In force Last amended 20/10/1442 AH
Saudi Civil Society Associations Law
نظام الجمعيات والمؤسسات الأهلية
Regulates the establishment and operation of civil associations and foundations in Saudi Arabia, including licensing, general assemblies, resources and the supervising bodies. It concerns founders, members and board members.
- Articles
- 44
- In force
- 44
- Amended
- 4
- Issued
- 19/2/1437 AH
Issued by: مرسوم ملكي رقم (م/8) بتاريخ 19 / 2 / 1437 · قرار مجلس الوزراء رقم (61) وتاريخ 1437/2/18هـ
Each article shows the official Arabic text, which is the only legally binding version, followed by our plain-English explanation.
Browse Civil Society Associations Law by topic
Aims of the Civil Society Associations Law6 articlesTypes of Civil Associations and Organizations2 articlesSupervision of Civil Associations3 articlesEstablishing a Civil Association4 articlesGeneral Assembly of a Civil Association5 articlesBoard of a Civil Association3 articlesAssociation Resources and Obligations4 articlesDissolution and Merger of Civil Associations6 articlesPublic Benefit Associations3 articlesCivil Organizations and the Board of Trustees9 articlesFundraising by Civil Associations1 articleAppealing Decisions of the National Center1 article
Articles of the Saudi Civil Society Associations Law
- Article 1The Article defines the terms of the Law of Civil Society Associations and Organizations, including the Center, its board, the basic regulation, the fund, the supervising body and the competent body.
- Article 2The Law aims to regulate, develop and protect civil society work, contribute to national development, strengthen citizens' participation, activate volunteering and achieve social solidarity.
- Article 3The Article classifies civil society entities into non-profit associations with continuing organization for many purposes, and organizations that depend on their founders' funds; family and civil funds count as organizations.
- Article 4The Article makes the Ministry the authority responsible for associations and organizations, with tasks including licensing, government subsidies, administrative and financial oversight, deciding mergers and spreading volunteering.
- Article 5The supervising body approves the creation of associations and organizations within its competence as a step toward licensing, supervises their activity technically and follows it up, and works on developing them.
- Article 6The Ministry issues, amends and renews licenses for associations and organizations after coordinating with the competent body and the supervising body's approval, except university scientific associations, which follow their own rules.
- Article 71- ينشأ بموجب هذا النظام صندوق يسمى (صندوق دعم الجمعيات) يرتبط بالوزير ، وتكون مهمته دعم برامج الجمعيات وتطويرها بما يضمن استمرار أعمالها…
- Article 8An application to create an association is submitted by at least 10 Saudis with its basic regulation; the Ministry must reply within 60 days or approval is deemed given, and the association gains legal personality after approval.
- Article 9The Article lists what an association's basic regulation must contain, including name, purpose, membership, resources, a board term of no more than four years, and rules for dissolution and the destination of its funds.
- Article 10An association may create branches inside the Kingdom after the Ministry's approval, and its basic regulation sets how the branches are formed, their powers and other provisions.
- Article 11A civil society association consists of four bodies: the general assembly, the board of directors, standing committees whose powers are set by their formation decision, and the executive body.
- Article 12The Article sets the association's resources: membership fees, income from activity, charity and donations, investment returns, government subsidies, the fund's support, resources from managing organizations and zakat.
- Article 13The general assembly consists of the founders and members of at least six months' standing, is called 15 days ahead, meets in ordinary session within the first four months of the year, and members may not vote on matters of personal interest.
- Article 14The ordinary general assembly approves financial statements and the budget, discusses the board's report, approves the investment plan, elects the board and discharges the previous one, and appoints the auditor.
- Article 15The extraordinary general assembly decides board members' resignation and removal and fills vacancies, cancels board decisions, proposes merger, approves amending the basic regulation and voluntary dissolution.
- Article 16The Article bars the ordinary and extraordinary general assemblies from considering any matters not on their agenda.
- Article 17A general assembly meeting is valid if more than half of the members attend; otherwise it is postponed to a date between one hour and 15 days later. Ordinary assembly decisions pass by a majority of those present, extraordinary ones by two-thirds.
- Article 18The general assembly elects the board by secret ballot; the Ministry may send an observer and may cancel the result within 30 days if it was based on violations, and holding a job and board membership together requires approval.
