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20261105 160000 UTC
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[00:04:45] very little. It may not
[00:04:57] need a lot of
[00:04:59] transparency, a lot of
[00:05:00] governance, a lot of
[00:05:25] How many times did you have questions inside you, but you didn't ask them?
[00:05:40] How do municipal councils contribute?
[00:05:45] Municipal councils today development
[00:05:49] and progress. The dialogue arena, together,
[00:05:53] we discuss. Elections of municipal council members
[00:05:56] for the fourth term. With
[00:05:59] the greetings of the Ministry of Interior.
[00:06:30] Peace be upon you. Municipal councils represent
[00:06:32] one of the institutional links
[00:06:36] in the local development system, with
[00:06:38] the roles they play in monitoring
[00:06:41] the needs of wilayats, setting their priorities,
[00:06:44] and following up on projects and related services.
[00:06:47] With the approaching elections for the fourth term,
[00:06:51] attention turns to an electoral event
[00:06:54] in which 763
[00:06:58] male and female candidates
[00:07:01] compete, including 15 women, according to the final
[00:07:04] lists announced by the Ministry
[00:07:07] of Interior. Voting for Omani citizens abroad
[00:07:11] will take place on December 20,
[00:07:15] 2026, while voters inside
[00:07:18] the Sultanate of Oman will cast their votes
[00:07:21] on December 27,
[00:07:24] 2026. These
[00:07:28] elections gain their importance from
[00:07:32] the nature of the role played by
[00:07:35] municipal councils and the demands of
[00:07:38] the upcoming stage for visions capable
[00:07:41] of addressing the needs of wilayats, prioritizing them,
[00:07:45] and achieving balance between service
[00:07:49] demands and development aspirations. Planning
[00:07:53] for projects extends to following up
[00:07:56] on their progress, monitoring the challenges facing
[00:08:00] their implementation, and verifying
[00:08:03] society. Between planning
[00:08:06] and implementation, the importance
[00:08:09] of integration between municipal councils and governors,
[00:08:12] government agencies, and society emerges to ensure that
[00:08:16] proposals are transformed into effective projects
[00:08:19] and that their results are measured by
[00:08:23] the added value and quality they achieve in
[00:08:27] the lives of citizens. Welcome
[00:08:29] to Badr.
[00:08:33] week, we discuss the role of municipal councils in planning
[00:08:36] development projects and following up on their implementation,
[00:08:39] and the extent of their contribution to shaping
[00:08:42] local development priorities. Our first
[00:08:45] segment of the program is this survey
[00:08:48] by our colleague Mohammed
[00:08:50] Al-Rawahi.
[00:08:58] Knowing the needs of wilayats
[00:09:01] among the important pillars of the work of municipal councils. To
[00:09:05] what extent do municipal councils have a comprehensive vision for the needs
[00:09:08] of wilayats? Let's hear the opinions of citizens on that.
[00:09:13] Municipal councils, thank
[00:09:15] of knowledge and experience
[00:09:19] dealing with development
[00:09:22] and the development process. And this does not mean
[00:09:27] field or others. Work is work wherever it is found,
[00:09:31] and in whatever field it is found, it must be subject
[00:09:34] to deficiency because it is human, but
[00:09:38] development and qualification, thank God, are continuous. And every year we see cadres
[00:09:44] who are qualified and have a lot of experience
[00:09:47] and qualification. In my opinion,
[00:09:51] municipal councils possess an advanced and tangible vision for the needs
[00:09:54] of the wilayat, thanks to their direct
[00:09:58] proximity to citizens and continuous
[00:10:02] field interaction. This vision stems from
[00:10:05] community partnership and the use of modern
[00:10:07] digital tools, which contributes to determining
[00:10:11] priorities
[00:10:14] for each wilayat in a scientific and well-studied
[00:10:17] manner. Municipal councils must, of course, have a clear vision
[00:10:21] for the needs of the wilayats,
[00:10:25] according to the powers granted
[00:10:29] to them by the government.
