Environmental Standards

Mobile Source Emissions

KSA

Presidency of Meteorology and Environment

PME Reference

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia National Environmental Standard

Mobile Source Emissions

the development of environmental protection

standards in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia;

Article I Preliminary

1)

pollutant' shall mean any substance introduced

directly or indirectly by man into the ambient air and
likely to have harmful effects on human health and/or
the environment as a whole.

Definitions
Competent Agency Refers to the Presidency of
Meteorology and Environment (PME), previously the
Meteorology
and
Environmental
Protection
Administration (MEPA);

2)

a) This document should be cited as the Standard for

Control of Emissions from Mobile Sources. This
standard revises the current General Standards for
the Environment (specifically document number
1409-01) issued by the Presidency of Meteorology
and Environment (PME).

emission-related
maintenance
refers
to
maintenance that substantially affects emissions or is
likely to substantially affect emission deterioration;
GER Refers
regulation;

to

the

General

Citation

Environmental

KSA Refers to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia;

level' shall mean the concentration of a pollutant in
ambient air or the deposition thereof on surfaces in a
given time;

A.

3)

Purpose
a) The objective of this standard is to set the
framework and activities required to enable
sustainable management of mobile source emissions
within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

normal cubic metre (Nm3) means that volume of

dry gas which occupies a cubic metre at a
temperature of zero degrees Celsius and at an
absolute pressure equivalent to one atmosphere;

b) This standard introduces emission limits for

individual pieces of equipment used outdoors and
aims to protect, maintain and improve the Kingdoms
quality of life, human health, occupational health and
natural ecosystems including croplands, forests and
deserts whilst maintaining appropriate economic and
social development.

oxides of nitrogen' shall mean the sum of nitric

oxide and nitrogen dioxide added as particles per
billion and expressed as nitrogen dioxide in
micrograms per cubic meter;
PM2.5' is particulate matter with an aerodynamic
diameter of up to 2.5 m, referred to as the fine
particle fraction;

c) The Competent Agency shall liaise with relevant

bodies responsible for the protection of nationally
and internationally designated sites and species to
ensure that mobile source emission standards are
appropriate to maintain and improve air quality.

PM10' is particulate matter with an aerodynamic

diameter of up to 10 m, the fine and coarse particle
fractions combined;
PME Refers to the Presidency of Meteorology and
Environment who are designated as the responsible
authority for the protection of the environment and

Timescales for implementation

a) The effective date of this standard is 01/05/1433H

corresponds to 24/03/2012G.
.
The requirement to comply with these standards will
commence from the effective date unless otherwise
specified. The relevant facilities will have exactly 5
years from the effective date to upgrade where
required to meet the conditions of this standard.

large sites shall refer to those sites that have 5 or

more engines, equipment and/or vehicles that have
the potential to be operational at the same time;
limit value' shall mean a level fixed on the basis of
scientific knowledge, with the aim of avoiding,
preventing or reducing harmful effects on human
health and/or the environment as a whole, to be
attained within a given period and not to be
exceeded once attained;

3)

4)

Scope
a) This standard refers to air emissions from nonroad engines, equipment and vehicles. This includes
sources such as mobile generators, agricultural
machinery and large earth-moving equipment.

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Presidency of Meteorology and Environment

i) to give the Competent Agency all such

assistance; and

b) This standard includes emission limits for diesel

(compression-ignition) engines, small and large petrol
(spark-ignition) engines, and other recreational
vehicles not included in SASO standards.

