This realization was most evident in the two major cities of Riyadh and Jeddah, where the voter turnout was less than 10 percent.

Citizens learned from the experience of the last municipal councils, which existed six years without achieving anything that the citizens expected and aspired to.

So, the need of the hour is to review the powers of municipal councils, so that they enable effective participation in the supervision of the activities of municipalities. If the councils have no power over the municipalities and there is no coordination between municipal councils and municipal offices, any reform in the functioning of municipalities will remain only on paper.

It is also evident that municipal elections are needed to create a culture of elections in the country, particularly when the next elections will be held with women’s participation.

Therefore, women citizens have also to be made aware of the need and importance of municipal elections and councils. In addition, the elections need reforms and improvements to make them produce better results.

However, the most important thing is to grant wider powers to the councils in order to attract people’s meaningful involvement.