Article 126 of the Saudi Officers Service Law
المادة 126 من نظام خدمة الضباط · الفصل الأول: لجنة الضباط العليا
The article requires the Senior Officers Committee to meet when called by its chairman at least once every fifteen days, with meetings valid when more than half its members attend, including the chairman.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
تجتمع اللجنة العليا بدعوة من رئيسها ، ويجب أن تنعقد مرة واحدة كل خمسة عشر يوماً على الأقل وتكون اجتماعاتها نظَامية عند حضور أكثر من نصف أعضائها من بينهم الرئيس.
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 126 explained in plain English
This article regulates the meetings of the Senior Officers Committee in three provisions:
- The call: the committee meets when called by its chairman.
- Regularity: it must meet at least once every 15 days. This is a mandatory minimum, and the text does not prevent holding more meetings.
- Quorum: its meetings are valid when more than half of its members attend, including the chairman.
The importance of this regularity is that the committee considers matters that directly affect officers' careers, as Article 125 lists: the start of officers' appointment, dispensing with service and returning to it, promoting officers from the rank of major to brigadier general, requests for referral to reserve status, retirement or resignation, transferring officers from one force to another and from one branch to another, and others.
The chairman's absence is dealt with by Article 127, which provides that he is replaced by whoever is assigned to carry out his work, and that if one of the force commanders is absent his deputy replaces him. The requirement for the chairman's attendance can thus be met when he is absent.
The article does not specify the form of the call or when it is issued before the meeting, so this should not be assumed from its text.
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 126 of the Saudi Officers Service Law
How often does the Senior Officers Committee meet?
At least once every fifteen days, when called by its chairman.
What is the quorum for a meeting of the Senior Officers Committee?
More than half of its members must attend, and the chairman must be among them.
More articles on Supreme and Branch Officers Committees
- Article 14
The article requires the officer to be informed of the content of an unsatisfactory report and to sign that he has seen it, gives him the right to object to the Officers Committee through his superior within two weeks, and makes the Committee's recommendations final once ratified.
يبلغ الضابط من قبل قائده الذي كتب عنه تقريراً غير مرض بمضمون ذلك التقرير ويوقع بالاطلاع وله الحق في تقديم اعتراضه على كل أو بعض ما ورد بالتقرير إلى لجنة الضباط
- Article 39
The Article provides that officers of all ranks are transferred outside their arm or specialty on the recommendation of the Higher Officers Committee.
يجري نقل الضباط على اختلاف رتبهم خارج السلاح أوالاختصاص بتوصية من لجنة الضباط العليا.
- Article 40Amended (1409 AH)
The Article provides that transfer and confirmation of officers within each force is on the recommendation of the Higher Officers Committee for the rank of lieutenant colonel and above, and by decision of the force commander for major and below.
يجري نقل واثبات الضباط داخل كل قوة بالقوات المسلحة على الوجه الآتي: 1- من رتبة مقدم فما فوق بتوصية من لجنة الضباط العليا. 2- من رتبة رائد فما دون بقرار من قائد
- Article 51
The Article provides that, absent another provision, transfer, appointment, confirmation, attachment and loan under Chapters One and Two of Part Five are by decision of the Minister on the recommendation of the Higher Officers Committee.
فيما لم يرد به نص آخر فإن النقل والتعيين والإثبات والإلحاق والإعارة المنصوص عليها بالفصل الأول والثاني من الباب الخامس من هذا النظَام يتم بقرار من الوزير بناءً
- Article 125
The article lists the matters the Senior Officers Committee considers and makes recommendations on, including appointment, discharge, promotion from major to brigadier general, transfer, secondment and retirement.
تنظر لجنة الضباط العليا وتوصي بالمسائل الآتية : أ- بدء تعيين الضباط بالقوات المسلحة. ب- الاستغناء عن الخدمة والإعادة إليها. ج- منح الأوسمة. د- اختيار أعضاء البع
- Article 127Amended (1406 AH)
The article provides that when the chairman of the Senior Committee is absent, whoever is assigned to carry out his work replaces him, and when a force commander is absent his deputy replaces him.
عند غياب رئيس اللجنة العليا يحل محله من يكلف بالقيام بعمله وإذا غاب أحد قادة القوات فيحل محله نائبه
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.