The Government of Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia - Government

Based on the etymolgy of Saudi Arabia, it was named after the ruling dynasty of the country, the House of Saud; the name "Arabia" can be traced back many centuries B.C., the ancient Egyptians referred to the region as "Ar Rabi". The Government system in this country is the absolute monarchy type and the different Administrative divisions includes: 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 symbols

Palm tree surmounting two crossed swords; national colors: green, white.

The flag

The National flag of Saudi Arabia has green, a traditional color in Islamic flags, with the Shahada or Muslim creed in large white Arabic script (translated as "There is no god but God; Muhammad is the Messenger of God") above a white horizontal saber (the tip points to the hoist side); design dates to the early twentieth century and is closely associated with the Al Saud family, which established the kingdom in 1932; the flag is manufactured with differing obverse and reverse sides so that the Shahada reads - and the sword points - correctly from right to left on both sides.

note: the only national flag to display an inscription as its principal design; one of only three national flags that differ on their obverse and reverse sides - the others are Moldova and Paraguay

The National Anthem

Title	"Aash Al Maleek" (Long Live Our Beloved King)
Lyric/music	Ibrahim KHAFAJI/Abdul Rahman al-KHATEEB

note: music adopted 1947, lyrics adopted 1984

More about the government of Saudi Arabia

Constitution
Date of Independence	23 September 1932 (unification of the kingdom)
National holiday	Saudi National Day (Unification of the Kingdom), 23 September (1932)
Legal system	Islamic (sharia) legal system with some elements of Egyptian, French, and customary law; note - several secular codes have been introduced; commercial disputes handled by special committees
International law organization participation	has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt
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
Amendments	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; Basic Law amended many times, last in 2017
Citizenship
Citizenship by birth	no
Citizenship by descent only	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
Dual citizenship recognized	no
Residency requirement for naturalization	5 years
Executive Branch
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
Elections/appointments	none; the monarchy is hereditary; an Allegiance Council created by royal decree in October 2006 established a committee of Saudi princes for a voice in selecting future Saudi kings
Legislative branch
Description	Unicameral Consultative Council or Majlis al-Shura (150 seats plus a speaker; members appointed by the monarch to serve 4-year terms); note - in early 2013, the monarch granted women 30 seats on the Council
Election results	Composition - men 121, women 30, percentage women 19.9%
Judicial branch
Highest court(s)	High Court (consists of the court chief and 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 and term of office	High Court chief and chiefs of the High Court Circuits appointed by royal decree upon 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
Diplomatic representation in the US
Chief of mission	Ambassador Reema Bint Bandar Bin Sultan AL SAUD (since 8 July 2019)
Chancery	601 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20037
Telephone	[1] (202) 342-3800
FAX	[1] (202) 295-3625
Email address and website	[email protected] https://www.saudiembassy.net/
Consulate(s) general	Houston, Los Angeles, New York
Diplomatic representation from the US
Chief of mission	Ambassador Michael RATNEY (since 27 April 2023)
Embassy	Riyadh 11564
Mailing address	6300 Riyadh Place, Washington DC 20521-6300
Telephone	[966] (11) 835-4000
FAX	[966] (11) 488-7360
Email address and website	[email protected] https://sa.usembassy.gov/
Consulate(s) general	Dhahran, Jeddah
National heritage
Total World Heritage Sites	7 (6 cultural, 1 natural)
Selected World Heritage Site locales	Hegra Archaeological Site (al-Hijr / Madā ͐ in Ṣāliḥ) (c); At-Turaif District in ad-Dir'iyah (c); Historic Jeddah, the Gate to Makkah (c); Rock Art in the Hail Region (c); Al-Ahsa Oasis (c); Ḥimā Cultural Area (c); ‘Uruq Bani Ma’arid (n)