Ministry of Foreign Affairs Law

In the Name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Number: 5/4/2/524
Date: 2/4/1374 A.H.

By the grace of God,
We, Saud bin Abdulaziz Al Saud,
King of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,

After reviewing the Council of Ministers Resolution No. 53 dated 24/3/1374 A.H.,
and based on what has been submitted to us by the Prime Minister,

We hereby order the following:

Article One

We have approved the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Law attached hereto, consisting of fifty‑six articles.

Article Two

The Prime Minister and the Minister of Foreign Affairs shall implement this decree.

Peace.

Royal Decree Concerning Resolution No. 52 dated 24/3/1374 A.H.

In the Name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Resolution No. 52 dated 24/3/1374 A.H.

The Council of Ministers reviewed the attached submission from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the Office of the Prime Minister, No. 47‑2‑7‑233 dated 5/1/1374 A.H., which includes:

The draft Ministry of Foreign Affairs Law.
The Ministry’s budget for the fiscal year 1373–1374 A.H.

The matter was first studied by the Joint Committee of the Council of Ministers, after which the draft law was reviewed by the Committee on Regulations, and the draft budget by the Financial Committee. After examining all of this in a general session, the Council resolved the following:

Approval of the draft law in the form set out in the attached documents, comprising a total of 56 articles.

Approval of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs budget for the year 1374 A.H., as detailed in the Financial Committee’s letter No. 31 dated 23/2/1374 A.H., the text of which is as follows:

The Financial Committee of the Council of Ministers reviewed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs budget for the fiscal year 1373–1374 A.H. After studying and discussing it in the presence of the Ministry’s Undersecretary, Mr. Taher Radwan, the Committee reached the following conclusions:

First

We prepared the basic budget after discussion and after adjusting the titles, salaries, and grades of the political, consular, and administrative corps in accordance with their equivalents in the general civil service scale and its regulations.

Second – Foreign Representation Allowance

It was agreed to replace the percentage‑based representation and expatriation allowances previously granted to employees working abroad with a fixed allowance added to their salaries:

For the political and consular corps: Representation Allowance
For the administrative corps: Expatriation Allowance

The allowance shall vary depending on the region in which the employee serves.

The work regions were divided into three categories: A, B, and C, each with an allowance determined according to the cost‑of‑living index in that region.

As for family allowances, it was agreed to grant an additional allowance on top of salary and representation allowance to cover increased expenses for employees with families, as follows:

5% for a married employee with no children
10% for a married employee with one child
15% for a married employee with two or more children

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs pledged to review these rates every six months, or thereabout, in line with any improvement in living conditions in the three categories of regions.

Third

The Financial Committee deemed it preferable to remove the article concerning the division of work regions (A, B, C) from the main text of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Law and place it in Annex No. 2, due to its direct relevance and because publishing it within the law itself would be inappropriate.

Fourth

The total budget requested for approval amounts to 21,000,000 riyals annually, distributed as follows:

Chapter One – Salaries

Salaries of employees on the establishment – 4,374,000
Salaries of employees off the establishment – 1,500,000
Salary differences for contracted employees – 70,000
Representation and expatriation allowances – 1,400,000
Family allowances – 500,000
Total – 7,844,000

Chapter Two – Purchases

An amount of 200,000 riyals is allocated for fixed supplies.
An amount of 100,000 riyals is allocated for annual supplies.
An amount of 100,000 riyals is allocated for one‑time establishment supplies for the year.
An amount of 300,000 riyals is allocated for the purchase of vehicles.
An amount of 300,000 riyals is allocated for publications.
An amount of 700,000 riyals is allocated for buildings.
An amount of 3,400,000 riyals is allocated for the completion and furnishing of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building.

The total for this chapter amounts to 5,100,000 riyals.

Chapter Three – Expenditures

An amount of 700,000 riyals is allocated for travel expenses, mission allowances for international conferences, official assignments, and acting‑duty allowances.
An amount of 300,000 riyals is allocated for shipping charges.
An amount of 1,500,000 riyals is allocated for postal, telephone, and telegraph expenses.
An amount of 450,000 riyals is allocated for rental payments.
An amount of 350,000 riyals is allocated for receptions and miscellaneous expenses.
An amount of 250,000 riyals is allocated for electricity, water, and cleaning expenses.
An amount of 120,000 riyals is allocated for fuel, vehicle repairs, and related tools.
An amount of 125,000 riyals is allocated for medical expenses.
An amount of 250,000 riyals is allocated for press, publications, and printing.
An amount of 150,000 riyals is allocated for building repairs.
An amount of 1,000,000 riyals is allocated for the government’s contributions to international organizations.
An amount of 2,000,000 riyals is allocated for Palestine affairs.
An amount of 86,000 riyals is allocated for unforeseen expenses.

