Is Ketamine legal in Saudi Arabia?

Also known as: ket, special k

Legal status

Controlled under Royal Decree M/39 (2005) as a nationally/locally controlled substance (Schedule 2, Category E, not internationally scheduled in the 1961/1971 Conventions) and regulated by the SFDA as a restricted anaesthetic. Capital exposure attaches to smuggling or trafficking-with-intent-to-promote under Article 37; no ketamine-specific capital case is documented, so drug-specific capital application is left to confirmation.

Consequences if caught

Capital exposure: not established for this substance. Saudi Arabia retains the death penalty for drug offences, under Royal Decree M/39 of 2005, article 37, for smuggling or trafficking with intent to promote, and that much is established here. What is not established is this substance's own position under it: the source read here gives neither the article that would carry it nor any quantity at which it would apply. No threshold is stated in this cell because none was established. Do not read the absence of a figure as a safe amount. The country level position is the one to act on, and the substance specific position has to be settled against the current instrument.

If prescribed or medical

Prescribable controlled anaesthetic regulated by the SFDA; import requires the SFDA Traveler's Permit, mandatory advance electronic clearance from 1 Nov 2025, with an attested prescription/medical report and ID.

Documentation

Royal Decree M/39 (2005), locally controlled substance (Category E, outside the UN Conventions); SFDA ketamine regulatory page; Art. 37 penalties.

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.