The announcement on the website of the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs did not say if women would be able to take part or give more details.

"The first phase of the elections will start on Saturday, 19/5/1432," it said, a date in the Islamic calendar that is likely to fall on April 23.

The government is trying to stave off a wave of unrest that toppled the rulers of Egypt and Tunisia and that has spread to neighbouring Yemen, Bahrain and Oman.

Rights activists said the elections were a gimmick.

"The elections will not have an effect or bring stability to the kingdom because people understand that it's a political gimmick," said political activist Mohammed al-Qahtani.

The Saudi family dominates political life, political parties are banned and there is no elected parliament. The municipal councils are half filled by appointees by Saudi princes who occupy provincial governor positions and have little power.

Municipal polls were due again in 2009 but the government announced a delay of two years. The web statement said the ministry began preparing for the new elections several months ago before a final deadline for holding the votes in October.

Media made no fanfare around the election announcement, which the ministry statement presented as a routine affair according to fixed schedules.

A Western diplomat said it was possible that April 23 was only a date in the process of organizing elections which would be held sometime by October.

King Abdullah announced a massive $93 billion in social handouts last week, including funding for the security forces and religious establishment, that analysts said aimed to mollify the population and key pillars of Saudi family rule.

But there were no political concessions. The one acknowledgement of criticism appeared to be the creation of a new body with a large budget to fight corruption.