Timeline of Ramallah's Growth and Development
1908
Ramallah was designated a city, and Elias Odeh was appointed as its first mayor. The initial municipal council included a representative from each local family.
1924
This year saw the expansion of roads and the removal of structures, extending the cleared area as far as Karm Ali.
1926
The municipality acquired land for the old cemetery.
1927
Main roads were widened, and a powerful earthquake struck, affecting many narrow homes.
1927
Shops for the Latin Patriarchate were built using funds initially donated by the Patriarchate to support community members affected by the earthquake.
1930
The mayor was assigned an annual salary of 162 pounds, though this was canceled after two years.
1934
The council decided to introduce an education tax.
1935
The municipality revived the tradition of observing Sunday as a weekly day off.
1948
Land was purchased for a girls' high school, completed and operational by 1952.
1956
The municipality acquired land south of the cemetery in Al-Masyoun to build a teacher training college under the auspices of UNRWA.
1959
The municipality acquired land in central Ramallah from Jiries Hanna Abu Abdullah to create the Ramallah Municipal Park.
1960
Land was obtained for the construction of Al-Tira Girls' Institute.
1961
The council built the municipal building near the park.
1974
The sewage project was launched, with funds allocated and land purchased along the planned pipeline route.
1979
The council acquired land in Dar Ibrahim for a primary school, which opened in 1980 as Houari Boumediene School.
1982
An assassination attempt targeted Mayor Karim Khalaf by Israeli extremists, also affecting the mayors of Al-Bireh and Nablus. The occupation authorities subsequently dismissed Khalaf, prompting the elected council to suspend its activities in protest.
1996
The first municipal council was appointed by the Palestinian National Authority, led by the late Dr. Issa Ziada.
1999
Engineer Ayoub Rabah was appointed as mayor, succeeding Issa Ziada.
2000
Ramallah Municipality celebrated the third millennium in collaboration with the Bethlehem 2000 project.
2005
After a 29-year hiatus due to the occupation, Ramallah held its first municipal council elections. The new council comprised 15 members.
2006
Janet Mikhail became the first woman to serve as Mayor of Ramallah.
2008
The municipality celebrated its centennial and launched a strategic plan for the city’s development through 2010. That same year, the cultural department launched the annual Wein A Ramallah festival.
2009
In partnership with the Mahmoud Darwish Foundation and the Palestinian Liberation Organization, land was secured to establish Al-Birweh Park and the Mahmoud Darwish Museum, honoring the poet’s legacy.
2011
Several public squares were inaugurated: Yasser Arafat Square, Mahmoud Darwish Square, George Habash Square, and Bashir Barghouti Square.
2012
The Mahmoud Darwish Museum was opened in collaboration with the foundation, and a new municipal council, led by Engineer Mousa Hadid, was elected.
2014
Following a decision by the Supreme Planning Council, the Al-Reyhan residential area was integrated into Ramallah's municipal boundaries, with the municipality providing full services to the district.
2017
Mousa Hadid was re-elected as mayor, launching the Ramallah Resilient 2050 strategy on November 1, along with opening a new public service center and refurbishing the municipal theater.
2018
The Ramallah Park was re-opened with a musical fountain, the Sons of Ramallah 60th Conference and Wein A Ramallah festival took place, and the old town’s Al-Qadeera neighborhood was restored. The Chinese government funded a project to connect new roadways.
2019
The Resilient Ramallah Strategy in culture and education was introduced. Ramallah opened the Para-Olympic Sports Center for persons with disabilities, equipped schools with Palestine’s first virtual educational lab, and provided heating and cooling systems in all public schools. Ramallah joined UNESCO’s Creative Cities Network and signed a sister-city agreement with Oxford, UK.
2020
The newly renovated Ramallah Public Library and Ramallah Park were inaugurated, alongside new roads spanning 8 kilometers.
2021
The Al-Manara complex opened, along with the Chinese School. The Ramallah Sons’ Hospital field hospital was established in just 19 days in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
2022
An agreement was signed to protect Ramallah's old town and its unique heritage buildings. The sludge treatment project was completed with support from Toulouse Municipality, and a stray dog sterilization center was established.
2023
The foundation stone was laid for the Shireen Abu Akleh Museum, a sports village agreement was signed, and construction began on a new school in the Al-Jadwal neighborhood.
