In pictures: Saudi women in historic vote

Saudi Arabia has held its first ever poll where women were allowed to vote and to stand as candidates. Here are some images from the historic municipal election.

A woman arrives at a polling station in the coastal city of Jeddah. Voters are selecting candidates for some 2,100 council seats across the country.

Many of the women recorded the occasion on their phones. Here, activist Ghada Ghazzawi makes a video thanking the late King Abdullah for the reforms allowing women to vote.

Election officials keep an eye on the process in Riyadh. As with much public life in the kingdom, women at the polling stations were segregated from men.

A woman casts her ballot in Jeddah. Some 130,000 women were registered to vote - a number far below the 1.35m registered male voters.

Amal Badreldin al-Sawari was one of 978 women who registered as candidates. Nearly 6,000 men are also running in the council election.

Saudi women leave a polling station in Riyadh after casting their votes. The results for the election are due to be announced later on Saturday.

Many women hope this will be the first step towards greater gender equality in Saudi Arabia.

At a polling station, a sign reminds women of the need for appropriate dress. Saudi society remains deeply conservative, with women forbidden from driving.