Article 9 of the Saudi Succession Commission Law
المادة 9 من نظام هيئة البيعة
The article requires the Crown Prince to be chosen in accordance with Article 7 within no more than thirty days from the date the King is pledged allegiance.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
يتم اختيار ولي العهد وفقا لحكم المادة السابعة، في مدة لا تزيد عن ثلاثين يوما من تاريخ مبايعة الملك.
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 9 explained in plain English
This article sets a time limit for choosing the Crown Prince, so that the position of Crown Prince does not remain vacant for long. Its provisions:
- Method of choice: in accordance with Article 7.
- Period: no more than thirty days.
- Start of the period: from the date the King is pledged allegiance.
Article 7, to which this article refers, regulates the stages of choice: the King, after being pledged allegiance and after consulting the Commission's members, chooses one, two or three for the position of Crown Prince and presents his choice to the Commission, which must make an effort to reach a nomination of one of them by consensus; if it does not nominate any of them, it nominates whomever it sees fit. 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.
All of these stages must therefore be completed within thirty days of the King being pledged allegiance. The article is also linked to Article 8, which requires that a candidate for the position of Crown Prince meet what paragraph (b) of Article 5 of the Basic Law of Governance provides, and to Article 10, which provides for forming a temporary governing council of five of the Commission's members to manage the State's affairs temporarily in the cases provided for in the Law.
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 9 of the Saudi Succession Commission Law
Within how many days is the Crown Prince chosen?
Within a period of no more than thirty days from the date the King is pledged allegiance.
When does the period for choosing the Crown Prince start?
From the date the King is pledged allegiance.
In what way is the choice made during this period?
In accordance with Article 7 of the Law.
Articles this article refers to
More articles on Selecting the Crown Prince
- Article 7
The article regulates choosing the Crown Prince: after consultation the King chooses up to three candidates, on one of whom the Commission agrees or else nominates others, and any disagreement is settled by a vote.
أ - يختار الملك بعد مبايعته، وبعد التشاور مع أعضاء الهيئة، واحدا، أو اثنين، أو ثلاثة، ممن يراه لولاية العهد ويعرض هذا الاختيار على الهيئة، وعليها بذل الجهد للوص
- Article 8
The article requires a candidate for the position of Crown Prince to meet what paragraph (b) of Article 5 of the Basic Law of Governance provides.
يجب أن يتوافر في المرشح لولاية العهد ما تنص عليه الفقرة (ب) من المادة الخامسة من النظام الأساسي للحكم.
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.