Article 42 of the Saudi Law of Universities

This article regulates the university's international advisory council and contains the following elements:

• Permission: the text says "may be formed", so forming this council is optional and not mandatory for every university.
• The forming body: it is formed by decision of the Board of Trustees.
• Competences and rules of work: these are also set by the Board of Trustees.

The Board of Trustees, according to Article 1, is the authority competent over the governance of the university and oversight of its performance academically, administratively and financially, so the council's link to it is consistent with its role in setting the university's directions.

Note that the article does not specify the composition of the international advisory council or the number of its members, and does not describe its decisions or recommendations as binding. Its being "advisory" indicates from its name that its role is to give advice, but the details are set by the Board of Trustees.

This article is linked to Article 41, which provides that the university works to achieve program accreditation from the Education and Training Evaluation Commission or from one of the international bodies it recognizes; the international dimension is present in both articles.

Article 43 brings another advisory council, the students' advisory council, which is formed by decision of the University Council under the chairmanship of one of the university president's deputies, and the University Council sets its competences and rules of work. Note the difference: the international council is optional and formed by the Board of Trustees, while the students' council is formed by the University Council.