Royal Faraman of Assent

The granting of Royal Faraman of Assent is the formal method by which the Monarch of the United Kingdom of Egypt and Sudan completes the process of the enactment of legislation by formally assenting to an Act of Parliament.

Once a bill is presented to the Sovereign, he has three formal options. Firstly, the Sovereign may “grant” the Royal Assent, thereby making the bill an Act of Parliament. Secondly, the Sovereign may “withhold” the Royal Assent, thereby vetoing the bill. Finally, the Sovereign may “reserve” the Royal Assent, that is to say, defer a decision on the bill until a later time.

The Monarch retains the power to withhold Royal Assent thus vetoing the Act of Parliament. This power has been exercised by the Sovereign on rare occasions. The last Royal Assent to be withhold was in 2003, when King Ahmad Al-Khalil I withheld his Assent to the Parliamentary Act made to reduce the ceremonial powers of the Council of State.

Formerly, the Sovereign always granted his Assent in person. The Sovereign, wearing the Crown, would be seated on the Sun Throne in the Grand Hall of Mirrors in Abdin Palace, surrounded by the High Steward of the Yawran, the High Chancellor, the Comptroller of the Royal Household, the Crown Heralds, and the chief dignitaries of The Sublime Porte. The High Chancellor summons the Clerk of the Parliament and orders him to present the bills awaiting Assent to the Sovereign. The High Clerk of the Crown, standing on the Sovereign's right, reads aloud the titles of the bills. The Clerk of the Parliament, standing on the Sovereign's left, responded by stating the appropriate statement. The King responds by stating one of the following three statements in Arabic,

• “We do declare and notify to you that We given Our Royal Assent to the Act in the Commission mentioned.”
• “We do declare and notify to you that We withhold Our Royal Assent to the Act in the Commission mentioned.”
• “We do declare and notify to you that We reserve Our Royal Assent to the Act in the Commission mentioned.”