Okaz/Saudi Gazette

RIYADH — The sponsor’s approval is a prerequisite for foreign residents in Saudi Arabia to obtain a diving license, Okaz/Saudi Gazette has learned from sources at the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture (MEWA).

According to the regulations issued by the ministry, a diving license from one of the entities running diving training centers is also required in order to apply for a diving license from the ministry.

Copies of the diving license from the center, and a national ID or a valid residency permit (iqama) should also be submitted while applying for the diving license.

The applicants have to fill out the application form and attach a certificate of medical checkups, the ministry sources said.

The ministry also announced regulations for issuing licenses for diving training centers. The regulations include submission of an application along with a copy of the national identity, a title deed or a lease contract for the site, and a municipal (baladiya) license.

This is in addition to a certified diving instructor license for instructors, a commercial register, as well as a letter addressed to the Border Guards seeking approval for the establishment of the center.

The regulations also stipulate that the technical fitness report of the center, which includes an examination of the safety tools and training tools at the center, should also be submitted for obtaining a license for the diving training center.