5)

PME Reference

ii) provide the Competent Agency with all such

information, as may reasonably be required for
the purpose of carrying out an investigation.

c) This standard does not include emissions from

road vehicles, marine vessels, locomotives, and
aircrafts

d) Any Competent Agency, for the purpose of Mobile

source air quality regulation may;

d) This standard sets out emission limit values

depending on engine type and capacity.

i) enter any site or premises for the purpose of

carrying out any such investigation;
ii) carry out such inspections, measurements
and tests on engines, equipment or vehicles as
that person considers appropriate for the
purpose of enabling him to carry out any such
investigation; or

Exemptions
a) Exemptions may be applied in circumstances
where the enforcement of this standard impracticable
or inappropriate.

iii) at any reasonable time require any relevant

party to supply him with copies of, or of extracts
from, the contents of any records kept for the
purpose of complying with mobile source
emission standards.

b) Exemption may be made for the activities specified

in, but not restricted to table 1. Only the Competent
Agency will determine where these exemptions apply
and which, if any, activities beyond this list are
included.
.
7)

Enforcement procedures

Table 1 Exempt activities

Activity
Emergency services for fire
fighting and medical crises

6)

a) Failure to comply with the requirements of these

standards may lead to prosecution by the Competent
Agency and those convicted of such failure may be
subject to fines or periods of imprisonment as laid out
in the General Environmental Regulations.

Exemption applies
At all times

b) It is anticipated that the requirements of this

standard will be enforced nationally with inspections
taking place to verify their implementation at a
regional and local level.

Powers of authority
a) Within the scope of these standards the
Competent Agency may:
i)

prescribe specific requirements as to the

concentrations of contaminants within
emissions originating from non-road
mobile sources within the Kingdom;

ii)

prescribe specific requirements as to

other characteristics of non-road mobile
source emissions; and

iii)

8)

a) Maximum fines that may be imposed for exceeding

the applicable standard, breach of permit and failure
to comply with an abatement notice are set out in the
General Environmental Regulations.

9)

Appeals
a) A right of appeal exists for any organisation or
individual who is required to take action as a
consequence of the implementation of the revised
standard.

authorise a locally designated authority to

exercise any power conferred by
regulations made by virtue of paragraphs
(i)-(iii) above.

b) The right of appeal against conviction or sentence

is available through the appropriate judicial system as
set out in the General Environmental Regulations.

b) The Competent Agency may for the purposes of

these Standards appoint persons to act on their
behalf as technical assessors and monitors in
relation to the powers and duties conferred on him by
these standards and/or subsequent amendments.
c) In addition to the powers conferred by other
sections contained within these standards, it shall be
the duty of a relevant party;

Penalty fines

c) All appeals should be fully supported with a

documented case containing as a minimum, the
information required under the appeals process of the
General Environmental Regulations.

10)

Periodic review

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Presidency of Meteorology and Environment

a) There may be some requirement at a future date to

adjust the standards included to recognise specific
local conditions and or improved understanding of the
effects of mobile source air emissions.

b) Where the Ambient Air Quality Standards are

exceeded or a potential exists for them to be
exceeded in future as a direct result of the use of nonroad engines, equipment or vehicles, operational
procedures must be developed to mitigate these
impacts.

b) As a minimum, the Competent Agency shall

undertake a periodic review of this standard every 5
years.
c) Where new information suggests that adjustments
are required to this standard, all changes will be
subject to the appropriate consultation and will be
notified to facilities by the Competent Agency.
Appropriate implementation time will be allowed.

3)

Emission related maintenance

a) All owners or operators of non-road engines
equipment and vehicles must ensure that they
undertake appropriate emission-related maintenance.
b) Emission-related maintenance includes any
adjustment, cleaning, repair, or replacement of
emission-related components, which include the
following:

Article II General Provisions

1)

i)

electronic control units, after treatment

devices, fuel-metering components, EGRsystem components, crankcase-ventilation
valves, all components related to chargeair compression and cooling, and all
sensors and actuators associated with any
of these components; and

ii)

any other component whose

purpose is to reduce emissions.

Units of measurement
a) Air emission from traffic can be calculated by the
use of emission factors usually expressed as
emission in g/KW-hr or as a percentage of fuel used.
b) Where numerical values are stated in relation to
mobile source air emission standards the units are
also present, these may vary according to the
parameter referenced.
c) Where an individual substance is prohibited the
concentration limit may be specified as undetectable
or 0. In cases where there is no provision within the
standard, at this time, for a particular parameter the
limit may be specified as N/A.

c) Records of all emission-related maintenance must

be held for a period of no less than 5 years.

