Saudi Arabia

Same-sex sexual activity is prohibited under Sharia law, under which all sex outside of marriage, including same-sex sexual activity, is criminalised. The maximum penalty under the law is the death penalty. Both men and women are criminalised under this law. In addition to potentially being captured by laws that criminalise same-sex activity, trans people may also face prosecution for failing to adhere to strict dress codes imposed under Sharia law.

The provision has its origins in Islamic law, with Saudi Arabia operating an uncodified criminal code based upon Sharia principles.

There is substantial evidence of the law being enforced in recent years, with LGBT people being frequently subject to arrest. Some of those arrested have been executed by authorities. Due to the opacity of Saudi Arabia law enforcement, it is not possible to provide accurate estimates of the number of arrests, prosecutions, and executions.

There have been consistent reports of discrimination and violence being committed against LGBT people in recent years, including murder, assault, harassment, and the denial of basic rights and services. Societal stigma and the absence of LGBT organisations limits reporting of discrimination.

2024

Freedom House’s Freedom in the World report noted that Saudi Arabia’s grand mufti – the highest official of religious law in the country – stated that the punishment for same-sex activity is up to five years’ imprisonment and a fine of $800,000.

2023

The US Department of State report for 2023 noted that “under Sharia, as interpreted in the country, consensual same-sex sexual conduct was punishable by death or flogging, depending on the perceived seriousness of the case … It was illegal for men ‘to behave like women’ or to wear women’s clothes, and vice versa.” Furthermore, publicly advocating for the human rights of LGBT people is illegal, and can result in arrest and imprisonment.

2023

The US Department of State report for 2023 noted that there were no reports of prosecutions for same-sex activity during the year. However, it reported that in May, an LGBT rights activist living in exile in the United States revealed in an online video that plainclothes police officers arrested him in Saudi Arabia in 2021, and he was sentenced to a year’s imprisonment and a fine.

In August, the Committee for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice arrested a young man perceived as homosexual for “exposing himself to indecency on Twitter”.

2022

According to the US Department of State, in October, gay social media personality Suhail al-Jameel was released from prison after being detained for three years on public indecency charges for posting a picture of himself on Twitter shirtless and wearing swim shorts.

2021

In October, local media reported that police arrested “five men who appeared in public in women’s clothing … A police spokesman described their conduct as ‘inconsistent with the public morals of society’.”

2020

Human Rights Watch reported that in April, a Yemeni blogger living in Saudi Arabia was arrested for advocating for equality for LGBT people. In July he was sentenced to ten months’ imprisonment and a fine, followed by deportation, under ‘public indecency’ laws. While in detention he was subjected to solitary confinement, beatings, and torture.

2019

In April, Saudi Arabia announced it had executed 37 men. Reports suggest that five of those were executed for same-sex sexual activity.

In October, it was reported that a gay social media user had been arrested for posting a picture of himself in shorts at the beach online.

2018

According to the US Department of State, in January, police arrested several young men they alleged appeared in a ‘gay wedding scene’ on video. It is not known under what law they were arrested, and whether they were prosecuted.

2017

According to the Human Rights Watch World Report: “Judges use principles of uncodified Islamic law to sanction people suspected of committing sexual relations outside marriage, including … homosexual sex. If individuals are engaging in such relationships online, judges and prosecutors utilize vague provisions of the country’s anti-cybercrime law that criminalize online activity impinging on ‘public order, religious values, public morals, and privacy.’”

In March, two transgender Pakistanis were tortured to death by police after a raid in which 35 transgender people were arrested.

2016

It was reported by a Saudi-based news outlet that as many as 35 cases had been brought against gay men for ‘obscene behaviour’ in the previous six months, as well as a number for ‘cross dressing’. This followed reports that prosecutors were pushing for more severe penalties, including the death penalty, for LGBT people.

2014

In July, it was reported that a gay man, who allegedly tried to arrange a date via Twitter, was sentenced to 450 lashes and three years’ imprisonment.

2012

A report alleged there were 260 arrests for same-sex sexual activity in one year, highlighting the likelihood of underreporting in international media due to the difficulty in accessing accurate data.

2011

A report from the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada suggested that, due to the nature of law enforcement in the country, information on the number of successful prosecutions is “almost non-existent”. The report also included contradictory views on whether the death penalty is actively applied for individuals found guilty of same-sex sexual relations. The report detailed a number of individual instances of prosecution.

2025

Outright International reports in its country overview on Saudi Arabia that: “violence and discrimination against LGBTIQ people remain persistent issues, and the media portrayal of LGBTIQ people is predominantly negative. Some report that it is somewhat socially acceptable for people to engage in sexual activity with others of the same sex if they remain private about their activities. In May 2023, Saudi Arabia updated its official tourist website to state that it welcomes LGBT travelers.”

2023

The US Department of State report for 2023 noted that widespread stigmatisation and discrimination existed, including reports of physical violence and harassment based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Clerics condemned homosexuality during government-approved Friday sermons at some mosques. In April, international media reported that some LGBT people who had come out had been forced into exile. LGBT organisations are not permitted to operate in the country, and there are no official LGBT advocacy events.

In March, Eden Knight, a transgender woman killed herself after she said her parents lured her back home in Saudi Arabia and pressured her to detransition. Eden was previously studying in the US. She said she struggled to continue transitioning as her family searched her belongings and monitored her closely, calling her “a freak” and “an abomination”.

2022

According to the US Department of State, in June, Commerce Ministry officials seized rainbow-coloured toys and children’s clothing from shops in Riyadh and claimed that the items “contradict the Islamic faith and public morals and promote homosexual colours targeting the younger generation.”

2019

Two Saudi journalists fled to Australia and sought asylum after they were reportedly outed by Saudi state security in retaliation for contact with foreign media.

2014

A report by Defend Democracy highlights the strength of anti-gay attitudes currently disseminated to students in Saudi textbooks. One tenth grade textbook, the article suggests, discusses the best method of executing LGBT individuals: “by fire, stoning, or being thrown from a high place”.

The country profiles on the Human Dignity Trust’s website are developed through a combination of in-house expertise and research, including monitoring media reports; sourcing reports from partners and stakeholders; and reviewing reports from governments and other human rights organisations.

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