Article 14 of the Saudi Council of Ministers Law
المادة 14 من نظام مجلس الوزراء
Article 14 requires two thirds of the members present for a valid Council of Ministers meeting and decisions by a majority of those present with the head's vote deciding ties, and sets a different quorum for exceptional cases.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
لا يعتبر اجتماع مجلس الوزراء صحيحا إلا بحضور ثلثي أعضائه ولا تكون قراراته نظامية إلا بعد صدورها بأغلبية الحاضرين وفي حالة التساوي يعتبر صوت الرئيس مرجحا، وفي الحالات الاستثنائية يكون انعقاد المجلس صحيحا بحضور نصف أعضائه ولا تكون قراراته نظامية في هذه الحالة إلا بموافقة ثلثي أعضائه الحاضرين، ولرئيس مجلس الوزراء تقدير الحالات الاستثنائية.
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 14 explained in plain English
This article sets the quorum and voting rules in the Council of Ministers, distinguishing between two cases:
The ordinary case:
- A meeting is valid only if two thirds of the Council's members are present.
- Decisions are legally valid only if they are issued by a majority of those present.
- If votes are tied, the head's vote is the deciding one.
Exceptional cases:
- The meeting is valid with half of the members present.
- Decisions are legally valid only with the approval of two thirds of the members present.
- Assessing what counts as an exceptional case is for the Prime Minister.
The text shows a deliberate balance: if the quorum is reduced in exceptional cases from two thirds to half, the majority required for a decision is raised from a majority of those present to two thirds of them. The text does not mention the head's deciding vote in exceptional cases, so a rule that does not appear should not be assumed.
This article is linked to Article 13, which reserves the right to vote to members only, and to Article 15, which prevents the Council from taking a decision on a matter concerning a ministry's work except in the presence of its minister or his deputy, unless necessity requires. A complete quorum alone is not enough for such matters.
Practical example
If the Council has 30 members, an ordinary meeting needs at least 20 members present, and a decision is issued by a majority of those present. If the Prime Minister assesses the case as exceptional, 15 members present is enough, but the decision is not legally valid except with the approval of two thirds of those present, that is, 10 members if 15 are present.
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 14 of the Saudi Council of Ministers Law
What is the legal quorum for a Council of Ministers meeting?
In the ordinary case a meeting is valid only with two thirds of the members present, and in exceptional cases half of them is enough.
How are Council of Ministers decisions issued?
By a majority of those present, with the head's vote deciding a tie, and in exceptional cases the approval of two thirds of those present is required.
Who determines the exceptional cases?
The Prime Minister assesses the exceptional cases, according to the text of Article 14.
More articles on Council of Ministers Sessions and Voting
- Article 7
Article 7 provides that Council of Ministers meetings are held under the presidency of the King or a Deputy Prime Minister, and that its decisions become final once the King approves them.
تعقد اجتماعات مجلس الوزراء برئاسة الملك رئيس المجلس أو أحد نواب الرئيس وتصبح قراراته نهائية بعد موافقة الملك عليها.
- Article 13
Article 13 limits attendance at Council of Ministers meetings to its members and Secretary General, allows an official or expert to attend with the Prime Minister's approval to give information, and keeps voting to members only.
حضور اجتماعات مجلس الوزراء حق خاص بأعضائه فقط وبالأمين العام لمجلس الوزراء ، ويجوز بناء على طلب الرئيس أو أحد الأعضاء بعد موافقة رئيس مجلس الوزراء السماح لأحد ا
- Article 15
Article 15 bars the Council of Ministers from deciding a matter concerning a ministry's work except in the presence of its minister or his deputy, unless necessity requires otherwise.
لا يتخذ مجلس الوزراء قرارا في موضوع خاص بأعمال وزارة من الوزارات إلا بحضور وزيرها أو من ينوب عنه ما لم تدع الضرورة لذلك.
- Article 16
Article 16 makes the Council of Ministers' deliberations secret, with its decisions public as a rule except those the Council treats as secret by its own decision.
مداولات المجلس سرية أما قراراته فالأصل فيها العلنية عدا ما اعتبر منها سريا بقرار من المجلس.
- Article 18
Article 18 allows the Council of Ministers to form committees from its members or others to examine a matter on its agenda and give a special report on it, with the internal rules setting the number of committees and how they work.
يجوز لمجلس الوزراء أن يؤلف لجانا من بين أعضائه أو من غيرهم لبحث مسألة مدرجة بجدول أعماله لتقديم تقرير خاص عنها ويتولى النظام الداخلي للمجلس بيان عدد اللجان وسير
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.