Law No. 5 of 1969 on towns and villages planning.

This Law consists of 11 Chapters divided into 74 articles: Plans (I); Preparation of plans and their approval (II); Official Maps (III); Use and classification of zones (IV); Public utilities (V); Land subdivision (VI); Buildings (VII); Re-planning of blighted and underdeveloped areas (VIII); General rules (IX); Sanctions (X); Provisions and final rules (XI).Terms and definitions are given in article 1. Every municipality shall have a plan to show how the towns and villages in the Municipality will grow and develop (art. 2). Plans shall be divided into Master plans and Lay-out plans (art. 3). The plans shall study and analyse the social, economic and natural situations, and the population and the trend of their growth (art. 4). Plans shall be prepared for a period of not less than 20 years, and divided into stages (art. 6). The Ministry of Municipality Affairs shall prepare the plans in cooperation with Municipalities, the Ministry of Planning and Development and other concerned Authorities (art. 7). An Advisory Committee for Towns and Villages Planning shall be established (art. 8). The Ministry shall submit the plans to the Committee to have them studied, revised and to define the category of the plans (art. 9). Zones shall be divided into: agricultural; tourist and archaeological; open; residential; administrative; commercial; and industrial zones (art. 20). The Municipality, within its administrative district, shall construct, manage and maintain the public facilities related to the water supply networks, sewerage in roads and public streets, gas, internal networks for water, etc. (arts. 23 and 24). The establishment or modification of a subdivision of any land shall be carried out only upon the grant of a licence issued by the concerned authority (art. 32). During the subdivision of land, a proportion of 35 percent of the total area of the land shall be allocated for roads, squares, gardens, public parks and public facilities (art. 34). The subdivision of land in areas exposed to danger or not suitable for building shall no be allowed (art. 35). Once the preliminary approval of the project has been received, the landowner shall level, define roads and lots by distinguished marks (art. 40). The landowner shall deposit at the Land Registration Office an official copy of the adopted subdivision project and the licence (art. 42). Building regulations shall be issued by a decision of the Municipality Council (art. 47).