- Article 19The Minister may, by a reasoned decision, dismiss the elected board and appoint a temporary one if its members fall below quorum and cannot be replaced, or if a violation is not corrected within one month of a written warning.
- Article 20The board must submit to the Ministry, within four months of the end of the financial year, a detailed annual report approved by the general assembly, including activities, an audited financial report and the estimated budget.
- Article 21This article sets out the association's obligations: keeping records, a member register, minutes and accounts, hiring a licensed accountant, banking funds with two-signature disbursement, and a ban on financial speculation and unapproved foreign aid.
- Article 22An association may be dissolved voluntarily by decision of the extraordinary general assembly, in accordance with the Law and the articles of association.
- Article 23After a warning and by a reasoned decision, the Minister may suspend, dissolve or merge an association in specified cases, such as fewer than five members, departing from its objectives, or financial inability; the Ministry may also suspend or end its contracts.
- Article 24Those running an association that has been suspended, dissolved or merged by the Minister's decision may not liquidate it or dispose of its funds or documents except as the Regulations provide.
- Article 25تعد الجمعية ذات نفع عام إذا كان غرضها تحقيق مصلحة عامة ، على أن ينص على ذلك في ترخيص إنشائها ، ويكون إضفاء هذه الصفة أو إلغاؤها - في…
- Article 26The funds of public benefit associations may be attached or enforced against only by a court judgment, and such associations may expropriate real estate they need for their purposes, by the Minister's decision and with compensation paid by the association.
- Article 27Any government or private body may contract with a public benefit association to run an institution belonging to it or carry out some of its projects, programs or services within its competence; the Regulations set the contractual framework.
- Article 28The provisions of the Law on associations apply to public benefit associations in matters not covered by a special provision.
- Article 29This article gives the sources of a civil society organization's resources, the funds, endowments, gifts and bequests allocated by its founder or founders, and allows it to receive donations after Ministry approval.
- Article 30This article lists the details the organization's articles of association must contain: name, area and headquarters, founders, purpose, voluntary dissolution cases, allocated funds and their fate on dissolution, and rules on the board of trustees and executive officer.
- Article 31Every organization must have a board of trustees of at least three members, appointed by the founder or founders or whoever the articles of association designate; the Ministry is notified of appointments and changes, and steps in if a replacement cannot be appointed.
- Article 32The board of trustees manages the organization under the Law, the Regulations and the articles of association, and its chairman represents it before the courts and others, and may delegate this with the board's approval.
- Article 33A civil society organization must have an annual budget and a final account, though with the Ministry's approval a statement of revenues, expenses and spending of funds may suffice in place of the final account.
- Article 34The Ministry must keep a special register of civil society organizations; the Regulations set its provisions, the registration procedures and the details to be recorded.
- Article 35The article regulates voluntary dissolution or merger of an organization, the Ministry's powers to protect its funds in the Article 23 cases, the limits on dissolving it, and the requirement of a reasoned decision after a warning.
- Article 36If an organization is dissolved under Article 35 and had received state aid or been allowed to collect donations, those funds are disposed of as the Regulations provide.
- Article 37The provisions of the Law on associations apply to organizations where there is no special provision, except the provisions on public benefit associations and on government aid.
- Article 38يجوز للوزير أن يشكل مجلساً للجمعيات وآخر للمؤسسات ، وتحدد اللائحة طريقة تشكيل كل مجلس واختصاصاته وتنظيم شؤونه المالية والإدارية والأحكام…
- Article 39Public benefit associations may collect donations, and other associations may do so with Ministry approval for specific programs; contracting with international bodies requires approval, and associations may not depart from their objectives or disturb public order.
- Article 40Ministry decisions issued to implement the Law may be challenged before the administrative court within 60 days of becoming aware of them, and the court decides the challenge promptly.
- Article 41The Law applies to charitable organizations established by royal orders, except where their own basic statute has a special provision or the Council of Ministers decides that provisions do not apply to them.
- Article 42The Minister must issue the Regulations of the Law of Civil Society Associations and Organizations within 90 days of the date the Law is published.
- Article 43The Law repeals the Regulation of Charitable Associations and Institutions issued by Council of Ministers Resolution No. 107 dated 25/6/1410 AH, and any provisions that conflict with it.
- Article 44The Law of Civil Society Associations and Organizations takes effect 90 days after its publication in the Official Gazette.