[00:10:32] And the citizen, of course, looks forward to seeing this
[00:10:35] in reality, so that it is translated into
[00:10:38] projects that touch the citizen
[00:10:41] and are followed up by the government
[00:10:44] by going to the citizen and understanding
[00:10:48] their needs, and also having
[00:10:50] justice
[00:10:54] in these
[00:10:57] villages and regions. You know, of course, that
[00:11:00] the regions, they are scattered
[00:11:03] within the governorates, and therefore the issue of development is
[00:11:06] an urgent issue for
[00:11:11] the advisory councils or
[00:11:14] the municipal councils, pardon me, must be close to these
[00:11:18] projects and to the people of the wilayat. After
[00:11:21] three cycles, municipal councils must possess this clear vision.
[00:11:25] Especially since among the required basics
[00:11:28] from them annually is to prepare an annual plan and submit
[00:11:31] it accurately and in detail. Therefore,
[00:11:35] this clear vision must be prepared annually, aligned with Vision
[00:11:38] 2040 and the annual plans
[00:11:42] approved by the Sultanate as well. I believe that
[00:11:45] municipal councils can form a comprehensive vision through direct
[00:11:49] communication with the community and listening to its needs, while taking into account differences
[00:11:52] in priorities from one wilayat to another. And working on
[00:11:56] plans that meet the needs of the present
[00:11:58] and the aspirations and vision of the future.
[00:12:02] And now, dear viewers, let's review the opinions
[00:12:05] of citizens on the importance of a municipal council member following up on
[00:12:08] proposals and recommendations
[00:12:11] and their implementation. Follow-up is the mirror of every serious work, and a
[00:12:14] municipal council member must follow up on decisions
[00:12:17] and follow up on people's opinions and survey them as well. And the follow-up must be periodic
[00:12:21] for all proposals, and also classify them from
[00:12:25] the most important, then the more important,
[00:12:28] then the important, and so on. The basic
[00:12:31] pillar is follow-up
[00:12:35] the municipal council. For ideas and recommendations, unless they are implemented
[00:12:39] on the ground, they are just ink on paper, as
[00:12:42] they say. And they must be linked to
[00:12:46] implementation and follow-up.
[00:12:48] The member's role must be transformed from
[00:12:52] vision to tangible reality in order to strengthen bridges of trust
[00:12:56] between the citizen and the council and ensure increased
[00:13:01] local projects and their sustainability for a
[00:13:04] longer period of time. Follow-up
[00:13:08] limited to putting forward proposals only, but extends to following up
[00:13:12] on their implementation and transforming them into tangible results. The success
[00:13:15] of any proposal is not measured by its submission, but by the positive impact
[00:13:20] society. Dear viewers, these are the opinions
[00:13:23] of citizens on the role of councils
[00:13:25] in identifying the needs of wilayats and the importance of following up on
[00:13:29] proposals and recommendations,
[00:13:31] which contributes to strengthening municipal work and serving society.
[00:13:46] Elections of municipal council members for the fourth term.
[00:13:50] الرابعه.
[00:14:00] Be proactive in registering
[00:14:02] vote.
[00:14:05] Be proactive and make an impact. Elections of municipal council members
[00:14:09] for the fourth term, 2026.
[00:14:11] With the greetings of the Ministry of Interior.
[00:14:15] الداخليه.
[00:14:27] Welcome back, dear viewers, to this episode of
[00:14:30] the "Bader" program. In the context of discussing the developmental role
[00:14:33] of municipal councils and their responsibilities
[00:14:37] in identifying the needs of wilayats and prioritizing
[00:14:40] them, the importance of examining the mechanisms
[00:14:44] of planning for developmental projects and their transition from
[00:14:47] the proposal stage to implementation, and the accompanying
[00:14:51] challenges that require integrated roles
[00:14:55] between various institutions, emerges. To discuss these
[00:14:57] aspects, I welcome our guest in the studio, Mr.
