Article 7 of the Saudi Council of Ministers Law
المادة 7 من نظام مجلس الوزراء
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.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
تعقد اجتماعات مجلس الوزراء برئاسة الملك رئيس المجلس أو أحد نواب الرئيس وتصبح قراراته نهائية بعد موافقة الملك عليها.
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 7 explained in plain English
This article deals with two basic matters in the work of the Council of Ministers:
First: presiding over meetings. The Council's meetings are held under the presidency of the King as head of the Council, or of one of the deputies of the head of the Council. By the text, no one else presides over a meeting.
Second: finality of decisions. The Council's decisions do not become final merely by being voted on, but after the King approves them. Before this approval, by the text, a decision has not acquired finality.
The article thus distinguishes two stages: the stage in which the Council considers the matter and takes its decision, and the stage in which the decision becomes final through the King's approval. The conditions for the validity of the meeting and of voting themselves are not addressed by this article.
The article follows Article 6, which restricts the financial dealings of a member, and precedes Article 8, which provides that members are appointed, relieved and their resignations accepted by royal order. The article is of practical use to the ordinary reader: when following a news report about a Council of Ministers decision, the word "final" means that the decision has received the King's approval.
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 7 of the Saudi Council of Ministers Law
Who presides over Council of Ministers meetings?
They are held under the presidency of the King as head of the Council, or one of the deputies of the head of the Council.
When does a Council of Ministers decision become final?
It becomes final after the King approves it, under Article 7.
Is a vote of the Council enough to make a decision final?
No, the text ties the finality of a decision to the King's approval of it.
More articles on Council of Ministers Sessions and Voting
- 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 14
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.
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 ال
- 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.