Bridging the gap: Centralization vs. decentralization in the Saudi municipal planning system, and its impact on the physical environment

During the last two decades, municipal affairs in Saudi Arabia have gone through a number of administrative and organizational reforms ranging from the establishment of a new Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs (M.O.M.R.A.) in 1975 to the creation of municipal branches in the city of Ar-Riyadh. The main intention, however, has been the introduction of municipal decentralization. Though one cannot ignore the fact that such endeavors have, to some extent, helped the central ministry and the municipalities to lessen some of their administrative work load, their outcomes did not match their original goals. The major findings of this research confirm that a gap still persists between the municipal ordinance and its application on the one hand and the municipal practice on the other. The findings also include the existence of strong, unique and sometimes conflicting needs and justifications for both centralization and decentralization. Therefore, attempts to decentralize the municipal system have been seriously hampered by the existence of a high degree of municipal fiscal dependence, the lack of effective public participation, and the indiscriminate application of standard municipal policies, regulations, and building codes to the different regions in the country. Focusing on both the M.O.M.R.A. and the Ar-Riyadh Municipality, and considering the unique conditions of Saudi Arabia, this study aimed to develop a middle range alternative that could incorporate the best element of the existing centralized municipal planning system and the attempted decentralized one. Unless the need for both centralization and decentralization is recognized and adopted in one strategy with careful design and consideration of hierarchical municipal goals and their incremental implementation, the municipalities will continue swinging between the two concepts and the gaps between municipal vision and reality will keep widening. The study concludes by proposing a number of municipal organizational and procedural reforms. Included are rethinking municipal ordinances, regulations, and building codes, proliferating the Idea of Ar-Riyadh High Commission, creating a public participation unit in M.O.M.R.A., creating municipal majlis Ash-Shura, and Creating municipal think tanks