Article 22 of the Saudi Municipalities Law
المادة 22 من نظام البلديات والقرى
The article refers to the Implementing Regulations the organization of the municipal council's internal working procedures, the recording of its minutes and the drafting of its decisions.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
تتضمن اللوائح التنفيذية إجراءات سير العمل الداخلي للمجلس، وتسجيل محاضره وصياغة قراراته.
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 22 explained in plain English
This article is a referral article; it leaves to the Implementing Regulations the organization of three aspects of the municipal council's work:
- The internal working procedures of the council.
- Recording the minutes of sessions.
- Drafting the decisions the council issues.
The law set the basic rules for the council's work in other articles, and left the procedural details to these regulations. This article does not state the content of the regulations, such as the form of the minutes, who signs them or how long they are kept; these are learned from the regulations themselves.
This article comes after Article 21, which allows the council to form committees from some of its members to look into particular cases and submit the result to it so that it takes the decision. It is followed by Article 23, which lists the matters in which the council takes its decisions, such as preparing the draft municipal budget, approving the draft final account, setting fees and fines not exceeding SAR 100, and proposing anything above that. These decisions are drafted and recorded in line with the regulations referred to here.
The importance of minutes and drafting is practical: they document what happened in the sessions and what the council concluded. Anyone who needs to see a council decision or rely on it should refer to what the regulations provide on this.
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 22 of the Saudi Municipalities Law
Who regulates the minutes of municipal council sessions?
The article refers the recording of minutes, the drafting of decisions and the internal working procedures to the Implementing Regulations.
Does the law set the form of municipal council decisions?
No. The Implementing Regulations include the procedures for drafting the council's decisions.
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 16
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.
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 خل
- 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
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.