Saudi Arabia
Asia
Age Verification Compliance Overview
This page provides comprehensive age verification and compliance information for Saudi Arabia. Our research team continuously monitors regulatory changes, enforcement actions, and legal developments to ensure businesses have access to up-to-date compliance intelligence.
Saudi Arabia has implemented a complete prohibition on age-restricted adult content, classified as "Banned". This ban typically includes website blocking, payment processing restrictions, and potential criminal penalties for violations. Businesses should not attempt to operate in this jurisdiction without explicit legal counsel, as enforcement may include criminal prosecution, substantial fines, and reputational damage.
The information below includes regulatory status, legal requirements, enforcement mechanisms, penalties for non-compliance, acceptable verification methods, and relevant regulatory authorities. This data is essential for platforms, content providers, and businesses that need to implement age-appropriate access controls or verify user ages.
Please note: Adult content access is currently prohibited in Saudi Arabia. This ban may affect website accessibility, payment processing, and service availability. Businesses should consult legal counsel before operating in this jurisdiction.
Minimum Age
N/A (Banned)
Content is completely prohibited
Age Gate Required
No
No verification required
Last Verified
9/20/2025
Most recent data update
Regulatory Timeline
Historical changes and upcoming regulatory events
- Banned
New media and digital content controls adopted: The General Commission for Media Regulation announced new regulatory controls for media platforms and social media to protect public taste and consolidate societal values, including prohibitions on vulgar language, inappropriate display of private life, and non-compliant attire.
- Banned
Review of Anti-Cybercrime Law for social media: Authorities were reviewing the Anti-Cybercrime Law to amend it to initiate legal proceedings against social networking sites for allowing accounts promoting adultery, homosexuality, and atheism.
- Banned
Licensing required for online media: A royal decree introduced new Internet rules requiring all online newspapers and bloggers to obtain a special license from the Ministry of Information.
- Banned
Anti-Cyber Crime Law approved: Criminalized 'producing something that harms public order, religious values, public morals, the sanctity of private life, or authoring, sending, or storing it via an information network,' with penalties up to five years' imprisonment and a fine of up to 3 million riyals.
- Banned
Proposed law to jail phone porn users: Newspapers reported a proposed law for severe penalties (lashes, jail, fines) for distributing pornography via camera phones, indicating early focus on such content.
- Banned
Council of Ministers Resolution on Internet Filtering: Initial legal basis for internet content filtering in Saudi Arabia.
Data Sources
Legal documents and references supporting this data
Showing 5 of 11 sources
laws.boe.gov.saDefault.aspx
spa.gov.saN2129208
freedomhouse.org2023
blogs.lse.ac.ukovercoming-cultural-taboos-protecting-children-online-in-saudi-arabia
aljazeera.comsaudi-law-to-jail-phone-porn-users
All sources are evaluated for credibility and relevance. Primary sources indicate official legal documents and government publications. Credibility scores reflect source reliability based on jurisdiction, publication authority, and verification status.
Related Countries
Countries with similar regulatory frameworks
Regulatory Authorities
Regulator contacts will appear here as they become available.