Article 10 of the Saudi Municipalities Law

المادة 10 من نظام البلديات والقرى

The 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.

Official text (Arabic)

This article has not been amended since the law was issued.

يختار المجلس البلدي رئيسه ونائبه من بين أعضائه بصفة دورية لمدة سنتين قابلة للتجديد، وإذا تساوت الأصوات بين المرشحين، فيعتبر قرار وزير الشئون البلدية والقروية مرجحًا.

This is the official Arabic wording, the only legally binding version. We do not translate the law itself; the explanation below is ours. Official source: Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers

Article 10 explained in plain English

This article regulates the chairmanship of the municipal council:

Who chooses? The municipal council itself chooses its chairman and deputy.
From among whom? From among the council members, not from outside.
Term: two years, the choice being made periodically, and the term is renewable.
Tied votes: if votes are tied between candidates, the decision of the Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs tips the balance.

It is important to distinguish the chairman of the municipal council from the head of the municipality: Article 8 provides that the head of the municipality is among the council members, whereas the chairman of the council is chosen by the members under this article. The article does not say that the head of the municipality is the chairman of the council.

The council is formed beforehand under Article 9: half of the members by election, and the other half chosen by the Minister from those with competence and eligibility. All of them then choose their chairman and deputy. It is followed by Article 11, which lists the conditions for a municipal council member, including being Saudi or a naturalized person at least 10 years after naturalization, being at least 25 years old, and having permanent residence within the municipality's area throughout membership.

The article does not state the voting method for choosing the chairman or the chairman's duties; these are found in other articles.

Practical example

At the first meeting of a municipal council in Najran, two members stood for chairman and each received the same number of votes. Under this article the Minister's decision tips the balance between them, and the winner holds the chairmanship for two years, renewable.

Translated from our Arabic explanation with machine assistance. For guidance only; it does not replace advice from a lawyer on your situation.

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