[00:15:01] Abdullah bin Mohammed Al-Abri, academic and chairman of the board
[00:15:05] of directors of Nizwa Club. Mr. Abdullah, welcome to us. Welcome, Mr.
[00:15:09] Yaqoub, to this wonderful program and this wonderful civilized
[00:15:12] handling by Oman TV of local
[00:15:16] and national events. Thank you, welcome, and peace be upon you. When
[00:15:19] we look as a reading of municipal councils in the Sultanate
[00:15:22] of Oman and their chronological sequence, there are sources that indicated that
[00:15:26] municipal councils are not new in the Sultanate of Oman. They started in
[00:15:30] 1939 in Muscat Governorate,
[00:15:33] but, you know, there is a chronological sequence and a certain
[00:15:36] transition for these municipal councils according to the requirements
[00:15:39] of development in those stages. Why
[00:15:43] are municipal councils important in the Sultanate
[00:15:46] of Oman? First, councils in
[00:15:49] the Sultanate of Oman have a very
[00:15:51] significant dimension in Omani
[00:15:55] society. The Omani council and the Omani majlis are
[00:15:59] the basis for resolving disputes and issues,
[00:16:04] villages. This is what we inherited from our fathers. Therefore,
[00:16:08] the word "council" has an impact on the Omani
[00:16:11] personality. Thus, the municipal council, the Shura Council, the State
[00:16:16] Omani culture and Omani identity. Municipal
[00:16:20] councils, of course, in addition to coordinating between the government
[00:16:23] and society, they give
[00:16:27] Omani people
[00:16:29] in dealing with and engaging with their proposals
[00:16:33] and opinions in what serves
[00:16:36] the country, whether in the village or in the city
[00:16:39] or in the Sultanate of Oman as a whole. Therefore, the voice of this citizen
[00:16:42] reaches progressively through
[00:16:45] official channels, including the municipal council, until it reaches
[00:16:48] the responsible planner and implementer, and thus he sees
[00:16:51] the impact of his work in these villages and in
[00:16:54] these cities. This is the importance of municipal
[00:16:58] councils. Let's say, then, Mr. Abdullah, the importance of municipal councils on
[00:17:01] three levels: at the level of the citizen himself, at the level
[00:17:05] of the wilayat and governorate, and at
[00:17:07] the state level. If it is at the citizen level, it is a link between
[00:17:11] the citizen and also the state institutions that work on
[00:17:15] implementing and planning for developmental projects. And at the wilayat level, also,
[00:17:18] there are many projects being implemented now, and we notice
[00:17:22] how the governorates of the Sultanate of Oman are expanding at a rapid pace
[00:17:26] of development, in addition to the fact that at the state level also,
[00:17:29] there is an application today and a certain approach
[00:17:33] in accordance with the royal directives of His Majesty the Sultan and his wise
[00:17:36] vision, which is the principle of decentralization in these governorates.
[00:17:40] These three levels integrate for
[00:17:43] municipal councils. Have municipal councils,
[00:17:46] Mr. Abdullah, achieved the desired role
[00:17:49] from them? Of course, it is
[00:17:52] a qualitative leap
[00:17:56] wilayats and governorates, and therefore the directive of His Majesty
[00:18:00] (may God protect him) is for there to be decentralization in managing affairs
[00:18:03] and in dealing with development programs, whether
[00:18:07] service or development programs. Therefore, the governorates
[00:18:11] became responsible for these programs. Have municipal councils achieved this?
[00:18:14] Yes, to some extent and to a large extent, with variation
[00:18:18] between wilayats. They have achieved much of what the citizen
[00:18:21] aspires to. Previously, we only
[00:18:24] saw centralization in the implementation of some major and minor projects.
