Prostitution Prostitution laws in Saudi Arabiaالمملكة العربية السعودية
Saudi Arabia has no codified criminal law on prostitution. Judges rely on their interpretation of sharia: extramarital sex (zina) is a hadd offence, punishable by 100 lashes if the person is unmarried and death if married when the strict standard of proof is met, and otherwise punished at the judge's discretion. This applies to both parties to paid sex. No statute found defines brothel keeping or procuring, but exploitation for sexual assault falls under the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Law (up to 15 years and/or SAR 1 million), and online material impinging on public morals carries up to five years and/or SAR 3 million (Anti-Cyber Crime Law, Art. 6). A Penal Code for Discretionary Sanctions announced in 2021 had not been issued by October 2026; a draft leaked in 2022 would criminalise sex work and inciting prostitution.
Legal model
Selling and buying prohibited. Selling sex is an offence (criminal or administrative), whether or not buying is.
Saudi Arabia has no written penal code. Sex outside marriage is prohibited by reference to sharia, either as the hadd offence of zina or as a discretionary (ta'zir) offence set by the judge, so both selling and buying sex are offences through this general prohibition. The only statutes found that touch prostitution are the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Law (2009) and the Anti-Cyber Crime Law (2007).[1][2]
At a glance
| Question | Status | In short |
|---|---|---|
| Selling sexual services | Illegal Criminal offence | No statute defines a prostitution offence. Extramarital sex is prohibited by reference to sharia and is punished as the hadd offence of zina (100 lashes if unmarried, death if married, subject to strict proof) or at the judge's discretion with imprisonment. In April 2020 the Supreme Court replaced flogging in discretionary sentences with prison and/or fines, but not for hadd offences.[1][2] |
| Buying sexual services | Illegal Criminal offence | There is no client-specific offence, but the sharia-based prohibition of extramarital sex applies to both parties: the client commits zina or a discretionary offence just as the seller does.[1][2] |
| Brothels and managed venues | Illegal Criminal offence | No statute found defines a brothel offence; running premises for prostitution would be punished at the judge's discretion under sharia. Where people are recruited, harboured or received for sexual assault through coercion, deception or abuse of vulnerability, the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Law provides up to 15 years and/or SAR 1 million (Arts. 2 and 3).[1][3] |
| Third parties profiting (procuring / pimping) | Illegal Criminal offence | Procuring is not codified. Trafficking for sexual exploitation is punished under the 2009 Anti-Trafficking in Persons Law by up to 15 years and/or SAR 1 million, with heavier penalties if the victim is a woman or a child (Arts. 3 and 4). The leaked draft penal code would punish inciting or luring a person to prostitution by two to five years and up to SAR 300,000, but it is not in force.[1][3] |
| Advertising sexual services | Illegal Criminal offence | Producing, preparing, transmitting or storing material impinging on public order, religious values, public morals or privacy through an information network, or building or publicising a website to promote or facilitate human trafficking, is punishable by up to five years and/or a fine of up to SAR 3 million (Art. 6(1) and (2), Anti-Cyber Crime Law).[4] |
The law in detail
Selling sexual services
No statute defines a prostitution offence. Extramarital sex is prohibited by reference to sharia and is punished as the hadd offence of zina (100 lashes if unmarried, death if married, subject to strict proof) or at the judge's discretion with imprisonment. In April 2020 the Supreme Court replaced flogging in discretionary sentences with prison and/or fines, but not for hadd offences.[1][2]
Confidence: medium. Based on Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch analyses; there is no statute to check. The Bureau of Experts legislation portal (laws.boe.gov.sa) could not be reached.
Checked 30 October 2026
Buying sexual services
There is no client-specific offence, but the sharia-based prohibition of extramarital sex applies to both parties: the client commits zina or a discretionary offence just as the seller does.[1][2]
Confidence: medium. Based on NGO analyses of an uncodified system; sentencing in individual cases varies with the judge.
Checked 30 October 2026
Brothels and managed venues
No statute found defines a brothel offence; running premises for prostitution would be punished at the judge's discretion under sharia. Where people are recruited, harboured or received for sexual assault through coercion, deception or abuse of vulnerability, the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Law provides up to 15 years and/or SAR 1 million (Arts. 2 and 3).[1][3]
Confidence: low. The statement that brothel keeping is punished as a discretionary offence is an inference from the absence of a codified penal code; no court decision was checked.
