Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05RIYADH9401
2005-12-20 13:49:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Riyadh
Cable title:  

MAYOR PREVIEWS (LIMITED) SCOPE OF QATIF'S

Tags:  PGOV PREL ECON KDEM SA 
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C O N F I D E N T I A L RIYADH 009401 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DHAHRAN SENDS
PARIS FOR ZEYA, LONDON FOR TSOU

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/20/2015
TAGS: PGOV PREL ECON KDEM SA
SUBJECT: MAYOR PREVIEWS (LIMITED) SCOPE OF QATIF'S
MUNICIPAL COUNCIL

REF: A. RIYADH 9303


B. RIYADH 8323

Classified by Consul General John Kincannon for reasons 1.4
(b) and (d).

C O N F I D E N T I A L RIYADH 009401

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DHAHRAN SENDS
PARIS FOR ZEYA, LONDON FOR TSOU

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/20/2015
TAGS: PGOV PREL ECON KDEM SA
SUBJECT: MAYOR PREVIEWS (LIMITED) SCOPE OF QATIF'S
MUNICIPAL COUNCIL

REF: A. RIYADH 9303


B. RIYADH 8323

Classified by Consul General John Kincannon for reasons 1.4
(b) and (d).


1. (C) In a meeting with the CG, Khalid Al-Dossari, Mayor of
Qatif, said that the primary problem facing his municipality
was haphazard development. Qatif, an oasis once composed of
close-knit villages and date palm groves, is changing rapidly
as the population grows and date farmers sell their groves
for development; the villages are becoming linked by sprawl.
Al-Dossari said that the municipality was nearing a solution
in the form of a "master plan for integrated growth,"
developed over the past four years by a consultant working
out of the planning department of the Eastern Province
emirate. The plan, now in its final stage and projected to
cover the next twenty years, will clarify zoning regulations
and identify municipal projects such as roads and parks. As
an example of a planned project, he showed his visitors an
artist's rendition of large open area for the Shi'a
celebration of Ashoura, surrounded by a mosque and three
husseiniyyas, on which he said work was already underway.


2. (C) Al-Dossari said that his portfolio as mayor included
issuing building permits, building and maintaining roads,
street cleaning and lighting, development of parks and
markets, and environmental protection. On other issues, such
as electricity and water/sewerage, the municipality had
primarily a coordination role with the government agencies
responsible for those portfolios, e.g. the Saudi Electric
Company in the case of electricity. Other areas that fall
typically fall under a mayor's jurisdiction in the U.S., such
as law enforcement, education, health, and fire fighting, are
completely outside his authority. "It's not easy here,"
Al-Dossari acknowledged, contrasting his limited powers with
those of mayors in Egypt, where "they control almost
everything in the municipality."


3. (C) Asked by the CG what role the newly formed municipal
councils would play in municipal affairs (ref A),Al-Dossari
hesitated for a second. "I hope for good things," he
continued, without too much enthusiasm. He said the councils
would help his work "a little bit" because "there are things
I can't do by myself." In particular, he noted that he does
not always have the ability to get the money necessary for
municipal projects from the Ministry of Finance in Riyadh.
"They will help me in that," he said, explaining that the
Ministry might be more willing to fund projects in Qatif if
it knew the council, and therefore the people, were behind
them. When the CG asked what role the council might have in
guiding municipal decisions given the twenty-year master
plan, Al-Dossari said that it might help in defining the
priority of projects identified in the master plan. "The
council members are sitting with the people outside so they
know what the people want," Al Dossari continued. "They can
tell me if we should pave this road first or improve the
lighting in that area."


4. (C) Comment: Al-Dossari's comments illustrate three
factors that will limit the actual impact of the municipal
councils: the limited jurisdiction of Saudi municipalities;
the dependence of Saudi municipalities on Riyadh for funding
and, in this case, on the emirate for centralized planning;
and the likely reluctance of mayors to cede their limited
powers (ref B). Nonetheless, as the mayor conceded, council
members (or at least, in Qatif, the elected ones) are
connected with the local community and can represent the
community in determining priorities. We will watch the
evolution of the Qatif council with interest, as we expect
the elected members to be strong advocates both for community
priorities and for an active voice for council members. End
comment.

(APPROVED: KINCANNON)
GFOELLER