[00:18:28] Exactly. Whether service or development projects in
[00:18:32] the wilayats. Now we find real
[00:18:36] movement, and I observe
[00:18:39] it, given my position on the board of directors of Nizwa
[00:18:42] Club, responsible for this. There is engagement from municipal
[00:18:46] listening to segments of society, such as intellectuals,
[00:18:54] professors,
[00:18:57] and schools. All of these
[00:18:59] participating in serving the country through
[00:19:03] the municipal council. Yes, municipal councils have achieved,
[00:19:06] with some variation, let's say, between one wilayat and another, some of what
[00:19:10] the state aspires to in this decentralization.
[00:19:13] And therefore, we expect the next phase to be
[00:19:17] more interactive and more
[00:19:20] events and in serving the projects of
[00:19:23] the wilayats of the Sultanate in general. So, since you referred to
[00:19:27] the issue of the municipal council's proximity to the club and to young people,
[00:19:30] how is this relationship between
[00:19:33] the municipal council and young people? How do you interpret it, Mr. Abdullah?
[00:19:37] In fact, there is satisfaction,
[00:19:41] let's say, among optimists that
[00:19:43] there is a positive interaction
[00:19:47] between members. I'm talking about Nizwa wilayat,
[00:19:50] for example. There's a positive
[00:19:53] and the municipal council, and for example,
[00:19:56] Nizwa Club. Nizwa Club has
[00:19:59] more than 37 local teams distributed
[00:20:03] between Tanuf to Birkat Al Mouz to Khumeila
[00:20:06] to even Al Jabal Al Akhdar. All these local teams still follow Nizwa Club.
[00:20:10] Therefore, listening to these
[00:20:12] local teams, with all the national, youthful,
[00:20:16] qualified cadres
[00:20:19] they contain, to express their opinions in
[00:20:22] serving the wilayat. How is the interaction of young people with municipal council members in your area?
[00:20:25] It's not bad through official channels. There might have been some
[00:20:29] forums, some workshops were held,
[00:20:31] whether directed by the Governor's Office or
[00:20:35] by municipal council members within
[00:20:37] the general public. There is interaction, there is engagement, even through social
[00:20:41] media groups, Mr. Yaqoub. Now they have become
[00:20:45] a driving force for conveying what the people
[00:20:48] of the wilayat are suffering from and what is desired for this wilayat through
[00:20:52] its council. Therefore, there is interaction, there is engagement,
[00:20:57] give and take in discussion. There is a transfer
[00:20:59] of citizen concerns and needs from
[00:21:03] social media to official channels through municipal council members
[00:21:06] in every wilayat, especially Nizwa.
[00:21:11] in the wilayats
[00:21:15] many aspects. Now, what is the role
[00:21:18] of a municipal council member in transforming these
[00:21:21] demands and these needs into developmental
[00:21:24] priorities that are not detached
[00:21:28] the governorate? Before answering this question, Mr. Yaqoub, I
[00:21:31] hope that every municipal council in every wilayat has
[00:21:35] a vision and a mission. What we are witnessing
[00:21:38] now, with all due respect to the great
[00:21:41] work done by the governorates
[00:21:44] and Their Excellencies the Governors, may God reward them, the municipal
[00:21:48] councils, I would say to
[00:21:51] do not live up to the ambition of
[00:21:54] the wise government in our country. There should be
[00:21:57] a clear vision and a clear mission
[00:22:00] for what will be implemented during, for example, the term
[00:22:05] until it is re-elected
[00:22:09] or not
[00:22:10] re-elected.
[00:22:13] I hope that the interaction is in a
[00:22:17] civilized way. We have now passed the stage
[00:22:21] of experimentation and so on. We are, thank God, in the process of gaining
[00:22:24] experience from the Shura Council, the State Council, and we are qualified to interact in a
[00:22:28] civilized way. There are universities, higher education institutes,
[00:22:32] and studies. Professors
[00:22:35] are participating and academics should be involved.
