Law of National Center of Documents and Archives

The Law of National Center of Documents and Archives represents the set of rules and laws regulating the National Center for Archives and Records (NCAR) and determining its objectives, powers, and mandate. The law was issued on May 28, 1989.

Pursuant to the law, NCAR reports to the Office of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers. NCAR aims to implement the Archives Law. Toward this end, it should use all possible means, namely to draft a unified classification guide for archives and records and a coding guide for government agencies, draft the implementing regulations of the Archives Law and implement them upon approval, technically supervise and monitor the archiving processes at government agencies, ensure the protection of archives and records, and collect, index, classify, code, keep, and maintain archives, and organize the circulation thereof in accordance with the Archives Law, its implementing regulations, and the classification and coding systems.

NCAR's mechanisms include providing data and information on archives to beneficiaries, collecting laws, regulations, directives, agreements, and conventions, drafting the administrative structure as well as the necessary administrative and technical procedures for NCAR’s activities, and implementing them upon approval. It cooperates with relevant international bodies in the field of archives by joining regional and international agencies and organizations, attending specialized seminars, conferences, and scientific workshops, conducting research, and exchanging information with national archives centers worldwide. NCAR also coordinates and integrates with agencies concerned with archives in the Kingdom and exchanges expertise and information therewith. It supervises the destruction of archives and records marked for destruction and works with relevant agencies to identify qualified Saudi nationals in the field of archives and records.

The Law of National Center of Documents and Archives prescribed the establishment of NCAR's board whose mandate includes proposing appropriate laws, regulations, and procedures to ensure the optimal implementation of the Archives Law, setting up the NCAR’s general policy and monitoring its implementation, approving plans, programs, and projects proposed by NCAR’s administration, issuing the implementing regulations of the Archives Law, reviewing the periodic reports on NCAR's work progress and taking the appropriate decisions thereon, and drafting NCAR's annual report before its submission.

Pursuant to the Law of National Center of Documents and Archives, a board is formed for NCAR. The board is chaired by the Chief of the Royal Court. It encompasses the membership of the Secretary General of the Council of Ministers, the President of the Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers, the Director General of the center, the Secretary General of King Abdulaziz Foundation (Darah), the Secretary General of King Abdulaziz Public Library, the Secretary General of King Fahd National Library, the Deputy Director General of the Institute of Public Administration for Research and Information, in addition to three archives and records specialists from among university faculty members or others, appointed pursuant to a Royal Order for three years renewable only once, upon nomination by the Royal Court. A deputy chairman is designated from among board members. The board convenes under the chairmanship of its chairman or deputy. Board meetings are not valid unless attended by the majority of members, provided that the chairman or his deputy is among the attendees. Board decisions are passed by a majority vote of attending members. In the event of a tie, the chairman of the meeting has the casting vote.

Pursuant to the Law of National Center of Documents and Archives, NCAR has a director general appointed in the fifteenth grade of employment. He manages NCAR and oversees its affairs by proposing the implementing regulations of the law, proposing the center’s plans, programs, and projects, and overseeing their implementation upon approval. He also provides suggestions to ensure work efficiency, propose a proper archiving system that is in line with technical and administrative development, implement board decisions, represent NCAR before other entities, and submit periodic reports to the board on the center’s work progress and achievements.