So far, twelve media firms have been licensed by the General Saudi Committee for Municipal Elections to organize and run the election campaigns. The number of licenses to be granted to media establishments is expected to rise in the next few days. The campaigns are due to start Sunday and continue for a period of 11 days. The committee will be announcing the final list of candidates on Saturday.

In accordance with the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosque's Royal Decree ordering the payment of two additional monthly salaries to all employees working in the public sector, the Board of Directors of Okaz Organization for Press and Publication has approved an allocation of SR6.5 million in order to make similar additional payments to its staff, according to The Saudi Gazette.

The Saudi Gazette reports that Prince Sultan Bin Salman, President of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA), has announced the launch of Saudi Voyager, a tourism magazine for expatriate workers in Saudi Arabia and foreign tourists. The trial issue of Saudi Voyager, an 80-page glossy magazine, has received rave reviews and will cover topics that include Saudi heritage sites, regional tourist spots, excursion sites and festivals.