Is Methadone legal in Saudi Arabia?
- Legal status
- Methadone is a controlled narcotic under the Law of Combating Narcotics (Royal Decree M/39, 2005); as a narcotic-table opioid it is death-eligible for aggravated trafficking (actively enforced — 122 drug executions in 2024) with no published gram threshold, capital resting on judicial determination; prescribed use is non-capital.
- Consequences if caught
- Aggravated trafficking of narcotic-table opioids is a capital offence, actively enforced; prescribed personal use is non-capital.
- If prescribed or medical
- Prescribed as a controlled narcotic (OST access limited).
- Documentation
- An SFDA 'Traveler's Permit for Controlled Drugs' is mandatory (from 1 Nov 2025); carry a prescription plus doctor's letter, roughly a 1-month maximum supply.
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 →