The total expenditures under this chapter amount to 21,000,000 riyals.

The Committee requests that the Minister of Foreign Affairs supervise the implementation of the budget regulations, financial rules, expenditure instructions, travel regulations, and personnel regulations, and ensure their full enforcement and application.

Signed: Faisal
Prime Minister

Ministry of Foreign Affairs Law

Title One

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs consists of:

The General Bureau (ديوان عام الوزارة)
Political and consular missions

Chapter One – The General Bureau

The General Bureau is composed of the following departments:

Political Affairs Department
Arab Affairs Department
Conferences and Treaties Department
Administrative Affairs Department
Protocol Department
Economic and Consular Affairs Department
Publications, Press, and Information Department
Archives Department
Personnel and Financial Affairs Department
Cultural and Health Affairs Department
Additional departments may be established as needed in accordance with the law.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs may transfer any employee from one department to another within the General Bureau as required to ensure proper workflow and in accordance with the law.
Each department is headed by a director of at least the rank of Third Secretary, who is responsible to the Minister for the department’s activities.
A standing committee composed of department heads and chaired by the Undersecretary of the Ministry shall coordinate and organize the work of the General Bureau. The committee shall define the functions of each department and the responsibilities of each director. Its decisions shall be submitted to the Minister for approval before implementation.

Chapter Two

Political and Consular Missions

Political and consular missions shall be established by Royal Decree, while consular agencies and vice‑consulates shall be established by ministerial decision. The jurisdiction of each consulate shall be determined by ministerial decision.

The political missions are:

(a) Embassies
(b) Legations
(c) Permanent offices accredited to international organizations
(d) Delegations appointed by Royal Decree for political missions
(e) Officials assigned to official missions whose letters of credence are issued by the Minister of Foreign Affairs

The consular missions are:

(a) Consulates‑General
(b) Consulates
(c) Vice‑consulates
(d) Consular agencies

The embassy shall be headed by an Ambassador or a Minister Plenipotentiary holding the title of Ambassador.
A legation shall be headed by a Minister Plenipotentiary of the First or Second Class.
If no Ambassador or Minister Plenipotentiary is appointed, or in the event of their absence, a political‑corps officer shall act as chargé d’affaires.
The permanent office shall be headed by a Director of at least the rank of Second‑Class Minister Plenipotentiary.

A Consulate‑General shall be headed by a Consul‑General.
A Consulate‑General or Consulate may, when necessary, be placed under the management of a Counselor.
A Consulate shall be headed by a Consul, and a Vice‑Consulate by a Vice‑Consul.

Honorary Consuls and Honorary Vice‑Consuls may be appointed by Royal Decree in countries where the Kingdom has interests. They shall have the same functions as members of consular missions but shall not receive salaries from the state. The Council of Ministers may, upon the recommendation of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, grant them allowances.
Consular representatives of all ranks operate under the supervision and direction of the political representative in the country where they serve.

By Royal Decree, consular functions in countries where a political mission exists may be assigned to the head of that mission, who may delegate such functions to one of the political‑corps officers in the mission, provided that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is notified.

Political and Consular Corps Positions

The political and consular corps positions in the General Bureau and in political and consular missions include the following grades:

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary, First Class
Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary, Second Class
First Counselor
Second Counselor
First Secretary (Consul‑General, First Class)
Second Secretary (Consul‑General, Second Class)
Third Secretary (Consul)
First Attaché (Vice‑Consul, First Class)
Second Attaché (Vice‑Consul, Second Class)

Annex (1) attached to this Law sets out the monthly salaries for these grades in the General Bureau.
Annex (2) sets out the monthly salaries for these grades in political and consular missions abroad.

No person may be appointed to the political or consular corps unless he is a Saudi Arabian national of good conduct and holds a recognized university degree. Appointment shall be as follows:

Holders of a Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) shall be appointed as Second Attaché at the minimum of the grade.
Holders of a Master’s degree shall be appointed as Second Attaché at the maximum of the grade.
Holders of a Doctorate shall be appointed as First Attaché at the minimum of the grade.

Promotion shall be only to the next immediate grade and shall be based on both seniority and merit. Merit shall be assessed through annual reports submitted by the head of mission and department heads in the General Bureau to the Minister, indicating the employee’s performance, efficiency, and conduct.

