Article 11 of the Saudi Municipalities Law

This article sets out who is fit for municipal council membership; a member must be:

1. Saudi by descent or birth, or naturalized for at least 10 years.
2. At least 25 years old.
3. Permanently resident within the municipality's area throughout the term of membership; residence is a continuing condition, and it is not enough to have it only when standing for election.
4. Not sentenced to a Sharia hadd penalty or to imprisonment for a crime of dishonor or breach of trust, unless 5 years have passed since the hadd penalty or imprisonment was carried out.
5. Not dismissed from public service for disciplinary reasons, unless 5 years have passed since the dismissal.
6. Able to read and write well.
7. Enjoying legal capacity under Sharia.
8. Not sentenced for fraudulent bankruptcy.

Note in conditions (4) and (5) that the bar is not permanent but ends after 5 years; and in condition (4) the period runs from the carrying out of the hadd penalty or imprisonment, not from the issuing of the judgment. Condition (4) is also limited to imprisonment for a crime of dishonor or breach of trust, or a Sharia hadd sentence.

This article is followed by Article 12, which regulates naming the members by decision of the Minister, filling vacant seats, and the council's term of 4 years from the date of the decision naming its members. Article 10 concerns choosing the council's chairman and deputy from among the members.

A person who doubts whether one of the conditions applies to them, such as the effect of a previous judgment, should consult a lawyer specialized in administrative cases.