Amnesty International and ALQST said today that visitors to Saudi Arabia, including those travelling for tourism and to perform religious rituals such as Hajj and Umrah, face the risk of detention, grossly unfair trials and lengthy prison sentences over their social media activity, including posts published before entering the country.
Amnesty International and ALQST documented the cases of nine people arrested in Saudi Arabia during visits between July 2022 and late 2025 over their social media posts. Four of the nine were visiting to perform Hajj or Umrah, while the other five were on tourist or family visits.
Saudi authorities detained some visitors shortly after their arrival in the country, while others were arrested during their stay or as they attempted to leave. In the documented cases, Saudi authorities questioned visitors about posts they had published on social media, subjected them to prolonged arbitrary detention and grossly unfair trials, or delayed their access to consular support. In two cases, Saudi authorities prevented detainees from sharing any information with relatives living outside the country.