Article 15 of the Saudi Shura Council Law

This article is the central article on the Shura Council's competences. The rule is that the Council gives its opinion on the State's general policies referred to it by the Prime Minister.

The article then mentions four competences in particular:

1. The development plan: discussing the general plan for economic and social development and giving an opinion on it.
2. Laws and agreements: studying laws and regulations, treaties, international agreements and concessions, and proposing what it sees fit regarding them.
3. Interpreting laws.
4. Annual reports: discussing the annual reports submitted by the ministries and other government bodies, and proposing what it sees fit regarding them.

The phrase "in particular" indicates that these matters are prominent examples within the general competence to give an opinion, not a closed list.

Note that the general competence is limited to policies "referred to it by the Prime Minister". The article connects with Article 14, which provides for the annual royal speech covering the State's domestic and foreign policy, and with Article 16, which requires, for a meeting of the Council to be valid, the attendance of at least two-thirds of its members including the president or his deputy, and for its decisions to be valid, the approval of a majority of the Council.