable to the Project.
The potential Valued Environmental Receptors are also

identified, based on the general list of VERs included in
the Master ESIA of the RSP Concept Masterplan.
The general approach to the ESIA and the impact
assessment approach and methodology is outlined.
This section includes:
Approach to the
ESIA - Identifying • The methodology used for identifying impacts,
6 analysis and assessment
Impacts, Analysis
and Assessment • Assessment of the potential impacts
• A summary of the assessment of the expected
impacts before and after mitigation.
This Section includes an outline of the Key Plans that are

needed to mitigate Environmental and Social Impacts
identified:
• Environmental Management Plan Framework:
o Roles and Responsibilities for
Implementing the Environmental
Management Plan.
8 Plans o Capacity Building.
o Communication.
o Control and Reporting.
o Data Management.
o Auditing and Inspection.
• Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan
• Environmental Rehabilitation and Treatment Plan
• Proposed Environmental Control Plan.
The environmentally, socially and economically

8 Conclusion
"preferred" alternative.
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Section Contents
A summary of the environmental, social and economic

losses and gains that justify the establishment of the
proposed Business Activity.
A summary of how the negative impacts are addressed
and to what extent they will be mitigated, improved or
controlled.
A summary of the Environmental Management Plan.
Roles of the various relevant authorities.
ESIA Part 2 - Appendices
Supporting information and documentation is provided as

Appendices in the ESIA Study:
A. References
B. CVs
- Appendices
C. Technical Documents
D. Maps
E. Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS)
F. NCEC Response
Framework Environmental and Social Management Plan
The Framework ESMP is a standalone document that is

prepared following an Environmental and Social Impact
Assessment (ESIA).
- Framework ESMP The Framework ESMP presents the process and actions
required for ensuring commitments made in the ESIA are
fully implemented and effective during construction and
operation.
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PART C - ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL

MANAGEMENT PLANS
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9 OUTLINE OF ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL

MANAGEMENT PLANS
9.1 Preamble
This Chapter outlines the key elements of an Environmental and Social Management Plan
(ESMP) capturing the typical Environmental and Social impacts and associated mitigation
measures that need to be considered at minimum in the construction and operation of a
Project within the RSP context.
The general content of the following Environmental and Social Management Plans:
• Framework ESMP to be developed for a Masterplan or Program level ESIA;
• The Framework ESMP provides the general environmental and social

requirements to be integrated by the appointed Asset ESIA Consultant(s) in the
Framework CESMP and Framework OESMP to be developed as part of asset
level ESIA;
• CESMP to be developed for an Asset ESIA by the appointed Construction

Contractor(s); and
• OESMP to be developed for an Asset ESIA the appointed Contractor(s) for asset
operation.
9.2 Framework Environmental and Social Management Plan

The Framework ESMP is integral part of the ESIA at the Masterplan and Program level and
outlines a general environmental and social management and monitoring framework for the
related Project.
The Framework ESMP will be used as a management tool to support the implementation of
mitigation and monitoring measures that are required to avoid or mitigate adverse
environmental and social effects of the related Program, and reach a set of general
environmental objectives for the general construction and operation activities of the project.
The Shurayrah Masterplan Framework ESMP provides the environmental and social
requirements set out in this ESIA Report a general guidance for implementation into full
Construction Environmental and Social Management Plans by the Construction
Contractor(s), based on their existing procedures and incorporating the specific
requirements.
The Framework ESMP will also provide the general requirements for the development of
Operational Management Plans for the Operation Phase.
The annotated Table of Content of a Framework ESMP is provided in Table 9-1.
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Table 9-1 Framework ESMP Outline
ESMP Section General Content
Chapter 1 Introduction This chapter will include the following sections:

• Background information on the proposed project
• Need for the project and its objectives
• Summary of ESIA for the Project
Masterplan/Program
• ESMP objectives and implementation
arrangements.
Chapter 2 Project This chapter will include the following sections:
Description • Project context
• Type of Project
• Stakeholders
• Construction activities
• Construction Phasing and Schedule
• Operation activities.
Chapter 3 Project This section of the ESIA Report sets out the legislative,
Standards policy and administrative framework, with regard to
(national and environmental and social safeguard requirements, within
international) which the project will take place.
Chapter 4 Environmental This section includes the description of roles and
and Social responsibilities of personnel in charge of the environmental
Management management of the construction and operation phases of
System the project.
The roles and responsibilities of each relevant position
should be documented, including the responsibilities of
subcontractors.
This section should include key emergency contacts
responsible for managing environmental emergencies
associated with the project and their contact details. These
personnel should have the power to stop and direct works
so that they can manage emergencies effectively.
Chapter 5 Environmental This section includes the identification of environmental
risks and and social risks associated with the Project and provides
mitigation specific instructions for implementation of the related
measures mitigation measures set out in the Project’s ESIA.
The function of the risk assessment is not to repeat or
supersede the ESIA of a project or its conditions of
approval, but to ensure that the identified risks and related
mitigation requirements are effectively translated into
actual design, mitigation and management actions
throughout the project delivery process.
This section of the ESMP provides guidance on how to
address environmental and social aspects during design
and identify alternative solutions.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
This section will also refer to relevant CESMP Mitigation

Plans, operational procedures, method statements, and
tools (checklists, forms, templates, etc.) to be used by the
contractor during the construction and operation phases of
the Project.
Chapter 6 Monitoring This section includes the identification of monitoring
Program requirements for the construction and operation activities
and related monitoring program.
This section describes the specific monitoring procedures,
instruction and tools (checklists, forms, etc.) to be used by
the contractors.
TRSDC Employer Requirements for data collection,

management and reporting requirements are provided in
Appendix 1.
Chapter 7 Training This section outlines the general content of the Project’s
Program Training program and guideline for implementation.
The goal of the training is for Contractor personnel involved
in the Project (including sub-contractors) to understand:
• The sensitivities of the area in which the Project will
be constructed and operated;
• The environmental and social risks associated with
the Project’s activities;
• The mitigation measures set out in the ESIA and
how they have to be implemented on site, including
key roles responsibilities with respect to
environmental and social management;
• Environmental monitoring and controls;
• The Project’s Grievance Mechanism and the basic
worker’s rights (see Chapter 8 Core Labour
Standards below), and how to deal with enquiries/
questions/ grievances by the public/ local
stakeholders;
• How to deal with unforeseen incidents/ emergency
situations.
General training recording and reporting requirements are
set out, which will be implemented in the Contractors’
project specific CESMPs and OESMPs.
Chapter 8 Community This section will describe the internal and external
grievance mechanisms developed by TRSDC to record and
respond to any complaints and concerns of staff, workers
and local communities affected by projects, especially in
relation to cumulative effects of multiple projects within the
RSP.
This section will also include the project communication
mechanism for engaging stakeholders, for delivering
project-related information to the affected communities
within their areas of operations and for receiving feedback.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
Chapter 9 Environmental This section will include the schedule or triggers for
Audit auditing the implementation and effectiveness of the plan.
An environmental audit program will be defined to address
both internal and external audit requirements, including
who is responsible for undertaking the audits, the
frequency, the mechanism for reporting the results, and the
management of corrective actions.
Chapter Environmental This section will describe the reporting requirements, which
10 Reporting may include the reporting requirements of the conditions of
approval of the ESIA, periodic reporting to the National
Regulator (NCEC) and/or RSP SEZ Regulator, periodic
(monthly) environmental reporting to TRSDC, reports to
inform reviews of the Project plan, etc..
The description of reporting requirements should include
the list of required reports including where appropriate
monitoring, environmental incidents, non-compliance,
corrective action and auditing, and the related frequency
and recipients.

