Article 20 of the Saudi Shura Council Law
المادة 20 من نظام مجلس الشورى
Article 20 lets Shura Council committees enlist whom they see fit from outside the Council's members, after the approval of the Council's president.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
للجان مجلس الشورى أن تستعين بمن تراه من غير أعضاء المجلس، بعد موافقة رئيس المجلس.
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 20 explained in plain English
This article allows the Shura Council's committees to enlist people from outside the Council, so as to benefit from expertise not necessarily available among the members.
- Who may enlist: the Council's committees.
- Whom: whom they see fit from outside the Council's members; the text does not set a particular capacity or specialization for the person enlisted.
- The condition: that this be after the approval of the president of the Council.
A committee does not decide on enlisting independently; it needs the president's prior approval. The article does not say whether the person enlisted has the right to vote, nor does it mention remuneration or particular procedures for this.
The article complements Article 19, which regulates the formation of specialized and special committees from the Council's members; committees are made up of members, but they can benefit from others on the condition mentioned. It is followed by Article 21, which makes the chairs of the specialized committees members of the Council's General Body alongside the president, his deputy and his assistant.
Practical example
One of the Shura Council's committees is studying a draft law on financial technology and sees a need for the opinion of a specialist university professor from outside the Council. Under this article it may enlist him after the approval of the president of the Council.
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 20 of the Saudi Shura Council Law
May Shura committees enlist experts from outside the Council?
Yes. They may enlist whom they see fit from outside the members, after the approval of the president of the Council.
Who approves a committee's enlisting non-members?
The president of the Shura Council.
More articles on Shura Council Committees
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.