Saudi women allowed to vote, run for elections for first time

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia

Saudi women are set to vote and run for the first time ever in the country’s municipal elections that kicked off Saturday.

There are 6,917 candidates, including 979 women, competing for 2,106 out of 3,159 seats. The remaining one-third of seats will be appointed.

Women were not allowed to run in municipal elections or cast their votes in 2005 and 2011, but reforms were introduced in 2014.