Shura Council

The Shura Council is a governmental body with regulatory authority, located in Riyadh, the capital of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It was established in 1924, before the completion of the unification of the Kingdom, under the name of the National Consultative Council to regulate basic provisions for the country's administration. The council was then dissolved and re-formed in 1927. This year is considered the actual date of its establishment under its current name. The founding King Abdulaziz Bin Abdulrahman Al Saud inaugurated its first term and its first sessions in 1927. The Council comprises a Chairman, Vice Chairman, Assistant Chairman, Secretary General, and members. A Saudi woman was appointed for the first time as Assistant Chairman in 2020.

Before the Shura Council took its present form, it passed through six stages of development. The council expresses its opinion on general policies of the State referred to by the Prime Minister.

Shura Council was formed in 1924 when King Abdulaziz adopted it as a pillar whose duties and political data resemble parliamentary councils. He established the country's first elected council, under the chairmanship of Sheikh Abdul Qadir al-Shaibi, to arrange the basic laws of the Kingdom. It was known as the Consultative National Council. He expanded the council's authority a year after its establishment and defined its responsibilities in seven articles concerning the organization and arrangement of matters in courts, municipalities, education, endowments, security, commerce, and a committee for problem resolution according to the customs recognized by Sharia.

One of the sessions of the Shura Council on November 18, 1952 (Darah).

In 1926, the name of the council was changed from the National Shura Council to the Shura Council. Developmental amendments to its regulations followed in the subsequent two years and the number of its articles was increased to twenty-four. From the reign of the late King Abdulaziz to the reign of the late King Khalid, the old council held a total of 6,222 sessions and issued 9,349 decisions over fifty-one terms.

In 1992, during his reign, King Fahd Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud reformulated Shura Council regulations and introduced many modifications to align the council with the requirements and conditions of the phase. Additionally, he doubled the number of members, bringing the total to 150 members.

During the reign of King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and at the opening of the third year of the fifth term 2011-2012, the King issued a decision to appoint women as members of the Shura Council starting from the sixth term to participate in national decision-making.

The council consists of a speaker and 150 members, of which thirty are female members. The King selects all members from people of knowledge, expertise, and specialization. Members of the Shura Council are not allowed to combine their membership with any governmental position or manage any company unless the King sees a need for it. The rights, duties, and all matters of the members are determined by a royal decree. To be a member, one must be of Saudi nationality by origin and descent and must be at least thirty years old.

The term of the Shura Council is four Hijri years, starting from the date specified in the royal decree issued for its establishment. A new council is formed at least two months before the end of its predecessor's term. If the term ends before the formation of the new council, the previous council continues its duties until the new one is established. When forming the new council, care should be taken to choose new members, no less than half the number of the outgoing council members. The speaker, members of the council, and the secretary-general take an oath before the King before they commence their duties in the Council.

The King, or a deputy appointed by him, delivers an annual royal speech at the Shura Council on the state's domestic and foreign policy. The number of royal speeches from 1924 until 2021 exceeded fifty royal speeches.

King Salman inaugurates the activities of the third year of the seventh term of the Shura Council. (SPA)

The council holds a regular session at least every two weeks. The council's meeting is not considered official unless at least two-thirds of its members attend, including the speaker or his deputy. According to Article Thirty-One of the council's bylaws, decisions of the council are issued by the majority specified in Article Sixteen of the Shura Council Law. If this majority is not achieved, the matter is reintroduced for voting in the subsequent session. If the necessary majority is not achieved in that session, the issue is elevated to the King, including the voting results from both sessions.

The council works on discussing the general plan for economic and social development and expressing its views on it. It examines the laws, regulations, treaties, international agreements, and concessions, and suggests what it deems appropriate regarding them. It also discusses the annual reports presented by the ministries and governmental agencies and suggests what it considers appropriate about them. The Shura Council has the right to propose a new draft law or amend an existing one and present it to the King, as per Article Twenty-Three of its law. It also has the right to discuss the affairs of the ministries and can request to debate any minister about the activities of his ministry after elevating the matter to the Prime Minister. The Shura Council collaborates with the Council of Ministers in the regulatory authority of the state, which is concerned with establishing laws and regulations to serve the public interest. This is in accordance with the provisions and controls of Article Sixty-Seven of the Basic Law of Governance.

The council's decisions are submitted to the King, who decides which of them are referred to the Council of Ministers. If the views of the Council of Ministers and the Shura Council align, the decisions are issued after the King's approval. However, if the perspectives of the two councils differ, the matter is returned to the Shura Council to express its opinion on it, and then it is elevated to the King to make the appropriate decision.

Members of the Shura Council in one of the sessions. (SPA)

The Shura Council is a member of eleven inter-parliamentary unions, including the Inter-Parliamentary Union. The council has several parliamentary friendship committees that promote international cooperation in its mandate. The council's work is based on fourteen committees consisting of members, divided according to topics, e.g., foreign affairs, security, financial, social, cultural, health, Hajj, human rights, etc.

The Shura Council allows citizens to share their opinions and suggestions through an electronic service (submitting a petition). A specialized committee handles this, and after conducting the necessary study of the subject, relevant matters are presented and discussed.

The council building is located in the Royal Courts complex in Riyadh and is characterized by its striking blue-green dome. It was designed to bring together the aspects of Arab and Islamic civilizations and traditional Saudi architectural art and design. Notable features include its gates and inscriptions that adorn them.