Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Local Administration Waleed Al-Masri announced on Sunday that the Cabinet took a decision roughly two and a half months ago to regularize the employment status of approximately 6,000 daily-wage municipal workers, following a comprehensive study by the Ministry of Public Sector Development and the Civil Service Commission.
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Speaking during a House of Representatives session convened to debate the draft Local Administration Law, Al-Masri stated that the ministry requested municipal councils and committees to submit lists of actual active workers, noting that the verification process is currently underway.
He clarified that the regularization of the first batch—comprising around 1,900 workers—will commence within a week. The second batch will be processed before the end of the current year, followed by the third and final batch during the first quarter of next year.
Regarding employees who obtained university degrees during their tenure prior to July 2024, Al-Masri noted that their names are being audited after being requested from municipalities, in preparation for submission to the Civil Service Commission to take appropriate action in accordance with regulations.
He affirmed that no restrictions prevent municipal employees from pursuing higher education provided they receive approval from their department head in a relevant field. However, he clarified that obtaining a university degree does not automatically alter an employee's job title, though it enables them to compete for appointments through standard regulatory channels.
Al-Masri noted that the draft Local Administration Law aims to build municipalities capable of delivering core services to citizens with high quality and efficiency. He highlighted that the government remained in continuous consultation with the Parliamentary Administrative Committee during legislative discussions, commending the committee's efforts in refining key provisions and introducing amendments to enhance the bill.
For his part, Head of the Parliamentary Administrative Committee, MP Khalifeh Al-Diat, stated that the draft Local Administration Law for the year 2026 marks a pivotal milestone in political and administrative reform, serving as a core piece of legislation originating from the Economic Modernization Vision.
Al-Diat added during Sunday's session that the bill clearly delineates the roles of municipal councils and executive management, helping minimize jurisdictional overlaps and enhancing clarity regarding duties and responsibilities.
He further pointed out that the bill restricts the authority to dissolve elected councils, binding such decisions to specific timeframes not exceeding one year to prevent open-ended dissolutions.
Al-Diat emphasized that the draft legislation aligns with efforts to modernize the local administration framework and advance the broader administrative and political reform trajectory.
The House of Representatives initiated discussions on the 70-article draft Local Administration Law for the year 2026 during a legislative session on Sunday, following its approval with extensive amendments by the Parliamentary Administrative Committee to regulate municipal and governorate council affairs.
