Article 31 of the Saudi Law of Universities
المادة 31 من نظام الجامعات · الفصل الثامن: رئيس الجامعة ونوابه
The 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.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
مع مراعاة اختصاصات مجلس الأمناء ومجلس الجامعة، يكون رئيس الجامعة مسؤولاً أمام رئيس مجلس شؤون الجامعات طبقاً للنظام، ويتولى رئيس الجامعة إدارة الجامعة وتصريف جميع شؤونها، وله على وجه الخصوص ما يلي:
1- إدارة شؤون الجامعة، بما فيها الشؤون الأكاديمية والإدارية والمالية.
2- الإشراف على تنفيذ النظام ولوائحه ولوائح الجامعة وقرارات مجلس الأمناء وقرارات المجالس في الجامعة.
3- تقديم تقرير سنوي عن أداء الجامعة إلى مجلس الأمناء بعد مناقشته في مجلس الجامعة، مبين فيه مؤشرات الأداء، ونتائج البحث العلمي في الجامعة ومناشط الجامعة في خدمة المجتمع والمناشط الأخرى، مع بيان الفرص والعوائق إن وجدت ومقترحات تذليلها، وأي مقترح آخر لتطوير الجامعة، وآلية تحقيق ذلك.
4- ترشيح نواب رئيس الجامعة.
5- تمثيل الجامعة أمام القضاء والجهات الأخرى، وله تفويض غيره بذلك.
6- تكليف العمداء ووكلائهم، ورؤساء الأقسام، ومديري المراكز العلمية والبحثية.
ولرئيس الجامعة تفويض بعض صلاحياته إلى أي من نوابه أو من يراه كل في نطاق اختصاصه، على أن يكون التفويض مكتوباً ومحدداً بمدة، وله تشكيل اللجان عند الحاجة إلى ذلك.
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 31 explained in plain English
This article sets out the responsibility and powers of the university president.
First: responsibility and general role
- The university president is accountable to the chair of the Council of University Affairs in accordance with the Law.
- He takes charge of managing the university and conducting all its affairs.
- This is subject to the competences of the board of trustees and the university council, which he may not exceed.
Second: his powers in particular
- Managing the academic, administrative and financial affairs of the university.
- Supervising the implementation of the Law and its regulations, the university's regulations, and the decisions of the board of trustees and the councils in the university.
- Submitting an annual report on the university's performance to the board of trustees after it is discussed in the university council, showing performance indicators, the results of scientific research and community service activities, the opportunities and obstacles, and proposals for overcoming them and developing the university.
- Nominating the vice presidents of the university.
- Representing the university before the courts and other bodies, and he may authorize another to do so.
- Assigning deans, their vice deans, heads of departments and directors of scientific and research centers.
Third: delegation and committees
He may delegate some of his powers to any of his deputies or whomever he sees fit, each within his sphere of competence, on two conditions: the delegation must be in writing and for a specified period. He may form committees when needed.
In practice this means that anyone who sues a university, or is sued by one, deals with the university as represented by its president or his delegate.
Article 30 provides that the university president is assigned by order of the Prime Minister and is contracted under the Labor Law for three years, renewable, and Article 32 provides for his right to keep his public post or his membership of the faculty during his presidency.
A person with a dispute with a university may consult a lawyer specialized in administrative cases.
Practical example
A contractor sued a university in Dammam over a disagreement about the payment certificates of a construction project. Under this article, the university president represents the university before the courts, and may authorize another to do so, for example by authorizing the legal department or a lawyer to follow the case.
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 31 of the Saudi Law of Universities
Who represents the university before the courts?
The university president, and he may authorize another to do so.
Who assigns the deans of colleges and heads of departments?
The university president assigns the deans, their vice deans, the heads of departments and the directors of scientific and research centers.
What are the conditions for the university president to delegate his powers?
The delegation must be in writing and for a specified period, to any of his deputies or whomever he sees fit, each within his sphere of competence.
To whom is the university president accountable?
To the chair of the Council of University Affairs in accordance with the Law.
More articles on University President and Vice Presidents
- Article 5
The 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.
يتولى حوكمة وإدارة وتصريف شؤون الجامعة: مجلس الأمناء مجلس الجامعة رئيس الجامعة
- Article 30
The 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.
يكلف رئيس الجامعة بأمر من رئيس مجلس الوزراء، بناء على توصية رئيس مجلس شؤون الجامعات بعد ترشيح مجلس الأمناء، ويكون التعاقد معه على نظام العمل لمدة ثلاث سنوات قاب
- Article 32
The 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.
إذا كان رئيس الجامعة يشغل وظيفة عامة، أو كان عضو هيئة تدريس، فيحق له الاحتفاظ بوظيفته خلال مدة رئاسته للجامعة، وتحتسب تلك المدة في الخدمة لأغراض العلاوة الدورية
- Article 33
The 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.
يكون لكل رئيس جامعة نائب أو أكثر من أعضاء هيئة التدريس، ويكون تكليفهم بقرار من مجلس الأمناء بناء على ترشيح رئيس الجامعة، ويكون التكليف لمدة ثلاث سنوات قابلة للت
- Article 34
The 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.
يعاون النواب رئيس الجامعة في إدارة شؤونها، وتحدد اللوائح صلاحياتهم، ولرئيس الجامعة تكليف أحدهم -عند تعددهم- للقيام بمهمات رئيس الجامعة عند غيابه، ولرئيس مجلس شؤ
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.