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.

• In February, the government published the implementing regulations of a 2022 personal status law. The regulations granted women further discretion regarding the transfer of male guardianship in the event of negligence or injustice, for example if a father obstructs his daughter’s marital choices, and expanded women’s legal rights—and the courts’ power to support them—in divorce and child custody cases. Nevertheless, the law and the new regulations preserved the male guardianship system in general, and their practical application would still depend on a significant degree of judicial interpretation.
• The General Authority of Media Regulation issued new social media guidelines in September, banning material that could be considered bullying, mockery of others, or exposure of private family issues. The rules also restricted obscenity, indecency, displays of personal wealth, and divisive language about tribal or regional identity, among other topics. While dozens of imprisoned social media users and rights activists had been freed between December 2024 and February 2025, some faced travel bans and other restrictions after their release, and arrests or arbitrary detentions of other individuals in connection with their peaceful speech or activism continued during the year.
• The authorities executed a record number of people for the second consecutive year in 2025, putting at least 356 people to death, compared with 345 in 2024 and 170 in 2023. The cases generally lacked due process protections, and many of those executed were foreign nationals convicted of nonlethal drug-related offenses. In addition, at least two men were executed for offenses related to their participation in protests and demonstrations when they were still minors.
• Over the course of the year, the government continued efforts to reform and digitize labor governance as a means of increasing transparency and supporting workers’ rights. Among other changes, it replaced employer sponsorship (kafala) of migrant worker visas with a system of contract-based employment; required electronic rather than cash payments, including for domestic workers, via approved platforms; and mandated the digital recording of private-sector employment contracts on government portals to ensure compliance with contractual obligations. Despite such reforms, reports of migrant workers being denied their wages persisted, including on major state-backed construction projects.

This report has been abridged for Freedom in the World 2026 due to ongoing budget constraints. Freedom in the World is entirely funded by nongovernmental sources such as private foundations, corporations, and individuals like you. Please consider making a donation to support future editions of this vital resource.

For additional background information, see the reports from the 2024 and 2025 editions of Freedom in the World.