Permitting & Compliance
We identify the environmental risks and liabilities attached to a site or business before you commit, so they are reflected in your decision.
Environmental risks known before the deal, not after
Environmental due diligence is the assessment of environmental risks and liabilities linked to a site, facility or business before a transaction such as an acquisition, investment, lease or land transfer. It combines a review of site history and records, a site inspection, contamination risk screening and a review of permit and compliance status, and reports findings in terms relevant to value and deal terms.
When a business, facility or plot of land changes hands, its environmental issues often travel with it. Past industrial use, fuel and chemical storage, buried waste, unpermitted discharges or outstanding regulatory findings can translate into remediation costs, operational restrictions or delays after closing. In Saudi Arabia, where industrial, logistics and real estate transactions are active across industrial cities and new development areas, buyers, investors, lenders and tenants increasingly expect environmental questions to be answered before commitments are made.
Our due diligence follows a phased approach. We start with a desktop review of available records: site history, previous uses, permits, environmental studies, monitoring data and any regulatory correspondence. We then inspect the site to observe current activities, storage areas, drainage, signs of contamination and neighbouring land uses, and interview site personnel. From this we screen contamination risk, identify areas of potential concern, and assess compliance status against permits and the Environmental Law and its Implementing Regulations.
Findings are reported as a structured environmental risk assessment: each issue is described, rated for likelihood and consequence, and linked to its potential business implication, such as cost, delay or a condition to negotiate. Where screening indicates possible contamination, we recommend whether intrusive investigation, such as soil or groundwater sampling, is warranted before closing. The result is a clear basis for pricing, warranties, indemnities, conditions precedent or a decision to walk away.
You may need this service when:
Review of previous land uses, permits, studies, monitoring data and regulatory correspondence to understand what activities may have affected the site.
A walkover of operational, storage and drainage areas and site boundaries, with photographs, observations of contamination indicators and interviews with site personnel.
Identification of areas of potential concern based on history and inspection, with a recommendation on whether soil or groundwater investigation is warranted.
Assessment of whether the facility holds the required environmental permits and meets key conditions, highlighting open findings or notices that could transfer.
Each issue rated by likelihood and consequence and linked to its business implication, such as estimated cost category, delay or operating restriction.
Practical recommendations for deal teams, such as further investigation, conditions precedent, warranties, indemnities or post-closing actions, for discussion with legal advisers.
We confirm the transaction type, site boundaries, timelines and the questions the deal team needs answered.
We review site history, available records, permits, studies and regulatory correspondence provided through the data room or seller.
We inspect the site and surroundings and interview personnel to verify records and identify areas of concern.
We screen contamination and compliance risks and rate each issue by likelihood, consequence and business implication.
We issue a red-flag summary early, followed by a full report with findings and recommendations.
Where warranted, we scope intrusive investigation such as soil or groundwater sampling to confirm suspected contamination.
| Deliverable | Format | Stage |
|---|---|---|
| Scope and information request | Scope note and data request list (PDF + Excel) | Engagement start |
| Red-flag summary | Short memo of material issues (PDF) | After site inspection |
| Environmental due diligence report | Report with findings, photographs and site plans (PDF) | Reporting stage |
| Environmental risk register | Rated risk register with business implications (Excel) | With full report |
| Transaction recommendations | Summary table for deal and legal teams (PDF) | With full report |
| Further investigation scope | Proposed sampling plan and scope (PDF) | If contamination is suspected |
Requirements vary by activity, location and permit conditions. We confirm the applicable requirements for your project at the start of every engagement.
Due diligence is carried out for a transaction and answers the question of what environmental risks and liabilities come with a site or business, and how they might affect value or deal terms. An audit is commissioned by an operator to test its own compliance against defined criteria. Due diligence often relies on limited access and a data room, and its report is written for investors, lenders and legal advisers.
A first-phase due diligence normally does not. It relies on records, site history, inspection and interviews to identify areas of potential concern. If screening indicates possible contamination, we recommend a targeted intrusive investigation, such as soil or groundwater sampling, and define its scope. Deciding whether to proceed with sampling before closing is a decision for the client, often taken with its legal advisers.
Yes, although findings will carry more uncertainty. Transactions often limit site access, interviews or documents. We make the most of what is available, state clearly what could not be reviewed, and explain how those limitations affect confidence in the findings. Where a gap is material, we recommend how it could be closed before signing or covered by deal protections.
Typically the buyer, investor, lender or tenant, together with their legal and financial advisers. Findings feed into valuation, negotiation of warranties and indemnities, conditions precedent and post-closing plans. We write the report for that audience, with a short summary of material issues and a risk register that links each finding to its potential business implication.
Yes. Vendor due diligence helps a seller identify and address environmental issues before marketing a site, reduces surprises during negotiations, and gives buyers an organised starting point. Buyers and lenders may still carry out their own review, but a clear vendor report can make that process more focused and predictable.
Compliance audits, gap assessments and ISO 14001 internal audit support, with structured reports that rank findings by significance and recommend practical actions.
Key benefit: An objective view of where you stand and what to fix first
Ongoing compliance management: obligation registers, inspection readiness, responses to regulatory notices and violations, and corrective action plans that close gaps.
Key benefit: Lower exposure to violations and operational disruption
Screening, scoping, baseline studies, impact analysis and mitigation, prepared as an EIA report ready for authority review and follow-up comments.
Key benefit: A defensible EIA that keeps your approval path predictable
Materiality assessment, ESG data controls and reporting aligned with GRI, IFRS S1/S2 and Saudi Exchange guidance, plus support with investor questionnaires.
Key benefit: Credible ESG disclosures backed by traceable data
Share your project details and an environmental specialist will review your requirements.