FACTBOX - Developments in women's rights in Saudi Arabia

Women walk past an empty coffee shop during summer, with temperatures rising above 42 degrees Celsius (108 degrees Fahrenheit) in Riyadh July 12, 2007. REUTERS/Ali Jarekji

"Saudi Arabia, which is considered one of the most conservative countries in the world, especially in regards to women’s rights, has in recent months taken some steps to grant its women more freedoms.

 Here is a look at the latest developments in women’s rights in the kingdom.

   * POLITICS- In February, King Abdullah swore in the country's first female members of the Shura Council, an appointed body that advises on new laws, in a move that has riled conservative clerics in the Islamic monarchy."

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