Currently in their third term, municipal councils are such a new institution in the Kingdom that newly elected or appointed municipal councilors are not only facing the challenge of working as a municipal councilor for the first time, but also of understanding a new and still developing institution without much history or background information to rely upon.
That is why the King Salman Center for Local Governance, in collaboration with Riyadh Municipality, has prepared the first Handbook for Municipal Councilors in Saudi Arabia. The Handbook summarizes basic information pertaining to the importance of local government, the Saudi legal framework, and the evolution and functions of municipal councils in the Kingdom. At its core, it explains the roles and responsibilities of municipal councils and highlights important guidelines for councilors.
The Handbook serves as a one-stop quick reference for municipal councilors, illustrating their roles, the importance of their work as well as the context in which their councils operate. The Handbook is also an introduction to existing legislation and international best practices, and contains a chapter focused on local governance in Riyadh Region.
The Handbook is the first step of a broader initiative of the Center focusing on municipal councils, which, as the representative element, are an indispensable component of a well-performing local governance system.
