Saudi Arabia: Women get right to vote for first time

Riyadh: In a path-breaking shift, women in Saudi Arabia are registering to cast their ballots in nationwide local elections for the first time in the history of the country.

A new law also permits Saudi Arabian women to run in local elections.

In the beginning, voter registration turnout was low in Medina and Mecca, where registration for the third Municipal Elections in December opened earlier than in the rest of the country. However, officials hoped it would pick up.

According to the Saudi Gazette, Jamal Al-Saadi and Safinaz Abu Al-Shamat became the first two women to receive their voter cards.

It was in 2011 when late King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud decided to grant females the right to vote and compete in elections.

The move is a bold one in a nation where women are not even allowed to drive, engage in paid work or higher education, or marry without the permission of a male guardian.