RIYADH: The ecstatic mood of women voters was evident from their comments on social media on Saturday — the polling day for the historic municipal elections in the Kingdom. A large number of female voters expressed their joy at being able to vote for the first time in the Kingdom.

“I just voted for the first time in my life!”

“It feels amazing to know I have a voice and it matters.”

These were some of the comments by female voters on Twitter and other social media platforms.

For the first time in the history of Saudi Arabia, women participated in the civic elections as voters and candidates. The turnout was high, as reported by local media.

A total of 978 women had registered as candidates alongside 5,938 men for the elections. Around 130,000 women registered to vote, although the figure is lower than 1.35 million males who registered for voting, said officials.

The decision to allow women to take part in the elections was taken by the late King Abdullah, and is seen as a key part of his legacy and one of the milestones in ensuring women’s contributions to decision-making bodies like the municipal bodies and Shoura Council.