Saudi Arabia
Saudi ArabiaWhat this score means
- Extreme75 to 100
- Severe and systematic. Device search, interception and detention over online activity are documented rather than theoretical. Reconsider what you carry and what you say.
- High50 to 74
- Substantial and consistently evidenced measures. Device inspection, monitored networks or restricted services should be expected rather than treated as unlikely.
- Caution25 to 49
- Some risk, and manageable with precautions. Measures are evidenced but are narrow, inconsistently applied, or the picture is mixed.
- Low0 to 24
- Ordinary precautions. No systematic device search, network restriction or prosecution of visitors for online speech is evidenced.
Government travel advice is written for one citizenry, so the same country carries a different assessment depending on your passport. Change it in the header.
Showing the baseline, which weights every issuer equally. No government in our corpus publishes travel advice written for you, so this is not addressed to you specifically.
For United Kingdom nationals: 67 (high). This leans on advice written for British nationals, and weights other issuers lower.
For Europe nationals: 71 (high). This leans on advice written for German nationals, and weights other issuers lower.
For United States nationals: 70 (high). This leans on advice written for US nationals, and weights other issuers lower.
For Canada nationals: 71 (high). This leans on advice written for Canadian nationals, and weights other issuers lower.
For Latin America and the Caribbean nationals: 72 (high). No government in our corpus writes travel advice for Latin America and the Caribbean, so this starts from the neutral baseline and is then adjusted for the relationship below.Adjusted by 4 percent for the relationship between Latin America and the Caribbean and this destination.For most passports in this region, Saudi Arabia requires a visa in advance, applied for and vetted before travel. Summarised across 33 passports, which do not all face the same rule. Source.A sanctions regime is not a measure of cyber risk. It is used as a bounded proxy for the closer attention nationals of a sanctioning state are reported to receive on entry, and it can move a score by a limited amount in either direction, never replace it.
For Africa nationals: 72 (high). No government in our corpus writes travel advice for Africa, so this starts from the neutral baseline and is then adjusted for the relationship below.Adjusted by 4 percent for the relationship between Africa and this destination.For most passports in this region, Saudi Arabia requires a visa in advance, applied for and vetted before travel. Summarised across 54 passports, which do not all face the same rule. Source.A sanctions regime is not a measure of cyber risk. It is used as a bounded proxy for the closer attention nationals of a sanctioning state are reported to receive on entry, and it can move a score by a limited amount in either direction, never replace it.
For Middle East nationals: 72 (high). No government in our corpus writes travel advice for Middle East, so this starts from the neutral baseline and is then adjusted for the relationship below.Adjusted by 4 percent for the relationship between Middle East and this destination.For most passports in this region, Saudi Arabia requires a visa in advance, applied for and vetted before travel. Summarised across 17 passports, which do not all face the same rule. Source.A sanctions regime is not a measure of cyber risk. It is used as a bounded proxy for the closer attention nationals of a sanctioning state are reported to receive on entry, and it can move a score by a limited amount in either direction, never replace it.
For South Asia nationals: 72 (high). No government in our corpus writes travel advice for South Asia, so this starts from the neutral baseline and is then adjusted for the relationship below.Adjusted by 4 percent for the relationship between South Asia and this destination.For most passports in this region, Saudi Arabia requires a visa in advance, applied for and vetted before travel. Summarised across 14 passports, which do not all face the same rule. Source.A sanctions regime is not a measure of cyber risk. It is used as a bounded proxy for the closer attention nationals of a sanctioning state are reported to receive on entry, and it can move a score by a limited amount in either direction, never replace it.
For East and South East Asia nationals: 70 (high). No government in our corpus writes travel advice for East and South East Asia, so this starts from the neutral baseline and is then adjusted for the relationship below.
