The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has taken another step forward in its municipal governance reform agenda through a workshop in Riyadh convened by the Ministry of Municipalities and Housing (MoMaH), together with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), to support the national effort to update and align municipal supervisory boundaries as part of the wider transformation of the municipal system.

The Boundary Alignment Workshop, held on 30 September 2025, brought together more than 60 participants from Amanahs, Baladiyahs and international partners. It provided a platform to review current supervisory boundary arrangements, examine areas of misalignment and exchange experiences on approaches to improve planning efficiency, service delivery and coordination across jurisdictions. The experience of Al-Baha, which has recently completed a similar alignment exercise, was shared as a practical national case from which other regions can draw.

Opening remarks were delivered by Mr. Khalid Alghmlas, Deputy Minister for Urban Planning and Lands at MoMaH; Dr. Margaret Jones Williams, Deputy Resident Representative, United Nations Development Programme in Saudi Arabia; and Ms. Taina Christiansen, UN-Habitat Country Representative in Saudi Arabia.

The boundary alignment work is one of the implementation tracks under the Classification and Reconfiguration of the Municipal System (CRMS), a multi-year national programme to modernize municipal structures, harmonize administrative boundaries and enhance institutional capacity in line with Vision 2030, the Sustainable Development Goals and the New Urban Agenda.

Speaking on behalf of UNDP, Dr. Margaret Jones Williams underlined the institutional value of the reform effort, stating: “Through the CRMS initiative, we have an opportunity to link jurisdictions with responsibilities, advance local planning, and reinforce the institutional capacity and governance frameworks that will sustain this transformation.”

The work is taking place within the Spatial Planning Reform and Visual Appeal Programme, a three-year collaboration between MoMaH, UNDP and UN-Habitat that comprises initiatives to strengthen spatial planning governance, empower municipalities and support innovation in urban development. This collaboration demonstrates Saudi Arabia’s commitment to strengthening public institutions and advancing national reform through evidence-based, internationally benchmarked approaches that deliver more inclusive, sustainable and effective urban development.