How was the Center established?
Center for Local Administration was established in recognition of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdul Aziz, for his enormous efforts to turn Riyadh from a small town into a thriving urban capital and an international capital, back when he was the Governor of Riyadh Region.
Who is the founder of the Center?
The Center was founded by its current president, His Highness Prince Abdulaziz bin Mohammed bin Ayyaf, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Prince Sultan University, Vice President of the Riyadh Philanthropic Society for Sciences, former Mayor of Riyadh Region and a much respected pioneer in local governance.
Our scope of work
The Center conducts research and studies, advisory services, conducts events and designs specialized management training courses for management. The Center provides services to partners and clients through professional and specialized staff. The Center also runs the King Salman Award for Local Governance in the Arab World in cooperation with the Arab Development Administrative Organization, as well as hosting special projects such as the Saudi Government Digital Map.
What makes us different?
The Center is the first think tank in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia specialized in local governance. The center is recognized as the first non-profit research center that combines theory and practice, making it a partner for decision makers in setting goals.
Our Principles
Our core values lie in being a long-term, trusted, and local partner to our stakeholders and improving policies and public sector performance with an evidence-based approach.
What Do We Mean by "Local Governance"?
Local governance –from the Center's perspective- refers to the ways in which various actors organize the administration and development of regions, rural areas and cities, as well as the processes of decision- and policy-making in those areas.
Governance not only refers to the internal organization and capacities of related institutions, but also analyzes inter-institutional relationships and the role of non-governmental actors in these processes.
The Center considers the local authorities in the Kingdom (such as the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs, the Emirates of the regions, the governorates, centers, secretariats, municipalities, district councils, local councils and municipal councils, as well as branches of government agencies in the regions providing the relevant local services) As the most prominent actors in the local administration, and therefore the Center aspires to enhance its performance in meeting the requirements of citizens and their aspirations to develop the areas where they live.