Article 1 of the Saudi Provinces Law

This article opens the Law of Provinces by stating its objectives, which are:

1. Raising the level of administrative work in the Kingdom's provinces.
2. Raising the level of development in the Kingdom's provinces.
3. Preserving security and order.
4. Safeguarding the rights and freedoms of citizens.

The article ties all these objectives to a single framework, Islamic Sharia: they are achieved "within the framework of Islamic Sharia."

The importance of an objectives article is that it helps in understanding and interpreting the rest of the Law's articles; the powers and tasks the Law gives to emirs, governors and provincial councils should be understood in light of these aims. Note that the article combines an administrative and developmental dimension, a security dimension and a rights dimension.

It is followed by Article 2, which provides that the Kingdom's provinces and the seat of each province's emirate are organized by royal order, on the recommendation of the Minister of Interior, and so the practical provisions of the administrative division begin.

This article contains no detailed obligations or procedures of its own; it sets the general framework of the Law. Anyone who needs to understand the effect of this Law on an administrative matter of their own may consult a lawyer specializing in administrative cases.