Export Bottled Drinking Water License

The Bottled Drinking Water Export License Service is a regulatory facility allowing certified water factories in Saudi Arabia to export their bottled drinking water products abroad under the supervision of the Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture and in coordination with relevant entities such as the Saudi Food and Drug Authority and Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources. This service ensures national water resource sustainability, guarantees adequate domestic supply, and encourages high-quality bottled water investment. Key requirements for obtaining the export license include: Valid technical license and export suitability certificate from the Food and Drug Authority. Industrial license including customs codes, production capacity, water source (renewable or non-renewable), and bottle capacity (maximum 1 liter). Sufficient domestic supply coverage with export volumes not exceeding limits set by the Ministry. Payment of export fees: SAR 38 per cubic meter or SAR 0.50 per 40-pack (330 ml bottles). Export share capped at 7% for non-renewable source factories, 60% for renewable-water factories. Applications are submitted through the “Nama” portal and vetted for technical and regulatory compliance before license issuance. Shipments are quality-checked per Saudi standards, and periodic reviews ensure ongoing compliance with regulatory and sustainability goals. Importance Promotes local and foreign investment in bottled water sector. Protects water resources through strict export controls. Enhances national product reputation in international markets. Safeguards domestic bottled water supply. Facilitates high-standard sector management. Challenges Rigorous administrative and technical verification of documents and factory output. Ensuring local market coverage prior to export. Adherence to allowed export quotas. Keeping pace with rule changes and specification updates.