Legal System of Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia is located in Middle East. It is geographically situated in middle east, bordering the persian gulf and the red sea, north of yemen. The country achieved independence on 23 september 1932 (unification of the kingdom). The capital is Riyadh.
Government Overview
Government Type: absolute monarchy Chief of State: King SALMAN bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud (since 23 January 2015) Head of Government: Crown Prince and Prime Minister MUHAMMAD BIN SALMAN bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud (since 27 September 2022) Cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the monarch every 4 years and includes many royal family members Administrative Divisions: 13 regions (manatiq, singular - mintaqah); Al Bahah, Al Hudud ash Shamaliyah (Northern Border), Al Jawf, Al Madinah al Munawwarah (Medina), Al Qasim, Ar Riyad (Riyadh), Ash Sharqiyah (Eastern), ‘Asir, Ha’il, Jazan, Makkah al Mukarramah (Mecca), Najran, Tabuk National Holiday: Saudi National Day (Unification of the Kingdom), 23 September (1932) Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal for municipal elections
Legal System
The legal system of Saudi Arabia is described as islamic (sharia) system with some elements of Egyptian, French, and customary law; commercial disputes handled by special committees International Law: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt
Constitutional Framework
The constitution has the following history: 1 March 1992 – Basic Law of Government, issued by royal decree, serves as the constitutional framework and is based on the Qur’an and the life and traditions of the Prophet Muhammad Amendment Process: proposed by the king directly or proposed to the king by the Consultative Assembly or by the Council of Ministers; passage by the king through royal decree
Judicial Branch
Highest Court(s): High Court (consists of the court chief; organized into circuits with 3-judge panels, except for the criminal circuit, which has a 5-judge panel for cases involving major punishments) Judge Selection: High Court chief and chiefs of the High Court Circuits appointed by royal decree on the recommendation of the Supreme Judiciary Council, a 10-member body of high-level judges and other judicial heads; new judges and assistant judges serve 1- and 2-year probations, respectively, before permanent assignment Subordinate Courts: Court of Appeals; Specialized Criminal Court, first-degree courts composed of general, criminal, personal status, and commercial courts; Labor Court; a hierarchy of administrative courts
Legislative Branch
The legislative structure consists of unicameral
Citizenship and Suffrage
Citizenship by Birth: no Citizenship by Descent: the father must be a citizen of Saudi Arabia; a child born out of wedlock in Saudi Arabia to a Saudi mother and unknown father Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal for municipal elections
Historical Background
Saudi Arabia is the birthplace of Islam and home to Islam's two holiest shrines in Mecca and Medina. The king's official title is the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques. ABD AL-AZIZ bin Abd al-Rahman AL SAUD (Ibn Saud) founded the modern Saudi state in 1932 after a 30-year campaign to unify most of the Arabian Peninsula. One of his male descendants rules the country today, as required by the country's 1992 Basic Law.
This article provides a summary of the legal system and governmental structure of Saudi Arabia based on the CIA World Factbook. The Factbook is a public domain publication of the United States Central Intelligence Agency.