Public Decency in Saudi Arabia

Public Decency in Saudi Arabia refers to the set of behaviors and manners that reflect the values, principles, and identity of society, in accordance with the foundations and tenets stipulated in the Basic Law of Governance of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Public Decency is a principle derived from Arab, Islamic, and universal human values, as well as from Saudi social customs and traditions. While certain authorities are responsible for the legal enforcement of the provisions set forth in the Public Decency Regulations, awareness-focused entities, such as the Saudi Society for Public Decency (Thouq), play an important role in promoting awareness, clarifying inappropriate behaviors to be avoided, and encouraging adherence to public manners.

On April 9, 2019, the Public Decency Regulations were issued by the Council of Ministers decision, with their provisions applicable in public places such as markets, cafés, restaurants, cinemas, stadiums, museums, medical and educational facilities, parks, hotels, roads, walkways, beaches, all types of transportation, and others. The regulations are broadly aligned with globally recognized etiquette rules, which guide individual behavior in various social settings.

The Public Decency Regulations issued by the Ministry of Interior consist of nineteen sections that are legally binding. Violations carry fines ranging from fifty to three thousand Saudi Riyals, with penalties potentially doubled in cases of repeated offenses.

Violations under the Public Decency Regulations are issued by police officers in coordination with personnel from the Ministry of Tourism. These include: spitting or littering in undesignated areas; occupying seats reserved for people with disabilities, the elderly, or other designated users; crossing barriers or entering through unauthorized areas; leaving pet waste without removal; wearing underwear, sleepwear, immodest or inappropriate clothing in public, or clothing bearing offensive or obscene messages; writing or drawing on walls or vehicles without prior authorization; and playing music loudly in residential neighborhoods or during the call to prayer and prayer times.

In addition, the regulations cover: distributing commercial advertisements via flyers or pamphlets in public areas; lighting fires in parks or undesignated areas; cutting queues without permission from those waiting; harming public space users by shining harmful lights such as lasers, verbally abusing, or filming them without consent; and other similar offenses.

The Saudi Society for Public Decency is a non-profit, community-based organization that promotes Islamic values and reinforces societal standards for public decency, aiming to make it a way of life. Its headquarters is located in Dammam, in the Eastern Province.

The society seeks to develop practices and public behaviors that enhance decorum within the local Saudi community, fostering a refined society characterized by proper etiquette in all aspects of life, based on religious values and social norms. It also aims to contribute to shaping the Saudi identity so that individuals embrace the principles of decorum and citizenship, while highlighting positive practices by individuals and institutions that support and reflect values related to public decency.