Appendix 1.
Chapter ESMP Review This section will specify the schedule or triggers for reviews
11 and update of the ESMP, identify who will be responsible for
undertaking the review and describe the review
documentation requirements.
For the overall RSP and related Programs, the ESMP
review should assess whether the plans and programs are
achieving its objectives and the requirements of any
relevant approval conditions.
Review of an environmental management plan would
typically be undertaken:
• following significant environmental incidents
• when there is a need to improve performance in an
area of environmental and social impact
• periodically for actions undertaken over long
timeframes such as one, two or five years.
The ESMP review should take into account environmental
reports, monitoring records, incidents reports, audit results
and corrective actions reports.
Appendices This Section of the ESMP will include, but not be limited to:
• TRSDC Environment and Sustainability Policy and
Principles
• Relevant Environmental Standards for the Project’s
construction and operation phases and activities
• Project Phasing and Development Schedule
• Mitigation Register
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
• ESIA Project Team

• Training Program
• Environmental Audit Plan.
Environmental Sub-Plans The ESMP shall include General Environmental
Management Plans related to the construction and
operation phases of the project and associated
environmental and social impacts.
The Environmental Sub-Plans include, but may not be

limited to the following:
• Emergency Response Plan (ERP): to establish and
implement procedures for managing environmental
emergencies in coordination with the RSP
Emergency Management Plan, roles and
responsibilities, incident reporting mechanism and
investigation process, and management of
preventive/corrective actions;
• Waste Management Plan (WMP): to identify,
classify and manage waste streams in line with
regulatory waste management requirements, and to
establish procedures, roles and responsibilities,
waste metrics and record keeping templates;
• Traffic Management Plan (TMP): to manage traffic
and transportation routes, define roles and
responsibilities, and design safe site layout, traffic
circulation and logistics in coordination with the
RSP Traffic Management Plan;
• Hazardous Materials Management Plan (HMMP): to
ensure adequate management of hazardous
materials throughout the construction phase of the
project to prevent, mitigate and control negative
impacts on the people’s health, property and on the
environment. The HMMP should be read in
conjunction with the CESMP and the ERP and the
other sub-plans, as relevant;
• Workers Welfare Plan (WWP): to specifically
address the implementation of IFC PS 2 on labour
and working conditions, and develop a project-
specific plan for establishment and maintenance of
worker accommodation and welfare
services/facilities, in line with TRSDC standards;
• Community Health, Safety, and Security Plan
(CHSSP): to specifically address the
implementation of IFC PS 4 on community health,
safety, and security by managing increased risks
and adverse impacts on local communities related
to worksite accidents, hazardous materials, spread
of diseases, or interactions with private security
personnel.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
The framework ESMP will be revised and updated to reflect changes in the related
Masterplan or Program and associated ESIA, as well as the results of implementation and
any relevant environmental and social developments regarding the project.
9.3 Construction Environmental and Social Management Plan

9.3.1 Asset Level Framework CESMP
At the asset level, the appointed ESIA Consultant will identify more specific mitigation and
enhancement measures that will further delineate the environmental and social management
framework related to the project-specific activities and works.
The Asset ESIA Consultant prepares a project-specific Framework CESMP that presents the
outcomes of the IA process and actions required for ensuring commitments made in the
ESIA are fully implemented and effective during the construction process. The project
activities have been the subject of an ESIA and the requirements set out in the Framework
CESMP are based on the outcomes of that process.
The Framework CESMP includes the approved mitigation and monitoring measures that
apply to the construction works and activities.
The Framework CESMP has the same structure of the Framework ESMP (see section 9.2
and Table 9-1) but is focused on the project’s construction phase and related requirements.
9.3.2 Contractor’s CESMP

The appointed construction contractor is responsible for implementing the requirements of
this Framework CESMP in their project specific CESMP. The environmental and social
management measures set out in the approved ESIA documentation become a legal
obligation on TRSDC so contractors are required to implement these commitments in full and
monitor their effectiveness. The process for ensuring implementation of mitigation and
monitoring requirements, and effective auditing of the environmental performance of the
project is through the development of a CESMP.
The CESMP is prepared by the Contractor and approved by TRSDC prior to mobilisation
onto site and start of the related construction activities.
The project-specific CESMP is commensurate with the relevant Environment and

Sustainability risks and expected impacts of their construction projects and activities
included in the contractor’s scope of work. If the construction works are divided into separate
contracts, each appointed contractor will develop their project-specific CESMP.
The CESMP provides a consolidated summary of all the Environmental and Social
requirements relevant for the activities and works to be undertaken by the contractor during
the construction phase of the project. The CESMP also gives an overview about the
Environmental and Social Management System that is being implemented to ensure
systematic and effective execution of these requirements. The requirements set out in the
Framework CESMP associated with the asset level ESIA are operationalised with project
specific information including, but not limited to: details on project activities, construction
phasing and schedule, work method statements, construction area layout and logistic
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
arrangements, laydown areas and temporary facilities, equipment, workforce deployment

schedule, labour conditions and workers welfare facilities, required environmental plans and
procedures, site roles and responsibilities for environment, safety and health management at
the construction site, training requirements, and stakeholder engagement approach,
including a grievance mechanism for workers and local communities affected by the works.
The CESMP should provide template forms and checklists to be used for the environmental
management and control of the project activities. These include, but are not limited to:
• Daily and weekly environmental checklists;
• Audit checklists and report template;
• Incident Investigation Report template;
• Corrective Action Plan (CAP) register template;
• Training matrix template.
The CESMP shall include a list of documentation that need to be present on site.
The CESMP shall also integrate TRSDC requirements for data collection, management and
reporting that are provided in Appendix 1.
The annotated Table of Content of a standard CESMP is provided in Table 9-2.
Table 9-2 CESMP Outline
CESMP Section General Content

• Summary of ESIA outcomes
• Legal requirement and Purpose of the CESMP
• CESMP objectives, structure and implementation
arrangements.
• Type of Project
• Project activities to be completed during
construction
• Construction Method Statements
• Construction plant and equipment, including
power generators, sewage system, fuel stations
etc.
• Layout of the construction area and logistic
arrangements, including access routes, fencing,
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
laydown and storage areas, temporary facilities,

worker welfare facilities, etc.
• Construction Phasing and Schedule
• Construction workforce, including
subcontractors.
Chapter 3 Policy, This section of the ESIA Report sets out the legislative,
Legislation policy and administrative framework, with regard to
framework and environmental and social safeguard requirements,
Standards applicable to construction activities and works.
(national and This section includes national and international
international) regulations and applicable requirements, including
TRSDC and the contractor's policies.
and Social responsibilities of personnel in charge of the
Management environmental management of the construction phase of
System the project.
The roles and responsibilities of each relevant position
subcontractors.
risks and and social risks associated with the construction
mitigation activities and provides specific instructions for
measures implementation of the related mitigation measures set
out in the Project’s ESIA at the construction site.
This section includes reference to relevant CESMP
Mitigation Plans, operational procedures, method
statements, and tools (checklists, forms, etc.) to be used
by the contractor during the construction works.
Program requirements for the construction activities and related
monitoring program.
This section describes the specific monitoring
procedures, instruction and tools (checklists, forms, etc.)
to be used by the contractor’s staff, including
subcontractors.

