[5]: 205  In particular, the Quranic account of the prophet Lut and certain teachings of Muhammad in the Sunnah, inform the legal treatment of same-sex sexual activity and nonconforming-gender presentation.

Specifically, prohibition of same-sex sexual acts is based on the Quranic story of the prophet Lut and traditions of the teachings of Muhammad contained in the Sunnah.

[20] However, the traditional interpretation of Sharia is that it prohibits homosexual acts (as zina or unlawful sexual intercourse) and, specifically, liwat or sodomy, though there is a difference of opinion on the punishment ranging from none at all (Hanafi) to the death penalty.

[21][22][23] In 1928, the Saudi judicial board advised Islamic judges to look for guidance in two books by the Hanbalite jurist Marʿī ibn Yūsuf al-Karmī al-Maqdisī (died 1033/1624).

It considers that Saudi Arabia has [4]: 73–74 ... failed to incorporate the procedural protections and safeguards that Sharia law has traditionally associated with the death penalty. ...

factors such as the religion, citizenship, and social status of the accused can be a strong determinant of the conviction and severity of punishments, with working-class migrant workers usually being judged and treated more harshly than upper-class Saudi citizens.In the 1980s, Saudi King Khaled issued numerous royal decrees designed to secure support among religious fundamentalists in the aftermath of an uprising of religious extremists in 1979, known as the Grand Mosque seizure.

[26][27] However, it has been suggested that concern regarding the hosting of the 2022 FIFA World Cup by Qatar, and fears for the inevitable worldwide controversy if it is decided that football fans will have to be screened for homosexuality, made officials backtrack the plans and insist that it was a mere proposal.

Some behaviors unrelated to sexual or gender expression are also covered; for example, littering, taking photographs and videos of people without permission, and queue jumping.

[36] The Arab News newspaper article on the arrests stated, "Gay rights are not recognized in the Middle East countries and the publication of any material promoting them is banned".

[43] In 2014, a 24-year-old Saudi Arabian man was sentenced to three years' detention and 450 lashes after a Medina court found him guilty of "promoting the vice and practice of homosexuality", after he was caught using Twitter to arrange dates with other men.

[49] Radio and TV programs are similarly banned from expressing support for LGBT rights, but homosexuality and cross-dressing can be discussed as long as the negative attitudes and biases are reinforced.

[citation needed] For example, a call-in TV show may feature a discussion about the immorality or "illness" of homosexuality, or, as in the 2011 case of Mirel Radoi, a Romanian-born footballer playing in Saudi, coverage may focus on a celebrity expressing disapproving views.

[51] Foreign films that include small acknowledgments of a character's LGBT identity are often banned in the kingdom, even if the content or depiction is not sexually explicit.

[53] The Saudi government has frequently blocked Internet users in the kingdom from accessing web pages or other online content that express support for LGBT rights.

An unnamed official from the Ministry of Commerce claimed that they were looking out for "slogans that violate the rules of Islam and public morals like promoting homosexuality colors, targeting the young generation."

The items seized in the crackdown included hair accessories for children, backpacks, pencil cases, and rainbow stripes featured on crayon packs.

The practice of men holding hands or kissing on the cheeks in public, is a social custom in parts of the Middle East and Asia; it is a symbol of friendship and not homosexuality.

In contrast, private gatherings where non-relative individuals of opposite sexes intermingle are considered taboo and might be raided by the police or the Committee for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice (CPVPV).

Talal was pleased to find a measure of truth in his father's warning—his fair skin made him a hit among the locals.The gay men I interviewed in Jeddah and Riyadh laughed when I asked them if they worried about being executed.

'If they wanted to arrest all the gay people in Saudi Arabia,' Misfir, my chat-room guide, told me—repeating what he says was a police officer's comment—'they'd have to put a fence around the whole country.

The required exit and entry visa paperwork does not ask people about their sexual orientation, as it does their nationality, sex, religion and marital status.

The public comment, intended as an insult, was highly controversial and generated quite a bit of coverage in the Saudi press, including the refusal of Hussein Abdul Ghani to shake hands with Mirel Radoi after a later game.

[78] Public education in Saudi Arabia is required to teach basic Islamic values based on the interpretation of the Quran, which includes a strong condemnation of homosexuality.

[80] In 2012, the Saudi government asked the CPVPV to assist in the expulsion of students who were judged, by their mannerisms and taste in fashion, to be gay or lesbian.

Unless a majority of the expatriate families are Muslim, the private school is likely to only teach the basic beliefs of Islam, through lessons about the culture, language and history of Saudi Arabia.

Legally, Saudi citizens who are living with HIV/AIDS are classified as being disabled and thus are entitled to free medical care, which may include access PrEP protection of their privacy (as to how they became infected), housing, and employment.

Abdullah al-Hokail, a Saudi doctor who specializes in the pandemic, has been allowed to air public service announcements on television about the disease and how it is spread.

It started to recognize World AIDS Day, and the Arabic and English daily newspapers were permitted to run articles and opinions expressing the need for more education about the disease and more compassion for those infected.

[88] In December 2006, the Arab News ran an editorial that called for greater public awareness of how the virus is spread and more compassion for those people infected.

[92] In 2007, a government-funded[93] organization, the National Society for Human Rights, published a document suggesting ways to improve the treatment of people living with the disease.