Okaz/Saudi Gazette RIYADH — The Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture announced the setting up of an electronic mechanism for obtaining temporary movement permits for owners of farms, livestock and beekeepers. These permits are provided in coordination with the Ministry of Interior. The ministry stated that owners of agricultural farms can obtain a one-time transportation permit per week, and it can be renewed weekly in the cities and governorates in which a 24-hour daily curfew is in force. These include cities of Makkah, Madinah, Riyadh, Tabuk, and Hofuf, as well as governorates of Jeddah, Taif, Qatif, Dhahran, and Al-Khobar. The owners in the rest of the regions can take advantage of the times allowed to move around to inspect farms, apiaries and livestock. According to the ministry's statement, the permit can be obtained electronically by visiting its website and filling up the information required to issue the permit. For this, it is necessary to enter the phone number, the national ID number, details of residence, the location of the farm or livestock facility or apiaries, and the type of activity, in addition to information such as the agricultural registry number, breeder card or beekeeper card. The application shall be submitted to the manager of the ministry's branch who in turn shall coordinate with the police in the concerned region before taking a decision whether to issue the permit or not. The ministry clarified that the permit will be issued only for those who have registration with the ministry either the agricultural registry number, the breeder's card or the beekeeper's card as these numbers are to be linked to the database in the ministry so that the technical agencies can verify the information and make an assessment on the actual need. The ministry stated that livestock keepers who do not have a breeder's card or bee keeper's card should inform about it through the portals of "Anaam plus" or "Zirayi" to obtain the number, and then apply for the mobility permit. The ministry stressed that submitting the application through its website does not necessarily mean permits would be issued. It noted that these permits would be issued in the minimal limits to preserve public health, and in a manner that ensures the availability of necessary livestock, farms and bees.