Appendix 1.
Chapter 7 Training This section includes the identification of training needs
Program for the construction activities and the general content of
related training program(s).
Induction Training to all its employees and Contractor
personnel working on the Project before early works
start.
Training program to address specific environmental
awareness and training needs of the construction
workforce (e.g. emergency and spill response
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
procedures, environmental monitoring, Protected

Species Observer, etc.) with an outline of the training
content.
Record of training sessions.
Chapter 8 Community This section describes the internal and external
grievance mechanism developed by Contractor to record
and respond to any concerns raised by workers and
local affected communities.
Contractor’s grievance mechanism must account for all
workers and lower tier subcontractors engaged by
Contractor, and the mechanism must contain all relevant
verifiable compliance evidence to enable regular audits
by TRSDC to derive meaningful corrective actions
should there be grievances of any kind.
auditing auditing the implementation and effectiveness of the
CESMP.
An environmental audit program will be defined by the
contractor to address both internal and external audit
requirements for the construction activities, including
who is responsible for undertaking the audits, the
frequency, the mechanism for reporting the results, and
the management of corrective actions.
Chapter 10 Environmental This section will describe the reporting requirements,
Reporting which may include the reporting requirements of the
conditions of approval of the ESIA, periodic reporting to
the National Regulator (NCEC) and/or RSP SEZ
Regulator, periodic (monthly) environmental reporting to
TRSDC, reports to inform reviews of the Project plan,
etc..
and recipients.

Appendix 1.
Appendices This Section of the CESMP will include, but not be
limited to:
• Contractor’s Environmental Policy
• Relevant Environmental Standards for the
Project’s construction phase and activities
• Construction Method Statements
• Detailed Construction Schedule
• Environmental and Social Management System
Forms
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
• Environmental Control Checklists and Forms

• Environmental Audit Checklists and Forms
• Other relevant documentation.
Environmental Sub-Plans for The CESMP shall include relevant Environmental Sub-
Construction Plans related to the project activities and associated
The CESMP shall include the following general

Environmental Sub-Plans:
• Emergency Response Plan (ERP): procedures,
roles and responsibilities, and operational
instructions for emergency preparedness and
response, incident reporting mechanism,
investigation process and management of
preventive/corrective actions.
• Hazardous Materials Management Plan (HMMP):
to ensure an adequate management of
hazardous materials throughout the construction
phase of the project to prevent, mitigate and
control negative impacts on the people’s health,
property and on the environment. The HMMP
should be read in conjunction with the CESMP
and the ERP and the other sub-plans, as
relevant.
• Waste Management Plan (WMP): identification of
waste streams, waste management
requirements, procedures, roles and
responsibilities, waste metrics and record
keeping templates.
• Traffic Management Plan (TMP): manage traffic
volumes generated during construction (including
transport of materials, equipment, people);
design of transportation routes to/from site, site
layout, traffic management and logistics;
definition of roles and responsibilities.
• Workers Welfare Plan: to specifically address the
implementation of IFC PS 2 Labour and working
conditions, and develop a project-specific plan
for establishment and maintenance of worker
accommodation and on site worker welfare
services/facilities, in line with TRSDC
requirements.
• Community Plan: to specifically address the
implementation of IFC PS 4 Community Safety,
Health and Security.
The Environmental Sub-Plans must be specific for this

project site, activities and working conditions during
construction.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
The CESMP shall also include specific Environmental

Sub-Plans for construction that include, but are not
limited to:
• Environmental Awareness and Training Plan:
training needs, training program and training
record templates.
• Dust Control Plan: to address issues related to
the management of dust generating activities, in
order to prevent, mitigate and control the
generation of dust related with the activities
carried out by the Contractor on the construction
site, along internal /external road networks and
at external sites.
• Wildlife Management Plan: to implement the
measures set out in the ESIA to minimise the
impacts on terrestrial and marine wildlife during
the construction works, including bio-security
where applicable.
The CESMP will be revised and updated by the Contractor as the Project proceeds to reflect
changes in the ESIA as well as the results of implementation and any relevant environmental
and social developments regarding the project.
For major projects with duration, as a minimum the CESMP shall be reviewed on an annual
basis, as part of the specific audit program for the Contractor’s construction activities.
9.4 Operation Environmental and Social Management Plan

9.4.1 Asset Level Framework OESMP
At the asset level, the appointed ESIA Consultant will identify more specific mitigation and
enhancement measures that will further delineate the environmental and social management
framework related to the project-specific operational activities.
The Asset ESIA Consultants will prepare the project-specific Framework OESMP that
presents the outcomes of the IA process and actions required for ensuring commitments
made in the ESIA are fully implemented and effective during the operation phase of the
project. The project activities have been the subject of an ESIA and the requirements set
out in the Framework OESMP are based on the outcomes of that process.
The Framework OESMP includes the approved mitigation and monitoring measures that
apply to the operational activities.
The Framework OESMP has the same structure of the Framework ESMP (see section 9.2
and Table 9-1) but is focused on the project’s operation phase and related requirements.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
9.4.2 Contractor’s OESMP

The appointed contractor for operation of an asset is responsible for implementing the
requirements of the Framework OESMP in their project specific OESMP.
The appointed operators for the Project will develop a project-specific OESMP
commensurate with the relevant Environment and Sustainability risks and expected impacts
of their operational activities included in the contractor’s scope of work. If operation activities
are assigned to separate contractors, each appointed contractor will develop their OESMP.
The OESMP is prepared by the Contractor and approved by TRSDC prior to commissioning.
The purpose of this OESMP is to provide a consolidated summary the outcomes of the IA
and includes all the Environmental and Social requirements relevant for the operational
phase of the Project.
The OESMP shall also integrate TRSDC requirements for data collection, management and
reporting that are provided in Appendix 1.
The OESMP also gives an overview about the Environmental and Social Management
System that is being implemented to ensure systematic and effective execution of these
requirements.
The annotated Table of Content of a standard OESMP is provided in Table 9-3.
Table 9-3 OESMP Outline
OESMP Section General Content

• Shelf life of the project
• Summary of ESIA outcomes
• OESMP objectives and implementation
arrangements.
• Type of Project
• Operational activities, including maintenance
• Operation plant and equipment
• Operation hours
• Layout of the area, and logistic arrangements,
including access routes, facilities, storage areas,
waste storage and transfer facilities and routes,
traffic plan etc.
• Operation workforce, including subcontractors.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
Chapter 3 Project This section of the ESIA Report sets out the legislative,
Standards policy and administrative framework, with regard to
(national and environmental and social safeguard requirements,
international) applicable to operational activities.
and Social responsibilities of personnel in charge of environmental and
Management social management of the operation phase of the project.
System The roles and responsibilities of each relevant position
subcontractors.
risks and and social risks associated with the operational activities
mitigation and provides specific instructions for implementation of the
measures related mitigation measures set out in the Project’s ESIA.
This section includes reference to relevant OESMP
Mitigation Plans, operational procedures, method
statements, and tools (checklists, forms, etc.) to be used by
the operator during the operational phase.
Program requirements for the operational activities and related
monitoring program.
This section describes in detail the specific monitoring
procedures, instruction and tools (checklists, forms, etc.) to
be used by the operator’s staff, including subcontractors.

Appendix 1.
Chapter 7 Training This section includes the identification of training needs for
Program the operational activities and the general content of related
training program(s).
Training program to address specific training needs of the
operational workforce (for example: emergency and spill
response procedures, environmental monitoring, Protected
Species Observer, etc.) with an outline of the training
content.
Induction Training to all employees, including
subcontractors.
Record of training sessions.
Chapter 8 Community This section describes the internal and external grievance
mechanism developed by Contractor to record and respond
to any enquiries, concerns and complaints raised by
workers, local communities and other entities (visitors,
suppliers etc.).
Contractor’s grievance mechanism must account for all
workers and lower tier subcontractors engaged by
Contractor, and the mechanism must contain all relevant
verifiable compliance evidence to enable regular audits by
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
TRSDC to derive meaningful corrective actions should

there be grievances of any kind.
auditing auditing the implementation and effectiveness of the
OESMP.
An environmental audit program will be defined by the
contractor to address both internal and external audit
requirements for the construction activities, including who
is responsible for undertaking the audits, the frequency, the
mechanism for reporting the results, and the management
of corrective actions.
Chapter Environmental This section will describe the reporting requirements, which
10 Reporting may include the reporting requirements of the conditions of
approval of the ESIA, periodic reporting to the National
Regulator (NCEC) and/or RSP SEZ Regulator, periodic
(monthly) environmental reporting to TRSDC, etc..
and recipients.