4)

Specific requirements for large sites

Prescribed mobile air emission standards

a) Tables 1, 2 and 3 in Appendix A outline the
prescribed mobile air emission standards for:
i)

b) This engine emission management programme will

include the following:

non-road diesel (compression-injection)

engines;

ii)

small and large petrol (spark-ignition)

engines; and

iii)

non-road
engines.

recreational

vehicles

i)

a list of all applicable engines;

ii)

engine maintenance procedures;

iii)

procedures to ensure best available

environmental technology are used
where economically feasible; and

and
iv) potential hazards and
response procedures.

b) The standards prescribed in Appendix A apply to

all new engines produced after the date of
transposition of these standards.

2)

primary

a) The owner or operator of a large site or facility

must develop an internal management program. For
the purpose of this standard, large sites are those that
have 5 or more engines, equipment and/or vehicles
that have the potential to be operational at the same
time.

Article III Mobile source emission criteria

1)

PME Reference

emergency

c It is the responsibility of the site owner or his

designated
site
manager
to
ensure
the
implementation and maintenance of the engine
emission management program;

General operating conditions

a) The use of non-road engines, equipment and
vehicles must not jeopardize achievement of the
Kingdoms Ambient Air Quality Standards.

d) All engine emission management program

documentation should be organised carefully and
made available to the Competent Agency when
required;

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KSA

Presidency of Meteorology and Environment

PME Reference

e) Failure to submit internal management program

documentation to the Competent Agency, within a 30
day period, will be deemed as a failure to comply with
the standard.

5)

Abatement notices
a) Where the Competent Agency identifies activities
that pose significant current or potential risk to the
environment or human health, it may issue an
abatement notice that will detail abatement actions.
These may include the termination of activities which
must be undertaken to reduce that risk.
b) Activities which are not in contravention of mobile
source emission threshold values may still be subject
to the conditions of an abatement notice.
c) The requirements of an abatement notice are
legally enforceable by the Competent Agency.

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PME Reference

Presidency of Meteorology and Environment

Appendix A Prescribed parameters and limit values

Table 1 Non Road Petrol (Compression-Ignition) Engines (includes construction,
agricultural, and industrial equipment)

Rated Power
50 hp < 100
100 hp < 175
175 hp < 750
Hp = 750 +

CO
(g/kW-hr)
n/a
n/a
11.4
11.4

HC
(g/kW-hr)
n/a
n/a
1.34
1.34

NOx
(g/kW-hr))
9.25 (ABT)
9.25 (ABT)
9.25 (ABT)
9.25 (ABT)

PM (g/kWhr)
n/a
n/a
0.54
0.54

Smoke (%)
20/15/50
20/15/50
20/15/50
20/15/50

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

etc.)
Rated Power

CO (g/kWhr)

HC (g/kWhr)

NOx (g/kW-hr)

HC + NOx (g/kW-hr)

518.97

n/a

n/a

n/a

518.97

n/a

n/a

n/a

804.6

295.02

5.36

0.54

804.6

241.38

5.36

n/a

603.45

160.92

5.36

n/a

< 225cc (nonhandheld)

225cc (non
handheld)
<20cc (handheld)
20cc >50cc
(handheld)
50cc (handheld)

Table 3 Non Road Recreational Vehicles and Engines

Vehicle
Type
Specialty
vehicle
engines
(<25hp)
Specialty
vehicles
engines
and gokarts
Off-road
motorcycles
and allterrain
vehicles

Displacement
(cc)

CO (g/kWhr)

HC
(g/kWhr)

HC + NOx (g/kWhr)

PM (g/kW-hr)
1.21
1.21
0.34

< 225
225
all

469.35
469.35
134.1

n/a

16.1
13.41
4.29

all

134.1

n/a

4.29

0.34

>90

20.12

1.61

<90

20.12

1.61

n/a

n/a

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