Article 21 of the Saudi Chambers of Commerce Law
المادة 21 من نظام الغرف التجارية · الفصل الثاني: الأجهزة الإدارية للغرفة
Article 21 requires the chamber's board to meet at least once every 60 days, and governs emergency meetings called by the president or requested by one third of the members.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
1- يجتمع مجلس إدارة الغرفة في مقرها مرة كل (ستين) يوماً على الأقل بدعوة من رئيسه، ويجب أن تشتمل الدعوة على جدول أعمال الاجتماع.
2- لرئيس الغرفة دعوة مجلس الإدارة إلى عقد اجتماع طارئ متى رأى ضرورة ذلك، وعليه توجيه الدعوة إذا طلب منه ذلك -كتابةً- ثُلث أعضاء المجلس، على أن يوجه الدعوة في هذه الحالة خلال الـ(خمسة عشر) يومًا التالية لتلقي الطلب، وإلا كان لاتحاد الغرف توجيهها وفقاً للإجراءات التي تنص عليها اللائحة.
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 21 explained in plain English
This article governs how regularly the chamber's board of directors meets and how emergency meetings are held.
Regular meeting (paragraph 1)
- The board meets at the chamber's headquarters.
- It meets at least once every 60 days, so it may meet more often.
- The call is issued by the board's chairman and must include the meeting's agenda.
Emergency meeting (paragraph 2)
- The chamber's president may call an emergency meeting whenever he or she sees the need.
- The president must call one if one third of the board members request it in writing.
- In that case, the call is issued within 15 days of receiving the request.
- If the president does not do so, the Federation of Chambers may issue the call in accordance with the procedures set out in the Implementing Regulations.
The second paragraph protects members against meetings being obstructed: if a third of them agree on a written request and the president does not respond within the period, the call can be issued by the Federation of Chambers.
This article is linked to Article 20, which makes calling and chairing board meetings the responsibility of the chamber's president, and to Article 22, which sets when a meeting is valid: with more than half of the members present, including the chamber's president or one of his two deputies, with rules for postponement if a quorum is not reached.
Practical example
Six members of an 18-member chamber board believe an urgent financial problem needs discussion, so they submit a written request to the president. The president must issue the call within 15 days, and if he or she does not, the Federation of Chambers may issue it.
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 21 of the Saudi Chambers of Commerce Law
How often does a chamber of commerce board meet?
It meets at the chamber's headquarters at least once every 60 days at the call of its chairman, and the call must include the agenda.
Can board members request an emergency meeting?
Yes. If one third of the members request it in writing, the president must issue the call within 15 days of receiving the request.
What if the chamber's president refuses to call an emergency meeting requested by one third of the members?
If the president does not issue the call within 15 days, the Federation of Chambers may issue it under the procedures set by the Implementing Regulations.
More articles on Chamber Board Powers and Meetings
- Article 15
The fifteenth article provides that the first deputy takes the Chamber president's place with full powers when he is absent or loses membership, then the second deputy when both are absent or lose membership.
يقوم النائب الأول لرئيس الغرفة مقام الرئيس، وتكون له جميع صلاحياته ويمارس جميع مهماته عند غيابه أو فقده عضوية مجلس إدارة الغرفة وفقًا للمادة (السابعة عشرة) من ا
- Article 19
Article 19 lists the powers of the chamber's board of directors, including approving policies, reviewing regulations, acting on the chamber's behalf, appointing the Secretary General, and forming committees.
يختص مجلس إدارة الغرفة بما يأتي: 1- إقرار السياسات العامة للغرفة والخطط والبرامج والمشروعات اللازمة لأداء مهماتها. 2- دراسة مشروعات لوائح الغرفة الداخلية، بما ف
- Article 20
Article 20 gives the chamber's president responsibility for following up on strategic matters and for calling and chairing General Assembly and board meetings, and leaves his or her other powers to the Implementing Regulations.
يختص رئيس الغرفة بصفة خاصة بمتابعة مهمات الغرفة ذات الطابع الاستراتيجي، والدعوة إلى اجتماعات الجمعية العمومية للغرفة ومجلس الإدارة، ورئاسة هذه الاجتماعات وإدارت
- Article 22
Article 22 sets the quorum for a chamber board meeting and allows it to be postponed twice if the quorum is not reached, with a Ministry representative attending the third meeting.
تكون اجتماعات مجلس إدارة الغرفة صحيحة بحضور أكثر من نصف عدد أعضائه، على أن يكون من بينهم رئيس الغرفة أو أحد نائبيه. فإن لم يكتمل النصاب، يؤجل الاجتماع -بقرار من
- Article 23
Article 23 governs the confidentiality of chamber board discussions, decisions by majority of those present, open voting, inviting non-members, and electronic meetings and circulation.
1- تكون المناقشات في اجتماعات مجلس إدارة الغرفة سرية. 2- تصدر قرارات مجلس إدارة الغرفة بأغلبية عدد أصوات الأعضاء الحاضرين، فإن تساوت الأصوات يرجح الجانب الذي صو
- Article 24
Article 24 requires the chamber's president, deputies, members and Secretary General to notify the board of any interest in the chamber's contracts, and bars them from attending the deliberations and voting on them.
إذا كان لرئيس الغرفة أو أحد نائبيه أو أحد أعضاء المجلس أو الأمين العام للغرفة مصلحة مباشرة أو غير مباشرة في العقود أو الاتفاقيات التي تبرمها الغرفة، فيتعين عليه
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.