Appendix 1.
Appendices This Section of the OESMP will include, but not be limited
to:
• Operator’s Environmental Policy
• Training Program and Training record template
• Environmental and Social Management Forms
• Environmental Control Checklists
• Environmental Audit Checklists
• Other relevant documentation
Environmental Sub-Plans The OESMP shall include relevant Environmental Sub-
Plans related to the project activities and associated
As a minimum, the OESMP shall include the following
general Environmental Sub-Plans:
• Emergency Response Plan (ERP): procedures,
roles and responsibilities, and operational
instructions for emergency preparedness and
response, incident reporting mechanism,
investigation process and management of
preventive/corrective actions.
• Hazardous Materials Management Plan (HMMP): to
ensure an adequate management of hazardous
materials to prevent, mitigate and control negative
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
impacts on the people’s health, property and on the

environment. The HMMP should be read in
conjunction with the ERP and the other sub-plans,
as relevant.
• Waste Management Plan (WMP): identification of
waste streams, waste management requirements,
procedures, roles and responsibilities, waste
metrics and record keeping templates.
• Traffic Management Plan (TMP): manage traffic
volumes generated during operation (including
transport of materials, equipment, people); design
of transportation routes, site layout, traffic
management and logistics; definition of roles and
responsibilities.
The Environmental Sub-Plans must be specific for the

project site, activities and working conditions during the
operation phase.
The OESMP will be revised and updated to reflect changes in any relevant environmental
and social developments regarding the Project’s operation activities.
As a minimum the OESMP will be reviewed on an annual basis, as part of the specific audit
program for the operation activities.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
APPENDICES
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
APPENDIX 1 TRSDC EMPLOYER REQUIREMENTS

