Article 31 of the Saudi Civil Society Associations Law
المادة 31 من نظام الجمعيات والمؤسسات الأهلية
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.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
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 يطرأ على تشكيل مجلس الأمناء. وإذا لم يعين مجلس للأمناء ، أو خلا مكان واحد - أو أكثر - منهم وتعذر تعيين البديل بالطريقة المبينة في اللائحة الأساسية؛ فتتخذ الوزارة ما يلزم وفق ما تحدده 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 31 explained in plain English
This article regulates the board of trustees of the civil society organization, the body that manages it:
- Requirement: every organization must have a board of trustees.
- Number: at least three members.
- Appointment: they are appointed by the founder or founders, or whoever is entrusted with this under the articles of association.
- Notification: the Ministry is notified of the appointment and of every change to the composition of the board.
Where appointment is not possible: if no board of trustees is appointed, or one or more seats become vacant and it is not possible to appoint a replacement in the way set out in the articles of association, the Ministry takes the necessary steps as the Regulations specify. The text does not say what the Ministry does; it refers to the Regulations.
In practice: in family organizations the founder may die or the heirs may disagree, so no replacement is appointed for a deceased member. The organization is not left paralyzed; the Ministry steps in as the Regulations provide. It is therefore wise for the founder to state in the articles of association a clear way of appointing replacements after him.
This article is preceded by Article 30, which requires the articles of association to include how the board of trustees is formed, and followed by Article 32, which sets out the board's tasks and the representation of the organization by its chairman.
Practical example
A businessman in Jeddah established a civil society organization, appointed a board of trustees of three members and notified the Ministry. One of them died, and the articles of association did not set a clear way to appoint a replacement, which could not be agreed. The Ministry takes the necessary steps as the Regulations provide.
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 31 of the Saudi Civil Society Associations Law
How many members does the board of trustees of a civil society organization have?
At least three members.
Who appoints the board of trustees of the organization?
The founder or founders, or whoever is entrusted with this under the articles of association.
What happens if a replacement on the board of trustees cannot be appointed?
The Ministry takes the necessary steps as the Regulations specify.
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 30
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.
يجب أن تشمل اللائحة الأساسية للمؤسسة البيانات الآتية : 1 - اسم المؤسسة ، ونطاق عملها الجغرافي ، ومقرها الرئيس. 2 - اسم المؤسس أو أسماء المؤسسين ، وبياناتهم الشخ
- 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.