Article 52 of the Saudi Chambers of Commerce Law
المادة 52 من نظام الغرف التجارية · الفصل الثاني: الأجهزة الإدارية لاتحاد الغرف
The Federation's board appoints a qualified Secretary General who attends its meetings, other than closed ones, without a vote; the board may hold closed meetings to discuss his or her performance.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
1- يُعين مجلس إدارة اتحاد الغرف أمينًا عامًّا له من ذوي الخبرة والكفاية والتأهيل العلمي، وعليه حضور اجتماعات المجلس -عدا الاجتماعات المغلقة- دون أن يكون له الحق في التصويت. وتحدد اللائحة معايير الخبرة والكفاية والتأهيل العلمي المطلوب توافرها في الأمين العام لاتحاد الغرف.
2- لمجلس إدارة اتحاد الغرف عقد اجتماعات مغلقة؛ لمناقشة أداء الأمين العام لاتحاد الغرف.
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 52 explained in plain English
This article governs the appointment of the Federation of Chambers' Secretary General and his or her relationship with the board of directors:
- Who appoints: the Federation of Chambers' board of directors.
- Qualifications: he or she is chosen from people with experience, competence and academic qualifications, and the Implementing Regulations set the criteria for this. The Law sets no particular number of years of experience or particular qualification, and refers the details to the Regulations.
- Attending meetings: he or she must attend the board's meetings, so attendance is a duty, other than closed meetings.
- No right to vote: he or she attends without a vote on the board's decisions.
- Closed meetings: the board may hold closed meetings to discuss the Secretary General's performance.
The reason is that the Secretary General is an executive body who attends to present and clarify, but the decision belongs to the board's members. Closed meetings let the board assess his or her performance freely in his or her absence.
It is followed by Article 53, which lists the Secretary General's powers, including supervising the General Secretariat, implementing the board's decisions, and preparing the annual report, the draft budget and the hiring of staff. It is preceded by Article 51, which governs the board's meetings and quorum.
Practical example
The Federation of Chambers' board holds an ordinary meeting attended by the Secretary General, who presents the Secretariat's reports without voting on the decisions. The board then decides to hold a closed meeting to discuss the Secretary General's performance, and under the article the Secretary General does not attend this meeting.
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 52 of the Saudi Chambers of Commerce Law
Who appoints the Secretary General of the Federation of Chambers?
The Federation's board of directors appoints him or her from among people with experience, competence and academic qualifications.
Does the Secretary General vote on the Federation's board?
No. He or she attends the board's meetings, other than closed ones, without the right to vote.
What are the requirements for the Federation's Secretary General?
He or she must have experience, competence and academic qualifications, and the Regulations set the criteria for this.
More articles on Federation Board of Directors
- Article 43
Article 43 names the three administrative bodies of the Federation of Chambers: the General Assembly, the board of directors, and the General Secretariat.
تتكون أجهزة اتحاد الغرف الإدارية مما يأتي: 1- الجمعية العمومية. 2- مجلس الإدارة. 3- الأمانة العامة.
- Article 44
The Federation's General Assembly is made up of the chambers, each represented by members of its board other than its president, according to its number of subscribers under the Regulations and with a minimum of one member.
تتكون الجمعية العمومية لاتحاد الغرف من الغرف، ويتم تمثيل الغرفة في الجمعية العمومية من بين أعضاء مجلس إدارة الغرفة عدا رئيسها، ويكون تمثيل كل غرفة في الجمعية ال
- Article 45
Article 45 sets the powers of the Federation's General Assembly: following the board, discussing matters, approving the report, final accounts, budget and internal regulations, and approving the auditor.
تختص الجمعية العمومية لاتحاد الغرف بما يأتي: 1- متابعة أعمال مجلس إدارة الاتحاد. 2- مناقشة الموضوعات المتعلقة بالاتحاد التي يقدمها إليها أي من أعضائها. 3- مناقش
- Article 46
The Federation's General Assembly meets yearly within 90 days of the end of the fiscal year, and may be called at the request of the board or 20% of its members, with meetings and voting allowed electronically.
1- تجتمع الجمعية العمومية لاتحاد الغرف في مقره الرئيس مرة على الأقل كل سنة خلال الـــ(تسعين) يوماً التالية لانتهاء السنة المالية، وذلك بدعوة من رئيس اتحاد الغرف
- Article 47
Article 47 provides that the Federation of Chambers' board of directors is made up of the presidents of the chambers.
يتكون مجلس إدارة اتحاد الغرف من رؤساء الغرف.
- Article 48
The Federation's board elects its president and two deputies by secret ballot and absolute majority, the Minister appoints them for three years, and the president may not run for the next term unless he or she served less than a year.
1- يعقد مجلس إدارة اتحاد الغرف أول اجتماع له خلال المدة التي تحددها اللائحة لاختيار رئيس المجلس ونائبيه الأول والثاني من بين أعضائه، ويتم الانتخاب بالاقتراع الس
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.