Article 34 of the Saudi Provinces Law
المادة 34 من نظام المناطق
The article requires government bodies to take into account the Provincial Council's decisions on development needs and project priorities, and regulates what happens if a body sees fit not to act on them.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
على الوزارات والمصالح الحكومية أن تراعي قرارات مجلس المنطقة بالنسبة لما ورد في الفقرتين (أ، ب) من المادة الثالثة والعشرين من هذا النظام. وإذا رأت الوزارة أو المصلحة الحكومية عدم الأخذ بقرار مجلس المنطقة فيما ذكر، فعليها أن توضح أسباب ذلك لمجلس المنطقة ، وإذا لم يقتنع مجلس المنطقة بملاءمة الأسباب التي أوضحتها الوزارة أو المصلحة، فيرفع عن ذلك إلى وزير الداخلية للعرض عنه لرئيس مجلس الوزراء.
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 34 explained in plain English
This article determines the force of the Provincial Council's decisions in two specific areas, namely what is set out in items (a) and (b) of Article 23:
- Item (a): identifying the province's needs and proposing their inclusion in the State's development plan.
- Item (b): identifying useful projects according to their priority and proposing their approval in the State's annual budget.
In these two areas, the ministries and government agencies must take into account the council's decisions. If a ministry or agency sees fit not to act on a council decision, the text sets the following steps:
- The body must explain the reasons for not acting on the decision to the Provincial Council.
- If the council is not satisfied that these reasons are appropriate, the matter is submitted to the Minister of Interior.
- The Minister of Interior presents the matter to the Prime Minister.
The article does not make a government body bound to implement the decision in every case, but it prevents it from ignoring the decision without giving reasons, and provides that if the disagreement continues it is submitted to the Minister of Interior to present to the Prime Minister. The article does not state this provision for the council's other competences in items (c) and (d) of Article 23.
Related to it are Article 33, which requires government bodies to be notified of the decisions that concern them, and Article 35, which requires the council to be kept informed of the projects decided for the province in the budget and the development plan.
Practical example
A Provincial Council decides that building a hospital in a remote governorate is at the top of the province's priorities, and proposes its approval in the budget. The competent government body sees fit not to act on this decision, so it must explain its reasons to the council. The council is not satisfied with those reasons, so it submits the matter to the Minister of Interior to present to the Prime Minister.
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 34 of the Saudi Provinces Law
Are Provincial Council decisions binding on ministries?
The article requires ministries and agencies to take the council's decisions into account on development plan needs and budget project priorities, and if they see fit not to act on them they must explain the reasons to the council.
What does the Provincial Council do if it is not satisfied with a ministry's reasons?
It submits the matter to the Minister of Interior, who presents it to the Prime Minister.
Does this provision cover all of the Provincial Council's competences?
The text limits it to what is set out in items (a) and (b) of Article 23, that is, development plan needs and projects proposed in the budget.
Articles this article refers to
More articles on Government Agencies in the Region
- Article 14
The article requires every ministry or agency with services in the province to appoint a head of its bodies there at a rank not lower than the twelfth, who reports to the central body and coordinates with the emir.
على كل وزارة أو مصلحة حكومية لها خدمات في المنطقة، أن تعين رئيسا لأجهزتها في المنطقة، لا تقل مرتبته عن الثانية عشرة، يرتبط بالجهاز المركزي مباشرة، وعليه التنسيق
- Article 33
The article requires the chair of the Provincial Council to notify each ministry and government agency of the council's decisions that concern it.
على رئيس مجلس المنطقة إبلاغ الوزارات والمصالح الحكومية بما يخصها من قرارات المجلس.
- Article 35
The article requires every ministry and agency with services in the province to keep the Provincial Council informed of its projects set in the budget as soon as it is issued and of what is decided in the development plan.
تحيط كل وزارة ومصلحة لها خدمات في المنطقة مجلس المنطقة بما تقرر للمنطقة من مشاريع في الميزانية فور صدورها، كما تحيطه بما تقرر للمنطقة في خطة التنمية.
- Article 36
The article permits every minister and agency head to seek the Provincial Council's opinion on subjects within his competence in the province, and requires the council to give its opinion.
لكل وزير و رئيس مصلحة أن يستطلع رأي مجلس المنطقة، حول أي موضوع يتعلق باختصاصه في المنطقة، وعلى المجلس إبداء رأيه في ذلك.
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.