Article 30 of the Saudi Civil Society Associations Law
المادة 30 من نظام الجمعيات والمؤسسات الأهلية
This 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.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
يجب أن تشمل اللائحة الأساسية للمؤسسة البيانات الآتية :
1 - اسم المؤسسة ، ونطاق عملها الجغرافي ، ومقرها الرئيس.
2 - اسم المؤسس أو أسماء المؤسسين ، وبياناتهم الشخصية.
3 - الغرض الذي تنشأ المؤسسة لتحقيقه.
4 - بيان بالحالات التي يمكن فيها حل المؤسسة حلاًّ اختياريًّا (إن وجدت) ، والأحكام المنظمة لذلك.
5 - بيان تفصيلي بالأموال المخصصة للمؤسسة ، وإجراءات التصفية عند الحل ، والجهة التي ستؤول إليها أموالها ومستنداتها.
6 - الأحكام المنظمة لإدارة المؤسسة ، بما في ذلك طريقة تشكيل مجلس الأمناء ، وطريقة تعيين المسؤول التنفيذي ، ومهمات كل منهما واختصاصاته.
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 30 explained in plain English
Just as an association has articles of association, a civil society organization has articles of association that govern it. This article sets out six items they must include:
- Identity: the organization's name, its geographic area of work, and its main headquarters.
- The founders: the name of the founder or the names of the founders and their personal details.
- The purpose for which the organization is established.
- Voluntary dissolution: a statement of the cases in which it may be dissolved voluntarily (if any) and the provisions governing this. Having cases of voluntary dissolution is not mandatory, but if there are any they must be stated.
- Funds: a detailed statement of the funds allocated to the organization, the liquidation procedures on dissolution, and the body to which its funds and documents will pass.
- Management: the provisions governing the organization's management, including how the board of trustees is formed, how the executive officer is appointed, and the tasks and powers of each.
In practice, anyone who establishes a civil society organization must decide from the outset what will become of its funds if it is dissolved, and how it will be run afterwards. This is especially important for family organizations, to avoid later disputes among heirs.
This article is preceded by Article 29, on the organization's resources, and followed by Article 31, which regulates the board of trustees. Anyone drafting the articles of association of an organization should seek a lawyer who specializes in non-profit sector and endowment law.
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 30 of the Saudi Civil Society Associations Law
What must the articles of association of a civil society organization contain?
The name, area and headquarters, the founders, the purpose, the cases of voluntary dissolution if any, a detailed statement of the funds and what becomes of them on dissolution, and the provisions on the board of trustees and the executive officer.
Must the fate of the organization's funds on dissolution be specified?
Yes, the liquidation procedures and the body to which its funds and documents will pass must be stated.
More articles on Civil Organizations and the Board of Trustees
- Article 29
This 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.
تتكون موارد المؤسسة مما يخصصه لها المؤسس أو المؤسسون من أموال ، أو أوقاف ، أو هبات ، أو وصايا ، ويجوز لها استقبال التبرعات بعد موافقة الوزارة.
- Article 31
Every 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.
يكون لكل مؤسسة مجلس أمناء من ثلاثة أعضاء على الأقل يعينهم المؤسس أو المؤسسون أو من يعهد إليه بذلك بموجب اللائحة الأساسية ، وتبلغ الوزارة بالتعيين ، وبكل تعديل ي
- Article 32
The 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.
يتولى مجلس الأمناء إدارة المؤسسة وفقاً لأحكام النظام واللائحة واللائحة الأساسية ، ويمثلها رئيس المجلس أمام القضاء وأمام غيره ، ولرئيس المجلس بعد موافقة مجلس الأ
- Article 33
A 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.
تكون للمؤسـسة ميزانية سنوية ، وحساب ختامي ، ويجوز - بعد موافقة الوزارة - أن يكتفى عنه ببيان يتضمن إيراداتها ومصروفاتها ، وأوجه إنفاق أموالها بحسب طبيعة المال ال
- Article 34
The Ministry must keep a special register of civil society organizations; the Regulations set its provisions, the registration procedures and the details to be recorded.
تُعِد الوزارة سجلاًّ خاصًّا بالمؤسسات ، وتحدد اللائحة الأحكام المتعلقة بهذا السجل ، وإجراءات التسجيل فيه ، والبيانات اللازم تسجيلها.
- Article 35
The 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.
1- لا يجوز حل المؤسسة اختياريًّا أو دمجها في مؤسسة أخرى إلاَّ بموافقة المؤسس أو المؤسسين ، أو وفقاً لما تقضي به اللائحة الأساسية. 2 - تتخذ الوزارة - في الحالات
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.