Article 16 of the Saudi Municipalities Law
المادة 16 من نظام البلديات والقرى
The chairman of the municipal council may call an emergency session, and must if most members ask; it is held within two days of the request arriving and discusses only its own matters.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
يجوز لرئيس المجلس البلدي دعوة المجلس لعقد جلسة طارئة كلما رأى ضرورة لذلك، وعلى الرئيس دعوة المجلس لجلسة طارئة إذا طلب منه ذلك أكثر أعضاء المجلس، وتعقد الجلسة خلال يومين على الأكثر من تاريخ وصول الطلب إلى الرئيس، ويقتصر البحث فيها على المواضيع التي عقدت من أجلها .
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 16 explained in plain English
This article regulates emergency sessions of the municipal council, that is, sessions held outside the usual monthly meeting. It distinguishes two cases:
- On the chairman's initiative: the chairman of the council may call the council to an emergency session whenever the chairman sees a need; this is left to the chairman's discretion.
- At the members' request: the chairman must call the council to an emergency session if most of the council members ask for it. In this case the session is held within two days at most of the date the request reaches the chairman.
In both cases discussion is limited in the emergency session to the matters for which it was held, so it does not turn into a general session discussing other matters.
Note that the text mentions the two-day period after the case of the members' request, because it is counted from the request reaching the chairman.
This article completes Article 15, which requires the council to meet at least once a month on an invitation that includes an agenda and prevents it from discussing what is not on it. It is followed by Article 17, which requires the chairman or a member to leave the session whenever a case relating to a private interest of theirs is discussed, the council taking its decision by secret ballot in their absence.
Practical example
After sudden floods in a governorate of the Makkah region, most members of the municipal council asked the chairman to hold an emergency session to discuss the damage. Under this article the chairman must call the council, the session is held within two days at most of the request arriving, and discussion in it is limited to the floods.
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 16 of the Saudi Municipalities Law
Can the municipal council hold an emergency session?
Yes. The chairman may call one whenever the chairman sees a need, and must do so if most of the council members ask for it.
When is the emergency session held if the members request it?
Within two days at most from the date the request reaches the chairman.
Can any subject be discussed in the emergency session?
No. Discussion is limited to the matters for which it was held.
More articles on Municipal Council Meetings and Decisions
- Article 15
The municipal council meets at least once a month on an invitation that includes an agenda, a member's written request made 4 days ahead must be added to it, and the council may not discuss items not on the agenda.
يجتمع المجلس البلدي في المكان المخصص له مرة في الشهر على الأقل بناء على دعوة رئيسه أو نائبه في حال غيابه، ويجب أن تشتمل الدعوة على جدول الأعمال، وعلى الرئيس أو
- Article 17
The chairman or any member of the municipal council must leave the session when a case relating to a private interest of theirs is discussed, and the council decides by secret ballot in their absence.
على رئيس المجلس أو أي عضو من أعضائه مغادرة الجلسة في كل مرة يبحث فيها المجلس قضية تتعلق بصورة مباشرة أو غير مباشرة بمصلحة خاصة له، وعلى المجلس أن يتخذ القرار با
- Article 18
Municipal council sessions are confidential, and the council may invite anyone whose presence it finds useful to attend, without a right to vote.
جلسات المجلس البلدي سرية، وللمجلس أن يدعو لحضور جلسات المجلس أي شخص يرى فائدة في حضوره، دون أن يكون له حق التصويت.
- Article 19
Municipal council sessions are not valid unless a majority of the members attend.
لا تعتبر جلسات المجلس البلدي نظامية إلا بحضور الأغلبية للأعضاء.
- Article 20
The municipal council takes decisions by a majority of those present, the chairman's or deputy's vote tips a tie, and voting is open but may be secret in important cases.
أ - يتخذ المجلس البلدي قراراته بأكثرية أصوات أعضائه الحاضرين، وفي حالة التساوي يكون صوت الرئيس أو نائبه في حال غيابه مرجحا. ب - يجرى التصويت بطريقة الاقتراع الع
- Article 21
The municipal council may form committees from some of its members to look into particular cases, with the result submitted to the council so that it takes the necessary decision.
يجوز للمجلس تشكيل لجان من بعض أعضائه للنظر في قضايا معينة، ورفع النتيجة فيها إلى المجلس لاتخاذ القرار اللازم.
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.