Thirteen Saudi women are looking to get married in a hurry so that they can qualify for a university scholarship to study outside the conservative Muslim kingdom.
Islamic Saudi Arabia, the world's biggest oil exporter, has no need for women members of parliament or elections, a senior prince said in remarks published on Wednesday.
Saudi rights activists have sent King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz a petition asking for an elected parliament, term limits on royal princes appointed to official posts, and an end to "secret tribunals" for Saudis charged with terrorism offences.The petition, which also requests that the post of prime
Saudi Arabia has delayed municipal elections in which women were hoping to take part for the first time, for two years, according to state media.
Sohaila Zain el-Abideen, a Saudi women's rights activist, said that whatever was behind the government's announcement she believes women will become participants in the country's politics.
Hana Al-Zuhair and Samira Al-Suwaigh were among the six members appointed Sunday by Commerce and Industry Minister Abdullah Zainal Alireza to the Asharqia Chamber. This is the first time women in the Eastern Province will serve on the chamber’s board.
A group of women has launched a website campaigning for the participation of women in municipal elections. The initiative, called "Baladi," has so far attracted over 2,000 members. Organizers say the campaign is independently run by women and has supporters from different parts of the Kingdom.
Saudi women have no right to vote in the rare, countrywide elections Saudi officials hold or to drive on the kingdom's roads. They have little say in matters of marriage and divorce.