Homosexuality
    ⚢
    ✖ Illegal (death penalty as punishment)
    Gay Marriage
    ⚭
    ✖ Banned
    Censorship
    ✖ Imprisonment as punishment
    Changing Gender
    ✖ Illegal
    Gender-Affirming Care
    ✔ Legal
    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
    ✔ Legal
    Conversion Therapy
    ✖ Not banned
    Age of Consent
    N/A
💬 Join Equaldex's LGBTQ+ Discord to discuss LGBT rights and chat!

Public Opinion

Suggest Public Opinion Data

Research in attittudes towards LGBTQ+ issues in Saudi Arabia have identified a strong opposition to LGBTQ+ rights, reflecting underlying homophobic sentiments.

Survey

(ILGA, 2016)
of Saudi Arabians are against the legalization of gay marriage
of Saudi Arabians support it

Survey

(ILGA, 2016)
of Saudi Arabians believe being LGBTI should be a crime
of Saudi Arabians do not

Have you lived in or visited Saudi Arabia?

Share your experience of being LGBTQ+ in Saudi Arabia.

Take Survey

History

Homosexual activity in Saudi Arabia

?

Homosexual activity in Saudi Arabia is illegal (death penalty as punishment).

Current status
Illegal (death penalty as punishment)
Homosexuality is illegal
Details
Sources:
humandignitytrust.org/count…
Report error  ·  Log

Same-sex marriage in Saudi Arabia

?

Same-sex marriage in Saudi Arabia is banned.

Current status
Since Sep 23, 1932
Banned
Because Homosexuality is unfortunately illegal in Saudi Arabia, same sex marriage is automatically illegal because of this.
Details
Sources:
servat.unibe.ch/icl/sa00000_.html
Report error  ·  Log

Censorship of LGBT issues in Saudi Arabia

?

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.
Details
Sources:
independent.co.uk/news/worl…
Report error  ·  Log

Right to change legal gender in Saudi Arabia

?

Right to change legal gender in Saudi Arabia is illegal.

Current status
Illegal
Sharia laws prohibit crossdressing
Details
Sources:
arabnews.com/news/564451

gulfnews.com/world/gulf/sau…
Report error  ·  Log

Gender-affirming care in Saudi Arabia

?

Gender-affirming care in Saudi Arabia is legal.

Current status
Since Jan 1, 2009
Legal
In 2009, Saudi Arabia adopted the ICD-10 classification, which contains codes for diagnosing transsexualism in adulthood and childhood, which authorize the initiation of medical transition.
Details
Sources:
ourworldindata.org/grapher/…
Report error  ·  Log
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.
Details
Sources:
rhsupplies.org/uploads/tx_r…
Report error  ·  Log
Until 1985
Banned
Medical transition is not possible
Details
Sources:
rhsupplies.org/uploads/tx_r…
Report error  ·  Log

Legal recognition of non-binary gender in Saudi Arabia

?

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.
Details
Sources:
refworld.org/docid/469cd6ab3.html
Report error  ·  Log

LGBT discrimination in Saudi Arabia

?

LGBT discrimination in Saudi Arabia is no protections.

Current status
No protections
There are no protection from discrimination to LGBT people
Details
Sources:
servat.unibe.ch/icl/sa00000_.html
Report error  ·  Log

LGBT employment discrimination in Saudi Arabia

?

LGBT employment discrimination in Saudi Arabia is no protections.

Current status
Since Sep 23, 1932
No protections
Saudi Arabia has no laws that address LGBT discrimination in employment.
Details
Sources:
servat.unibe.ch/icl/sa00000_.html
Report error  ·  Log

LGBT housing discrimination in Saudi Arabia

?

LGBT housing discrimination in Saudi Arabia is no protections.

Current status
Since Sep 23, 1932
No protections
Saudi Arabia has no laws that address LGBT housing discrimination.
Details
Sources:
servat.unibe.ch/icl/sa00000_.html
Report error  ·  Log

Same-sex adoption in Saudi Arabia

?

Same-sex adoption in Saudi Arabia is n/a.