FOR DATA COLLECTION, MANAGEMENT AND
REPORTING
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Employer Minimum Requirements relative to Consultants Monitoring Activities
[DRAFT Version 13-09-2021]
Objective & Purpose This guide has been developed to present the minimum TRSDC technical,
monitoring and reporting, requirements consultant(s) and relevant third-parties
and aims to assist environmental consultants during the Environmental Bassline
Studies preparation.
The reviewer(s) of the ESIA’s are responsible to confirm that the requirements
listed in this document are reflected in the EBS Plans as well as to evaluate the
adequacy of facilities and expertise demonstrated by the consultants to carry out
their environmental monitoring activities.
Guiding Documents Documents presented below govern TRSDC environmental monitoring
obligations:
1. The National Center for Environmental Compliance (NCEC), PME / GAMEP
published environmental standards.
2. The Red Sea Development Company (TRSDC) guideline for ESIA and
CESMP, document Ref (R00-000F71-BDC-RPT-EN-0005).
3. The specific approved ESIA report covering the specific asset under the
contractor scope (if available).
4. TRSDC General Environmental Employer Requirements.
5. Specific Contractual obligations.
6. Commitments set by external regulatory agencies (including Permanent
Committee and NCEC) as established in the project classification process.
Documents and 1. EBS Plan.
Records Minimum
2. EBS Method Statements.
Requirement
3. Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
4. Field Forms Templates.
5. Data Record Templates.
6. Chain of Custody Records (CoCs).
7. Maintenance / Calibration Logs.
8. Report Templates.
EBS Plan Minimum The Environmental Baseline Survey Plan to include the following components:
Requirements
1. EBS scope for each environmental aspect (i.e: Air, Noise, etc..) as this is
defined within the relevant Scoping Reports and associated regulatory
requirements. EBS activities shall be clearly associated with critical
sensitive receptors and site-specific mitigation measures for construction
activities discussed in the relevant ESIA.
2. Alternative monitoring approaches.
3. Personnel, Qualifications and Responsibilities.
4. EBS activities description to include but should not be limited to the
following:
a. High level description of the monitoring / sampling / survey
method incl. reference to international standard / best practice
and Minimum Detection Limit (where applicable),
b. Parameters to be monitored / sampled including the relevant
regulatory thresholds, or minimum level of observation records as
per IBP,
c. Locations with appropriate reference to construction activities,
sensitive receptors and/or other landmarks.
d. Duration and frequency of monitoring/sampling,
e. Number and type of replicate measurements/samples.
5. Monitoring Schedule
6. Quality Assurance / Quality Control (QA/QC) Procedures
a. Quality control procedures.
b. Continuous improvement procedures.
7. Record Keeping and Reporting:
a. Record and reporting platforms.
b. Reporting content and schedule.
c. Non-compliance reporting content, line of communication and
rectification timeframe.
d. Record and reporting QA/QC procedures.
Method Statement The EBS Method Statement to cover the following sections in relation to the
Minimum monitoring method:
Requirements
1. Detailed description of the proposed monitoring/sampling/survey
method including reference to relevant international standard / best
practice to be followed for monitoring activities. Measurement or survey
analysis to include:
a. List of qualitative observations and quantitative measurements,
b. Field methodology,
c. Field data analysis methodology,
d. Relevant indexes calculation.
2. Technical specifications of the equipment and monitoring instruments
incl. normal operating values, data loggers and telemetry specifications.
3. The minimum working conditions for safe monitoring/sampling
operations incl. qualitative and quantitative specifics.
4. Calibration and maintenance requirements incl. procedure, responsible
personnel, frequency, and schedule.
5. Laboratory and taxonomic analysis scope description to include:
a. List of parameters,
b. Analysis methodology,
c. Regulatory thresholds,
d. Minimum detection limits or level of analysis,
e. Quality assurance and quality control measures and procedures to
be followed by the contractor and the assigned third parties:
i. Sample holding times and conditions,
ii. Split samples, trip blanks, duplicate samples.
iii. Chain of Custody documents.
f. Accreditation and Quality Assurance certifications for proposed
laboratories and associated third-parties.
6. Georeferenced monitoring locations with standard location IDs, reference
distances from construction activities, sensitive receptors and/or other
landmarks.
7. The QA/QC procedures to be followed for the monitoring activities incl.
control locations, verification monitoring etc.
8. Templates: Field forms, Data Records and Reporting templates.
Field Forms and TRSDC is gradually migrating into a digital data management and reporting system
Records Templates that will require Contractors to adjust their monitoring data gathering and
Minimum reporting approach through geospatial digital platforms (ie Survey 123) and
Requirements electronic devices. Contractors are expected to develop digital field forms and
reporting templates for their monitoring activities to be incorporated in arcGIS.
Field Forms to include the following content:
1. Date and Time of monitoring (Format: DD-MM-YYYY (Ex: 12-03-2021).
Time stamps are to be reported in a 24hr format.
2. Monitoring Location ID – Unique identifying ID for the asset and
contractor.
3. Location Information incl.:
a. Coordinates: Projection Coordinate System
WGS_1984_UTM_Zone_37N
b. Habitat type, substrate type, vegetation type, debris or other
observations)
4. Description of climatic conditions (wind speed and direction, sea-state,
current speed and direction overcast, rainfall past-24h).
5. Tidal levels (for marine and groundwater monitoring).
6. Relevant direction and distance from the nearest sensitive receptor,
obstruction and/or construction activity.
7. Monitoring activity related measurements and observations.
8. Third-party activities, duration and intensity, and observations during
monitoring (i.e: plane passing during noise monitoring).
9. Geo-Referenced photo records for the monitoring activity in JPEG or PNG
or RAW containing lat/long, date/time, photographer's name and
keywords/tags. Camera resolution should be minimum 20 megapixel.
Minimum Report Report Structure, to include the following:
Structure and Context
1. Introduction,
Requirements
2. Objective,
3. Schedule & Method,
4. Schedule & Method Deviations,
5. Environmental Monitoring Data incl. comparison to historical data,
6. Non-Compliances incl. Date/Time, Location, Parameters, Duration, Source,
Incident Timeline from initial alert to rectification or mitigation measures,
7. Discussion,
8. Summary,
9. Appendices:
a. Field Forms (incl. Photos),
b. Data Record,
c. CoCs (where applicable),
d. Maintenance / Calibration Logs.
Deliverables 1. Report in PDF.
Requirements
2. Data QA/QC: 'Consultant must QA/QC their data to assure accuracy and
correctness before delivery to TRSDC. Examples of QA/QC (this list is not
comprehensive):
a. Does the data match the field? Example: no decimal data in
categorical field.
b. Does the allowable number of decimal/significant figures match
the precision of the instrument? (See 'significant figures'.)
c. Does the range of values match the range of the instrument?
d. Are null values correctly designated as null and is there an
explanation for null values and NA values?
3. Raw data in Excel sheet including detection limits and threshold values
where applicable.
a. Acceptable file formats <1 million rows: .xlsx or .csv
b. Acceptable file formats >1 million rows: .xml or netCDF
4. GIS mapping.
5. Stamped laboratory results and raw data.
Analysis detection limits and threshold values to be provided for any type
of laboratory analysis.
6. Timestamped and georeferenced photos for monitoring events and adhoc
incidents.
7. Access to Live Monitoring Platforms as applicable.
8. For sampling activities, a Chain of Custody to be provided along with the
laboratory analysis results including reference for the time for sample
collection, temperature, holding time, sample kit and lab tracking record.
The chain of custody must be signed by all participating parties.
9. Delivery timelines: TRSDC expects receipt of data from consultants on a
weekly, biweekly or monthly basis as stated in the contract. Failure to
provide raw data shall be considered breach of contract.
QA/QC Requirements 1. Date and Time Format
All dates are to be reported in the following format: DD-MM-YYYY (Ex:
12-03-2021).
All times are to be reported in a 24hr format.
2. Unique Identifying Numbers for Documents / Records / Forms following a
specific structure. A uniform naming format is to be adapted for all forms
and records titles.
- For Field Forms use the following format: Program - Asset - Contract No.
- Monitoring Activity – Monitoring Date (YYYYMMDD)
(Ex: P03-COV-1234-NM-202103)
- For Data Records use the following format: Program - Asset - Contract
No. - Monitoring Activity - Record Period (YYYYMM-YYYYMM)
(Ex: P03-COV-1234-NM-202103-202109)
3. Unique Identifying Numbers for Samples following a specific structure
Use the following format for sample ID:
Program - Asset - Contract No. - Monitoring Activity - YYYYMMDD - Site
No. - Sample No.
Ex: P12-SHU-123456-MWQS-20210324-05-01
4. Coordinate System Format
Position Format: UTM 37N
Datum: WGS-84
Coordinates Format: (XXXXXX, YYYYYYY)
Always indicate geoid and projection regardless of whether if it differs
from standard.
5. Abbreviations and Indexes (similarly to be provided by TRSDC).
6. Categorical data: Must be distinct categories not freeform text fields.
Categorical data should be filled from a dropdown menu. Example:
choose from the following: [dolphin, sea turtle, dougong]. If freeform text
is necessary to explain categorical data, it should be stored separately in
a 'comments' field. Example: category: "dougong"; note: "feeding on
seagrass".
7. Censored data i.e. nulls, NAs and zeros:
If no measurement was taken, indicate "null". Do not fill null values from
surrounding data. If a measurement is not applicable to a survey, indicate
"NA". Use zero "0" only for non-detects. Null or NA values should be
explained in a 'comments' column.
8. Significant figures: Significant figures (i.e. number of decimal places)
should match the precision of the instrument. For example, if an
instrument's precision is to the hundredths, measurements should be
only to the hundredths, no more and no less.
Examples for an instrument accurate to the hundredths:
22.22 NOT 22.222
22.00 NOT 22
Updates and Follow-Up This document provides the minimum elements required for the quality
assurance and quality control of the environmental monitoring conducted by
contractors. These requirements will be subject to further updates and revisions.
