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Article 2 of the Saudi Council of Ministers Law

المادة 2 من نظام مجلس الوزراء

Article 2 sets the city of Riyadh as the seat of the Council of Ministers and allows its sessions to be held elsewhere in the Kingdom.

Official text (Arabic)

This article has not been amended since the law was issued.

مقر مجلس الوزراء مدينة الرياض ويجوز عقد جلساته في جهة أخرى من المملكة.

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 2 explained in plain English

This article states where the Council of Ministers is based, and gives flexibility as to where its sessions are held.

  • The main seat: the city of Riyadh is the seat of the Council of Ministers, and is the place the Council is officially associated with.
  • The exception: the Council may hold its sessions elsewhere in the Kingdom, so not every session has to be in Riyadh.

The text is explicit that the other location must be within the Kingdom; the article does not address holding sessions outside it. The article does not say who decides to move a session or what procedures are required, so details that do not appear in it should not be assumed.

This article is linked to Article 1, which makes the Council a statutory body presided over by the King: after defining the Council's nature and presidency, its location is defined. It is followed by Article 3, which turns to the conditions for membership of the Council: Saudi nationality by origin and birth, righteousness and competence, and not having been sentenced for a crime involving breach of religion or honor.

The article matters to the ordinary reader because it makes clear that, as news reports sometimes show, the Council meeting in another city is lawful as long as it is within the Kingdom.

Practical example

Ahmed read a news report that a Council of Ministers session was held in a city other than Riyadh, and wondered whether that breaches the Law. Article 2 shows him that Riyadh is the seat, but the Law allows sessions to be held elsewhere in the Kingdom, so there is no violation.

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 2 of the Saudi Council of Ministers Law

Can the Council of Ministers hold its session outside Riyadh?

Yes, Article 2 allows it to hold sessions elsewhere in the Kingdom, while Riyadh remains its seat.

What is the seat of the Saudi Council of Ministers?

Its seat is the city of Riyadh, under Article 2.

Does the article allow sessions to be held outside the Kingdom?

The text speaks only of another location within the Kingdom and does not mention holding sessions outside it.

More articles on Formation and Term of the Council of Ministers

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.