Article 36 of the Saudi Provinces Law
المادة 36 من نظام المناطق
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.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
لكل وزير و رئيس مصلحة أن يستطلع رأي مجلس المنطقة، حول أي موضوع يتعلق باختصاصه في المنطقة، وعلى المجلس إبداء رأيه في ذلك.
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 36 explained in plain English
This article creates a channel of consultation between the central authorities and the Provincial Council, and contains two provisions:
- A right for the minister and agency head: each may seek the Provincial Council's opinion on any subject relating to his competence in the province. Seeking an opinion is optional, and the minister or agency head turns to it if he sees fit.
- A duty on the council: if its opinion is requested, it must give its opinion and has no power to decline.
The text restricts the subject to one that relates to the competence of the minister or agency head and that is in the province itself. The article sets no deadline for giving the opinion, and does not state whether the opinion is binding on the body that requested it, as it speaks only of "seeking an opinion".
This article follows Article 35, which requires the ministries to inform the council of what is decided for the province in the budget and development plan; while that article passes information from the ministry to the council, this one allows the ministry to ask the council for its opinion.
Practical example
A services ministry is studying changing the distribution of its facilities in one of the provinces, so the minister requests the Provincial Council's opinion on it. The council must give its opinion on the subject.
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 36 of the Saudi Provinces Law
May a minister request the Provincial Council's opinion?
Yes. Every minister and agency head may seek the council's opinion on any subject relating to his competence in the province.
May the Provincial Council decline to give its opinion?
No. The text requires the council to give its opinion when it is sought.
Is the Provincial Council's opinion binding on the minister?
The article speaks of seeking an opinion and does not state that it is binding.
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 34
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.
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 الم
- 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.
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.