No employee may be promoted to the next grade unless he has served at least two years in his current grade and a vacancy exists.
If an employee from the rank of Second Counselor and below completes four years in his grade without a vacancy arising, he shall be promoted automatically to the grade he is entitled to.

An employee assigned to a position or deputed to perform its duties does not acquire any right to the grade of that position nor seniority in occupying it.

An employee in the political or consular corps shall receive the financial grade and salary of the position to which he is promoted from the date of issuance of the promotion order or decision, and shall receive the salary of the position to which he is appointed from the date he assumes its duties.

The committee referred to in Article (5) shall consider matters of promotion and transfer of Ministry employees and submit its recommendations to the Minister of Foreign Affairs. Transfer decisions shall be implemented within one month from the date the employee is notified, extendable for a valid excuse accepted by the Minister.

Service in the political and consular corps shall be divided as follows:

The General Bureau
Arab countries and the Middle East
European countries
The Americas
Africa
The Far East, Australia, New Zealand, and Southeast Asia

An employee shall remain in each group for not less than one year and not more than five years.
A political or consular corps employee shall be transferred to the General Bureau for at least one year if he has served abroad for six years. Transfers shall be made according to the needs of the General Bureau, taking into account the employee’s seniority in foreign service.
Transfers of heads of political missions shall be made by Royal Decree.

Ambassadors, Ministers Plenipotentiary, and the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs shall be appointed by Royal Decree.
Those below them shall be appointed by decision of the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Members of the political and consular corps and administrative corps shall take the following oath before assuming their duties:

“I swear by Almighty God to be loyal to His Majesty the King and to my country, to perform the duties of my office faithfully and honorably, and not to disclose any secret of my position.”

Ambassadors and Ministers Plenipotentiary shall take the oath before His Majesty the King; others shall take it before the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Except for Ambassadors and Ministers Plenipotentiary, no person outside the Ministry may be appointed to serve abroad.
Except for Ambassadors and Ministers Plenipotentiary, no employee may be transferred to serve abroad before completing at least one year of service in the General Bureau.

An applicant for employment in the Ministry shall first undergo a probationary period of at least two months in the General Bureau. His case shall then be submitted to the committee referred to in Article (5) to recommend whether he should be appointed. If appointed permanently, the probation period shall be counted toward his service; if not appointed, he shall receive compensation equal to half the salary of the position.

A chargé d’affaires acting for the head of an embassy, legation, or consulate, provided he is of the rank of First Counselor or below, shall receive an acting allowance of 25% of his total salary and representation allowance, subject to the following:

The acting period shall not be less than fifteen days.
He shall be the highest‑ranking officer in the mission.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs shall be notified.

Chapter Three

The Administrative Corps

Administrative positions in the General Bureau and in political and consular missions include the following grades:

Director of Department (B)
Assistant Director of Department
Registrar (A)
Registrar (B)
First Copyist
Second Copyist
Central Operator (A)
Storekeeper

Annex (3) sets out the monthly salaries for these positions in the General Bureau.
Annex (4) sets out the monthly salaries for administrative corps employees serving abroad.

Administrative employees are appointed and transferred from the General Bureau to foreign service by ministerial decision.

Administrative positions in the General Bureau and in missions constitute a single unified structure, and employees may be transferred between them as required by the needs of work.

Promotion for administrative employees shall be only to the next immediate grade and shall be based on seniority and merit, assessed through annual reports submitted by the head of mission and department heads to the Minister.
No administrative employee may be promoted unless he has served at least two years in his grade and a vacancy exists.
If an administrative employee—other than a Director (B)—completes four years in his grade without a vacancy arising, he shall be promoted automatically to the grade he is entitled to.

A Director (B) may be appointed as Second Attaché if he has served at least seven years in his position and successfully passes an examination before the committee referred to in Article (5), demonstrating his suitability for service in the political and consular corps.

The basis for appointment to administrative corps positions is as follows:

Holders of the Fifth Secondary Certificate (Tawjīhiyyah) shall be appointed as Assistant Director of Department.
Holders of the Culture Certificate or equivalent shall be appointed as Registrar (A).
Holders of the Al‑Falah School Secondary Certificate, the Intermediate Secondary Certificate, or the Saudi Scientific Institute Certificate shall be appointed as Registrar (B); in urgent cases the certificate requirement may be waived.
Holders of the Primary Certificate shall be appointed as First or Second Copyist; in urgent cases the certificate requirement may be waived.
Those without any of the above certificates shall be appointed as Central Operator or Storekeeper.

