The following words and phrases shall, wherever mentioned in this Law and in the orders issued pursuant thereto, have the

meanings assigned thereto, unless the context requires otherwise:

Law: Emergency Law.

Council: Supreme Emergency Council.

Public Entities: Ministries; public agencies, authorities, and institutions; and the like, including entities affiliated with the legislative

and judicial authorities.

Emergency Event: The event described in Article 2 of the Law.

State of Emergency: A legal state which is declared by the King, in accordance with the provisions of the Law, for the purpose of

responding to an emergency event, and which necessitates temporary exceptional measures.

Emergency Orders: Orders issued pursuant to Article 12 of the Law.

Critical Infrastructure: Assets, facilities, public and private utilities, systems, and networks, including buildings, roads, means of

transport, water, gas, oil, electricity, and communications facilities, and other infrastructure, the disruption, stoppage, destruction,

damage, or obstruction of access to which leads to the occurrence of an emergency event or imminent threat thereof, or to the

declaration of a state of emergency.

For the purposes of this Law, an emergency event shall mean any incident, or

incidents, causing substantial damage, or imminent threat thereof, to

individuals, critical infrastructure, the environment, health, public safety,

security, or public order, or to the Kingdom’s stability and sovereignty, the

continuity of business or the economy, or the Kingdom’s resources. This shall

include disasters; volcanoes; earthquakes; floods; fires; nuclear, chemical, and

biological accidents; military, electronic, cyber, chemical, and biological wars;

terrorist attacks; hostilities; armed insurgency; unrest; riots; epidemics; and

pandemics.

This Law aims to determine the provisions, rules, and procedures relating to a

state of emergency, and to state the exceptional powers and provisions that

ensure an effective response to an emergency event during a state of

emergency, thereby enhancing the ability to defend the Kingdom; maintain

public order, security, health, the environment, and public safety; protect critical

infrastructure; and enable business continuity.

1. The Council shall be established pursuant to this Law and chaired by the King with the Crown Prince as Deputy Chairman, and it

shall comprise the following as members:

a) Members of the Council of Political and Security Affairs.

b) Governor of the National Emergency Management Authority.

c) Any person appointed by the King to the Council pursuant to a royal order.

2. The Council shall have a “Crisis Room” to be chaired by the National Security Advisor with the membership of high-level

representatives from the entities represented in the Council and in the Board of Directors of the National Emergency Management

Authority.

The Chairman of the Room may, when necessary, invite any person he deems appropriate from among the heads of public entities, officials, or persons with relevant expertise and knowledge, as required by the circumstances and nature of the state of emergency.

3. The Council shall have a secretary to be appointed by a royal order.

4. The Council shall meet at least once a year, and as necessary.

5. The Chairman of the Council may invite any person he deems appropriate to attend Council meetings in a non-voting capacity.

6. a) The Council shall have an executive committee to be formed pursuant to a decision by the Chairman of the Council; the

formation decision shall also determine the committee’s functions.

b) The Council may form standing or ad hoc committees to carry out the tasks assigned thereto.

7. The Council of Political and Security Affairs shall prepare the Council’s work rules, mechanisms, and procedures, which shall be

approved by a royal order

1. The Council shall exercise the following powers:

a) Recommend the declaration of a state of emergency, stating the grounds

therefor as well as its duration and geographical scope.

b) Make policy recommendations relating to maintaining public order, security,

health, the environment, and public safety and to defending the Kingdom and

protecting its resources and assets and enabling business continuity during the

state of emergency, and direct relevant public entities to take necessary action.

c) Provide its opinion on any matter referred thereto by the Chairman or

Deputy Chairman of the Council.

d) Any other power specified in the royal order declaring a state of emergency or in any royal order subsequent thereto.

2. The Council’s decisions shall become final upon the King’s approval.

3. The Crisis Room shall exercise the following powers:

a) Request reports, data, and information from the National Emergency

Management Authority and public entities, and submit recommendations

thereon to the Council.

b) Monitor the state of emergency.

c) Any other power assigned thereto, as directed by the Chairman or Deputy

Chairman of the Council.