1.      Introduction

The Urban Development and Construction Bureau of Afar Regional State was organized in 1992 with the name of “Works and Urban Development and Energy Bureau” and functioned until 2000 incorporating rural roads, minerals and energy related undertakings as one sector. Following this, in accordance with Proclamation number 15/2001 which was issued by the regional state to determine the powers and duties of the region’s executive bodies, the Bureau was established as an executive office with the name of Works and Urban Development Bureau around the end of 2001.

The main reason or objective of establishing the Bureau was to make the society the beneficiary of development through participating in all urban related issues in the region and expanding economic and social services which are anchored on good governance in cities and cutting the number of unemployed people by creating numerous job opportunities which will significantly reduce the widespread unemployment in urban areas.

Following the national organizational changes put into effect by the Urban Development and Construction Ministry and the subsequent agreement of the region’s executive bodies to undertake these organizational changes, the Bureau was reestablished in 2010, with the name of “Urban Development and Construction Bureau” by Proclamation Number 55/ 2010. The Bureau has its own vision, mission, authority, duties, values, direction and areas of focus and was established with the view that it would have an enormous regional contribution in the urban development and construction sector.

The sector bureau is led by a bureau head and deputy head. It is a sector which is functioning by encompassing rural roads authority, Small and Micro Enterprises development agency, urban administration and municipalities under its administration and making them accountable to it.