RIYADH — The Shoura (Consultative) Council has categorically denied any plans to enact a new salary scale for its members and said that there would be no new pay rule for its 150 members who have office terms of four renewable years. The Council was responding to reports on social media that Shoura members would have a new salary structure in the near future. "There will not be any additional fringe benefits for the members and there will be no change in the pay system," an official source in the Council said. "There is no intention of raising the position of the members to the "excellent grade" in the government's salary scale," he said. The source said under the Council's system, no member will be holding any government job during his/her term of office. He said the average monthly salary of a member is SR26,450 but those who used to receive more than this in their previous positions are paid the difference. In its Twitter account, the Council said a newly appointed member is paid a lump sum amount of SR300,000 and is treated during the entire tenure as a government employee in the 15th grade. The annual salary increment is SR865. The other fringe benefits include SR2,000 monthly as transport allowance until a car is secured for the member with a private driver which he or she will use on official or private trips. The car will be changed every four years. The member is also paid a daily travel allowance of SR800 if he or she is on a domestic mission and between SR1,320-SR1,680 for external missions. In addition, the member is paid SR300 daily to cover transport expenses. The members can also take with them their private drivers when traveling abroad on their annual vacations. A number of twitteratis considered the monthly salaries of the members to be high and instead called for increasing the wages of the military and civil retirees.