No head of a political or consular mission may appoint local employees without the approval of the General Bureau. Appointments shall be within the budgeted allocations for local staff salaries and shall be made by contract signed by the head of mission and the employee. The contract shall not exceed one year and shall not be renewed except with new authorization from the General Bureau.

Other workers—such as doormen, servants, drivers, cooks, and gardeners—shall be employed according to the needs of each mission within the allocations for local workers. The General Bureau shall be informed of the number of each category, their names, and their monthly salaries. Their appointment does not require a contract.

Chapter Four

General Provisions

(a) The Ministry shall bear the expenses of official receptions held by the mission, provided prior authorization is obtained from the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
(b) The Ministry shall also bear expenses for lighting, cleaning, fuel for mission vehicles, newspaper subscriptions, miscellaneous expenses, and other general expenditures. The mission shall submit a monthly statement for these expenses using a designated form, accompanied by supporting documents. An advance sufficient to cover one full month of such expenditures shall be placed at the disposal of the mission, and this account shall be carried forward to the following month.

If an employee of the General Bureau or of any mission is deputed for a temporary official assignment outside the country of his original post, he shall be entitled, for every twenty‑four hours (in addition to travel expenses to and from the place of assignment), to a deputation allowance equal to five percent of the salary and the representation or expatriation allowance assigned to his grade in the category of the region to which he is deputed, in accordance with Annexes (1) and (2). If the deputation is to a country not listed in Annex (2), the deputation order shall specify the category to which that country is deemed to belong.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs shall deputize one or more inspectors of at least the rank of Counselor to conduct an annual inspection visit to political and consular missions. The inspector shall review administrative operations, the conditions of employees, mission needs, and accounts. He shall have full authority to examine all mission files and activities, and shall submit a separate, detailed report on each mission.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs has the right to warn members of the political and consular corps regarding violations of their duties or the requirements of their positions. The warning may be verbal or written. If violations are repeated or persist, disciplinary proceedings shall be initiated. Investigation of allegations against members of the political and consular corps shall be conducted by their immediate superior or by a deputed member of either corps. The Minister may conduct the investigation himself or assign it to a member of the political or consular corps.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs may suspend an employee from duty if required for the interests of the investigation, provided that the suspension does not exceed one month unless extended by decision of the Disciplinary Council.
The head of mission may, in urgent and serious circumstances, temporarily suspend any subordinate employee, provided the Minister of Foreign Affairs is notified immediately. The Minister may cancel or extend the suspension, subject to the provisions above.

The decision to refer an employee to the disciplinary courts shall be issued by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and shall include a statement of the charges. The employee shall be notified of the decision and of the date of the hearing at least fifteen days prior to the session.

(a) Disciplinary proceedings for members of the political and consular corps shall fall under the jurisdiction of a Disciplinary Council formed in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs by decision of the Minister or his representative. The Council shall consist of an Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary as Chairman, and two members of the political or consular corps who are senior in rank to the employee being tried.
(b) If the charge concerns an Ambassador or Minister Plenipotentiary, the Council shall be chaired by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and include two Ambassadors as members.

The Council shall not convene unless all members are present. Decisions shall be issued by majority vote. Hearings shall be confidential.

The Disciplinary Council may suspend the employee under trial until the proceedings are completed. Suspension does not affect the employee’s salary unless the Council decides otherwise.

The employee referred to the disciplinary court has the right to attend the hearing and defend himself orally or in writing. If he fails to appear, judgment may be rendered in absentia after verifying proper notification.

The decision of the Disciplinary Council becomes final once ratified by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and must include the reasons upon which it is based. It shall be signed by the Chairman and all members and pronounced in a confidential session.
Ambassadors and Ministers Plenipotentiary are excepted; their disciplinary judgments require ratification by Royal Decree.

The disciplinary penalties that may be imposed by the Council are:

(a) Reprimand or warning
(b) Suspension from duty for up to three months, with or without salary
(c) Denial of promotion for up to three years
(d) Demotion in grade or salary
(e) Termination of service or retirement
(f) Dismissal from service, with or without pension rights

If the offense affects the security of the state, the Council shall propose an additional penalty, which shall be executed upon Royal approval.

(a) An employee is entitled to one month of annual administrative leave if someone is available to perform his duties in the General Bureau or mission. Ambassadors and Ministers Plenipotentiary heading missions are entitled to one and a half months of annual administrative leave. Administrative leave may not be granted until twelve months have passed since the employee’s return from his previous leave or since his appointment to the Ministry.
(b) Except for Ambassadors and Ministers Plenipotentiary heading missions, no employee may take more than two months of leave at one time. Ambassadors and Ministers Plenipotentiary may not exceed three months.
(c) Administrative leave may not be extended by sick leave. Salary shall be discontinued for any period of absence following the end of administrative leave, in addition to the penalties prescribed by the General Civil Service Law.
(d) Administrative leave for employees of the General Bureau shall be suspended from the first of Shawwal until the end of Dhu al‑Hijjah each year, except in extreme necessity and with the approval of the Minister.

