In force
Saudi Municipalities Law
نظام البلديات والقرى
Regulates municipalities and villages in Saudi Arabia, including their councils, powers and responsibilities. It concerns municipal bodies and the residents and businesses they serve.
- Articles
- 49
- In force
- 49
- Amended
- 0
- Issued
- 1/1/1397 AH
Issued by: مرسوم ملكي رقم م/5 بتاريخ 21 / 2 / 1397 · قرار مجلس الوزراء رقم 130 بتاريخ 6 / 2 / 1397
Each article shows the official Arabic text, which is the only legally binding version, followed by our plain-English explanation.
Browse Municipalities Law by topic
Establishing Municipalities and Their Boundaries6 articlesPowers of the Municipality2 articlesFormation of the Municipal Council6 articlesConditions for Municipal Council Membership2 articlesMunicipal Council Meetings and Decisions8 articlesPowers of the Municipal Council3 articlesEnd of Municipal Council Membership and Remuneration3 articlesThe Mayor and His Powers5 articlesMunicipal Property and Resources4 articlesMunicipal Budget and Final Accounts7 articlesMunicipal Permits and Enforcement of Municipal Orders2 articlesGrievances Against Municipal Decisions1 articleMunicipal Employees and Final Provisions4 articles
Articles of the Saudi Municipalities Law
- Article 1The article provides that a municipality is a legal person with financial and administrative independence, exercising the functions assigned to it under the Municipalities and Villages Law and its Implementing Regulations.
- Article 2The article provides that municipalities are established, named, graded and abolished by decision of the Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs on the Province Council's proposal, with a temporary committee when one is established.
- Article 3The Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs approves a plan showing the municipality's boundaries and the area under its authority, on the municipal council's proposal and with the Province Council's approval.
- Article 4The article allows two or more municipalities to be merged, or one municipality split into several, by decision of the Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs setting names, centers, grades, rights and obligations.
- Article 5The article sets the municipality's competences in organizing, improving and beautifying its area and protecting public health and safety, listing 21 fields including licenses, markets, cemeteries and expropriation.
- Article 6The article distributes authority in the municipality between the municipal council, which exercises decision and oversight, and the head of the municipality, who exercises execution with the help of municipal bodies.
- Article 7The article makes the Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs the administrative reference of the municipality and lets the Minister specify which municipal council decisions are subject to the Minister's approval or a delegate's.
- Article 8The Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs sets by decision the number of municipal council members in each municipality, between 4 and 14, and the head of the municipality is among them.
- Article 9Half of the municipal council members are chosen by election, and the Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs chooses the other half from those with competence and eligibility.
- Article 10The municipal council chooses its chairman and deputy from among its members for two years, renewable, and the Minister's decision tips the balance when votes are tied between candidates.
- Article 11The article lists eight conditions for a municipal council member, including Saudi nationality, being 25 or older, permanent residence in the municipality and no conviction for a crime of dishonor or breach of trust.
- Article 12The article regulates naming municipal council members, filling vacant seats, when the council is dissolved or dissolved early, and its term of 4 years from the date of the naming decision.
- Article 13The article bars a municipal council member from holding two council memberships, working for the municipality, contracting with it, or chairing or managing a company connected with its works.
- Article 14The article refers to the Implementing Regulations the method of electing municipal council members, voters' conditions, and the voting and challenge procedures.
- Article 15The municipal council meets at least once a month on an invitation that includes an agenda, a member's written request made 4 days ahead must be added to it, and the council may not discuss items not on the agenda.
- Article 16The chairman of the municipal council may call an emergency session, and must if most members ask; it is held within two days of the request arriving and discusses only its own matters.
- Article 17The chairman or any member of the municipal council must leave the session when a case relating to a private interest of theirs is discussed, and the council decides by secret ballot in their absence.
- Article 18Municipal council sessions are confidential, and the council may invite anyone whose presence it finds useful to attend, without a right to vote.
- Article 19Municipal council sessions are not valid unless a majority of the members attend.
- Article 20The municipal council takes decisions by a majority of those present, the chairman's or deputy's vote tips a tie, and voting is open but may be secret in important cases.
