Riyadh Reorganises City Governance Into Five Sectors

Riyadh has announced a major administrative restructuring that replaces its 16 municipal offices with a new five-sector system, marking a key step in transforming how the capital’s urban governance operates. The new model aims to decentralise city management, streamline service delivery, and align with the broader goals of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030.

The initiative, led by the Royal Commission for Riyadh City (RCRC), establishes five main sectors across the capital: Northern, Eastern, Western, Central, and Southern. Each sector will oversee its own planning, development, and municipal services, ensuring decisions are made closer to the communities they affect.

According to the commission, the move is designed to enhance efficiency, improve responsiveness, and provide better-quality services across Riyadh’s rapidly expanding urban landscape. It replaces the previous structure of municipal offices with a sector-based framework aimed at promoting sustainable development and integrated planning.

The reorganisation also supports the city’s long-term ambitions under the Riyadh Strategy, which seeks to position the capital as one of the world’s ten largest city economies. By adopting a decentralised governance system, the RCRC hopes to make public services more accessible, boost transparency, and encourage local participation in urban development.

The transformation represents one of the largest administrative shifts in Riyadh’s modern history and forms part of a broader effort to enhance the city’s competitiveness and quality of life.