The Legal and Legislative Affairs Committee of the Shura Council held a meeting on Monday, May 6, 2025, chaired by H.E. Dr. Sultan bin Hassan Al-Dosari, to discuss a draft law amending certain provisions of Law No. (7) of 2021 regarding the Shura Council.
This meeting comes at a time when the constitutional and legislative framework in the country is undergoing significant changes following the public referendum held last November, which led to the approval of substantial amendments to the structure of the Council.
During the meeting, the committee reviewed the draft amendment to the law governing the work of the Shura Council and decided to submit its report to the Council for further consideration.
Law No. (7) of 2021 remains the main reference for regulating the Council’s powers and composition. Article (3) of the law stipulates that the Council consists of 45 members, 30 of whom are elected by general secret ballot, while the remaining members are appointed by an Amiri decision.
However, this article has not yet been amended as of the date of this writing, despite the constitutional referendum held on November 5, 2024, which—by a 90.6% approval rate—explicitly abolished the electoral system for Council members and replaced it with a general provision stating that all members are to be appointed by an Amiri decision, with no reference to elections.
This discrepancy between the current legal text and the constitutional referendum results necessitates an urgent legislative amendment to align the law with the constitutionally approved changes. The draft law currently under review by the Legal and Legislative Affairs Committee is expected to address this.
The committee includes H.E. Mr. Salem bin Rashid Al-Muraikhi (Vice Chair), H.E. Ms. Sheikha bint Yousuf Al-Jufairi, H.E. Mr. Khalid bin Ahmed Al-Obaidan, H.E. Mr. Khalid bin Ghanem Al-Ali Al-Ma’adid, H.E. Mr. Abdullah bin Ali Al-Sulaiti, H.E. Mr. Ahmed bin Ibrahim bin Rashid Al-Malki, H.E. Mr. Issa bin Arar Al-Rumaihi, and H.E. Mr. Ahmed bin Sultan Al-Asiri, who play an active role in deliberating legislative proposals.
The committee’s responsibilities include studying draft laws submitted by the Council of Ministers or members, addressing requests for constitutional amendments, matters of immunity, and reports on financial and administrative oversight, placing it at the forefront of the Council’s legislative work.
