Article 34 of the Saudi Law of Universities

المادة 34 من نظام الجامعات · الفصل الثامن: رئيس الجامعة ونوابه

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.

Official text (Arabic)

This article has not been amended since the law was issued.

يعاون النواب رئيس الجامعة في إدارة شؤونها، وتحدد اللوائح صلاحياتهم، ولرئيس الجامعة تكليف أحدهم -عند تعددهم- للقيام بمهمات رئيس الجامعة عند غيابه، ولرئيس مجلس شؤون الجامعات تكليف من يراه من النواب -أو غيرهم- بإدارة الجامعة عند خلو منصب رئيسها.

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 34 explained in plain English

This article regulates the role of the vice presidents of the university, and the management of the university when its president is absent or the post is vacant.

First: the role of the deputies

The deputies assist the university president in managing its affairs.
The regulations set their powers; the article does not itself state these powers.

Second: absence

The university president, where there are several deputies, may assign one of them to carry out his duties in his absence. The choice here belongs to the university president himself.

Third: vacancy of the post

When the post of university president is vacant, the chair of the Council of University Affairs may assign whomever he sees fit to manage the university, whether from the deputies or others.

Note the difference between the two cases:

Absence (the president remains in his post): the president himself assigns one of his deputies.
Vacancy (the university has no president): the chair of the Council of University Affairs assigns whomever he sees fit, who need not be one of the deputies.

This distinction ensures that the management of the university continues in all cases.

This article is linked to Article 33, which provides that the university president has one or more deputies from among the faculty members, assigned by decision of the board of trustees on his nomination for three years, renewable once. Article 35 then moves on to the deans of colleges, deanships and institutes, who are assigned by decision of the university president for two years, renewable, under the rules approved by the board of trustees.

A person dealing with a university during a vacancy in its presidency who wishes to verify who represents it may consult a lawyer specialized in administrative cases.

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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