Current status
Since Sep 23, 1932
N/A
Adoption is not legally available to anybody in Saudi Arabia, as per Islamic jurisprudence.
Details
Sources:
servat.unibe.ch/icl/sa00000_.html
Report error  ·  Log

Intersex infant surgery in Saudi Arabia

?

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.
Details
Sources:
database.ilga.org/intervent…
Report error  ·  Log

Serving openly in military in Saudi Arabia

?

Serving openly in military in Saudi Arabia is illegal.

Current status
Illegal
Sharia law prohibits LGBTQ+ personel to serve openly in the military.
Details
Sources:
humandignitytrust.org/count…
Report error  ·  Log

Blood donations by MSMs in Saudi Arabia

?

Blood donations by MSMs in Saudi Arabia is legal.

Current status
Legal
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.
Details
Sources:
kfshrc.edu.sa/en/home/giving/blood moh.gov.sa/en/HealthAwarene…
Report error  ·  Log
Until Sep 22, 1932
Banned (indefinite deferral)
No laws against it but its Illegal to be LGBT in this country.
Details
Sources:
humandignitytrust.org/count…
Report error  ·  Log

Conversion therapy in Saudi Arabia

?

Conversion therapy in Saudi Arabia is not banned.

Current status
Not banned
Conversion therapy is currently not banned in Saudi Arabia.
Details
Sources:
montrealgazette.com/news/lo…
Report error  ·  Log

Equal age of consent 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.
Details
Sources:
mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/w…
Report error  ·  Log

LGBT Rights by Region

View the LGBT laws in each individual region of Saudi Arabia.

    Equality Index ?
    16 / 100
    Legal Rights
    7 / 100
    Public Opinion
    25 / 100

    Equality Rank

    View All
    #9
    Interest Rank based on Equaldex traffic ?

    Top Contributors

    1 User Live in Saudi Arabia

    sweet_20099

    Saudi Arabia LGBT Organizations

    There are no organizations listed in Saudi Arabia. Suggest one

    Share Region

    LGBT Saudi Arabia Flag
    LGBT Saudi Arabia Flag

    Compare Saudi Arabia

    27
    Armenia Flag

    Compare with
    Armenia

    26
    Azerbaijan Flag

    Compare with
    Azerbaijan

    38
    Bahrain Flag

    Compare with
    Bahrain

    58
    Cyprus Flag

    Compare with
    Cyprus

    29
    Georgia Flag

    Compare with
    Georgia

    13
    Iraq Flag

    Compare with
    Iraq

    59
    Israel Flag

    Compare with
    Israel

    23
    Jordan Flag

    Compare with
    Jordan

    Common queries:
    • Is it illegal to be gay in Saudi Arabia?
    • Is homosexuality legal in Saudi Arabia?
    • Is gay marriage legal in Saudi Arabia?
    Alternative names: Al-´Arabiya as-Sa´udiya (local name)

    LGBT Rights in Middle East

    27
    Armenia Flag

    LGBT Rights in
    Armenia

    26
    Azerbaijan Flag

    LGBT Rights in
    Azerbaijan

    38
    Bahrain Flag

    LGBT Rights in
    Bahrain

    58
    Cyprus Flag

    LGBT Rights in
    Cyprus

    29
    Georgia Flag

    LGBT Rights in
    Georgia

    13
    Iraq Flag

    LGBT Rights in
    Iraq

    23
    Jordan Flag

    LGBT Rights in
    Jordan

    7
    Kuwait Flag

    LGBT Rights in
    Kuwait

    20
    Lebanon Flag

    LGBT Rights in
    Lebanon

    2
    Oman Flag

    LGBT Rights in
    Oman

    22
    Palestine Flag

    LGBT Rights in
    Palestine

    10
    Qatar Flag

    LGBT Rights in
    Qatar

    22
    Syria Flag

    LGBT Rights in
    Syria

    39
    Turkey Flag

    LGBT Rights in
    Turkey

    13
    United Arab Emirates Flag

    LGBT Rights in
    United Arab Emirates

    8
    Yemen Flag

    LGBT Rights in
    Yemen