- Article 21The municipal council may form committees from some of its members to look into particular cases, with the result submitted to the council so that it takes the necessary decision.
- Article 22The article refers to the Implementing Regulations the organization of the municipal council's internal working procedures, the recording of its minutes and the drafting of its decisions.
- Article 23The article lists the matters in which the municipal council takes decisions, such as the budget, final account, urban plan, regulations, fees and fines, and oversight of revenues and expenditures.
- Article 24The municipal council takes decisions in all matters relating to the municipality, subject to paragraph (b) of Article 7, under which some of its decisions need the Minister's approval.
- Article 25A municipal council member's resignation is submitted to the Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs, who decides on it.
- Article 26A municipal council member loses membership by a council decision approved by the Minister if a condition for standing is lost, if the member exploits membership or harms the municipality, or is absent without an accepted excuse.
- Article 27The Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs sets by regulation the monthly remuneration of chairmen and members of municipal councils and their assignment expenses, with the funds allocated in the municipalities' budget.
- Article 28The head of the municipality is the first reference in its affairs and responsible for its management and employees, issues its decisions within the regulations, represents it before others and may delegate in writing.
- Article 29The article requires the head of the municipality, as head of its executive authority, to take the measures needed for it to perform its duties, including managing its funds, preparing and executing the budget and concluding contracts.
- Article 30The Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs specifies which decisions of the head of the municipality need the Minister's approval or that of a delegate.
- Article 31The Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs, in agreement with the Minister of Interior, specifies the municipalities that need a municipal police and its numbers; members are chosen from the internal security forces and report to the head of the municipality.
- Article 32The article makes all lands within the municipality's boundaries that no one owns the municipality's property, subject to rights recognized under Sharia.
- Article 33The article provides that the municipality's movable and immovable property and all its resources cannot be seized.
- Article 34The municipality's budget is prepared under the regulations on that, and follows the state budget as to its start and end.
- Article 35The article lists the municipality's resources: its direct fees and share of indirect fees, fines, revenues from its property, bequests and gifts, exceptional fees, state subsidies, and any other authorized resource.
- Article 36The head of the municipality submits the draft budget to the municipal council, which discusses it under the procedures and dates set out in the regulations.
- Article 37If approval of the municipality's budget for the new year is delayed for any reason, ordinary revenues and expenditures continue on the basis of the previous budget until the new one is approved.
- Article 38The head of the municipality must submit the final account for the fiscal year to the municipal council within two months at most of that year's end.
- Article 39The article provides that the municipality's resources, fines and penalties are collected under the regulations and instructions in force.
- Article 40The procedures for spending the municipality's money, collecting its revenues and managing its employees, staff and workers are set by regulations, taking into account the nature of municipal work and approved by the Council of Ministers.
- Article 41The article provides that determining village services, developing them and organizing their administration is by a regulation issued by the Council of Ministers.
- Article 42The Minister of Interior and the Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs exercise the powers the law gives the Province Council until that council is formed under the Provinces Law.
- Article 43Municipalities may conclude agreements among themselves on matters relating to their common interests, subject to the approval of the Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs.
- Article 44If a person refuses to carry out the municipality's orders issued under its legal powers, it may, by order of its head, carry them out at that person's expense within the limits of the law, and the penalty for the refusal remains.
- Article 45The head of the municipality may temporarily suspend licenses and permits if their holder violates their contents, and may cancel them after the municipal council's approval.
- Article 46Anyone harmed by actions and decisions of the municipal council or the head of the municipality has the right to file a grievance with the Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs.
- Article 47Heads of municipalities, their employees and staff are subject to the General Civil Service Law, the Staff Law and the Civil Retirement Law, except as excepted by regulations issued to implement Article (40).
- Article 48The Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs issues the law's implementing regulations and instructions, and may delegate some of the Minister's powers to the officials entrusted with administering municipalities and villages.
- Article 49The Municipalities and Villages Law repeals the Capital Secretariat and Municipalities Law, the Law Regulating Municipal Elections and anything that conflicts with it, subject to the Council of Ministers Law and the Provinces Law.