Saudi Arabia plans to hold the country's first nationwide elections starting in November, a government source said today.
The source from the Municipal Affairs Ministry said the first stage of local elections, seen as the first concrete political reforms in the absolute monarchy, will be held in the capital Riyadh after the holy Muslim fasting month of Ramadan which ends in mid-November.
The second stage of the polls will take place in the east and south of the oil-rich kingdom before the annual Haj pilgrimage which begins around mid-January while the last stage will be held across the rest of the country after Haj.
The conservative Gulf kingdom announced last October it would hold municipal elections - the first in four decades - after international pressure and domestic reformers called for greater political participation and freedom of expression.
An increase in violence from groups opposed to the monarchy over the last few years has also increased pressure on Saudi rulers to introduce political reforms.