Samaher Saif Al-Yazal
The Minister of Electricity and Water Affairs, Yasser Humaidan, issued a decision to regulate electric vehicle charging operations, after the approval of the Council of Ministers, based on the laws regulating electricity, water, and traffic, and based on the presentation of the Chairman of the Electricity and Water Authority.
The decision aims to determine the regulatory and technical requirements that must be adhered to when installing and operating electric vehicle charging equipment, and to ensure its safety, effectiveness, and compatibility with the requirements of the electricity distribution system, in a way that maintains the reliability of the national grid, and keeps pace with the Kingdom’s trend towards converting to electric means of transportation.
The decision gave the Electricity and Water Authority the authority to set connection conditions, review them and update them regularly, establish a coordination mechanism for the stages of installing chargers, and formulate standard models for connection agreements with owners, in addition to setting the annual limit for connection and the maximum amount of energy that can be exported to the network.
It also required the Authority to create an electronic record that includes the data and locations of all licensed shipping equipment, and to prepare lists of contractors, consultants, and approved equipment in the Kingdom.
Owners are obligated to submit installation requests through contractors approved by the Authority, and to commit to installing equipment in accordance with security, safety and civil defense standards, and to obtain the required approvals before operation, in addition to installing two-way meters to measure imported and exported electricity and adjusting chargers according to connection conditions.
They also required them to notify the Authority of any changes in charging operations, and to provide it with data and information related to usage, the number of beneficiaries, and charging times, while not exceeding the annual limit for connection.
The decision stressed that it is not permissible to connect any charging equipment to the electricity distribution system without prior approval from the Authority, and that the use of personal chargers is limited to self-consumption only. It also required the conclusion of an official connection agreement that specifies the obligations between the two parties, while allowing simplified procedures for chargers whose capacity does not exceed 11 kilowatts.
Giving the Authority the authority to stop or disconnect any equipment that threatens the security and safety of the electrical network, and prohibiting the export of electricity from vehicles to the public system except after obtaining prior approval, provided that bills are calculated according to the tariff approved by the Authority.
It also stipulated the application of the approved tariff for feeding shipping equipment according to the facility’s consumption category, leaving the determination of the service price in commercial cases to market estimates, with the possibility of setting a price ceiling determined by the decision to ensure fair competition.
The decision clarified that the Authority is not responsible for any losses arising as a result of connection, service interruption, or any exceptional operational circumstances related to the electrical network, while it was permitted to impose penalties that include canceling the connection agreement or cutting off service to violators after notifying them and giving them a period not exceeding three months to correct their situation.
It also stipulates the right of owners to file a grievance in writing within thirty days from the date of notifying them of the penalty, provided that the Authority decides on the grievance within the same period.
It obliges the current owners to adjust their situations in accordance with its provisions within six months from the date of its implementation, provided that it is implemented from the day following its publication in the Official Gazette No. 3842 issued on Thursday, October 30, 2025.
