Brussels, 27/09/2011 (Agence Europe) - The EU high representative was, on Monday 26 September, delighted by the announcement made by King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia that women had been granted the right to vote from the next municipal elections in 2015, the only elections in which Saudis vote directly. As of next year, women will also be eligible to take part in the King's advisory council. In a press release, Catherine Ashton encourages the authorities to pursue the road towards gender equality in political, economic and social life. In Saudi Arabia, a highly conservative country, women cannot go out unless accompanied by a man, and they do not have the right to drive. (CG/transl.jl)