Article 26 of the Saudi Cooperative Societies Law
المادة 26 من نظام الجمعيات التعاونية · الباب الثاني: إدارة الجمعيات التعاونية
The article provides that the general assembly elects its chair from among its members.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
تنتخب الجمعية العمومية من بين أعضائها رئيسا لها.
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 26 explained in plain English
This article sets a short provision on the leadership of the general assembly: it elects a chair from among its members.
The provision has two elements:
- The method of selection: election, so the chair of the general assembly is not appointed by an outside body.
- From whom he is chosen: from among the members of the general assembly, who under Article 1 are all the members contributing to the capital of the cooperative society.
Note that the chair of the general assembly is a post separate in the text from the chairman of the board of directors, since the article leaves his selection to the general assembly itself. The article does not state the term of his chairmanship, his powers, or whether he may be a member of the board of directors, so none of this can be asserted from its text.
The role of chairing meetings appears in ordinary and extraordinary meetings alike. This includes what Article 25 regulates concerning an extraordinary meeting of the general assembly called by the board of directors, the auditor, one third of the members or the Ministry, to consider amending the basic regulations, disposing of real estate and investment holdings, or dissolving, merging or dividing the society, provided a majority of the contributing members attend.
Article 27 follows with a different subject, the society's resources, which include capital, donations, gifts, fees for services, state subsidies, and revenues from activities and investments.
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 26 of the Saudi Cooperative Societies Law
Who chooses the chair of a cooperative society's general assembly?
The general assembly elects him from among its members.
Is the chair of the general assembly the chairman of the board of directors?
The article leaves the general assembly to elect its chair from among its members, and does not say he is the chairman of the board.
More articles on General Assembly of the Cooperative Society
- Article 22
The article makes the general assembly the supreme authority, requires it to meet at least yearly with a 25% quorum, then 10% after a fifteen-day postponement, and makes its decisions by majority of those present.
الجمعية العمومية هي السلطة العليا في الجمعية التي تتكون من جميع الأعضاء المساهمين، ويجب أن تنعقد مرة على الأقل كل سنة ولا يكون الاجتماع نظاميًا إلا بحضور (25%)
- Article 23
The article gives each member one vote in the general assembly however many shares he owns, and lets him appoint another member who is not a board member as proxy, with no member acting for more than one.
لكل عضو صوت واحد في الجمعية العمومية مهما بلغت الأسهم التي يملكها، وللعضو أن يوكل عضوًا آخر في الجمعية من غير أعضاء مجلس الإدارة، ولا يجوز للعضو أن يكون وكيلاً
- Article 24
The article lists the general assembly's powers, including discussing the board's reports, approving the balance sheet, accounts and profit distribution, electing the board, appointing the auditor and deciding objections to board decisions.
تتولى الجمعية العمومية ممارسة الاختصاصات الآتية: 1 - مناقشة تقارير مجلس الإدارة وملاحظات الوزارة على الجمعية واتخاذ القرارات المناسبة بشأنها . 2 - اعتماد الميزا
- Article 25
The article governs the extraordinary meeting of the general assembly: who can call it, its cases such as amending the regulations, disposing of real estate, dissolution, merger and division, and its quorum of a majority of the contributing members.
تعقد الجمعية العمومية اجتماعا غير عادي بدعوة من مجلس الإدارة، أو من مراجع الحسابات، أو بطلب من ثلث أعضائها على الأقل، أو بدعوة من الوزارة، وذلك لبحث إحدى الحالا
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.