Saudi Arabia took tentative steps toward political reform by announcing its first ever council elections, report agencies.  

This will be the first political election in the nation since its inception in 1932.  Saudi Arabia is governed by an unelected Shura Council, and has no parliament.  

A statement issued by the Council of Ministers said the government had decided to "widen the participation of citizens in running local affairs through elections",  and that half the members of future councils would be elected under the new system. 

The elections to 14 municipalities would be held within a year. This follows  "King Fahd's speech about widening popular participation and confirming the country's progress towards political and administrative reform," it said. 

After 9/11, Riyadh has been under pressure from the western world, particularly the US, to initiate democratic reforms. The nation follows the puritan Wahhabi sect of Islam, which calls for a strict and orthodox moral code.

Western observers, and even many locals, believe the lack of democratic freedoms has made the kingdom a breeding ground for extremists. The debate was stepped up nationally after suspected Al Qaeda suicide bombers carried out unprecedented strikes in Riyadh in May.

The announcement about the elections coincided with the start of a two-day international conference on human rights conference in Riyadh, the first ever in the nation.  Rights of women and children are expected to be on the agenda of the conference, being attended by academics and scholars from across the world.