A new briefing from ALQST highlights how Saudi Arabia’s authorities are arbitrarily barring increasing numbers of Saudi citizens from leaving the country through the use of unlawful travel bans.
Introduction
Although Saudi Arabia’s leaders seek to project a modern, progressive image to the world, the lived reality for many of its citizens and residents is very different. One of the clearest examples of this relates to a basic human right: freedom of movement.
In recent years the authorities have started opening up the country to foreign investment and tourism, easing visa restrictions and hosting major sporting and cultural events. Yet at the same time they are cruelly and arbitrarily barring increasing numbers of Saudi citizens from leaving the country through the use of unlawful travel bans, part of a broader pattern of reprisals and suppression of all dissent.
In recent years, and particularly throughout the initial months of 2025, dozens of prisoners of conscience have been released following sustained advocacy efforts. This is not the end of their troubles, however – release from prison often comes with a further, hidden form of repression, as many of them continue to be barred from travelling abroad for many years, in violation of basic international human rights standards. The travel bans imposed on them frequently extend to family members as well, amounting to a form of collective punishment. As well as having a severe personal impact on the victims, all of these measures combine to deepen the prevailing climate of fear and intimidation in the country.