For Oceania nationals: 72 (high). No government in our corpus writes travel advice for Oceania, so this starts from the neutral baseline and is then adjusted for the relationship below.Adjusted by 4 percent for the relationship between Oceania and this destination.For most passports in this region, Saudi Arabia requires a visa in advance, applied for and vetted before travel. Summarised across 14 passports, which do not all face the same rule. Source.A sanctions regime is not a measure of cyber risk. It is used as a bounded proxy for the closer attention nationals of a sanctioning state are reported to receive on entry, and it can move a score by a limited amount in either direction, never replace it.
Dimensions
Each dimension is scored independently, because the traveller who cares about legal exposure for what they have posted is often not the one carrying client data. Higher means more risk.
Speech and legal exposure
What legal risk attaches to what I have said online, or say while I am there?
good confidence10 independent sources
Why this score (15 sources)
Freedom House 2026 scored SAU 1 of 4 on freedom to express personal views on sensitive topics without fear of surveillance or retribution.
Freedom House, Freedom in the World · observed 2026-01-01
Freedom House 2026 scored SAU 0 of 4 on free and independent media.
Freedom House, Freedom in the World · observed 2026-01-01
V-Dem Digital Society Project 2025 scored SAU 2.30 of 4 on how routinely the government censors political content on social media, where higher is freer.
V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg, Digital Society Project · observed 2025-12-31
V-Dem Digital Society Project 2025 scored SAU 0.34 of 4 on how often people are arrested for political content they posted online, where higher is freer.
V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg, Digital Society Project · observed 2025-12-31
Saudi Arabia - Level 3: Reconsider Travel
US Department of State, Travel Advisories · observed 2026-10-12 · written for USA nationals
FCDO advice for Saudi Arabia: avoid_all_travel_to_parts, avoid_all_but_essential_travel_to_parts.
UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Foreign travel advice · observed 2026-10-15 · written for GBR nationals
Saudi Arabia: Avoid non-essential travel
Global Affairs Canada, Travel advice and advisories · observed 2026-10-11 · written for CAN nationals
Saudi Arabia (Saudi-Arabien): Reisewarnung: travel warning in force
Auswärtiges Amt, Reise- und Sicherheitshinweise · observed 2026-10-15 · written for DEU nationals
In May 2026, Saudi authorities referred several Saudi citizens to investigations for posting online their criticism of unfair selection of foreigners over Saudi citizens for senior positions in a state-owned company.
CIVICUS Monitor country updates · observed 2026-06-30 · extracted by language model
Saudi authorities may detain you if they consider your social media posts or other online activity to be critical, offensive, or disruptive to the public order.
US Department of State, Travel Advisories · observed 2026-10-12 · written for USA nationals · extracted by language model
On 30th April 2026, Amnesty International reported that Ahmed al-Doush’s mental well-being has deteriorated significantly in prison in Saudi Arabia, where he is arbitrarily detained and serving five years in prison after an unfair trial for charges based on social media use, which violate his right to free expression.
CIVICUS Monitor country updates · observed 2026-06-30 · extracted by language model
Saudi nationals and foreigners have been sentenced to lengthy jail sentences for social media activities, including posts or simple “likes”.
Global Affairs Canada, Travel advice and advisories · observed 2026-10-16 · written for CAN nationals · extracted by language model
He’s just been sentenced to 10 years in a Riyadh court, allegedly for a tweet he posted seven years ago related to Sudan, which provided military support for Saudi Arabia in Yemen, and for his association with a Saudi critic in exile.
Index on Censorship, via a site scoped search · observed 2025-05-19 · extracted by language model
Washington, D.C., October 18, 2024—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Saudi authorities to release Mohammed al-Ghamdi, a Saudi cartoonist for the Qatar-based Lusail newspaper, who was sentenced on an undisclosed date in 2024 to 23 years in prison on charges that his cartoons were sympathetic to Qatar and insulted the Saudi government.
Committee to Protect Journalists, via a site scoped search · observed 2024-10-18 · extracted by language model
Numerous bloggers, dissidents, and women’s rights defenders have faced unjust prosecution , harsh prison sentences , and travel bans simply for expressing dissent and standing up for human rights.
