Saudi Arabia

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CountrySaudi Arabia
Ministry responsible
Ministry of the Interior
Prison administration
General Directorate of Prisons
Website
Email
pgd_media@pgd.gov.sa
Head of prison administration (and title)
(Major General) Majed bin Bandar Aldoweesh
Director General of Prisons
Prison population total (including pre-trial detainees / remand prisoners)
68 056
at 2017 (via U.N. survey of crime trends etc.)
Prison population rate (per 100,000 of national population)
207
based on an estimated national population of 32.94 million at mid-2017 (from United Nations figures)
Pre-trial detainees / remand prisoners (percentage of prison population)
48.3%
(2017)
Female prisoners (percentage of prison population)
1.9%
(2017)
Juveniles / minors / young prisoners incl. definition (percentage of prison population)
0.9%
(January 2009 - under 18)
Foreign prisoners (percentage of prison population)
Circa
49.0%
(January 2018)
Number of establishments / institutions
Circa
110
(2016 - about 90 administered by local authorities and about 20 by Ministry of Interior)
Prison population trend
(year, prison population total, prison population rate)
1998 23,088 120
2000 23,720 116
2002 28,612 131
2009 44,600 165
2011 49,000 176
2013 47,000 161
1998 23,088 120
2000 23,720 116
2002 28,612 131
2009 44,600 165
2011 49,000 176
2013 47,000 161

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Female prison population: trend

The table below gives an indication of the trend in the female prison population. The final row shows the latest figures available.

It consists of the number of female prisoners in the prison population on a single date in the year (or the annual average) and the percentage of the total prison population that female prisoners constituted on that day.  

The final column shows the female prison population rate per 100,000 of the national population. 

                                                SAUDI ARABIA

Year

Number of
female
prisoners

Percentage
of total
prison population

Female prison
population rate
(per 100,000 of
national population)

2000

1,570

6.6%

7.7

2017

1,269

1.9%

3.9

The number of female prisoners fluctuates and so the above figures give an indication of the trend but the picture is inevitably incomplete.

The female prison population rate is calculated on the basis of the national population total. All national population figures are inevitably estimates but the estimates used in the World Prison Brief are based on official national figures, United Nations figures or figures from other recognised international authorities.

(If the rate were calculated on the basis of the number of females in the national population it would of course be approximately double the figure in the final column.)

Prison population total
Prison population rate