Article 5 of the Saudi Law of Universities
المادة 5 من نظام الجامعات · الفصل الأول: التعريفات والأهداف
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.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
يتولى حوكمة وإدارة وتصريف شؤون الجامعة:
مجلس الأمناء
مجلس الجامعة
رئيس الجامعة
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 5 explained in plain English
This article sets the leadership structure of the university, providing that the governance, management and conduct of the university's affairs are undertaken by three:
- The Board of Trustees.
- The University Council.
- The university president.
To understand the role of each, one may refer to the definitions in Article 1:
- Board of Trustees: the authority competent for the governance of the university and oversight of its academic, administrative and financial performance.
- University Council: the authority competent to conduct the scientific, educational, administrative and financial affairs of the university and implement its general policy.
As for the university president, Article 1 does not define him, and this article does not state his powers; their details are in other articles of the Law.
The article uses three words: governance, management and conduct of affairs, which reflect different levels of work, from oversight and setting frameworks to day-to-day implementation. The definitions make clear that governance and oversight are tied to the Board of Trustees, and conduct and implementation to the University Council.
Note that the Council of University Affairs does not appear in this article, because it is not part of the university itself, but a body that organizes the affairs of all universities. Article 6 sets out its composition: chaired by the Minister of Education, with deputy ministers, the head of the Education and Training Evaluation Commission, five university presidents and two persons of experience as members.
The article also relates to Article 4, which sets the university's components of colleges, deanships, departments, institutes, centers and hospitals.
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 5 of the Saudi Law of Universities
Who manages the university under the Law of Universities?
The governance, management and conduct of the university's affairs are undertaken by the Board of Trustees, the University Council and the university president.
Is the Council of University Affairs part of the university's management?
This article does not list it among the bodies that manage the university; under the definitions it is the authority competent to organize university affairs and draw up their policies.
More articles on University Board of Trustees
- Article 11
The 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.
يكون لكل جامعة مجلس أمناء يكلف رئيسه ونائبه وأعضاؤه -فيما عدا رئيس الجامعة- بأمر من رئيس مجلس الوزراء -بناءً على ترشيح رئيس مجلس شؤون الجامعات- لمدة ثلاث سنوات
- Article 12
The 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.
يتكون مجلس أمناء الجامعة من الآتي: 1- أربعة أعضاء من ذوي الخبرة والكفاية والاختصاص ممن عملوا في مجال التعليم الجامعي. 2- ثلاثة أعضاء من القطاع الخاص من ذوي الخب
- Article 13
The 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.
يتولى مجلس أمناء الجامعة -وفقاً لأحكام النظام وما يصدره مجلس شؤون الجامعات من لوائح وقواعد- المهمات الآتية: 1- إقرار رؤية الجامعة ورسالتها وأهدافها، ورسم سياسات
- Article 14
The 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.
يجتمع مجلس أمناء الجامعة مرة كل ثلاثة أشهر على الأقل في العام الدراسي، وللرئيس أن يدعو المجلس للاجتماع إذا دعت الحاجة إلى ذلك، ولا تصح اجتماعات المجلس إلا بحضور
- Article 15
The 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.
1- يختار مجلس الأمناء من يراه من منسوبي الجامعة ليتولى أمانة المجلس بالتنسيق مع رئيس الجامعة. 2- إذا شغر منصب رئيس مجلس الأمناء أو نائبه أو أي عضو فيه فيعين بدي
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.