Law of Saudi ArabiaModule 2
The Basic Law and the institutions of the state: the monarchy and royal authority, succession and the Allegiance Council, the Council of Ministers, the Shura Council, and how a law is made and published
The Basic Law of Governance of 1992 is a short constitutional text of eighty-three articles that sets out what the Kingdom is, how it is governed and what the state owes its people. It makes the Kingdom a monarchy, vests rule in the male descendants of the founder, and describes three authorities: judicial, executive and regulatory (legislative), which cooperate, with the King as their final reference (Article 44). In practice, power flows through the King and the Council of Ministers, with the Shura Council as a consultative body that reviews laws and advises. There are no political parties and no elected national legislature. For a foreigner the useful questions are: who issues the rule, who applies it and who can change it? The answers are different from a parliamentary democracy, and a reader who expects a parliament, a party system or a constitutional court will misread the system.
This course explains the law of Saudi Arabia, not US law. Rules that look the same elsewhere may be different.
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See what is included in the Courses & AI Lab Pass →General education on the law of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, using invented people and businesses. It states laws and procedures in simplified form and is not legal advice. The law and its practice change, and every case turns on its facts, the current regulations and the authority concerned. It does not offer legal representation or a legal opinion on any case. Consult a lawyer licensed in the Kingdom for any real matter.
This course was written on 6 November 2026. To the best of our knowledge, it describes the law of Saudi Arabia as it stood on that date. Laws change, and we may have missed or misunderstood something. If you notice a change, or have other information, please do not hesitate to contact us: we will review it and update the course. We do not claim to be the final source of the law.
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