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We warmly welcome you to the website of the Saudi Arabia Mission to the EU

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is an Arab Muslim State that enjoys full sovereignty. Islam is the official religion. The constitution is based upon the Holy Qur’an and the teachings of the Prophet Mohammed. Arabic is the official language and the capital is Riyadh. Founded by HRH King Abdulaziz bin Abdurrahman al Faisal al Saud, the Kingdom is a monarchy and continues to be led by his descendants today.

Browse the different sections under Country Information for more information about all aspects of the Kingdom.

The Shura Council

The Shura Council consists of a Chairman Speaker and one hundred and fifty other members chosen by the King from amongst eligible scholars, specialists and other persons of experience. Women sit on the

Council as well and in terms of representation, account for 20% of the seats.

The duties and the rights of members and other related affairs are specified by royal decree. The four-year term is based upon the Islamic, or Hijri, calendar, and dates are also specified by the royal decree. A new council must be formed at least two months before the incumbent council’s term comes to an end. In the event that a new council is not constituted before the existing council’s mandate ends, the council remains in power until a new council can be formed. While existing members may remain on the council, the number of new members may not account for less than fifty percent of the total . For details, click here.

The Cabinet

In his role as President of the Council of Ministers, the King steers general State policy and works to safeguard coordination and collaboration between government agencies, to ensure proper harmony and unity in all the cabinet does. The King has all the necessary power to supervise his cabinet, his ministries and all other government agencies. As they supervise the rulings, acts and bylaws to be enacted, ministries and other government agencies are required to provide the President of the Council of Ministries with a detailed report before the start of each financial year. Reports must detail progress made upon the provisions contained in the General Development Plan of the previous financial year and include the challenges faced as well as suggestions or solutions for overcoming any difficulties and for increasing overall efficiency.