Freedom House: Saudi Arabia remains “Not Free” with a score of 9/100
Freedom House’s Freedom in the World 2026 report classified Saudi Arabia as “Not Free,” giving it a score of 9 out of 100 — the same score it received the previous year.
According to the report, Saudi Arabia scored 1 out of 40 in political rights and 8 out of 60 in civil liberties, reflecting ongoing severe restrictions on political participation and public freedoms.
The report stated that Saudi Arabia’s absolute monarchy restricts most political rights and civil liberties, noting that national-level officials are not elected. It added that authorities rely on extensive surveillance, criminalization of dissent, sectarian and identity-based rhetoric, and oil-funded public spending to maintain political control.
Among the key developments of 2025, the report criticized new guidelines issued in September regulating social media content. It also noted that although dozens of social media users and human rights activists were released between December 2024 and February 2025, they continued to face travel bans and other restrictions after release, while arbitrary arrests and detentions linked to peaceful expression and human rights activism persisted.
On the death penalty, the report stated that Saudi Arabia carried out a record number of executions for the second consecutive year, executing at least 356 people in 2025, compared to 345 in 2024 and 170 in 2023. It noted that these cases generally lacked fair trial guarantees, and that many of those executed were foreign nationals convicted of non-lethal crimes. The report also referenced the execution of at least two men for acts linked to protests they participated in as minors.
