Article 20 of the Saudi Succession Commission Law
المادة 20 من نظام هيئة البيعة
The article requires two-thirds of the Succession Commission's members, including the chairman, for a valid meeting, with decisions by a majority of those present and a reduced quorum for emergencies.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
لا يكون اجتماع الهيئة نظاميا إلا بحضور ثلثي أعضائها على الأقل بمن فيهم رئيس الهيئة أو من ينوب عنه.
ومع مراعاة ما ورد في المادة السابعة تصدر قراراتها بموافقة أغلبية أعضائها الحاضرين. وفي حالة التساوي يرجح الجانب الذي صوت معه رئيس الاجتماع. ويجوز في الحالات الطارئة التي لا يتوافر فيها النصاب النظامي عقد اجتماعات الهيئة بحضور نصف أعضائها، وتصدر قراراتها بموافقة ثلثي الأعضاء الحاضرين.
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 regulates the quorum for meetings and how decisions are issued:
First: the ordinary quorum
- A meeting is valid only with the attendance of at least two-thirds of the members, including the chairman of the Commission or his deputy.
Second: issuing decisions
- Subject to what is provided in Article 7, decisions are issued with the approval of a majority of the members present.
- When votes are tied, the side the chair of the meeting voted with prevails.
Third: emergency cases
- If the legal quorum is not available in an emergency, the meeting may be held with half of the members present.
- Decisions are then issued with the approval of two-thirds of the members present.
The phrase "subject to what is provided in Article 7" is important, because Article 7 sets a special mechanism for choosing the Crown Prince: the Commission seeks to nominate one by consensus from those the King chooses, and if the King does not approve the Commission's nominee, the Commission votes between its nominee and one chosen by the King, and the one who gets the most votes is named Crown Prince. This mechanism is taken into account when applying the majority rule.
Note that reducing the quorum in emergency cases is matched by raising the required majority, to strike a balance between the speed of the decision and its soundness.
Practical example
By way of hypothesis: if the Commission had 30 members, an ordinary meeting would be valid only with at least 20 members present, including the chairman or his deputy. In an emergency in which this quorum is not met, the meeting may be held with 15 members present, and issuing a decision requires the approval of two-thirds of those present, that is, 10 of them.
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 Succession Commission Law
What is the quorum for a Succession Commission meeting?
The attendance of at least two-thirds of its members, including the chairman of the Commission or his deputy.
How are the Succession Commission's decisions issued?
With the approval of a majority of the members present, subject to what is provided in Article 7, and when votes are tied the side the chair of the meeting voted with prevails.
What if the quorum is not met in an emergency?
The meeting may be held with half of the members present, and decisions are issued with the approval of two-thirds of those present.
Articles this article refers to
More articles on Commission Meetings and Decisions
- Article 4
The article sets the Succession Commission's seat in Riyadh and its meetings in the Royal Court, and, with the King's approval, allows meetings at other Royal Court premises or a place the King determines.
مقر الهيئة في مدينة الرياض، وتعقد اجتماعاتها في الديوان الملكي ، ويجوز بموافقة الملك عقد اجتماعاتها في أحد مقار الديوان الملكي داخل المملكة، أو أي مكان آخر يحدد
- Article 15
The article gives the chair of the Succession Commission to the eldest of the sons of the Founding King in age, deputized by the next in age of his brothers, and then the eldest of the sons of the sons.
يرأس الهيئة أكبر الأعضاء سنا من أبناء الملك المؤسس عبد العزيز بن عبد الرحمن الفيصل آل سعود، وينوب عنه الذي يليه في السن من إخوته، وفي حالة عدم وجود أي منهم يرأس
- Article 16
The article makes the Succession Commission's meetings confidential, held with the King's approval and attended only by members, the Secretary General and the recorder of deliberations, with others allowed to be invited to clarify without a vote.
اجتماعات الهيئة سرية، وتعقد اجتماعاتها بناء على موافقة الملك، ولا يحضرها إلا أعضاؤها وأمينها العام إضافة إلى من يتولى ضبط مداولات اجتماعاتها بعد موافقة الملك. و
- Article 17
The article makes the chairman of the Succession Commission responsible for calling its meetings in the cases provided for in Articles 6, 11, 12 and 13 of the Law.
يتولى رئيس الهيئة الدعوة لاجتماعاتها في الحالات المنصوص عليها في المواد السادسة، والحادية عشرة، والثانية عشرة، والثالثة عشرة من هذا النظام.
- Article 18
The article requires Succession Commission members to attend meetings, to notify the chairman in writing if absent, and not to leave permanently before the meeting ends without its chair's permission.
يجب على أعضاء الهيئة الالتزام بحضور اجتماعات الهيئة وعلى العضو الذي يطرأ ما يستوجب غيابه عن أحد اجتماعات الهيئة أن يخطر رئيس الهيئة كتابة بذلك، ولا يجوز لأي عضو
- Article 19
The article sets the powers of the chair of a Succession Commission session in running meetings, and allows a subject not on the agenda to be discussed with the approval of ten members.
يفتتح رئيس الجلسة الاجتماعات، ويعلن انتهاءها، ويدير المناقشات ويأذن بالكلام، ويحدد موضوع البحث، وينهي المناقشة، ويطرح الموضوعات للتصويت. ويجوز بموافقة عشرة من أ
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.