Employer Minimum Requirements relative to Compliance Monitoring by Contractors
[DRAFT Version 13-09-2021]
Objective & Purpose This guide has been developed to present the minimum TRSDC technical,
monitoring and reporting, requirements contractor(s) and relevant third-parties
and aims to assist contractors and their environmental consultants during the
CESMP preparation.
The reviewer(s) of the ESIA’s and CESMP’s are responsible to confirm that the
requirements listed in this document are reflected in the CESMPs as well as to
evaluate the adequacy of facilities and expertise demonstrated by the contractors
to carry out their environmental compliance monitoring obligations.
Guiding Documents Documents presented below govern the contractors compliance monitoring
obligations:
1. The National Center for Environmental Compliance (NCEC), PME / GAMEP
published environmental standards.
2. The Red Sea Development Company (TRSDC) guideline for ESIA and
CESMP, document Ref (R00-000F71-BDC-RPT-EN-0005).
3. The specific approved ESIA report covering the specific asset under the
contractor scope (if available).
4. TRSDC General Environmental Employer Requirements.
5. Specific Contractual obligation per contractor.
6. Commitments set by external regulatory agencies (including Permanent
Committee and NCEC) as established in the project permit conditions.
Documents and 1. Environmental Monitoring Plan.
Records Minimum
2. Environmental Monitoring Method Statements.
Requirement
3. Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
4. Field Forms Templates.
5. Data Record Templates.
6. Chain of Custody Records (CoCs).
7. Maintenance / Calibration Logs.
8. Report Templates.
Monitoring Plan The Environmental Monitoring Plan to include the following components:
Minimum
1. Monitoring scope for each environmental aspect (i.e: Air, Noise, etc..) as
Requirements
this is defined within the relevant ESIA and associated regulatory Permits.
Monitoring activities shall be clearly associated with critical sensitive
receptors and site-specific mitigation measures for construction activities
discussed in the relevant ESIA.
2. Alternative monitoring approaches.
3. Personnel, Qualifications and Responsibilities.
4. Monitoring activities description to include but should not be limited to
the following:
a. High level description of the monitoring / sampling / survey
method incl. reference to international standard / best practice
and Minimum Detection Limit (where applicable),
b. Parameters to be monitored / sampled including the relevant
regulatory thresholds, or minimum level of observation records as
per IBP,
c. Locations with appropriate reference to construction activities,
sensitive receptors and/or other landmarks.
d. Duration and frequency of monitoring/sampling,
e. Number and type of replicate measurements/samples.
5. Monitoring Schedule
6. Quality Assurance / Quality Control (QA/QC) Procedures
a. Quality control procedures.
b. Continuous improvement procedures.
7. Record Keeping and Reporting:
a. Record and reporting platforms.
b. Reporting content and schedule.
c. Non-compliance reporting content, line of communication and
rectification timeframe.
d. Record and reporting QA/QC procedures.
Method Statement The Environmental Monitoring Method Statement to cover the following sections
Minimum in relation to the monitoring method:
Requirements
1. Detailed description of the proposed monitoring/sampling/survey
method including reference to relevant international standard / best
practice to be followed for monitoring activities. Measurement or survey
analysis to include:
a. List of qualitative observations and quantitative measurements,
b. Field methodology,
c. Field data analysis methodology,
d. Relevant indexes calculation.
2. Technical specifications of the equipment and monitoring instruments
incl. normal operating values, data loggers and telemetry specifications.
3. The minimum working conditions for safe monitoring/sampling
operations incl. qualitative and quantitative specifics.
4. Calibration and maintenance requirements incl. procedure, responsible
personnel, frequency, and schedule.
5. Laboratory and taxonomic analysis scope description to include:
a. List of parameters,
b. Analysis methodology,
c. Regulatory thresholds,
d. Minimum detection limits or level of analysis,
e. Quality assurance and quality control measures and procedures to
be followed by the contractor and the assigned third parties:
i. Sample holding times and conditions,
ii. Split samples, trip blanks, duplicate samples.
iii. Chain of Custody documents.
f. Accreditation and Quality Assurance certifications for proposed
laboratories and associated third-parties.
6. Georeferenced monitoring locations with standard location IDs, reference
distances from construction activities, sensitive receptors and/or other
landmarks.
7. The QA/QC procedures to be followed for the monitoring activities incl.
control locations, verification monitoring etc.
8. Templates: Field forms, Data Records and Reporting templates.
Field Forms and TRSDC is gradually migrating into a digital data management and reporting system
Records Templates that will require Contractors to adjust their monitoring data gathering and
Minimum reporting approach through geospatial digital platforms (ie Survey 123) and
Requirements electronic devices. Contractors are expected to develop digital field forms and
reporting templates for their monitoring activities to be incorporated in arcGIS.
Field Forms to include the following content:
1. Date and Time of monitoring (Format: DD-MM-YYYY (Ex: 12-03-2021).
Time stamps are to be reported in a 24hr format.
2. Monitoring Location ID – Unique identifying ID for the asset and
contractor.
3. Location Information incl.:
a. Coordinates: Projection Coordinate System
WGS_1984_UTM_Zone_37N
b. Habitat type, substrate type, vegetation type, debris or other
observations)
4. Description of climatic conditions (wind speed and direction, sea-state,
current speed and direction overcast, rainfall past-24h).
5. Tidal levels (for marine and groundwater monitoring).
6. Relevant direction and distance from the nearest sensitive receptor,
obstruction and/or construction activity.
7. Monitoring activity related measurements and observations.
8. Third-party activities, duration and intensity, and observations during
monitoring (i.e: plane passing during noise monitoring).
9. Geo-Referenced photo records for the monitoring activity in JPEG or PNG
or RAW containing lat/long, date/time, photographer's name and
keywords/tags. Camera resolution should be minimum 20 megapixel.
Minimum Report Report Structure, to include the following:
Structure and Context
1. Introduction,
Requirements
2. Objective,
3. Schedule & Method,
4. Schedule & Method Deviations,
5. Environmental Monitoring Data incl. comparison to historical data,
6. Non-Compliances incl. Date/Time, Location, Parameters, Duration, Source,
Incident Timeline from initial alert to rectification or mitigation measures,
7. Discussion,
8. Summary,
9. Appendices:
a. Field Forms (incl. Photos),
b. Data Record,
c. CoCs (where applicable),
d. Maintenance / Calibration Logs.
Deliverables 1. Report in PDF.
Requirements
2. Data QA/QC: 'Consultant must QA/QC their data to assure accuracy and
correctness before delivery to TRSDC. Examples of QA/QC (this list is not
comprehensive):
a. Does the data match the field? Example: no decimal data in
categorical field.
b. Does the allowable number of decimal/significant figures match
the precision of the instrument? (See 'significant figures'.)
c. Does the range of values match the range of the instrument?
d. Are null values correctly designated as null and is there an
explanation for null values and NA values?
3. Raw data in Excel sheet including detection limits and threshold values
where applicable.
a. Acceptable file formats <1 million rows: .xlsx or .csv
b. Acceptable file formats >1 million rows: .xml or netCDF
4. GIS mapping.
5. Stamped laboratory results and raw data.
Analysis detection limits and threshold values to be provided for any type
of laboratory analysis.
6. Timestamped and georeferenced photos for monitoring events and adhoc
incidents.
7. Access to Live Monitoring Platforms as applicable.
8. For sampling activities, a Chain of Custody to be provided along with the
laboratory analysis results including reference for the time for sample
collection, temperature, holding time, sample kit and lab tracking record.
The chain of custody must be signed by all participating parties.
9. Delivery timelines: TRSDC expects receipt of data from consultants on a
weekly, biweekly or monthly basis as stated in the contract. Failure to
provide raw data shall be considered breach of contract.
QA/QC Requirements 1. Date and Time Format
All dates are to be reported in the following format: DD-MM-YYYY (Ex:
12-03-2021).
All times are to be reported in a 24hr format.
2. Unique Identifying Numbers for Documents / Records / Forms following a
specific structure. A uniform naming format is to be adapted for all forms
and records titles.
- For Field Forms use the following format: Program - Asset - Contract No.
- Monitoring Activity – Monitoring Date (YYYYMMDD)
(Ex: P03-COV-1234-NM-202103)
- For Data Records use the following format: Program - Asset - Contract
No. - Monitoring Activity - Record Period (YYYYMM-YYYYMM)
(Ex: P03-COV-1234-NM-202103-202109)
3. Unique Identifying Numbers for Samples following a specific structure
Use the following format for sample ID:
Program - Asset - Contract No. - Monitoring Activity - YYYYMMDD - Site
No. - Sample No.
Ex: P12-SHU-123456-MWQS-20210324-05-01
4. Coordinate System Format
Position Format: UTM 37N
Datum: WGS-84
Coordinates Format: (XXXXXX, YYYYYYY)
Always indicate geoid and projection regardless of whether if it differs
from standard.
5. Abbreviations and Indexes (similarly to be provided by TRSDC).
6. Categorical data: Must be distinct categories not freeform text fields.
Categorical data should be filled from a dropdown menu. Example:
choose from the following: [dolphin, sea turtle, dougong]. If freeform text
is necessary to explain categorical data, it should be stored separately in
a 'comments' field. Example: category: "dougong"; note: "feeding on
seagrass".
7. Censored data i.e. nulls, NAs and zeros:
If no measurement was taken, indicate "null". Do not fill null values from
surrounding data. If a measurement is not applicable to a survey, indicate
"NA". Use zero "0" only for non-detects. Null or NA values should be
explained in a 'comments' column.
8. Significant figures: Significant figures (i.e. number of decimal places)
should match the precision of the instrument. For example, if an
instrument's precision is to the hundredths, measurements should be
only to the hundredths, no more and no less.
Examples for an instrument accurate to the hundredths:
22.22 NOT 22.222
22.00 NOT 22
Updates and Follow-Up This document provides the minimum elements required for the quality
assurance and quality control of the environmental monitoring conducted by
contractors. These requirements will be subject to further updates and revisions.
9.4 Project Area