Every employee in foreign service, after obtaining official authorization for administrative leave, is entitled once every two years to government‑funded transportation by sea—first class for political corps employees and second class for administrative corps employees—or by air, for himself and his legal dependents (up to six persons). This applies when transferring from the General Bureau to foreign service or vice versa. The employee shall also receive travel expenses equal to ten percent of his salary. Upon transfer, he shall be paid an advance equal to two months’ salary with allowances, to be deducted later in accordance with the General Civil Service Law.

If an employee or his spouse or children fall ill while serving abroad and require hospitalization or surgery, the government shall bear all related expenses for the duration of hospitalization, provided a medical report certified by the head of mission is submitted. Treatment shall not exceed one month per year at government expense.

(a) An employee suffering from a non‑work‑related illness preventing him from performing his duties is entitled to sick leave, supported by certified medical reports and subject to Ministry approval. He shall receive full salary for one month. If not recovered, leave may be extended to three months with full salary, then three additional months with half salary. If still unfit, leave may be extended with quarter salary for up to twelve months. If after one year he remains unable to resume work, the matter shall be referred to the Minister, provided total sick leave does not exceed eighteen months within five years.
(b) An employee suffering from a work‑related illness is entitled to sick leave for up to eighteen months, receiving full salary for the first twelve months and half salary for the remaining six. If still unfit, the matter shall be referred to the Minister.
(c) The employee must notify the Minister or head of mission in writing when ill. If illness exceeds two days, a certified medical report must be submitted and accepted by the Minister or head of mission.

Leave under this Law shall be granted upon written request submitted to the Minister or head of mission, who shall forward it to the Ministry. In urgent cases, telegraphic approval from the Minister shall suffice, and the approval shall be communicated to the Minister of Finance.

Treatment of employees of the General Bureau and missions abroad shall be at government expense in the following cases:

(a) Illnesses that cannot be treated in the Kingdom, such as those requiring radium therapy or major brain surgery
(b) Cancer
(c) Conditions requiring consultation with specialists unavailable in the Kingdom, such as psychiatric, neurological, or endocrine disorders
(d) Employees on sick leave under this article shall be granted travel expenses to the country where treatment requires residence, calculated as transportation costs plus 25% of salary

Current members of the political and consular corps who do not hold advanced degrees and who were appointed or promoted contrary to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Laws of 1368 and 1371 shall retain their current positions and grades as vested rights, with their current salaries. They may not be promoted to a higher grade until they have served the period required under this Law for promotion to the next grade. Employees transferred to the Ministry from other government departments shall benefit from their previous service, provided the transfer was made through official correspondence.

Members of the political and administrative corps shall be retired upon reaching the age of sixty‑five (Hijri). Service in the political corps may be extended by Royal Decree specifying the duration.

A resignation shall not take effect unless accepted by the authority empowered to appoint the employee.

Upon nomination by the competent minister, cultural, commercial, financial, or other specialists may be appointed as attachés to the missions of His Majesty the King. Appointment shall be made by decision of the Minister of Foreign Affairs after coordination with the relevant minister. Their salaries shall be charged to the budgets of their respective ministries, and they shall operate abroad under the supervision of the head of mission.

Employees of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs may not marry a foreign woman. If such a marriage occurs, the employee shall be deemed resigned as of the date of marriage and shall be retired. An exception is made for marriage to a woman whose nationality belongs to a member state of the Arab League.

Salaries of Ministry employees are subject to retirement deductions, taxes, and stamp fees like those of other government employees.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs may issue general instructions necessary for regulating the work of the General Bureau and political and consular missions abroad.

If application of this Law results in a reduction of the basic salary of any current employee, he shall retain his current salary on a personal basis until promoted to a grade whose basic salary equals the amount he currently receives.

Any matter not provided for in this Law shall be governed by the General Civil Service Law. Without prejudice to the provisions of this Law, the head of mission shall have the powers and responsibilities of a department head as defined in the General Civil Service Law.

The establishment and budget system of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs approved by High Order No. 5/4/1419 dated 25/9/1371 is hereby repealed upon approval of this Law and Annexes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7.
This Law and its annexes shall take effect as of 1 Muharram 1374 A.H.