Twenty Saudi female candidates won in the recent local government elections, based on results reported by The Associated Press (AP).

On Sunday, AP obtained a copy of the results of the previous day's elections which marked the first time in Saudi Arabia's history that women participated in polls. Twenty female candidates won one percent of around 2,100 available municipal council seats.

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Saturday was a historic event for Saudi Arabia because women not only voted, but they also stood as candidates in the local elections. The event comes after the 2005 and 2011 polls in which only men were allowed to participate.

"As a first step it is a great achievement. Now we feel we are part of society, that we contribute," Reuters quotes Sarah Ahmed, a physiotherapist who voted in north Riyadh. "We talk a lot about it, it's a historic day for us."

The latest move to allow Saudi women to vote has sparked hopes that the Al Saud ruling family will eventually implement future changes in the country's political system. In Saudi, women cannot drive, marry, work, study, travel abroad, or undergo elective surgery without the approval of their male guardian, the report details.

It is worth noting that the female registered candidates still had to stay hidden when speaking during campaigns. In lieu of that, a male representative spoke to the public on their behalf, the report relays.

In 2011, the late King Abdullah announced that women would be allowed to vote in this election. His administration also began to send more women to universities and allowed them to work as part of the goal to give women a bigger role in society.

From 1965 to 2005, no elections were held in Saudi Arabia. Saturday marked the third time that the country had an election and the first time that women participated in polls.

TagsSaudi Arabia Women Vote, Saudi Arabia Women Election, King Abdullah