[00:22:39] These people and university students should be involved in what
[00:22:42] the community needs. What we are seeing now is direction,
[00:22:45] as they say in English,
[00:22:49] uh, bottom-up, as they say, or from the top
[00:22:52] down. It should be from the bottom up, meaning
[00:22:56] knowing the needs of this bottom, what does society want, so that
[00:23:00] the top works to achieve these directions, and thus
[00:23:03] there will be integration of roles between society and
[00:23:07] municipal councils so that the vision and mission of each
[00:23:10] municipal council are achieved. Do you think municipal councils today work
[00:23:14] according to data, according to certain statistics, according to certain
[00:23:17] field studies? And sometimes they say
[00:23:21] that, well, a municipal council member cannot,
[00:23:24] for example, implement studies and so on, and only submits
[00:23:28] proposals to the municipal council. And you always know
[00:23:31] better, Mr. Abdullah, since you are an academic, that any proposal
[00:23:35] or any specific initiative must be based on data and
[00:23:38] studies and many things that a municipal council
[00:23:42] member must be aware of. To what extent does this cause a challenge? Also, this
[00:23:45] issue, and how can it be solved? I believe
[00:23:50] we are still before working through
[00:23:54] statistics and through studies.
[00:23:57] We are still in the stage of just what we need to do and accomplish
[00:24:00] like this. Yesterday, I was talking to one of the municipal
[00:24:04] council members, and he is a veteran, actually, for more than one term.
[00:24:08] So I asked, "How is your situation now that you are running
[00:24:11] again?" He said, "Frankly, it seems to us
[00:24:14] as if we have everything in our hands, as
[00:24:18] they say, which is not true.
[00:24:20] We only hear about projects being implemented." Aha.
[00:24:24] Okay. We come to meetings and demand
[00:24:27] studies, but we don't have them. We come to the periodic meetings or,
[00:24:31] for example, urgent ones. Yes. Or not,
[00:24:35] for example, periodic ones. And the meeting minutes
[00:24:38] are prepared in advance.
[00:24:42] We sign the meeting agenda, and the meeting
[00:24:45] ends. That's how we saw it.
[00:24:49] There are no studies. And therefore,
[00:24:51] we are still not at the stage of transparency
[00:24:55] and taking studies and surveys
[00:24:59] and what society aspires to. I hope that in every municipal council
[00:25:03] there is a media spokesperson. I have not seen one in a municipal council.
[00:25:06] Let someone bring me an example if there is one. A media spokesperson after every
[00:25:10] meeting discusses what the council discussed: one, two, three,
[00:25:13] four, five. The challenges: one, two, three.
[00:25:16] The implemented or to be implemented projects: these are for society.
[00:25:20] Do you have, for example, any opinions,
[00:25:23] etc.? There are no statistics yet. I was looking in the past
[00:25:26] two days before this episode, yes, for statistics
[00:25:30] for, for example, municipal council meetings. Frankly, I found
[00:25:35] live up to Oman's civilized experience in
[00:25:39] various consultative
[00:25:42] and parliamentary fields. Therefore, we are still modest. We still
[00:25:50] monitoring in the performance of these councils so that
[00:25:54] we achieve the aspirations of the top and bottom in this dear nation.
[00:25:58] So let's stop at this
[00:26:01] point, Mr. Abdullah, regarding
[00:26:04] the role of a municipal council member. Is it limited only to a procedural
[00:26:08] role of attending meetings
[00:26:11] and, you know, the topics are ready and available, or is there
[00:26:15] also a truly active role and a tangible
[00:26:18] impact for a municipal council member? I believe
[00:26:21] here the royal directives of His Majesty the Sultan
[00:26:25] were also clear regarding the call
[00:26:28] for the integration of roles between municipal council
[00:26:31] members and also the governor, so that this
[00:26:35] process is complementary. Today we are talking about the complementarity
[00:26:38] of roles, whether between these elected councils or
[00:26:41] also with the executive bodies that work on
[00:26:45] implementing various developmental projects, and that
[00:26:48] the role of a municipal council member is not limited
[00:26:51] procedural meetings, because this creates a gap, it also creates
[00:26:55] a distance between society and municipal council members, and it is a connected
[00:26:59] chain that also distances
[00:27:02] citizens or voters from nominating themselves for
[00:27:06] municipal councils, because councils today feel an impact. There may actually
[00:27:10] be impacts that have also been achieved, to be
[00:27:12] fair. There are also many impacts and works
[00:27:15] that have been achieved by municipal council members. But what dominates
[00:27:19] these municipal councils? Municipal councils
[00:27:22] have a big role, so we don't deny their right, and the future
[00:27:25] is better, and Oman deserves the best from these councils. But
[00:27:29] what is the official nature of municipal councils? It is only periodic
[00:27:33] meetings, and therefore what the viewer or
[00:27:36] follower or this voter
[00:27:39] I mean, in the council, what happened, what was achieved, what are
[00:27:43] the challenges? I mentioned earlier in the previous
[00:27:46] question, one of the municipal council members told
[00:27:49] me, "We only ask when there are problems with the residents."
