Is VPN allowed in Saudi Arabia?

Many websites/applications are banned in Saudi Arabia, for which people use a VPN service. Is VPN allowed in Saudi Arabia?

What is a VPN?

VPN stands for Virtual Private Network, and it is a way to access blocked sites and applications. If you are using a VPN, you can easily access the websites and applications blocked by the CITC.

• List of blocked websites in Saudi Arabia

Is VPN allowed in Saudi Arabia?

Anyone can download and start using VPN software from the Play Store or iTunes. People access websites banned in Saudi Arabia through VPN without realizing that it can lead to punishments and penalties. 

Using a VPN is not allowed in Saudi Arabia as it is against the country’s cyber laws, and therefore, they are banned. There must be a rationale when the government has banned some content in the country. You cannot simply bypass it and stay away from the trouble. 

Penalty and fine for using a VPN

According to Ajel News, using any anonymous application in Saudi Arabia, such as a VPN, can result in an SR 1 million fine, a one-year jail term, or both.

Moreover, according to Article 3 (4) of the Anti-Cyber Crime Law, accessing a blocked website can result in a penalty or fine of up to SR 500,000 in Saudi Arabia.

Can police track VPNs?

Theoretically, you can hide your IP address with a VPN application, but remember it is still not impossible to track you. Tracking IP addresses is one of the many approaches used by Saudi police to track those whom they want to track.

In other words, if police in Saudi Arabia want to track you, they will get you no matter whether you are using a VPN or not.

Conclusion

In my humble opinion, unless you are a security threat to the country or other people, it is unlikely that the police will try to track your location.