9.5 Material Safety Data Sheets
Not applicable

9.6 Scoping Report NCEC Comments

The ESIA Scoping Report was approved by NCEC on 4 April 2022, however, a series of
comments were provided which require addressing in the ESIA Report itself.
Table 9-1 Scoping Report Comments
Comment BDC-KAUST Response
Page 20 and 23 (pdf) refers

to an ESIA for a wadi
diversion still under design
stage; if a wadi diversion is
required for the development The Project site is located within a major wadi which will
of the staff village main works require diversion. Such a diversion is to be assessed
then an ESIA for the wadi separately as it is currently at the design stage as , however,
diversion should be approved the ESIA has a high-level assessment of hydrological impacts
first. A justification is needed and includes temporary mitigation measures relating to
and more information on the hydrology (Section 6.2.8).
link between both wadi
diversion and staff village
main works to understand the
interaction of both
P48 alternative access road-
coast guard road- not clearly
marked on figure 3-4.Clarify
which of the two options 1
Only one access road option is to be developed and assessed
and 2 is preferred. Will a
within this ESIA.
preferred alternative be
chosen and assessed in the
ESIA or both will be
developed, please elaborate
Of the alternative locations
presented for the project
Option 1 is located in an
undeveloped area where
landscape and visual impact
will be pronounced. The
scoping report does not
All options are in undeveloped areas. Location 1 is remote
justify why option 2 is not a
from existing roads and thus has a lower visual impact in
better alternative aside form
comparison to other options.
from mentioning a planned
desalination plant.
Landscaping should be
included in the ESIA to better
assess the alternatives
presented for the location of
the staff village
External stormwater runoff, passing through the Staff Village,
will be intercepted and discharged into the existing West Wadi
and proposed diversion channel, and into the existing East
Wadi. Proposed engineering measures for the wadis should
limit the flow velocities and sediments within the existing /
P53 the report mentioned that pre-development conditions before discharging into the sea.
Stormwater is directly
discharged to the marine The proposed stormwater drainage and management for the
environment. Alternative and ASV has considered both quantity and quality control
more environmentally measures to the pre-development conditions by implementing
appropriate solutions must be a Low Impact Development / Green Infrastructure (bioswales,
found to deal with stormwater rain gardens, harvesting barrels) on the Masterplan and
clusters level. Following the LEED requirements, the runoff
from the 95th percentile of local or regional storm event shall
be retained within the clusters; while the runoff from the 60th
percentile storm event shall be retained within the Masterplan
before discharging into the sea.

P64 table 4.1 – there should

be a ranking/assessment of
options and all locations must
be addressed in the ESIA.
Option 1 is preferred
although environmental
impacts are expected to be
more severe and would result Unfortunately, environmental considerations were not
in a significant impact to included within the optioneering assessment. Please note that
underdeveloped pristine area the site is not pristine has been degraded by hunting, grazing
for a project intended to be and off-road driving. No turtle nesting is undertaken on the
operational for 15 years, with adjacent beaches and limited archaeological features or
visibility being the main artefacts noted on-site.
reason for such a choice,
while option 2 seems to be a
more environmentally
suitable choice. Include more
details and sufficient
justification for location
preferences
P113 Section describing
coastal marine ecosystems
and critical habitats such as
potential seagrass and coral
areas seems to be missing.
Positioning of the staff village
will most likely affect the Information is provided in Section 5.3.2. An MEBS has been
coastal zone so it would be undertaken for the project and is presented in Appendix 9.3.3.
essential to map and
describe habitats and
biodiversity in the scoping
report particularly to support
the assessment of alternative
locations for the staff village
P160 The development is
right on the coast line Set-back is 40m and is presented in Sections 3.2 and 6.2.12.
according to presented An additional figure has been provided within Section 3 to
figures. Please define the present the setbacks. Please note that Section 2.1.4 outlines
set-backs from coastline AMAALA ecological setbacks.
further in the ESIA
Include more comprehensive
Please note that AMAALA is undeveloped with no industrial
baseline data on air quality
sources of air pollution. Therefore, it is not proportional to
as the data present are not
undertaken significant air quality monitoring, nevertheless,
sufficient and all data
additional PM monitoring has been undertaken as has the
monitoring and collection
deployment of diffusion tubes by NCEC approved service
must be undertaken by an
providers. Please note that the results of the diffusion tubes
NCEC approved service
are not yet available.
provider laboratories
P121 baseline for terrestrial
ecology presented in
appendix 8.2.1 is not Terrestrial EBS covers Staff Village site and BDC has recently
sufficient and more detailed undertaken additional terrestrial surveys in the immediate
data is needed and should vicinity of the Staff Village which supports the findings . Please
cover the entire site. note that the Early Works on the site have been completed
Potential impact on flora and (and permitted by NCEC). A summary of the terrestrial EBS is
fauna is crucial for selection presented in Section 5.3.1.
of the best site alternative for
the staff village
P156 It has to be strongly A high-level assessment has been included in the ESIA,
questioned how coastal however, the full impacts of the wadi diversion will be
processes can be scoped out assessed separately. Temporary mitigation measures have
of the ESIA - as mentioned in been included in this ESIA – see Table 6-20.

previous comment the
chosen option for location of
the staff village has the
highest-risk of affecting
coastal processes of the
options presented. The wadi
diversion must be considered
an essential part of the
project so why this is
addressed in another ESIA.
Must be scoped into this
ESIA along with effects on
coastal processes
Same comment as above -
the project will have a
significant impact on
hydrology in the area has to
be scoped in and cannot be A high-level assessment can be included in the ESIA,
addressed separately in however, the full impacts of the wadi diversion will be
another ESIA. There has to assessed separately. Temporary mitigation measures have
be a detailed assessment and been included in this ESIA (see Table 6-20).
comparison of the site
alternative for the staff village
as mentioned in previous
comment above
P162 to justify scoping out
material resources there
should me statements
verifying that such resources
are supplied from already According to calculations by the Project designers, not
approved extraction sites and additional material will need to be excavated to enable
suppliers. If resources are development. With a cut and fill balance calculated. Text
extracted from e.g. new included within Section 3.5.2
excavation sites, the
assessment of potential
impact should be included
and scoped into the ESIA
Include more information in
the ESIA on the northern Northern access road is no longer part of the ESIA. Access to
access road being upgraded the Staff Village will be via the access road permitted by the
and built as part of the main Early Works activities.
works
The design phases, construction methods and operational
requirements are at various stages of development for Staff
Village Main Works and associated infrastructure. Thus, it is
recognised that this iteration of the ESIA presents a Concept
Master Plan level assessment of the Project based on
professional judgement with key worst-case assumptions
(such as the footprint, gross floor areas, height and massing,
site access and population density) in order to identify key
impacts that could result from the Project. This assessment
P45 3rd paragraph; ensure all
approach is an accepted practice and ensures that the ESIA
comprehensive design detail
is robust thereby limiting deviation of the maximum amount of
are included in the ESIA, as
development within the Master Plan.
stated in the paragraph
Adopting this approach allows some flexibility in the detailed
design of those elements for future development. This
approach also enables the AMAALA design, engineering,
construction and environmental teams to develop robust
approaches to design and in-built mitigation measures during
the evolution of the master plans and detailed designs.
However, as the detailed design evolves and construction and
operational activities become more defined, the assumptions
and professional judgements made in this ESIA needs to be

