Article 48 of the Saudi Municipalities Law

This article gives the Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs two powers:

1. Issuing the implementing regulations and instructions of the Municipalities and Villages Law; that is, the detailed rules that explain how the law is applied.
2. Delegating some of the Minister's powers provided in the law to the officials entrusted with administering municipalities and villages.

Note two limits on the second power:

• The delegation covers some powers, not all.
• The delegate must be one of the officials entrusted with administering municipalities and villages, not just anyone.

The practical benefit of delegation is that many of the powers the law gives the Minister may be exercised by other officials on the Minister's delegation, so not every decision is concentrated in the Minister's hands. The article does not say which powers may be delegated.

It follows from this article that the regulations the Minister issues are the general reference for details of application, unless the law names another body to issue a particular regulation. Before it comes Article 47, which makes the heads of municipalities, their employees and staff subject to the General Civil Service Law, the Staff Law and the Civil Retirement Law, except as excepted by the regulations issued to implement Article (40). It is followed by Article 49, which repeals the Capital Secretariat and Municipalities Law, the Law Regulating Municipal Elections and anything that conflicts with this law, subject to the Council of Ministers Law and the Provinces Law.