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Voidly · Verboten · Saudi Arabia

Banned and restricted books in Saudi Arabia

27 titles have been banned or restricted in Saudi Arabia, recorded across 27 dated, source-cited events, most often for political content.

Titles
27
Ban events
27
Top reason
Political content
Decades active
6

Most-restricted titles

TitleAuthorYearEvents
One Thousand and One Nights—17061
Princess: A True Story of Life Behind the Veil in Saudi ArabiaJean Sasson19921
Daring to DriveManal al-Sharif20171
Fractured DestiniesRabai al-Madhoun20151
Girls of RiyadhRajaa Alsanea20051
Cities of SaltAbdelrahman Munif19841
Woman at Point ZeroNawal El Saadawi19751
The Hidden Face of EveNawal El Saadawi19771
God Dies by the NileNawal El Saadawi19741
The Yacoubian BuildingAlaa Al Aswany20021
AdamaTurki al-Hamad19981
Goat DaysBenyamin20081
The Satanic VersesSalman Rushdie19881
The Da Vinci CodeDan Brown20031
The Story of ZahraHanan al-Shaykh19801
The Jewel of MedinaSherry Jones20081
Fazail-e-AmaalZakariyya Kandhlawi—1
Queen of Sheba and Biblical ScholarshipBernard Leeman—1
Throwing SparksAbdo Khal20101
The Dove's NecklaceRaja Alem20101
Wolves of the Crescent MoonYousef Al-Mohaimeed20031
ShumaisiTurki al-Hamad19981
al-KaradibTurki al-Hamad19981
Hend and the SoldiersBadriah Albeshr20061
Instructions WithinAshraf Fayadh20081
Revolution 2.0Wael Ghonim20121
When Will the Saudi Woman Drive a Car?Abdullah Al Alami20121

Stated reasons

Political content
12
Religious / blasphemy
11
Immorality
11
Sexual content
5

By decade

1920s1
1970s3
1980s4
1990s4
2000s7
2010s8

Documented bans

All 27 recorded events, most severe and most recent first.

Daring to Drive2017
Bannedgovernment· Immorality, Political contentsource →
Fractured Destinies2015
Bannedgovernment· Political contentsource →
Goat Days2014
Bannedgovernment· Political contentsource →
Revolution 2.02014
Bannedretail· Political contentsource →
When Will the Saudi Woman Drive a Car?2014
Bannedretail· Political contentsource →
Instructions Within2013
Bannedgovernment· Religious / blasphemysource →
The Dove's Necklace2011
Bannedgovernment· Immoralitysource →
Throwing Sparks2010
Bannedgovernment· Political contentsource →
The Jewel of Medina2008
Bannedgovernment· Religious / blasphemysource →
The Yacoubian Building2006
Bannedgovernment· Immorality, Religious / blasphemy, Sexual contentsource →
Hend and the Soldiers2006
Bannedgovernment· Immoralitysource →
Girls of Riyadh2005
Bannedgovernment· Immorality, Sexual contentsource →
Queen of Sheba and Biblical Scholarship2005
Bannedgovernment· historical· Political contentsource →
The Da Vinci Code2004
Bannedgovernment· Religious / blasphemysource →
Wolves of the Crescent Moon2003
Bannedgovernment· Immoralitysource →
Adama1998
Bannedgovernment· Political content, Religious / blasphemysource →
Shumaisi1998
Bannedgovernment· Religious / blasphemysource →
al-Karadib1998
Bannedgovernment· Religious / blasphemysource →
Princess: A True Story of Life Behind the Veil in Saudi Arabia1992
Bannedgovernment· Immorality, Political contentsource →
The Satanic Verses1988
Bannedgovernment· Religious / blasphemysource →
One Thousand and One Nights1985
Bannedgovernment· Religious / blasphemy, Sexual contentsource →
Cities of Salt1984
Bannedgovernment· Political contentsource →
The Story of Zahra1980
Bannedgovernment· Immorality, Sexual contentsource →
The Hidden Face of Eve1977
Bannedgovernment· Immorality, Political contentsource →
Woman at Point Zero1975
Bannedgovernment· Immorality, Political content, Sexual contentsource →
God Dies by the Nile1974
Bannedgovernment· Immorality, Religious / blasphemysource →
Fazail-e-Amaal1920
Bannedgovernment· historical· Religious / blasphemysource →
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Source: Verboten, built on the banned-books.org Open Censorship Core (CC BY 4.0). Verboten compilation CC BY 4.0.