Saudi Arabia

Under Maritime Transport Sector, TGA Circular No. (14) 2019 (distributed as Circular No. (21) 2019 by Mawani Saudi Ports Authority), MARPOL Annex VI regulation 14, 0.50% fuel sulphur limit applies to ships in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia waters. EGCS are permitted as an alternative method of compliance.

However Mawani Saudi ports authority has subsquently published Circular No. (55) 2020 “Preventing ships’ exhaust wash water discharges by (EGGS) system designed as open loop into Saudi ports”. Click here to view

It should be noted that Circular No. (55) 2020 does not explicitly state that open loop EGCS cannot discharge into Saudi territorial waters, however the prohibition in ports is based on “instructions that we [Mawani] received from General Authority of Meteorology and Environmental Protection “GAMEP” about the mechanism of the exhaust wash water discharges, which includes preventing the ships disposal of that water into the territorial water of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. ”

Mawani circulars in arabic with an english translation can be accessed here (note up to date circulars are only available on the arabic language page – for reference hovering over the document download icon shows the number of the circular in the link address).