- Homosexuality
- ⚢✖ Illegal (death penalty as punishment)
- Gay Marriage
- ⚭✖ Banned
- Censorship
- ✖ Imprisonment as punishment
- Changing Gender
- ✖ Illegal
- Gender-Affirming Care
- ✖ Banned
- Non-Binary Gender Recognition
- ✖ Not legally recognized
- Discrimination
- ✖ No protections
- Employment Discrimination
- ✖ No protections
- Housing Discrimination
- ✖ No protections
- Adoption
- N/A
- Intersex Infant Surgery
- ✖ Not banned
- Military
- ✖ Illegal
- Donating Blood
- Ambiguous
- Conversion Therapy
- ✖ Not banned
- Age of Consent
- N/A
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Public Opinion
Research in attittudes towards LGBTQ+ issues in Saudi Arabia have identified a strong opposition to LGBTQ+ rights, reflecting underlying homophobic sentiments.
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Homosexual activity in Saudi Arabia is illegal (death penalty as punishment).
Current status
Illegal (death penalty as punishment)
Homosexuality is punishable by death in Saudi Arabia due to the country's legal system being based on Sharia law. Sharia law punishes all sex outside of marriage with the death penalty, and homosexual sex falls under this law.
Same-sex marriage in Saudi Arabia is banned.
Current status
Banned
Sharia law defines marriage as between a man and a woman, therefore banning same-sex marriage.
Censorship of LGBT issues in Saudi Arabia is imprisonment as punishment.
Current status
Imprisonment as punishment
In Saudi Arabia, there are laws restricting freedom of Expression . While there is not a specific law that bans freedom of expression, a prominent number of figures have been sentenced to lashings , imprisonment due to promoting LGBTQ topics.
Right to change legal gender in Saudi Arabia is illegal.
Current status
Illegal
Sharia laws prohibit crossdressing
Gender-affirming care in Saudi Arabia is banned.
Current status
Since 2014
Banned
Since 2014, Saudi Arabia has introduced several medical directives banning gender affirming care from being provided to trans Saudis and restricting it to only intersex Saudis as "sex correction" surgeries while banning sex change surgeries.
Restricted
Some may happen however it requires the approval of authorities and transgender people even after transition face abuse from peers and police alike. Additionally trans people are not allowed to make the pilgrimage to Mecca.
However since 2014, Saudi Arabia has passed multiple medical directives to ensure that only intersex people have access to such care while criminalising it for trans people.
However since 2014, Saudi Arabia has passed multiple medical directives to ensure that only intersex people have access to such care while criminalising it for trans people.
Restricted
In 1985, Saud Arabia legalized sterilization, which de facto meant legalizing sex reassignment surgery, however, medical records regarding transsexualism had to be obtained abroad.
Until 1985
Banned
Medical transition is not possible
Legal recognition of non-binary gender in Saudi Arabia is not legally recognized.
Current status
Since Sep 23, 1932
Not legally recognized
Third gender is not available as crossdressing is illegal.
LGBT discrimination in Saudi Arabia is no protections.
Current status
No protections
There are no discrimination protections in place that protect someone's sexual orientation or gender identity.
LGBT employment discrimination in Saudi Arabia is no protections.
Current status
No protections
There are no employment discrimination protections in place that protect someone's sexual orientation or gender identity.
LGBT housing discrimination in Saudi Arabia is no protections.
Current status
Since Sep 23, 1932
No protections
There are no housing discrimination protections in place that protect someone's sexual orientation or gender identity.
Same-sex adoption in Saudi Arabia is n/a.
Current status
N/A
Adoption is not legally available to anybody in Saudi Arabia, as per Islamic jurisprudence.
Intersex infant surgery in Saudi Arabia is not banned.
Current status
Not banned
There are no bodily protections for intersex individuals in Saudi Arabia. Many intersex infants born with ambiguous genitalia suffer from infanticide. The killing of intersex infants is primarily motivated by fears of the social shame of having an intersex child. Intersex genital surgery on newborns for cosmetic purposes is fully legal and encouraged.
Serving openly in military in Saudi Arabia is illegal.
Current status
Illegal
Sharia law prohibits LGBTQ+ personel to serve openly in the military.
Blood donations by MSMs in Saudi Arabia is ambiguous.
Current status
Ambiguous
According to the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Health's website, there's no specific ban on blood donation by MSMs. While homosexuality is illegal, this does not automatically mean that MSM blood donations are illegal as well.
Conversion therapy in Saudi Arabia is not banned.
Current status
Not banned
Conversion therapy is currently not banned in Saudi Arabia.
Equal age of consent in Saudi Arabia is n/a.
Current status
Since Sep 23, 1932
N/A
Homosexuality and extramarital sexual relations are illegal in Saudi Arabia.
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Alternative names: Al-´Arabiya as-Sa´udiya (local name)
