Article 25 of the Saudi Municipalities Law

This article sets the route for a municipal council member's resignation:

• To whom is it submitted? To the Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs, not to the chairman of the council or the head of the municipality.
• What does the Minister do? The Minister decides on it, that is, issues a decision on it.

The phrase 'to decide on it' means the resignation needs a decision from the Minister; the law does not say here that it takes effect as soon as it is submitted. The article does not set a period for deciding, give reasons for rejecting a resignation, or require a particular form for it.

Resignation is a voluntary way for membership to end by the member's own will, and differs from loss of membership, which Article 26 regulates; a member loses status by a council decision subject to the Minister's approval in specified cases: losing one of the conditions for standing, or it being found after naming that the member lacked one; proof that the member exploited membership for personal benefit or harmed the municipality's interests; or absence without an excuse the Minister accepts from 3 consecutive sessions or 6 sessions within one year.

Before it comes Article 24, which provides that the council takes its decisions in all matters relating to the municipality, subject to paragraph (b) of Article 7.