Article 12 of the Saudi Succession Commission Law

This article deals with the most difficult case: the inability of the King and the Crown Prince together to exercise their powers for health reasons. The steps are:

1. The medical report: If the Commission becomes convinced of this, it assigns the medical committee provided for in the Law to prepare a report on their health condition.

2. If the condition is temporary: The Commission prepares an attestation record, and the temporary governing council manages the State's affairs and looks after the people's interests until either of them recovers.

3. The return of one of them: When a written notice from the King or the Crown Prince reaches the Commission that he has overcome the health reasons, or when the Commission becomes convinced of that, the medical committee is assigned a report on his condition within a period not exceeding twenty-four hours; if it confirms his ability, the Commission prepares an attestation record and he resumes exercising his powers.

4. If the condition is permanent: The Commission prepares an attestation record, the temporary governing council manages the State's affairs, and the Commission, within a period not exceeding seven days, chooses the most suitable to rule from among the sons of the Founding King Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman Al-Faisal Al Saud and the sons of the sons, and calls for pledging allegiance to him as King in accordance with this Law and the Basic Law of Governance.

This article differs from Article 11, which concerns the King's inability alone, in which the powers pass to the Crown Prince. It is also linked to Article 13, which deals with the death of the King and the Crown Prince at the same time with similar provisions: choosing the most suitable within seven days, and the temporary council managing the State until the King is pledged allegiance.