DAMMAM: Women members will be allowed to effectively contribute to the development of their areas and make suggestions in the council, Judea Al-Qahtani, the director of the municipal council affairs at the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs, has said.

“However, the female participation in the councils will be in accordance with the Shariah law and there will be no direct meetings between female and male members,” he was quoted as saying by local media on Wednesday.

Al-Qahtani said financial benefits for members would be announced soon and refused to indicate the exact financial value.

He denied rumors circulating on social media that the stipend would range from SR300,000 to SR500,000 and that the elected members would also be provided with land to improve their financial standing. “No financial incentives will be offered and circulating rumors are not true at all.”

Regarding the attendance of female members for council meetings and whether they would join their male counterparts at the same table, Al-Qahtani said there would be a special method for their attendance and that they will not mingle with male members.

As for the absence of electronic voting machines during the election, he said that despite the availability of such technology, it had been found that “it does not guarantee transparency and assure accuracy of information.”