Issued by Council of Ministers: Decision 1012 Approving the Systems of Cultural Commissions
Article 1
The following words and phrases—wherever they appear in this system—have the meanings assigned to each of them, unless the context requires otherwise:
Commission: The Visual Arts Commission.
System: The system of the commission.
Ministry: The Ministry of Culture.
Minister: The Minister of Culture.
Board: The board of directors of the commission.
Chief executive officer: The chief executive officer of the commission.
Visual arts sector: The sector concerned with activities relating to the visual arts, their creation, preparation, production, development, and dissemination of their content, including paintings, drawings, sculptures, photographs, calligraphy, and the like.
Article 2
The commission enjoys public legal personality and financial and administrative independence within the limits of the system, and it is organizationally linked to the minister.
Article 3
The headquarters of the commission must be in the city of Riyadh, and it may establish branches and offices—as needed—in the Kingdom and abroad.
Article 4
The commission aims to regulate and develop the visual arts sector in the Kingdom, enhance its capabilities, and support and encourage practitioners in it. In order to achieve its objectives, it may exercise the following tasks and competences:
1. Proposing the strategies and policies of the visual arts sector within the framework of the national strategy for culture and relevant cultural strategies, and following up on their implementation after their adoption by the ministry.
2. Proposing draft laws and regulations, and their equivalent, which are required by the nature of the work of the commission; proposing to amend those in force; and submitting them to the ministry in preparation for completing the legal procedures.
3. Encouraging financing and investment in the visual arts sector in light of relevant cultural strategies.
4. Providing grants and incentives (recoverable and non-recoverable) in coordination with the ministry through approved initiatives, the budget of the commission, or the budget of the ministry.
5. Licensing activities relating to the field of work of the commission.
6. Proposing criteria and standards relating to the visual arts sector, and submitting them to the ministry for adoption.
7. Encouraging the production and development of content in the visual arts sector.
8. Holding and encouraging training courses in fields relating to the visual arts sector.
9. Adopting professional training programs and certification entities specialized in training in fields relating to the visual arts sector, in coordination with relevant entities.
10. Cooperating and coordinating with relevant entities in order to support and protect intellectual property rights in fields relating to the visual arts sector.
11. Preparing educational programs and providing scholarships for talented people in fields relating to the visual arts sector, in agreement with the ministry, in preparation for the coordination of the ministry with the relevant entities in this regard.
12. Conducting and encouraging research and studies in fields relating to the visual arts sector.
13. Coordinating, cooperating, and exchanging experiences with relevant entities locally and internationally on matters relating to the visual arts sector, in accordance with the established legal procedures.
14. Formulating plans for preserving, activating, managing, and maintaining the cultural assets of the visual arts sector.
15. Establishing databases for the visual arts sector, and collecting, documenting, updating, analyzing, processing, preserving, and archiving data and information, and publishing to the public those appropriate, in accordance with the provisions governing this.
16. Investing in fields relating to the visual arts sector, after the approval of the ministry.
17. Organizing and holding local and international conferences, exhibitions, events, and competitions, and participating in them, in fields relating to the visual arts sector, in coordination with the relevant entities, and in accordance with the established legal procedures.
18. Joining, cooperating with, and participating in regional and international federations, organizations, and bodies, and their equivalent, that relate to its objectives, in accordance with the established legal procedures.
19. Representing the Kingdom and participating in its representation before regional and international bodies, organizations, and forums that relate to its objectives, in accordance with the established legal procedures.
20. Supporting and preserving the development of the visual arts sector in public places.
Article 5
The commission must have a board of directors chaired by the minister and with the membership of the following:
(a) The vice minister, as a member and deputy chairman of the board.
(b) Members whose number is not less than five and not exceeding nine with experience and competence, appointed by order of the Prime Minister based on a nomination by the minister. Their membership is for a period of three years, renewable once.
Article 6
The board shall supervise the management of the affairs of the commission and the conduct of its business, and shall take all the necessary decisions to achieve its objectives within the limits guaranteed by the system. In particular, it shall carry out the following:
1. Proposing the strategies and policies of the visual arts sector within the framework of the national strategy for culture and relevant cultural strategies, in preparation for their submission to the ministry for adoption.
2. Approving plans, initiatives, and programs for implementing the strategies and policies adopted for the visual arts sector, and following up on their implementation after their approval.
3. Proposing draft laws and regulations and their equivalent required by the nature of the work of the commission, and proposing amending those in force, in preparation for submitting them to the ministry to complete the legal procedures.
4. Approving the organisational structure and guide of the commission.
5. Approving the establishment of branches and offices of the commission.
6. Approving the internal and technical policies, procedures, and regulations necessary for conducting the affairs of the commission.
7. Determining the financial compensation for the works and services provided by the commission.
8. Proposing regulations relating to the activities of the visual arts sector and those connected to it, including the procedures for issuing and developing licenses, their financial compensation, and clearances, approvals, and permits in preparation for submitting them to the ministry for approval.
9. Approving the provision of grants and incentives (recoverable and non-recoverable).
10. Approving the draft annual budget of the commission, and approving its final financial reports and its annual report, in preparation for submitting them to the ministry.
