Saudi Arabia
Freedom at a Glance
Global Freedom
9 / 100
Not Free
Internet Freedom
25 / 100
Not Free
Saudi Arabia’s absolute monarchy restricts almost all political rights and civil liberties. No officials at the national level are elected. The regime relies on pervasive surveillance, the criminalization of dissent, appeals to sectarianism and ethnicity, and public spending supported by oil revenues to maintain power. Women and members of religious minority groups face extensive discrimination in law and in practice. Working conditions for the large expatriate labor force are often exploitative.
Research & Recommendations
Saudi Arabia
Not Free
9
100
| PR Political Rights | 1 40 |
| CL Civil Liberties | 8 60 |
Last Year's Score & Status
9
100
Not Free
A country or territory’s Freedom in the World status depends on its aggregate Political Rights score, on a scale of 0–40, and its aggregate Civil Liberties score, on a scale of 0–60.
See the methodology.
Overview
Saudi Arabia’s absolute monarchy restricts almost all political rights and civil liberties. No officials at the national level are elected. The regime relies on pervasive surveillance, the criminalization of dissent, appeals to sectarianism and ethnicity, and public spending supported by oil revenues to maintain power. Although the authorities have undertaken limited social reforms in recent years, women and members of religious minority groups still face extensive discrimination in law and in practice, and working conditions for the large expatriate labor force are often exploitative.
Freedom in the World 2026 Policy Recommendations
Strengthen democratic coordination and collective action in a contested global order
Democratic resilience will increasingly depend on stronger coordination among countries that share a commitment to freedom, the rule of law, and accountable governance.
Reimagine international democracy assistance to help reverse the global decline in freedom
International support for democratic institutions, civil society, and independent media has been associated with modest but meaningful improvements in democratic governance, and it is far less costly than the military outlays necessitated by rising authoritarian aggression.
Prioritize engagement with younger generations in the digital spaces where civic identity is now formed
Young people are increasingly dissatisfied with democracy—not because they reject its principles, but because they see institutions failing to deliver on them. Programmatic work should create clear pathways for meaningful political participation, from voting and policy engagement to community organizing and public leadership, so that young people can translate their expectations into agency.
Saudi Arabia
Not Free
25
100
| A Obstacles to Access | 13 25 |
| B Limits on Content | 7 35 |
| C Violations of User Rights | 5 40 |
Last Year's Score & Status
25
100
Not Free
Scores are based on a scale of 0 (least free) to 100 (most free).
See the methodology and report acknowledgements.
Overview
Saudi Arabia continued to rank as one of the world’s lowest-scoring countries on internet freedom. Internet users in the kingdom faced extensive censorship and surveillance as well as limited access to diverse content, and users who criticized the government remained subject to persecution. Although death sentences for online expression are rare, an online journalist was executed during the coverage period for his politically sensitive reporting.
Freedom on the Net 2026 Policy Recommendations
Undermine Authoritarian Internet Restrictions
Access to the internet is under threat as authoritarian powers continue to create barriers for people to freely express themselves online. Internet shutdowns, throttling, and platform blocking remain among the most common tools of digital repression. At the same time, digital technologies serve as a lifeline for people seeking to expose human rights violations to the outside world and hold dictators accountable.
Safeguard Privacy Online
Protecting privacy online is essential to safeguarding free expression in repressive contexts. Without strong privacy protections, journalists and human rights defenders may self-censor out of a fear of reprisal. Rapid advances in AI—and the growing threat of automated vulnerability exploitation—heighten these risks, leaving civil society organizations increasingly vulnerable to sophisticated cyberattacks.
The Saudi Arabian government is perhaps the best known in the world for targeting its nationals abroad. The brutal 2018 murder and dismemberment of dissident and journalist Jamal Khashoggi inside the country’s Istanbul consulate brought transnational repression into popular awareness.
Khashoggi’s killing was not an isolated event, but rather the outcome of an increasingly physical, targeted campaign against critics and former insiders, including members of the royal family, that has rapidly escalated since Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman began his rise to power in 2015. This campaign has included extensive use of spyware, proxy punishment, detentions, assaults, and renditions in nine countries spanning the Middle East, Europe, North America, and Asia.
Policy Recommendations: Transnational Repression
Raising awareness about the threat of transnational repression.
Like-minded governments and international organizations should work together to highlight the threat of transnational repression and establish international norms for addressing it.
Limiting the ability of perpetrators to commit transnational repression.
This includes agreeing on a common definition of transnational repression, and prohibiting the use of Interpol notices on their own to deny immigration or asylum benefits or conduct arrests.
Bringing accountability for acts of transnational repression.
Among other tactics, governments should deploy a robust strategy for targeted sanctions against perpetrators of transnational repression.
News and Updates
Featured
Freedom House Perspectives
News Releases & Media Coverage
Country Facts
Basic Facts
Freedom in the World Score
9
/ 100
Not Free
Freedom on the Net Score
25
/ 100
Not Free
Population: 36,410,000
Election Facts
Status
Not Tracked
Transnational Repression
Status
Origin Country
Tactics
Assassination, Rendition, Spyware, Family Intimidation, Digital Threat, Mobility Controls
Targets
Political critics of the Saudi monarchy
