The Ministry of Municipal and Rural affairs is currently working on the executive bylaws for the issue of licenses to pursue any activity that requires its license. Any such activity should be undertaken only after getting the license from the ministry and also from the concerned government department, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Saturday.

The new regulation stipulates that any new activity, or change, renewal, or stopping a licensed activity should be carried out with the permission from the ministry and other government department related to the activity. It also stipulates that the municipality should make a decision on an application for license within 10 days from the date of application.

All mayoral and Grade A municipalities should set up an office for coordination of the licensing process with the government department related to the activity for which the license is required. The office will also have to submit periodic report on its activities including the number of licenses issued by it. The civil defense will also have to respond to the application within that period.

However, the concerned government department should issue a primary approval to the applicant within 10 days after the application and the final license could be issued later when the municipal formalities would be completed

The new law also stipulates that a municipality should set up a committee to investigate in the event of an application be rejected or fines are imposed on the applicant. The committee will have to make a decision on the matter within 60 days.