Article 30 of the Saudi Provinces Law
المادة 30 من نظام المناطق
The article permits the Minister of Interior to call the Provincial Council to meet under his chairmanship in any place he sees fit, and to chair any council meeting he attends.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
لوزير الداخلية أن يدعو المجلس للاجتماع برئاسته في أي مكان يراه، كما أن له رئاسة أي اجتماع يحضره.
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 30 explained in plain English
This article gives the Minister of Interior two powers in relation to the Provincial Council:
- Calling, chairing and place: he may call the council to meet under his chairmanship and in any place he sees fit, so he is not bound to the council's seat.
- Chairing any meeting he attends: if the Minister attends any council meeting, he may chair it.
The importance of this article is that it gives the Minister of Interior a direct role in the meetings of provincial councils: he may chair them and decide the place of the meeting. The article says "he may", so it is a power and not a duty.
This article follows Article 29, which permits the council to form special committees when needed to study any matter within its competence, to seek the assistance of persons of experience and expertise, and to invite whomever it wishes to attend its meetings and take part in the discussion without the right to vote.
It is followed by Article 31, which provides that the Provincial Council may not meet except on the call of its chair or his deputy, or by order of the Minister of Interior. The two articles together make clear who may call the council to meet, and the Minister of Interior is among them.
Anyone who needs to understand the relationship between provincial councils and the Ministry of Interior can consult a lawyer specialized in administrative cases.
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 30 of the Saudi Provinces Law
May the Minister of Interior chair a Provincial Council?
Yes. He may call the council to meet under his chairmanship, and he may chair any meeting he attends.
Must the Provincial Council always meet at its seat?
No. The Minister of Interior may call the council to meet under his chairmanship in any place he sees fit.
More articles on Regional Council Meetings and Decisions
- Article 18
The article gives a Provincial Council member the right to submit written proposals to the council chair on matters within its competence, which the chair includes in the agenda for study.
للعضو أن يقدم اقتراحات إلى رئيس مجلس المنطقة كتابة، وذلك في الأمور الداخلة في اختصاص المجلس، ويدرج الرئيس كل اقتراح في جدول أعمال المجلس لعرضه ودراسته.
- Article 26
The article requires the Provincial Council to hold an ordinary session every three months on its chair's call, permits an extraordinary meeting, and bars closing a session before the whole agenda is discussed.
يعقد مجلس المنطقة دورة عادية كل ثلاثة أشهر بدعوة من رئيسه، وللرئيس أن يدعو المجلس لاجتماع غير عادي، إذا رأى حاجة لذلك. وتشمل الدورة الجلسة، أو الجلسات التي تعقد
- Article 27
The article makes attending council meetings a duty of office for the emirate's deputy and heads of bodies, and makes an appointed member's absence from two consecutive sessions without excuse a ground for dismissal and a two-year bar on reappointment.
يعتبر حضور اجتماعات مجلس المنطقة واجبا وظيفيا بالنسبة للأعضاء المنصوص عليهم في الفقرتين (ج، د) من المادة السادسة عشرة من هذا النظام، ويتعين عليهم الحضور بأنفسهم
- Article 28
The article requires the attendance of at least two-thirds of the Provincial Council's members for its meetings to be valid, with decisions issued by an absolute majority and the chair's side prevailing in a tie.
لا تكون اجتماعات مجلس المنطقة نظامية إلا إذا حضرها ثلثا عدد أعضائه على الأقل، وتصدر قراراته بالأغلبية المطلقة لأصوات أعضاء المجلس، فإذا تساوت الأصوات يرجح الجان
- Article 29
The article permits the Provincial Council to form special committees when needed, to seek the assistance of experienced persons, and to invite whomever it wishes to attend its meetings and take part in the discussion without the right to vote.
لمجلس المنطقة أن يكون عند الحاجة لجانا خاصة لدراسة أي أمر يدخل في اختصاصه وله أن يستعين بمن يراه من ذوي الخبرة والاختصاص. وله أن يستدعي من يشاء لحضور اجتماعات ا
- Article 31
The article provides that the Provincial Council may not meet except on the call of its chair or his deputy, or by order of the Minister of Interior.
لا يجوز انعقاد مجلس المنطقة إلا بدعوة من رئيسه أو نائبه، أو بأمر من وزير الداخلية.
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.