Article 70 of the Saudi Basic Law of Governance
المادة 70 من النظام الأساسي للحكم · الباب السادس: سلطات الدولة
The Article provides that laws, treaties, international agreements and concessions are issued and amended by royal decrees.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
تصدر الأنظمة ، والمعاهدات ، والاتفاقيات الدولية ، والامتيازات ، ويتم تعديلها بموجب مراسيم ملكية .
This is the official Arabic wording, the only legally binding version. We do not translate the law itself; the explanation below is ours. Official source: Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers
Article 70 explained in plain English
This Article specifies the legal instrument by which the most important rules in the State are issued and amended, which is the royal decree.
The Article covers four kinds:
- Laws;
- Treaties;
- International agreements;
- Concessions.
The ruling of the Article covers two matters: issuance and amendment. Just as a law, treaty, agreement or concession is issued by royal decree, it is likewise amended by royal decree.
The Article does not state the stages that precede the issuance of a royal decree, but only specifies the instrument of issuance and amendment. As for making laws, Article 67 deals with it, providing that the regulatory authority is competent to make laws and regulations and exercises its powers in accordance with the Basic Law and the Council of Ministers Law and the Shura Council Law.
The Article complements what Article 71 provides, that laws are published in the Official Gazette and take effect from the date of their publication unless another date is specified. Article 70 concerns issuance and amendment, and Article 71 concerns publication and taking effect.
The Article helps the reader understand why Saudi laws are issued by royal decrees bearing numbers and dates. Anyone with a question about a particular law or agreement may consult a lawyer who specializes in constitutional and administrative law.
Practical example
Ahmed reads a new law and finds in its preamble that it was issued by royal decree, and later reads that one of its Articles was amended. Under Article 70, a law is issued and amended by royal decree, so Ahmed looks for the royal decree issued for the amendment to learn the new wording of the Article.
Translated from our Arabic explanation with machine assistance. For guidance only; it does not replace advice from a lawyer on your situation.
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Frequently asked questions about Article 70 of the Saudi Basic Law of Governance
By what instrument are laws issued in Saudi Arabia?
Article 70 provides that laws are issued by royal decrees.
How are laws and treaties amended?
They are amended, just as they are issued, by royal decrees.
Does the Article cover international agreements and concessions?
Yes. It covers laws, treaties, international agreements and concessions.
More articles on Shura Council and Issuing Laws
- Article 44
The Article sets out the State's three authorities, the judicial, executive and regulatory, provides that they cooperate in accordance with the laws, and states that the King is their reference.
تتكون السلطات في الدولة من : - السلطة القضائية. - السلطة التنفيذية. - السلطة التنظيمية. وتتعاون هذه السلطات في أداء وظائفها، وفقا لهذا النظام وغيره من الأنظمة،
- Article 67
The Article defines the regulatory authority's competence to make laws and regulations that serve the public interest or remove harm in State affairs, in accordance with the rules of Islamic Sharia.
تختص السلطة التنظيمية بوضع الأنظمة واللوائح، فيما يحقق المصلحة، أو يرفع المفسدة في شئون الدولة، وفقا لقواعد الشريعة الإسلامية ، وتمارس اختصاصاتها وفقا لهذا النظ
- Article 68
The Article provides for establishing a Shura Council whose law sets out its composition, powers and selection of members, and gives the King the power to dissolve it and reconstitute it.
ينشأ مجلس للشورى ، ويبين نظامه طريقة تكوينه، وكيفية ممارسته لاختصاصاته، واختيار أعضائه. وللملك حل مجلس الشورى وإعادة تكوينه.
- Article 69
The Article permits the King to call the Shura Council and the Council of Ministers to a joint meeting, and to invite whomever he sees fit to attend it to discuss what he sees fit.
للملك أن يدعو مجلس الشورى ، ومجلس الوزراء ، إلى اجتماع مشترك، وله أن يدعو من يراه لحضور هذا الاجتماع لمناقشة ما يراه من أمور.
- Article 71
The Article requires laws to be published in the Official Gazette and makes them effective from the date of publication unless another date is specified.
تنشر الأنظمة في الجريدة الرسمية، وتكون نافذة المفعول من تاريخ نشرها، ما لم ينص على تاريخ آخر.
- Article 83
The article provides that the Basic Law of Governance may be amended only in the same way in which it was issued.
لايجري تعديل هذا النظام إلا بنفس الطريقة التي تم بها إصداره.
The texts are reproduced from the official website of the Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers for reference; where they differ, the officially published Arabic text prevails. This content is not legal advice.