11. Appointing an internal auditor for the commission.
12. Reviewing the periodic reports submitted on the progress of work in the commission and taking the necessary decisions in their regard.
13. Approving the signing of agreements, protocols, and contracts in accordance with the mechanisms and procedures adopted by the ministry and in accordance with the established legal procedures.
14. Approving joining, cooperating with, or participating in regional and international federations, organizations, and bodies, and their equivalent, that relate to its objectives, in accordance with the established legal procedures.
15. Accepting gifts, donations, grants, bequests, and endowments, in accordance with the provisions governing this.
The board may—in order to achieve its competences—form standing or temporary committees from among its members or others, to which it assigns the tasks it deems fit. The decision to form each committee must specify its chairman, members, and competences, and it may seek the assistance of whomever it deems fit to perform the tasks entrusted to it.
The board may also delegate some of its competences to its chairman, any of its members, or the employees of the commission.
Article 7
1. The meetings of the board must be held at the headquarters of the commission, and it is permitted, when necessary, to hold them in another place. It is also permitted to hold them as well as record and prove deliberations and decisions—including board decisions by circulation—remotely through electronic means.
2. The board shall hold its meetings periodically at least four times a year, and whenever the need arises as determined by the chairman of the board, or if requested by at least a third of its members.
3. The invitation to the meeting must be sent by the chairman of the board—in writing—at least seven days before the date of the meeting, and the invitation must include the agenda of the meeting.
4. The meeting of the board is valid if attended by—at least—a majority of the members, including the chairman of the board or his deputy. The decisions of the board are issued by a majority of the votes of the attending members. In the case of a tie vote, the side with which the chairman of the meeting voted prevails.
5. The deliberations and decisions of the board must be recorded in minutes and must be signed by the chairman of the meeting and the members present.
6. The board may make decisions by circulation among the members of the board. In this case, the approval of all the members of the board is required for the decision, and this decision must be presented to the board at the first subsequent meeting to be recorded in the minutes of the meeting.
7. A member of the board shall not abstain from voting or authorize another to vote on his behalf during his absence. A member who objects to any decision shall record his objection with the reasons in the minutes or the draft decision.
8. A member of the board shall not divulge any of the secrets of the commission.
9. The board may invite whomever it deems to attend its meetings to utilise their expertise or to provide clarifications without having the right to vote.
Article 8
The commission must have a chief executive officer, who must be appointed and relieved of his position by a decision by the board. The board shall determine, by a decision by it, his remuneration and financial benefits, and he shall be responsible for managing the affairs of the commission. His responsibilities must be within the limits of the system and the decisions of the board. He shall assume the following competences:
1. Supervising the preparation of the strategies of the visual arts sector—within the framework of the national strategy for culture and relevant cultural strategies—and the policies, plans, initiatives, and programs necessary for them, and submitting them to the board.
2. Supervising the progress of work in the commission.
3. Proposing the organisational structure and guide of the commission and submitting them to the board.
4. Proposing the internal and technical policies, procedures, and regulations necessary for conducting the affairs of the commission in preparation for submitting them to the board.
5. Supervising the preparation of the draft annual budget of the commission, its final financial reports, and its annual report, and submitting them to the board.
6. Disbursing from the approved budget of the commission and taking all financial procedures, in accordance with the provisions governing this and the powers delegated to him by the board.
7. Following up on the implementation of the decisions issued by the board.
8. Submitting proposals to the board regarding the topics that fall within the competences of the commission.
9. Supervising the preparation of reports on the implementation of the plans and programs of the commission, and presenting them to the board.
10. Signing agreements, protocols, and contracts after the approval of the board or according to the powers granted to him.
11. Representing the commission before judicial entities as well as with government entities and other entities inside the Kingdom and abroad, and he may delegate this to others.
12. Contracting with experts and consultants within the limits of the purposes of the commission, and in accordance with the provisions specified in the adopted regulations.
13. Appointing the employees of the commission in accordance with the regulations governing this, and supervising them.
14. Issuing the necessary decisions to implement the provisions of the system and the regulations issued based on it, in accordance with the powers entrusted to him.
15. Any other competences assigned to him by the board.
The chief executive officer may delegate some of his competences to the employees of the commission he deems fit.
Article 9
1. The financial resources of the commission consist of the following:
(a) Amounts allocated to the commission in the annual budget of the ministry.
(b) Financial amounts that the commission charges for the licenses as well as the works and services it provides.
(c) Gifts, donations, grants, bequests, and endowment revenue accepted by the board.
(d) Returns on the investment of the available financial resources of the commission.
(e) Any other resource approved by the board in a manner that does not violate the laws and instructions.
2. All revenues of the commission must be deposited in the current account of the Ministry of Finance in the Saudi Central Bank.
3. An account must be opened for the commission in the Saudi Central Bank, and other accounts may be opened for it in any of the banks licensed to operate in the Kingdom. Amounts must be disbursed from these accounts in accordance with the approved budget of the commission.
Article 10
The commission must have an annual budget within the budget of the ministry.
Article 11
The employees of the commission are subject to the provisions of the Labor Law and the Social Insurance Law.
Article 12
The system enters into force from the date of its approval.
Published in Umm Al-Qura 5036 issued on 28 June 2024.