[00:27:53] Aha. I mean, a project is being implemented,
[00:27:56] okay? A service project, for example, let's say lighting, or for example, paving
[00:28:00] roads, or for example, connecting fiber optic cables
[00:28:04] and so on. Only, I mean,
[00:28:09] residents is how we resolve matters with these
[00:28:12] people who might be an obstacle to implementing projects. So
[00:28:16] where were we from the beginning of the project? Why didn't
[00:28:20] ourselves in planning and in studying these projects so that we are
[00:28:24] aware and therefore we can tell you what the expected
[00:28:27] challenges are? I'll give you an example, Mr. Yaqoub. A few
[00:28:31] years ago, I was talking to an elderly man in
[00:28:34] Nizwa. This elderly man was 80 years old. Yes. This
[00:28:38] elderly man, he might be seen as an ordinary person,
[00:28:41] but this man studied outside the Sultanate in more than
[00:28:46] the sixties, and he studied in Poland. Clearly.
[00:28:49] And he returned to Oman and became one of the national figures in the country, and now
[00:28:53] he has passed away to the afterlife. But I was
[00:28:56] asking him after the implementation of the sewage project in Nizwa,
[00:29:00] after its inauguration, of course, that project, transparently,
[00:29:03] and this is available, faced countless
[00:29:06] challenges. Yes. Clearly.
[00:29:09] And huge amounts of money were poured
[00:29:13] into addressing these challenges with
[00:29:16] citizens, with roads, even the last incident was the
[00:29:19] collapse of Wadi Bighir, I mean, without
[00:29:23] being accompanied by these waters. It came out like that on its
[00:29:27] own, I mean, to Nizwa, this section.
[00:29:31] available, but I asked this elderly man, what do you think?
[00:29:34] And he was one of the beneficiaries. What
[00:29:37] do you think, father, about this project? He told me frankly
[00:29:41] and simply that it is a failed project. The word
[00:29:44] is big, but I ask why the father, excuse us for the
[00:29:48] simple talk, he said if they had consulted us
[00:29:50] as fathers and residents of the area, we would have advised them
[00:29:53] to place the pumping station somewhere other than
[00:29:56] its current location. I asked him how. He said they put it in
[00:29:59] that place. I know it in Nizwa and now all of
[00:30:04] this place, its elevation, we know from the aflaj
[00:30:08] its elevation level is equivalent to the elevation level of Nizwa
[00:30:11] Fort. Meaning pumping, yes,
[00:30:15] water to the elevation of Nizwa Fort until it reaches
[00:30:18] the pump. He says if they had consulted us, we would have told them to put it on the
[00:30:21] other side so that it would flow smoothly. This
[00:30:25] is an example that
[00:30:28] in taking, so that we don't encounter problems later and it escalates. And listening
[00:30:40] to these opinions, yields positive results.
[00:30:43] And this is, Professor Abdullah, the government
[00:30:47] plans, the strategic plans
[00:30:50] that are built on community participation, because the
[00:30:54] geographical nature of the Sultanate of Oman, this is what you talked about,
[00:30:57] relates to the geographical nature, of course.