Saudi Arabia marks 100 years of the Basic Instructions — Asharq Al-Awsat
In Saudi Arabia, this year’s 96th National Day coincides with the centenary of the issuance of the Basic Instructions on August 31, 1926. The 79-article document laid the legal foundations for state governance in the Kingdom of Hejaz and became a milestone on the path toward the unification of Hejaz and Najd into Saudi Arabia in 1932, Asharq Al-Awsat reports.
The first constitutional document
Historian Abdulrahman Al-Shubaili called the Basic Instructions the first written constitutional document in the history of the modern Saudi state. They defined the powers of the king’s deputy in Hejaz, the administrative structure, the Shura Council, and six departments: Sharia affairs, internal and foreign affairs, finance, education, and the army.
The draft document was prepared by a selected committee of representatives from various fields. The Basic Instructions were in force in Hejaz, while Najd and Hejaz remained separate kingdoms under Abdulaziz’s rule. The document was amended according to circumstances and remained in force until the unification of the two kingdoms.
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Comparison with Vision 2030
The author draws a parallel between the Basic Instructions and the Saudi Vision 2030 program, launched in 2016. The 1926 document brought the army, education, the judiciary, taxes, and the organization of the Hajj together in a common governance system, while Vision 2030 covers energy, technology, culture, tourism, industry, and education.
The article also notes that Saudi Arabia is the region’s largest economy and is a member of the G20. According to StartupBlink data for 2025, the country ranked first in the world in the growth rate of its innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem. Saudi Arabia won the right to host Expo 2030 with the largest share of votes in the history of voting for the event, while the 2034 FIFA World Cup was awarded to the country without a competing bid.
