Saudi Gazette Report

RIYADH — Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman issued on Tuesday a royal decree appointing Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman as prime minister of Saudi Arabia. The Crown Prince’s assumption of Cabinet presidency enables Saudi citizens to go down memory lane to the beginning of their state after the unification by King Abdul Aziz, founder of modern Saudi Arabia.

The text of the royal order, issued by King Salman, stated that this is “an exemption to the provision of Article 56 of the Saudi Basic Law of Governance, and the relevant provisions contained in the Law of the Council of Ministers. The royal order also included that the weekly session of the Cabinet, which the King attends, will be held under his chairmanship.

Cabinet in the Basic Law of Governance

Article 56 of the Basic Law of Governance is related to the duties of the prime minister, and it stipulates that the King presides over the Council of Ministers. He shall be assisted in the discharge of his functions by the members of the Council of Ministers in accordance with the provisions of this and other laws.

The Law of the Council of Ministers shall set forth the power of the Council with respect to internal and foreign affairs, and to the organization of the agencies of the government and coordination among them. It shall also set forth the requirements ministers must meet, their powers, accountability, and all their affairs. The Law of the Council of Ministers and the powers of the Council shall be amended in accordance with this Law.

Article 57 of the Basic Law of Governance sets out, in three paragraphs, additional powers for the prime minister, which are as follows:

(a) The King shall appoint deputy prime ministers and ministers and shall relieve them by royal order.

(b) The deputy prime ministers and ministers shall be considered collectively responsible before the King for the implementation of the Islamic Shariah and the laws and the general policies of the State.

(c) The King may dissolve the Council of Ministers and reconstitute it.

As per Article 58 of the law, the King shall appoint those who hold the rank of minister and deputy minister and those in distinguished grade, and shall relieve them of their office by royal order in accordance with what is set forth in the law.

Ministers and heads of independent agencies shall be considered responsible before the King for the ministries and agencies they head.

First Cabinet

This historic royal order brings the memory of Saudis back to the middle of the last century, after King Abdul Aziz issued in October 1953 a royal decree establishing the Council of Ministers according to the official Umm Al-Qura newspaper.

Later, Prince Saud bin Abdul Aziz, headed the Council of Ministers, but the Council did not hold its sessions until several months after the departure of King Abdul Aziz and Saud bin Abdul Aziz ascended the throne as the second king of Saudi Arabia.

Later, King Faisal assumed the presidency of the Council of Ministers during his tenure as Crown Prince, and King Faisal continued as chairman of the Council after ascending the throne as King in February 1964.