Article 31 of the Saudi Provinces Law
المادة 31 من نظام المناطق
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.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
لا يجوز انعقاد مجلس المنطقة إلا بدعوة من رئيسه أو نائبه، أو بأمر من وزير الداخلية.
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 31 explained in plain English
This article limits who may call the Provincial Council to meet, so the council may not meet except:
- on the call of its chair.
- or on the call of his deputy.
- or by order of the Minister of Interior.
Members may not meet as a provincial council on their own initiative without a call from one of these authorities. The article's exclusive wording ("may not ... except") means that, by the text, any meeting held by other means is not permitted.
This article follows Article 30, which permits the Minister of Interior to call the council to meet under his chairmanship in any place he sees fit, and to chair any meeting he attends. Together the two articles confirm the Minister of Interior's role in the councils' meetings.
It is followed by Article 32, which requires the chair of the council to submit a copy of its decisions to the Minister of Interior, so that the Minister remains informed of what the council issues.
In practical terms: the validity of a council meeting begins with the validity of the call to it, and a meeting that was not called by one of the means mentioned does not satisfy this article's requirement. Anyone who needs to assess the validity of a particular meeting 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 31 of the Saudi Provinces Law
Who may call the Provincial Council to meet?
Its chair or his deputy, or by order of the Minister of Interior.
May Provincial Council members meet without a call?
No. The council may not meet except on the call of its chair or his deputy, or by order of the Minister of Interior.
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 30
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.
لوزير الداخلية أن يدعو المجلس للاجتماع برئاسته في أي مكان يراه، كما أن له رئاسة أي اجتماع يحضره.
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.