In force Last amended 24/7/1447 AH
Saudi Law of Universities
نظام الجامعات
The Law of Universities of 1441 AH. It notes that, as an exception, university presidents are appointed under this law, with the Minister of Education replacing the Board of Trustees in nominating the president until that board is formed, as provided in Royal Decree No. M/121.
- Articles
- 58
- In force
- 58
- Amended
- 1
- Issued
- 2/3/1441 AH
Issued by: مرسوم ملكي م/27 بتاريخ 1441/03/02هـ · قرار مجلس الوزراء رقم (183) بتاريخ 1441/03/01 هـ
Each article shows the official Arabic text, which is the only legally binding version, followed by our plain-English explanation.
Browse Law of Universities by topic
Definitions and Objectives of the Law of Universities5 articlesEstablishing Universities and Their Branches2 articlesUniversities Affairs Council5 articlesUniversity Board of Trustees6 articlesUniversity Council and Its Powers5 articlesScientific Council and Promotions4 articlesCollege and Department Councils6 articlesUniversity President and Vice Presidents6 articlesDeans and Department Heads5 articlesAcademic Accreditation of Universities2 articlesAdvisory Councils in the University3 articlesUniversity Budget and Audit of Its Accounts3 articlesUniversity Revenues, Fees and Endowments3 articlesGeneral Provisions on University Staff and Councils5 articles
Articles of the Saudi Law of Universities
الفصل الأول: التعريفات والأهدافArticles 1–5
- Article 1The article defines the key terms in the Law of Universities, such as the Council of University Affairs, the Board of Trustees, the University Council, the Scientific Council, the college, the department and faculty members.
- Article 2The article shows that the Law of Universities aims to organize higher education affairs and strengthen its scientific, research and community standing locally, regionally and internationally.
- Article 3The article describes the university as a public academic institution with a legal personality that is financially and administratively independent, contributing to implementing the State's educational policy, and not aiming at profit.
- Article 4The article provides that universities and their branches are established by decision of the Council of Ministers on the recommendation of the Council of University Affairs, and sets the university's components: colleges, deanships, departments, institutes, centers and hospitals.
- Article 5The article specifies the bodies that undertake the governance, management and conduct of the university's affairs: the Board of Trustees, the University Council and the university president.
الفصل الثاني: مجلس شؤون الجامعاتArticles 6–10
- Article 6The article establishes the Council of University Affairs chaired by the Minister of Education, sets its members, and provides that the five university presidents and the experts are appointed by order of the Prime Minister for three years, renewable once.
- Article 7The article lists the competences of the Council of University Affairs, including approving policies and regulations, university governance and evaluation, setting remuneration and salaries, supervising boards of trustees and resolving conflicts of jurisdiction.
- Article 8The article regulates meetings of the Council of University Affairs at least once every four months, with a quorum of two thirds including the chair or deputy, and decisions by majority of those present, with non-members invited without a vote.
- Article 9The article provides that the Council of University Affairs has a secretary general assigned by order of the Prime Minister on the chair's nomination, with an operating program budget for its secretariat within the Ministry of Education's budget.
- Article 10The article sets out the competences of the General Secretariat of the Council of University Affairs, including supporting the Council, preparing its studies and meetings, notifying and following up its decisions, coordinating with government bodies, and administrative and financial work.
الفصل الثالث: مجالس الأمناءArticles 11–15
- Article 11The article provides that each university has a board of trustees whose members, other than the university president, are assigned by order of the Prime Minister for three years, renewable once, and its chair is accountable to the chair of the Council of University Affairs.
- Article 12The article sets the composition of the university board of trustees: four university-education experts, three private-sector members, the university president and three faculty members, with the chair and deputy chosen from the experts.
- Article 13The article sets the tasks of the university board of trustees, including approving the university's vision, policies, structure and budget, nominating its president, appointing the external auditor, approving the founding of companies and awarding honorary doctorates.
- Article 14The article regulates meetings of the university board of trustees at least once every three months with a quorum of two thirds including the chair or deputy, and makes its decisions effective fifteen days after the meeting date.
- Article 15The article allows the board of trustees to choose a university staff member as its secretary in coordination with the university president, and provides for appointing a replacement for the remaining term when a post becomes vacant.
الفصل الرابع: مجلس الجامعةArticles 16–19
- Article 16The article provides that each university has a council chaired by its president, with vice presidents, deans and at most four experts appointed by the board of trustees on the president's nomination for two years, renewable once.
- Article 17The article sets the university council's competences in conducting its affairs and implementing its policy, including appointing faculty members, approving study plans and admission policy, setting program fees, and awarding academic degrees.
- Article 18The article regulates university council meetings at least once a month during the academic year, with a quorum of two thirds including the chair or his designee, and decisions by a majority of those present that take effect from the date of approval.
- Article 19The article provides that the university council has a secretary general from among the faculty members, named by decision of the council on its chair's nomination for two years, renewable once.
الفصل الخامس: المجلس العلميArticles 20–23
- Article 20The article establishes in each university a scientific council chaired by the vice president for scientific research, with a representative of each college at associate professor rank at least, permits additional members, and regulates its secretary.
- Article 21The article gives the scientific council oversight of faculty members' scientific affairs, research and publication, including approving academic promotion, recommending appointment, and approving sabbaticals and the issuing of journals.
- Article 22The article regulates scientific council meetings at least once a month during the academic year, who may call them, the university president's right to request one, add items and chair if present, and the two-thirds quorum.
- Article 23The article makes scientific council decisions by majority of those present effective unless the university president objects within twenty days; if he objects and the council insists, they go to the university council, whose decision is final.
الفصل السادس: مجالس الكليات أو المعاهدArticles 24–26
- Article 24The article sets the composition of the college or institute council under the dean with vice deans and heads of departments, lets the university president add faculty members and experts, and lets the council invite students to discuss student matters.
