Is Heroin legal in Saudi Arabia?
- Legal status
- Prohibited narcotic (diacetylmorphine) under Royal Decree M/39 (2005), Schedule 1 (narcotic drugs), Category D — a prohibited category (import/export/use/possession banned except SFDA-approved research), corresponding to the 1961 Single Convention. Smuggling/trafficking is death-eligible under Article 37, and documented capital cases exist for heroin trafficking in Saudi Arabia; the exact heroin capital quantity threshold is left to confirmation.
- Consequences if caught
- Unauthorised possession/use prosecuted under M/39 (imprisonment, fines, deportation for non-nationals). Heroin smuggling and trafficking-with-intent-to-promote are actively prosecuted as death-eligible offences under Art. 37 (reducible to not less than 15 years plus flogging and fine).
- If prescribed or medical
- No prescription channel; heroin is a prohibited-category narcotic with no medical use in Saudi Arabia and is not a traveller-importable medicine.
- Documentation
- Royal Decree M/39 (2005), Schedule 1 narcotic drugs (Category D prohibited; 1961 Single Convention), per SFDA General Provisions for the Schedules; Art. 37 penalties; documented heroin capital cases.
Court records
We have not yet assessed whether court records are publicly available for this jurisdiction.
Heroin in related jurisdictions
Other substances confirmed in Saudi Arabia
Drug laws and enforcement change and vary within a country. This is not legal advice. Always confirm with Saudi Arabia’s embassy or official drug authority before traveling; penalties can be severe, including imprisonment.
Before you travel
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If you’re detained or arrested abroad
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