It is the second time elections to civic bodies are held in the country. The first elections were in 2005.

“Though the rules and regulations have not been issued yet and we were only informed of some broad guidelines, such as no participation for women and the intention to increase the number of members, people are enthusiastic about these elections,” Saeed Al-Harbi, chairman of one of the election committees in Makkah, told Arab News on Sunday.

Al-Harbi, a former member himself, did not expect a huge turnout at the polls. “Many people have a negative perception of municipal councils based on how they have been run so far,” he said.

He also did not expect to see a lot of campaigning like in the first elections.

Human rights activist Maatouq Al-Sharif, who is a human resources trainer, has announced that he would run for the elections. He told Arab News that he plans to organize a training session on how to monitor the elections according to international standards.

“The session will be for those who will monitor the elections and other interested people,” he added.

Al-Sharif, who is an undersecretary of a secondary school in Jeddah, said he decided to run for the elections to restore confidence in the councils. He is running on a manifesto that aims to increase electoral participation in society.

“I am now looking for a team to work with me. If my candidacy is accepted, I will dedicate time to canvass support, but if I failed to honor my electoral commitments or if members of my team or residents are not satisfied with me, I will immediately quit,” he said.

Al-Sharif said he would bank on his reputation in the community and his achievements in social work. “I will not set up camps or write banners like many other candidates,” he said. He promised to issue a monthly bulletin for citizens of Jeddah on the government departments that fail to carry out their duties properly.

Talking to Arab News, Aiedh Al-Shahrani, a secondary school principal in Jeddah who decided to run for the elections, criticized the performance of the outgoing municipal council and said it did not do the work it was elected to do.

“I am backed by 25 years of experience, eight of them as school principal. I believe that I am qualified enough to be a member of the council that needs members who are able to closely monitor the performance of government departments,” he said.

Al-Shahrani said if elected, he would dedicate all his time to the council.

Abdul Moniem Mustapha Al-Shinqiti, an engineer, said people who intend to run for the elections should be well qualified and give their full commitment to the council. “The members should be guided by the public interest,” he added.

Al-Shinqiti said people who were only looking for fame or personal gain should not be allowed to run. “The municipal council is a supervisory body. It should be given all the powers that will allow it to undertake this role,” he said.