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.
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
Verify current rules with the destination country’s official drug authority and your own country’s embassy before traveling. Find the destination’s U.S. embassy & official country guidance →
Non-U.S. travelers: check your own government’s travel advisory and embassy.
If you’re detained or arrested abroad
Contact your own country’s embassy or consulate in the destination immediately — not the destination’s authorities. U.S. citizens: contact the nearest U.S. embassy/consulate and the U.S. State Department at +1-202-501-4444 (from abroad). If a U.S. citizen is arrested or detained abroad →