checked to ensure these are still valid, the proposed
mitigation has been fully included and integrated in the
design and that the Project’s environmental and social impact
assessment remains true.
P45 include in the EISA
project distance from both Distance is approximately 6.8km. This information has been
north and south access included in Section 3.2 of the ESIA.
points to highway 55
P47 Details of storage tanks
(fuel, wastewater etc) such Where such information is available, this has been included in
as design, materials , the Project Description (Section 3). Please note that
volumes, bunded areas etc mitigation measures relating to the storage of hazardous
should be included in the materials is presented in Section 6.
ESIA
Include timeline, dates of
construction phase from start Please see Section 3.6 Schedule.
to finish in the ESIA P47
P48 Include in the ESIA
There are no wastewater storage facilities proposed for the
details and evaluation on
ASV. Odour units have been proposed at the valve chambers
impact and mitigation of
of each Sanitary Sewer Lifting Station. This information has
odors from wastewater
been included in Section 3.3.2.
storage facilities
P48 The remote location of
option 1 may increase traffic
and complicate logistics in
relation to transport of All locations are remote and undeveloped. Highway 5 is the
construction utilities; this main arterial route north to south and access from all options
should be considered when would be off Highway 5. Please note that Highway 5 is
assessing location currently, therefore, there is capacity at present.
alternatives and should be
included and updated in the
EISA.
P48 Include more information
in the ESIA in regards to the
See Section 3.3.2 and Figure 3-12.
location of the STP in the
region
P56 difficulty identifying
individual utilities on figure 3-
7; zoom in on main utility
Please see Section 3.3.2 and Figure 3-8.
compound for more clarity
and include and update in the
ESIA
P60 Clarify if the volumes in
table 3-2 are on a yearly
basis or for the entire
Per year. Please see Section 3.5.3 and Table 3-3.
operation phase over 15
years and should be updated
on the ESIA.
Additional text included in Section 3.3.1. Please note that
dewatering of groundwater if required during construction
P89 this section refers to works, shall be managed either by 1) Provide pre -treatment
possibility of dewatering through filtration / oil water separators or other on -site
system being required; ESIA treatment or dispose with Wastewater if required. 2) Land -
should include required detail based management of dewatering water by means of utilising
for the dewatering procedure temporary lagoons or evaporation ponds will be considered.
Please note that direct discharge to the marine environment
will not be permitted.
P94 ESIA should be updated AMAALA has appointed BDC to conduct turtle nesting surveys
to Include more information throughout the development area between 2017 and 2021.

on whether there has been an Information of these surveys has allowed for the identification
ongoing monitoring of of those beaches used for turtle nesting. The walkover
potential turtle nesting sites surveys of the beaches near to the Project site have not
along the project's site's indicated the presence of turtle nesting sites. Please see
coast since the 2017 MEBS Section 5.3.2 and Figure 5-22.
and the frequency of
monitoring performed
specifically for this project.
P99 Baseline data for noise
must be included in the ESIA Please note that AMAALA is undeveloped with limited sources
which should consider nearby of noise pollution, nevertheless, additional noise monitoring in
ongoing construction and around the Project site. Please see Section 5.2.9 for
activities when taking more details
measurements
P163 The scoping report Construction activities can be noisy, however, such activities
should specify time period for are temporary and transient in nature. Mitigations relating to
noise disturbance and worst noise are presented in Chapter 6 (see Table 6-30). The Staff
case noise levels from Village, when operational, is not expected to have a
activities - noisy activities significant noise impact with the limited noisy activities on -
must be expected from a site. Integrated acoustic noise barriers/silencers/enclosures
prolonged period in the area. will be deployed where required. Furthermore, much of the
This can be addressed in the utility infrastructure, for example, the STP and waste transfer
ESIA centre, are located off-site at the Shared Facility Hub.
P109 Parameters such as
seawater and sediment
quality must be tested and
monitored considering the
The lagoon was sampled as part of the MEBS. Please see
project site has a lagoon; if
Sections 5.2.10 and 5.3.2 for more details.
such tests and monitoring
data are part of the ongoing
MBES, they should be
updated in the ESIA
P135 need more explanation
and elaboration on what "net
Additional text added to Section 5.3.3.
gain" refers to in table 5-21
and include it in the ESIA
P138 Figure 5-23, this figure
is the only information that
the scoping reports presents
addressing marine habitats.
Marine flora and fauna are
not described elsewhere as The Scoping Report was prepared prior to the completion of
mentioned in previous the MEBS. Details from the MEBS are presented in Sections
comment. This again 5.2.10 and 5.3.2. The MEBS itself is presented in Appendix
questions if there is sufficient 9.3.3.
data to evaluate the proposed
location alternatives for the
staff village at this stage. The
ESIA should ensure that this
is the case
P167 The presented
terrestrial baseline is based
on very few survey days and
does not account for
seasonal changes or Report covers staff village site. BDC-KAUST not
migratory species. Further commissioned to undertake an options appraisal of the
detailed surveys representing various potential locations. Please note that the Early Works
the seasonal changes should on the site have been completed (and permitted by NCEC).
be conducted in order to
assess loss of habitat and
species. This would also
facilitate the assessment of

location alternatives as
mentioned in previous
comment.
P168 a traffic assessment
would be relevant if the
location alternatives for the A traffic assessment has been taken by Jacobs and detailed
staff village are to be in Section 5.5.1.
properly assessed and
compared
P170 Table 6-6 Please note
previous comments regarding
Noted. This has been addressed in the ESIA.
recommendation for scope
change
P171 Impacts on coastal
zone and marine ecosystems
not listed as important. High-level impacts on coastal processes have been included.
Should be included and Impacts from the wadi diversion will be addressed separately.
addressed in the ESIA
preparation
P183 As mentioned in
previous comment the
terrestrial baseline is based
on limited surveys for a short
duration of time and does not
cover the entire project area.
It is doubtful that the
provided data is sufficient to The site has been degraded by off-road driving and
adequately assess the overgrazing and is not pristine and undisturbed. Early Works,
environmental impact permitted by NCEC, will have further disturbed the site.
associated with option 1 and
properly compare site
alternatives for the Staff
village in ESIA. Images from
the survey indicates a
pristine and undisturbed
coastal habitat

2022-07-04 Bdc Amla Trep Esia Staff Village Main Works Rev03

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Environmental and Social Impact

Document Number 83137-AMLA-TREP-04JULY22-053-Rev03

Environmental and Social Impact

Staff Village Main Works

Report Date July 04, 2022

Prepared by David Wells

Reviewed by David McGrath

Date of Revision July 04, 2022

Revised by David Wells

Approved by Andrew Booth, PhD

Date of Approval July 04, 2022

Date of Transmission July 04, 2022

Copyright © 2022 BDC-KAUST

This is a proprietary document of the Beacon Development Company - King Abdullah

Mesa Cliffs, AMAALA Staff Village, BDC

NCEC Comments Client comments

Name and Signature of

Name and Signature of

Name and Signature of

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................................................................................. I

Table 1-1 ESIA Report Structure ............................................................................. 4

Figure 1-1 Project Location ..................................................................................... 2

BDC Beacon Development Company

BPEO Best Practicable Environmental Option

CEO Chief Environmental Officer

CESMP Construction Environmental and Social Management Plan

CMS Convention on Migratory Species

COTs Crown of Thorns (starfish)

DMP Dredge Management Plan

EBRD European Bank of Reconstruction and Development

EHS Environmental, Health, and Safety

EIA Environmental Impact Assessment

EMP Environmental Management Plan

EMS Environmental Management System

ENVID Environmental Impact Identification

EPRP Emergency Preparedness Response Plan

EPIII Equator Principles III

EP4 Equator Principles 4

ESMS Environmental and Social Management System

GAMEP General Authority of Meteorology and Environmental Protection

GER General Environmental Regulations

GHG Greenhouse Gas

GIIP Good International Industry Practice

HAZMAT Hazardous Material

HAZOP Hazard and Operability Study

HAZWASTE Hazardous Waste

HCP High Conservation Priority

HGV Heavy Goods Vehicle

HSE Health, Safety and Environment

H2S Hydrogen Sulphide

IFC International Finance Corporation

ILO International Labour Organisation

IMO International Maritime Organisation

IUCN International Union for Conservation of Nature

KAUST King Abdullah University of Science and Technology

KSA Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

MEWA Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture

MoU Memorandum of Understanding

NCEC National Centre for Environmental Compliance

NCW National Centre for Wildlife

NCWCD National Commission for Wildlife Conservation and Development

NSR Noise Sensitive Receptors

N2O Nitrous oxide

OESMP Operational Environmental and Social Management Plan