Access Now feed · observed 2024-02-29 · extracted by language model
Report an inaccuracy (corrections need a link to the reporting, statute or research that shows it).
2 excluded sources
- CIVICUS Monitor country updates, observed 2018-07-01: aged out after 8 years.
- SMEX, via a site scoped search, observed 2024-08-23: aged out after 2 years.
Surveillance and interception
How comprehensively are communications intercepted, retained, and monitored, and is commercial spyware in use?
good confidence4 independent sourcesEvidence is ageing: contributing sources are weighted at 54% of full strength.
Why this score (5 sources)
Freedom House 2026 scored SAU 1 of 4 on freedom to express personal views on sensitive topics without fear of surveillance or retribution.
Freedom House, Freedom in the World · observed 2026-01-01
V-Dem Digital Society Project 2025 scored SAU 0.18 of 4 on how comprehensively the government monitors social media and private online communication, where higher is freer.
V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg, Digital Society Project · observed 2025-12-31
Also, Wi-Fi access points exceeded 10,000, and the Communications and Space Technology Commission successfully implemented an AI crowd management experiment using HAI surveillance cameras.
Premium Times feed · observed 2025-06-03 · extracted by language model
They also urged U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration and the U.S. Congress to protect U.S.-based journalists from Saudi transnational repression and spyware.
Committee to Protect Journalists, via a site scoped search · observed 2025-05-12 · extracted by language model
The joint letter highlights the lack of justice for Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi five years on from his murder at the country’s consulate in Istanbul, worsening repression under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and Saudi Arabia’s extensive use of spyware to surveil journalists.
Committee to Protect Journalists, via a site scoped search · observed 2023-10-17 · extracted by language model
Report an inaccuracy (corrections need a link to the reporting, statute or research that shows it).
Encryption and VPN legality
Are VPNs and strong encryption lawful, and can I be required to install an application or hand over keys?
good confidence2 independent sources
Why this score (2 sources)
V-Dem Digital Society Project 2025 scored SAU 0.23 of 4 on whether the government regulates the internet in a way consistent with international human rights standards, where higher is freer. This does not establish whether encryption or VPN use is lawful. It measures internet regulation in general, and is used as indirect evidence because the only survey that reads encryption law directly was published in 2019.
V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg, Digital Society Project · observed 2025-12-31
OONI confirmed blocking on 183 of 7,971 measurements of anonymity and censorship circumvention tools in SAU over the 90 days to 2026-10-16, a confirmed blocking rate of 2.30 percent, with 1,125 further results inconclusive.
Open Observatory of Network Interference, OONI measurement data · observed 2026-10-16
Report an inaccuracy (corrections need a link to the reporting, statute or research that shows it).
Connectivity continuity
How likely am I to lose access to the internet, or to the specific tools I depend on?
good confidence8 independent sources
Why this score (18 sources)
V-Dem Digital Society Project 2025 scored SAU 2.15 of 4 on how often the government shuts down domestic access to the internet, where higher is freer.
V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg, Digital Society Project · observed 2025-12-31
V-Dem Digital Society Project 2025 scored SAU 0.25 of 4 on how routinely the government filters internet content in practice, where higher is freer.
V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg, Digital Society Project · observed 2025-12-31
OONI recorded 735 confirmed and 7,913 anomalous results across 99,685 web connectivity measurements in SAU over the 30 days to 2026-10-16, a confirmed blocking rate of 0.74 percent.
Open Observatory of Network Interference, OONI measurement data · observed 2026-10-16
Saudi Arabia - Level 3: Reconsider Travel
US Department of State, Travel Advisories · observed 2026-10-12 · written for USA nationals
FCDO advice for Saudi Arabia: avoid_all_travel_to_parts, avoid_all_but_essential_travel_to_parts.
UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Foreign travel advice · observed 2026-10-15 · written for GBR nationals
Saudi Arabia: Avoid non-essential travel
Global Affairs Canada, Travel advice and advisories · observed 2026-10-11 · written for CAN nationals
Saudi Arabia (Saudi-Arabien): Reisewarnung: travel warning in force
Auswärtiges Amt, Reise- und Sicherheitshinweise · observed 2026-10-15 · written for DEU nationals
The report further records that authorities in both countries exert near total control over online information, and routinely block websites and internet accounts that might be of public interest, such as the websites of ALQST (blocked in Saudi Arabia since 2015), the Gulf Centre for Human Rights (blocked in Saudi Arabia and the UAE since 2015) and others that might contain content critical of the government or that advocate for human rights and democracy in the country.
CIVICUS Monitor country updates · observed 2026-06-30 · extracted by language model
IODA detected 1 internet outage event affecting Saudi Arabia in the 7 days to 2026-09-10, with an aggregate disruption score of 64,089.
Georgia Tech Internet Intelligence Lab, Internet Outage Detection and Analysis · observed 2026-09-10
IODA detected 1 internet outage event affecting Saudi Arabia in the 7 days to 2026-09-09, with an aggregate disruption score of 64,089.
Georgia Tech Internet Intelligence Lab, Internet Outage Detection and Analysis · observed 2026-09-09
IODA detected 1 internet outage event affecting Saudi Arabia in the 7 days to 2026-09-08, with an aggregate disruption score of 64,089.
Georgia Tech Internet Intelligence Lab, Internet Outage Detection and Analysis · observed 2026-09-08
IODA detected 1 internet outage event affecting Saudi Arabia in the 7 days to 2026-09-07, with an aggregate disruption score of 64,089.
Georgia Tech Internet Intelligence Lab, Internet Outage Detection and Analysis · observed 2026-09-07
IODA detected 1 internet outage event affecting Saudi Arabia in the 7 days to 2026-09-06, with an aggregate disruption score of 64,089.
Georgia Tech Internet Intelligence Lab, Internet Outage Detection and Analysis · observed 2026-09-06
IODA detected 1 internet outage event affecting Saudi Arabia in the 7 days to 2026-09-05, with an aggregate disruption score of 64,089.
Georgia Tech Internet Intelligence Lab, Internet Outage Detection and Analysis · observed 2026-09-05
IODA detected 1 internet outage event affecting Saudi Arabia in the 7 days to 2026-09-04, with an aggregate disruption score of 64,089.
Georgia Tech Internet Intelligence Lab, Internet Outage Detection and Analysis · observed 2026-09-04
IODA detected 1 internet outage event affecting Saudi Arabia in the 7 days to 2026-09-03, with an aggregate disruption score of 63,009.
Georgia Tech Internet Intelligence Lab, Internet Outage Detection and Analysis · observed 2026-09-03
IODA detected 1 internet outage event affecting Saudi Arabia in the 7 days to 2026-09-02, with an aggregate disruption score of 26,659.
Georgia Tech Internet Intelligence Lab, Internet Outage Detection and Analysis · observed 2026-09-02
IODA detected 1 internet outage event affecting Saudi Arabia in the 7 days to 2026-09-01, with an aggregate disruption score of 4,716.
Georgia Tech Internet Intelligence Lab, Internet Outage Detection and Analysis · observed 2026-09-01
Report an inaccuracy (corrections need a link to the reporting, statute or research that shows it).
Border device risk
How likely is my device to be searched, imaged, or seized at the border, and can I be compelled to unlock it?
good confidence6 independent sources
Why this score (7 sources)
Freedom House 2026 scored SAU 1 of 4 on due process in civil and criminal matters.
Freedom House, Freedom in the World · observed 2026-01-01
Saudi Arabia - Level 3: Reconsider Travel
US Department of State, Travel Advisories · observed 2026-10-12 · written for USA nationals
FCDO advice for Saudi Arabia: avoid_all_travel_to_parts, avoid_all_but_essential_travel_to_parts.
UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Foreign travel advice · observed 2026-10-15 · written for GBR nationals
Saudi Arabia: Avoid non-essential travel
Global Affairs Canada, Travel advice and advisories · observed 2026-10-11 · written for CAN nationals
Saudi Arabia (Saudi-Arabien): Reisewarnung: travel warning in force
Auswärtiges Amt, Reise- und Sicherheitshinweise · observed 2026-10-15 · written for DEU nationals
Airport authorities inspect every package and may thoroughly examine all electronic devices entering or leaving Saudi Arabia.
Global Affairs Canada, Travel advice and advisories · observed 2026-10-16 · written for CAN nationals · extracted by language model
通関の際、荷物は全てX線検査を受ける必要があります。
Our translation: At customs clearance, all baggage must undergo X-ray inspection.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, Overseas travel safety information · observed 2026-10-16 · written for JPN nationals · extracted by language model
Report an inaccuracy (corrections need a link to the reporting, statute or research that shows it).
Network threat
How hostile is the network environment to a foreign visitor, from state actors and criminals alike?
moderate confidence2 independent sourcesEvidence is ageing: contributing sources are weighted at 66% of full strength.
No reports were found of attacks, interception or fraud aimed at visitors using networks here. The score below is drawn from general indicators for this country rather than from anything observed about this risk, so it describes an absence of reports rather than evidence that the risk is absent.
What the score rests on (2 indirect sources)
ITU Global Cybersecurity Index 2024, Technical pillar: 20.00 of 20.
International Telecommunication Union, Global Cybersecurity Index · observed 2024-12-31
Freedom House scored Saudi Arabia 13 of 25 on obstacles to access in Freedom on the Net, a category covering state control over internet infrastructure and gateways, regulatory and ownership control over service providers, and the independence of the regulator.
Freedom House, Freedom on the Net, obstacles to access · observed 2025-01-01
Report an inaccuracy (corrections need a link to the reporting, statute or research that shows it).
Data jurisdiction
What happens to corporate or client data I carry into the jurisdiction?
No source currently covers this dimension for this country. That is a gap in our evidence, not a finding that the risk is low.
Trend
The overall score is up 14.2 points over 61 days, from 55.4 to 69.6. Most movement is the event overlay decaying rather than anything happening: a news signal loses half its weight every three weeks, so a score drifts back toward its structural baseline on its own. A step that holds is the one worth reading.
Check this yourself
These are not inputs to the score for Saudi Arabia. They are where to look if you want to test what is above against something we did not use.
- OONI ExplorerMeasured tests of website and app blocking, updated continuously by volunteers running probes in country. Not used in our scores: its licence forbids commercial use.
- IODA outage recordThe full outage history behind any continuity events shown above, including the measurement methods that detected them.
- FCDO travel adviceThe UK government view, written for UK nationals.
- US State Department travel advisoriesThe US government view, written for US nationals.
Sources
This assessment draws on 16 sources: Access Now feed; Auswärtiges Amt, Reise- und Sicherheitshinweise; CIVICUS Monitor country updates; Committee to Protect Journalists, via a site scoped search; Freedom House, Freedom in the World; Freedom House, Freedom on the Net, obstacles to access; Georgia Tech Internet Intelligence Lab, Internet Outage Detection and Analysis; Global Affairs Canada, Travel advice and advisories; Index on Censorship, via a site scoped search; International Telecommunication Union, Global Cybersecurity Index; Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, Overseas travel safety information; Open Observatory of Network Interference, OONI measurement data; Premium Times feed; UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Foreign travel advice; US Department of State, Travel Advisories; V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg, Digital Society Project. Every contributing claim is quoted with its origin and date above. Model version 0.12.0, computed 2026-10-16.
If something here is wrong, say so. Corrections are handled in public, and we correct because the evidence is wrong, not because someone objects.