Qatar’s Municipal elections came and went in mid-March attracting a lot of international attention, generating some excitement within the country and laying down an important, if undramatic, landmark in the progress of political reform in the Gulf. The participation of women as voters and candidates was the critical issue.As one might expect, bearing in mind the small numbers of voters and candidates, the elections ran smoothly and the turnout of registered voters was high; some 90-95% in Doha and 60-75% in rural areas.