- Article 25The article gives the college or institute council jurisdiction over its scientific, administrative and financial matters, subject to the Law and the regulations of the higher councils, and lets it delegate some competences to its chair and form committees.
- Article 26The article regulates monthly college or institute council meetings with a two-thirds quorum, and makes its decisions effective unless the university president objects within twenty days, with objected decisions referred to the university council for a final decision.
الفصل السابع: مجالس الأقسامArticles 27–29
- Article 27The article provides that each academic department has a council chaired by the head of department with its faculty members as members, and chaired by the dean when the head is absent or the post is vacant.
- Article 28The article gives the department council jurisdiction over the department's scientific, financial and administrative matters, including setting basic curriculum standards and reviewing them periodically, and lets it delegate some competences to its chair and form committees.
- Article 29The article regulates monthly department council meetings with a two-thirds quorum, and makes its decisions effective unless the dean objects within seven working days, with objected decisions referred to the college council to decide.
الفصل الثامن: رئيس الجامعة ونوابهArticles 30–34
- Article 30The article provides that the university president is assigned by order of the Prime Minister on the recommendation of the chair of the Council of University Affairs after nomination by the board of trustees, and is contracted under the Labor Law for three years, renewable.
- Article 31The article makes the university president accountable to the chair of the Council of University Affairs and responsible for managing the university, and lists his powers, including representing it before the courts, assigning deans and heads of departments, and the annual report.
- Article 32The article allows a university president who holds a public post or was a faculty member to keep his post during his presidency, and counts the presidency in his service for periodic raises, promotion and retirement.
- Article 33The article provides that each university president has one or more deputies from among the faculty members, assigned by the board of trustees on the president's nomination for three years, renewable once, subject to an exception by the Council of University Affairs.
- Article 34The article makes the deputies assistants of the university president with powers set by the regulations, lets the president assign one of them to act in his absence, and lets the chair of the Council of University Affairs name whoever runs the university when the presidency is vacant.
الفصل التاسع: العمداء ووكلاؤهمArticles 35–37
- Article 35The article provides that the dean of a college, deanship or institute is assigned by decision of the university president for two years, renewable, under rules approved by the university's board of trustees.
- Article 36The dean manages the scientific, educational, administrative and financial affairs of the college or institute, subject to the Law and the regulations of the higher councils, and submits a detailed annual report to the university president.
- Article 37Each college, deanship or institute has one or more vice deans, nominated by the dean and appointed by the university president, and the most senior vice dean deputizes for the dean during his absence or when his post is vacant.
الفصل العاشر: رؤساء الأقسامArticles 38–39
- Article 38Department heads in each college are appointed by decision of the university president on the nomination of college deans, for two years, renewable.
- Article 39The department head is responsible for managing the scientific, educational, research, administrative and financial matters of the department within the limits of the Law, its regulations and the decisions of the University Council and the college council, with an annual report to the dean.
الفصل الحادي عشر: الاعتماد الأكاديميArticles 40–41
الفصل الثاني عشر: المجالس الاستشاريةArticles 42–44
- Article 42An international advisory council may be formed at the university by decision of the Board of Trustees, which sets its competences and rules of work.
- Article 43A students' advisory council is formed at the university by decision of the University Council, chaired by one of the university president's deputies, and the University Council sets its competences and rules of work.
- Article 44A faculty members' advisory council is formed at the university by decision of the University Council, chaired by the university president or his designee, and the University Council sets its competences and rules of work.
الفصل الثالث عشر: النظام المالي للجامعةArticles 45–50
- Article 45Each university has an independent annual budget, adopted by decision of the Board of Trustees under the general rules approved by the Universities Affairs Council, after coordination with the relevant bodies.
- Article 46The General Auditing Bureau reviews the university's final account under the rules for supervising public companies and institutions.
- Article 47The Board of Trustees, on the nomination of the university president, appoints one or more external auditors with the rights and duties of an external auditor of a joint-stock company, without prejudice to the oversight of the competent body.
- Article 48The university may create endowments with independent legal personality under the Board of Nazirs, managed without conflicting with founders' conditions, and it and its endowments may establish or join companies.
- Article 49The university's revenues consist of the State subsidy, financial consideration for programs and services, donations, gifts, grants, bequests and endowments, the yield of its property and investments, and other resources approved by the Board of Trustees; accounts are opened as the article provides.
- Article 50The university may charge financial consideration to develop its own revenues, including graduate program fees, diploma and course fees, fees from non-Saudi students, payment for research and consultancy, investment returns, and contracting faculty members to government bodies.
الفصل الرابع عشر: أحكام عامة وختاميةArticles 51–58
- Article 51Branches of universities may be established outside the Kingdom by decision of the Council of Ministers, on the proposal of the Board of Trustees and with the endorsement of the Universities Affairs Council.
- Article 52The connection of all university employees, including faculty members, administrative staff and technicians, with the university is under the Labor Law.
- Article 53Non-members may attend meetings of any council under the Law at the request of the council chairman, or of a member with the chairman's approval, to provide information and clarifications, with voting reserved to council members.
- Article 54The language of instruction at the university is Arabic, and teaching in other languages is permitted, where necessary and by decision of the University Council.
- Article 55A member of any council under the Law may not attend the council's discussion of matters relating to himself or to those related to him up to the second degree.
- Article 56All the councils provided for in the Law are responsible for implementing it, and the Universities Affairs Council is responsible for the soundness of implementation.
- Article 57This Law replaces the Law of the Higher Education Council and Universities issued by Royal Decree No. M/8 dated 4/6/1414 AH and repeals all provisions that conflict with it.
- Article 58The Law takes effect one hundred and eighty days after its publication in the Official Gazette.