Checked 30 October 2026
Third parties profiting (procuring / pimping)
Procuring is not codified. Trafficking for sexual exploitation is punished under the 2009 Anti-Trafficking in Persons Law by up to 15 years and/or SAR 1 million, with heavier penalties if the victim is a woman or a child (Arts. 3 and 4). The leaked draft penal code would punish inciting or luring a person to prostitution by two to five years and up to SAR 300,000, but it is not in force.[1][3]
Confidence: medium. The Anti-Trafficking Law was read in the English translation hosted by UNODC SHERLOC, not on the Saudi portal, which could not be reached.
Checked 30 October 2026
Advertising sexual services
Producing, preparing, transmitting or storing material impinging on public order, religious values, public morals or privacy through an information network, or building or publicising a website to promote or facilitate human trafficking, is punishable by up to five years and/or a fine of up to SAR 3 million (Art. 6(1) and (2), Anti-Cyber Crime Law).[4]
Confidence: medium. The law does not name sexual services; applying 'public morals' to sex-work ads is our reading of the text, not a checked court decision.
Checked 30 October 2026
Key legislation
| Law | What it does here | In force |
|---|---|---|
| Anti-Cyber Crime Law (8 Rabi 1, 1428 / 26 March 2007) Anti-Cyber Crime Law (Royal Decree M/17 of 8 Rabi I 1428, 26 March 2007) Art. 6 | Art. 6 criminalises online material impinging on public morals and websites that promote or facilitate human trafficking.[4] | 2007 |
| Anti-Trafficking in Persons Law, Royal Decree No. (M/40), Dated 21/7/1430H – 14/7/2009 Anti-Trafficking in Persons Law (Royal Decree M/40 of 21/7/1430 H, 14 July 2009) Arts. 2-4 | Defines and punishes trafficking in persons, including for sexual assault, with up to 15 years and/or SAR 1 million.[3] |
Pending and under review
Under review · updated April 2024
Penal Code for Discretionary Sanctions (draft)
Announced in February 2021 as one of four codification laws. A draft leaked in July 2022 would codify discretionary offences and some, but not all, hadd offences, and would criminalise sex work and inciting or luring a person to prostitution. In 2024 the authorities described the text as still under legislative review; no adoption had been found as of October 2026.[1][2][5]
Timeline
- 26 March 2007The Anti-Cyber Crime Law (Royal Decree M/17) criminalises online material impinging on public morals and websites facilitating human trafficking.[4]
- 14 July 2009The Anti-Trafficking in Persons Law (Royal Decree M/40) is issued.[3]
- April 2020A Supreme Court decision replaces flogging in discretionary (ta'zir) sentences with prison terms and/or fines; flogging for hadd offences is not affected.[1]
- February 2021The authorities announce four codification laws, including the first written Penal Code for Discretionary Sanctions.[2]
- July 2022A draft of the Penal Code for Discretionary Sanctions is leaked; it would criminalise sex work and inciting prostitution.[1][5]
Sources
- Manifesto for Repression: Saudi Arabia's forthcoming penal code must uphold human rights in line with international law and standards (MDE 23/7783/2024). Amnesty International, March 2024. ngo · accessed 30 October 2026
- Saudi Arabia: Forthcoming Penal Code Should Protect Rights. Human Rights Watch, 29 April 2022. ngo · accessed 30 October 2026
- Anti-Trafficking in Persons Law, Royal Decree No. (M/40), Dated 21/7/1430H – 14/7/2009. UNODC SHERLOC (English translation), 14 July 2009. legislation · accessed 30 October 2026
- Anti-Cyber Crime Law (8 Rabi 1, 1428 / 26 March 2007). Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (Bureau of Experts translation), 26 March 2007. legislation · accessed 30 October 2026
- Analyzing the Leaked Penal Code of Saudi Arabia: Persistent Failure to Commit to Human Rights Standards. Americans for Democracy & Human Rights in Bahrain (ADHRB), April 2024. ngo · accessed 30 October 2026