This Regulation aims to implement the Regions Law and achieve its objectives sought by the State in raising the level of administrative performance and development rates, facilitating services in the various regions of the Kingdom in line with the development achieved by the State in all its facilities, and ensuring the security of the citizen while preserving his rights and freedoms in accordance with the framework of Islamic Sharia.
The organization of the Kingdom's regions and the headquarters of the Emirate of each region shall be considered in accordance with what is determined by the Royal Order, specifically regarding the territorial jurisdiction of the Emir of each region to carry out his duties and powers stipulated in the Law. The Minister of Interior is the authority responsible for determining the extent of the scope of responsibilities of the Emirate of each region and for clarifying any inquiries or resolving any issues related to the territorial jurisdiction between the regions.
A- The classification of Category (A) governorates and Category (B) governorates shall be as determined by the Royal Order specifically for the territorial jurisdiction of the governors to carry out their duties and authorities stipulated in the Law.
B- Category (A) centers and Category (B) centers shall be established, and their administrative affiliation and subordination shall be determined by a decision of the Minister of Interior. The Minister of Interior shall be the reference for clarifying any inquiry or resolving any issue related to the scope of territorial jurisdiction within the region.
C- When requesting the establishment of centers, the considerations set forth in Article Three of the Law shall be observed, with particular attention to the geographical consideration and transportation routes between the location where the center is to be established and the affiliated governorate or the nearest existing government center, as follows:
A- The upgrading of centers from Category (B) to Category (A), centers from Category (A) to governorates of Category (B), and governorates of Category (B) to governorates of Category (A) shall be carried out according to population, geographical, security considerations, environmental conditions, and transportation means, following the same administrative procedures applied at their establishment.
B- In appointing individuals to the positions of governors of governorates in both categories and heads of centers in both categories, the rank of the appointee or the promoted individual shall not be less than the minimum specified in Article Ten of the Regions Law for each category, nor shall it reach the minimum rank of the next higher category in ascending order.
The Emir of the region shall carry out his duties in accordance with the provisions of the Regions Law and other applicable laws, and pursuant to the powers granted to him. In particular, he shall be responsible for the following:
1- Working to maintain security, order, and stability by all means authorized by the law, including holding monthly meetings and whenever necessary with security officials, taking the necessary measures to prevent and combat crime, studying what is required to maintain security and stability, and any proposals that help prevent the occurrence of crime, with personal follow-up of important incidents occurring in the region and reporting all of that to the Minister of Interior on an ongoing basis.
2- Executing judicial rulings after they have acquired their final status according to the prescribed procedures, provided that what must be reported to the Minister of Interior is done in accordance with the applicable instructions and that execution does not occur except after directives regarding them have been issued.
3- Protecting the rights and freedoms of individuals, emphasizing respect for them, and ensuring that persons are not stopped, searched, detained, arrested, or investigated except for justified reasons and in accordance with the procedures specified by the applicable laws and regulations, and investigating any officials who violate these laws and regulations according to the prescribed procedures.
4- Working on the social, economic, and urban development of the region, including the following:
5- Developing public services in the region and enhancing their efficiency, including following up on the construction of mosques, caring for their cleanliness and maintenance, and everything that ensures their performance of their assigned role; paying attention to housing plans and their patterns of construction; orphanages, widows’ homes, services for the disabled, libraries, lecture halls, hospitals of all kinds, public parks, kindergartens, development of recreational facilities, road lighting, paving, afforestation, securing water, sewage services, electricity, telephone, and other services.
6- Managing the governorates and centers by issuing decisions regarding powers and regulations within the limits of the applicable laws and regulations, following up on the work of officials therein, ensuring the adequacy of the necessary requirements to improve job performance, and the competence of officials through supervision, monitoring, guidance, and follow-up.
7- Preserving state funds and properties, including ensuring that custodians take the prescribed measures to maintain and adhere to them, promptly reporting any shortages or trespassing, preserving state properties of all kinds such as government buildings, lands, public utilities, and services, ensuring their proper use and preventing trespassing, and appointing necessary guards for facilities requiring protection in accordance with the prescribed laws and regulations.
8- Following up on the performance of government agencies in their work and ensuring that their employees fulfill their job duties, including maintaining official working hours, receiving complaints from aggrieved persons, investigating them, and communicating with ministries and government agencies regarding all the above so that they take the necessary measures. The Emir of the region may request to be provided with the necessary statistics and details.
9- Working to raise the performance level of government agencies in the region by direct communication with ministers and heads of government agencies and keeping the Minister of Interior informed of what is being done in this regard.
10- Submitting annual reports to the Minister of Interior that include an evaluation of the performance of public services provided to citizens, the extent to which they meet actual needs, the adequacy of their management, the measures taken, and communications with relevant authorities to raise their level and increase their volume in line with the needs of the beneficiaries of those services. Governors, based on their follow-up of the conditions of their governorates and reports received from their subordinate entities, shall submit periodic reports to the Emir of the region.
The Minister of Interior holds an annual meeting with the regional governors and may hold an emergency meeting at any place he deems appropriate. The preparation for the annual meeting shall be conducted according to the following procedures:
The Emir of the region holds at least two meetings a year with the governors of the provinces, and in his absence, the meeting is chaired by the Deputy Emir of the region. During the meeting, all matters related to the affairs of the region are discussed, such as security, social, economic, and environmental aspects, as well as the level of performance of government agencies. At the end of the meeting, a report on the conclusions reached is submitted to the Minister of Interior.
The governors of the regions shall reside where their place of work is located, and they must not leave their work area except with permission from the Minister of Interior. As for the deputy governors, the representatives of the emirates, the governors of the provinces, and the heads of the centers, permission shall be issued to them by their direct superiors, provided that the permission is within the limits of the regulatory rules and according to what the nature of the work permits.
Governors of the governorates perform their official duties in accordance with the provisions of the Regions Law, other laws and regulations, and within the territorial jurisdiction assigned to each of them. They carry out their work within the powers authorized to them according to delegation decisions, and in performing their duties, they shall:
1- Maintain security, order, and stability, and take the necessary measures for that in accordance with the laws and regulations.
2- Implement judicial rulings after they have acquired their final status and after completing the applicable administrative procedures.
3- Guarantee the rights and freedoms of individuals, and not take any action that infringes upon those rights and freedoms except within the limits prescribed by Sharia and law.
4- Work on the social, economic, and urban development of the governorates and centers.
5- Work on developing public services and enhancing their efficiency.
6- Preserve the state's funds and properties and prevent trespassing on them.
7- Supervise government agencies and their employees to ensure their honest and sincere performance of their duties through:
8- Submit periodic reports to the Emir of the region regarding the adequacy of the agencies affiliated with the governorate and their performance of the assigned tasks, as well as the level of public services provided by the departments affiliated with ministries, institutions, and government agencies, accompanied by any recommendations and suggestions they deem appropriate.
The head of the government agency in the region or the government department shall represent all activities of the Ministry or the government department to which he belongs in the region within the limits of his jurisdiction. He must coordinate with the Emir of the region in his field of work, be informed of the approved projects and their start dates, the future plans and studies taken regarding them, the progress of work in the government agency, and take into consideration his proposals and directives.