All set for Saudi municipal elections

As Saudi Arabia approaches the launch of the first phase of the third municipal council elections, the Executive Committee supervising the event, has called for Saudi citizens to participate in the electoral process.

Saudi women will be voting in the local elections for the first time in the history of the Kingdom and 83 percent of the new voting centers are set aside for them.

The committee has identified a total of 1,263 voting centers, including 424 centers exclusively for women voters, distributed in 284 municipalities.

The number of voting centers rose by 511 compared to the last elections in 2011, when 752 centers were used.

A new municipal system has been put in place, which expands the powers of the municipal council, giving it financial and administrative independence.

The age of voters has also been changed from 21-years-old to 18-years-old, which is allegedly due to the low turnout of voters in previous elections.

The elections will be held on December 12, and the results will be announced next day.