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| Saudi Council of Ministers | |
|---|---|
| Name | Saudi Council of Ministers |
| Native name | مجلس الوزراء السعودي |
| Formed | 1953 |
| Jurisdiction | Kingdom of Saudi Arabia |
| Headquarters | Riyadh |
| Chief1 name | Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud |
| Chief1 position | King and Prime Minister |
| Chief2 name | Mohammed bin Salman |
| Chief2 position | Crown Prince and Prime Minister (de facto leader) |
Saudi Council of Ministers The Saudi Council of Ministers is the principal executive body of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, responsible for national administration, policy coordination, and implementation of royal decrees. Established during the reign of King Saud and institutionalized under King Faisal and King Khalid, the council functions at the intersection of the Al Saud royal family, ministerial portfolios, and state institutions such as the Consultative Assembly of Saudi Arabia and the Shura Council. Meetings are held in Riyadh and decisions are formalized through royal promulgation and publication in official gazettes.
The origins trace to early-modern administrative practices of the House of Saud and the formation of the modern Saudi state after the Conquest of Hejaz and the 1932 proclamation of the kingdom by Abdulaziz Ibn Saud. The formal Council emerged with the 1953 decree of King Saud to systematize ministerial coordination. During the 1960s and 1970s, under King Faisal and the oil boom following the 1973 oil crisis, the Council expanded portfolios tied to Saudi Aramco, the Ministry of Finance, and the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources. Reforms in the 1990s and 2000s under King Fahd and King Abdullah adjusted the Council’s remit in response to events like the Gulf War and global financial integration associated with institutions such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. In the 2010s and 2020s, the ascendance of Mohammed bin Salman and the launch of Vision 2030 reshaped the Council’s agenda around economic diversification, the Public Investment Fund, and social change.
Membership comprises the King of Saudi Arabia as chair, the Crown Prince, deputy crown princes historically, and cabinet ministers heading portfolios including Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Finance, and Ministry of Justice. Ministers have frequently been members of the Al Saud dynasty, including figures from branches such as the Sudairi Seven. The Council also includes heads of major state entities like Saudi Aramco, the Public Investment Fund, and the King Fahd Complex for the Printing of the Holy Quran when designated. Appointments are made by royal decree, with notable appointees over time including princes such as Prince Bandar bin Sultan, Prince Khalid bin Salman, and technocrats with experience at institutions like Goldman Sachs and McKinsey & Company.
The Council issues resolutions, prepares draft laws for royal approval, and supervises implementation across ministries such as Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education, and Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs. It coordinates security and foreign policy objectives linked to entities like the Ministry of Defense and the General Intelligence Presidency, and plays a role in economic strategy via interaction with the Council of Economic and Development Affairs and the Public Investment Fund. The Council administers state budgets in coordination with the Ministry of Finance and executes major infrastructure decisions involving projects like NEOM, Riyadh Metro, and the King Abdullah Economic City. It also adopts regulations impacting institutions such as the Saudi Arabian Monetary Authority (now SAMA) and regulatory bodies overseeing the Tadawul stock exchange.
Meetings convene under royal chairmanship, typically weekly, with agendas prepared by ministerial secretariats and relevant committees such as the Council of Ministers’ Legal Committee and economic subcommittees. Resolutions require ministerial consensus or majority, followed by royal ratification through a royal decree, often published by the Umm al-Qura newspaper. Emergency decisions have been taken in response to crises including the 1990–1991 Gulf War and the COVID-19 pandemic, employing expedited procedures and coordination with the Ministry of Health and National Center for Security, Defense and Crisis Management.
The Council operates under the authority of the monarch, who retains supreme executive power as head of state and commander-in-chief. It interfaces with the Royal Court, which manages agenda-setting and communication between the king and ministers, and with advisory bodies like the Shura Council and regional entities such as provincial governors from regions including Makkah Province, Riyadh Province, and Eastern Province. The Council’s decisions interact with judicial institutions, notably the Board of Grievances and courts applying Sharia. Internationally, it coordinates with diplomatic missions such as the Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Washington, D.C. and multilateral engagements at the United Nations and G20.
Major initiatives include economic liberalization and privatization drives under Vision 2030, social reforms affecting entertainment and tourism through projects like Riyadh Season and the opening of cinemas, and security operations tied to the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen and responses to regional tensions involving Iran. The Council authorized energy and industrial policies following decisions by Saudi Aramco and agreements with energy forums such as OPEC. Fiscal measures have included budgetary adjustments in response to oil price fluctuations and sovereign investment strategies directing the Public Investment Fund into global assets and domestic giga-projects like The Line.
Critics, including international human rights organizations and foreign governments such as United States administrations and European Union bodies, have challenged the Council over issues relating to civil liberties, the pace of legal reform, and transparency of procurement and financial oversight tied to state entities. Calls for administrative reform cite the need for clearer separation between royal prerogatives and ministerial accountability, and propose enhanced roles for institutions like the Shura Council and integration of audit functions akin to the Board of Auditors. Reforms since the 2010s have targeted regulatory modernization, anti-corruption campaigns led by royal anti-corruption committees, and institutional consolidation to streamline entities such as the Council of Economic and Development Affairs and the National Transformation Program.
Category:Politics of Saudi Arabia