Saudi Arabia: Two women elected in landmark vote

Two women have been elected to the board of directors of Jeddah Chamber of Commerce, in a landmark vote. Lama al-Sulaiman and Nashwa Taher surprised everyone by winning two of the 12 seats on the board in an election where women were allowed to run for the first time, but which none of the 17 female candidates were expected to win.

"I'm excited and exhausted," al-Sulaiman told the Saudi newspaper Arab News after hearing the results. "I'm still in shock. I worked hard and went for a win but I also gave myself a leeway so as not to be disappointed if I didn't win," she said.

Taher, 44, who helps run a group of family companies, said the result was very significant. "This means there is trust [in women]. Professionalism is very important... And this is my message to Saudi women: Take your work seriously, without forgetting your role as a mother and wife."

Al-Sulaiman and Taher both ran for election as part of the Lejeddah group, which swept the board, thanks to a well-organised campaign, Arab News reports. In the run-up to the elections they pledged to support small companies, review and facilitate government procedures, support businesswomen and Saudisation, as well as support the chamber's initiatives both nationally and internationally.

Some 21,000 members of the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce, around half of its membership, were entitled to vote in the election. Officials said there was a record turnout, and the biggest number of candidates in the chamber's 60-year history.

One male voter said he had voted for four women, explaining: "We should give them a chance because they have little representation in society."

Earlier this year the first municipal elections were held in Saudi Arabia for some forty years. However, while prisoners were allowed to vote, Interior Minister Prince Nayef dashed initial hopes that women would be able to take part, saying it would not be logistically possible to set up female-only voter registration centres staffed by women.