Saudi Arabia is one of the most restricted and reserved countries on the planet regarding internet freedom. So much so that out of the more than 180 countries that the Reporters Without Borders (RWB) examined, Saudi Arabian internet was ranked at 164th in 2014. Furthermore, the country is placed on the list of the “enemies of the internet” and has been there since 2006. Indeed, the policies Saudi Arabia practices regarding its internet are quite restrictive. Still, there is a demand for a more open online domain, and thus – as an effective solution – some VPN providers have connections to Saudi Arabia while offering people in Saudi Arabia the opportunity to connect to the web using a foreign IP.
NordVPN has already managed to conquer the market by being one of the most reputable and trustworthy services ever made. Among its vast arsenal of features, the close attention given to security is one of the major highlights, thanks to the presence of an automatic kill switch, protection against DNS leaks, ads and malware, and even double VPN servers.
Speaking of which, these are only some of NordVPN's special servers that compose a global network filled with unusual locations, P2P countries, support for Onion over VPN, and more. NordVPN has a handful of different subscriptions in the form of simple apps for all kinds of devices and user types.
For as little as $3.09 per month, users can enjoy all the perks of having a secure and high-speed VPN. Plus, a generous refund policy allows you to get your money back if you decide NordVPN isn't for you during the first 30 days.
A surfing shark might not conjure up an image of security, but it does represent an effective way of defending yourself from the threats of the deep ocean that is the internet.
Established in 2018, Surfshark offers aesthetically-pleasing apps for multiple platforms. The Netherlands-based company continues to enhance its cybersecurity, merging with Nord Security in 2022. The VPN service doesn't miss out on any critical security features, such as a static IP address and kill switch, and provides servers in more than 100 countries.
Additionally, Surfshark offers encryption protocols (including WireGuard) and P2P support, alternative IDs, and a no-logs policy. It is one of the cheapest services on the market and offers a 7-day free trial for Android, iOS, and macOS devices, plus a 30-day money-back guarantee to test the service risk free.
is a Texas-based VPN service with an impressive network of 2,400 servers worldwide. It's one of the few VPN providers that manages all its infrastructure in-house, owning 100% of its servers and only using self-developed software for its service.
While being one of the fastest VPNs on the market, IPVanish also offers a vast range of features that not only provide faster speeds but also enhance stability and security. With a 7-day free trial and prices starting as low as $2.19 per month, users certainly get a lot for their money.
Saudi Arabia is a kingdom, meaning that the structure of power follows a different trend and laws are passed in a different manner than western countries that employ more democratic means to do so. Additionally, religion is an aspect of the Saudi culture that affects the internet as well, both in the displayed content and whether or not something can be displayed or not. Therefore, if you connect to the country’s internet via a Saudi Arabian VPN connection, expect content that has a pinch of Sunni Islam in it here and there. In fact, the cultural environment created by this religious background is so intertwined with Saudi internet policy that it extends to comments and blog posts as well. Still, if you think about the nature of Islam culture, the nature of the internet is probably a lot less disturbing to the country’s inhabitants than for people of other cultures and religions. They grew up experiencing the very school of thought that spawned the Saudi Arabian internet policy.
As mentioned before, the internet law of Saudi Arabia is quite a restrictive one. The most important thing to note here is that all foreign content is regulated by the government. One of the main principles of governance law is preserving a “unity” of the nation, and thus any non-Saudi Arabian content is supervised before being made public, or rather, if it is made public at all. This task is the responsibility of the Communications and Information Technology Commission (CITC) in the country. We also suggest taking the content you see with a pinch of salt. To create a single blog post or a newspaper article online, you need a government license, meaning that what you are able to read again falls under restrictions.
Because of the above, many forms of censorship are widespread in Saudi Arabia. As you can imagine, any online content undergoes an effective indirect censorship by the CITC, who are selective about what they allow online in the country. Furthermore, the freedom of expression is generally deteriorated, as self-censorship is highly encouraged. Any content that is non-heterosexual is automatically censored, and the same is true for pornographic content: both are deemed immoral in Saudi Arabia.
Information related to what the country categorizes as drugs are also heavily filtered, along with gambling. Furthermore, this very article might not be allowed in Saudi Arabia, as information about bypassing online restrictions is also restricted. Websites like Wikipedia and some Google owned websites are also blocked. The video website YouTube is also getting censored in the near future. Overall, almost any type of content, in any shape or form that does not conform to the ideals of the Saudi Arabian leadership is restricted in various ways.
Streaming availability in Saudi Arabia is therefore not the best, at least from the perspective of the websites that are popular in the “western” world. For music streaming however, you have some options. Apple Music is allowed within the borders of the country, although as with other areas of internet content, the selection of songs is trimmed quite heavily. Another participant in Saudi Arabia is Guevra. We can say that the permission of these streamers is more functional rather than representing a certain side of music culture. For film, the situation is perhaps even worse. Apart from less reliable websites, there are no streamers like Netflix allowed in Saudi Arabia. The region’s most watched channel, Al-Jazeera however, is operational in the country.
The Best Reviews team researches and tests all products first-hand. We've been reviewing products and services since 2012 and are proud to only publish human-created content.
Share your thoughts, ask questions, and connect with other users. Your feedback helps our community make better decisions.
©2012-2026 Best Reviews, a clovio brand –
All rights
reserved
