Saudi Arabia is an Islamic country that follows a strict interpretation of Islam known as Wahhabism. This branch of Islam prohibits the construction of temples or places of worship for any religion other than Islam. However, there are some exceptions where non-Muslim places of worship are allowed in Saudi Arabia.
Background on Religion in Saudi Arabia
The official and dominant religion in Saudi Arabia is Islam. The constitution of Saudi Arabia states that Islam is the official religion and Saudi law requires all citizens to be Muslim. Saudi Arabia follows an ultraconservative version of Sunni Islam known as Wahhabism.
Wahhabism originates from and is inspired by the teachings of 18th-century Islamic scholar Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab. It advocates a puritanical version of Islam and rejects more liberal interpretations. Saudi Arabia is home to Islam’s two holiest cities, Mecca and Medina, which increases its importance within the Muslim world.
Public worship and display of non-Muslim religions is strictly prohibited. The Saudi Arabian government does not allow public religious services of faiths other than Islam. Conversion from Islam to another religion is illegal and can be punished severely.
However, Saudi Arabia does host several million foreign workers, many of whom are non-Muslims from Asia or other parts of the world. The Saudi government has made some accommodations for private religious practice among this foreign population.
Exceptions for Non-Muslim Worship
While public non-Muslim worship is banned, the Saudi government has allowed some exceptions for private worship among the large foreign worker population:
- Foreign embassies and consulates are permitted to hold private Christian and other religious services.
- Foreign companies are allowed to have private prayer rooms for non-Muslim employees.
- American military personnel stationed in Saudi Arabia are provided worship facilities.
These worship services must be closed to the Saudi public and kept low key without overt public displays. They are monitored by the Saudi authorities.
Embassies
Several foreign embassies host private church services within their embassy compounds. Some examples include:
- Roman Catholic masses at the embassies of the United States, France, Philippines, Poland, and other predominantly Catholic countries.
- Worship services for Philippine Evangelical Christians at the Philippine Embassy.
- Catholic and Protestant services at the British Embassy.
These embassy churches are open only to the embassy community and are not promoted publicly. Saudi officials occasionally attend services to keep watch.
Company Prayer Rooms
Due to the large foreign workforce, some companies maintain private prayer rooms for non-Muslim employees. These are found more commonly at large multinational corporations that require significant foreign hiring.
For example, the oil company Saudi Aramco had Christian, Hindu, and Sikh prayer rooms at its remote oil complex in Dhahran. Other multinationals like Boeing and Bechtel also maintain prayer rooms at their facilities.
These prayer rooms are reserved solely for employees and kept low key without any outside promotion.
U.S. Military Worship
The United States military provides worship facilities for American soldiers stationed in Saudi Arabia. During the 1991 Gulf War, over 500,000 American troops were stationed in Saudi Arabia. The U.S. military brought in chaplains and built temporary worship facilities on military bases.
Since then, a permanent U.S. military training mission has remained in Saudi Arabia. American troops are provided worship facilities on base, which are reserved solely for military personnel and kept out of the public eye.
No Public Non-Muslim Places of Worship
While exceptions are made for private non-Muslim worship in embassies, companies, and military facilities, there are no publicly accessible temples, churches, or other non-Muslim places of worship in Saudi Arabia open to the public.
No public Christian, Hindu, Buddhist, Jewish, or other temples or churches exist. Public non-Muslim services of any kind remain banned throughout Saudi Arabia.
Reasons for Lack of Non-Muslim Public Worship
There are several reasons why Saudi Arabia lacks any public places of worship for faiths other than Islam:
- Legal Restrictions – Saudi laws prohibit public non-Muslim worship services and restrict building public temples or churches.
- Religious Police – Saudi Arabia has religious police (known as the mutaween) who enforce Shariah law and Islamic customs.
- Hardline Islamic Stance – Saudi Arabia follows an ultraconservative Islamic ideology that rejects public diversity of faith.
- Protect Holy Cities – As the home of Mecca and Medina, Saudi Arabia restricts non-Muslim practice to protect Islamic holiness.
The combination of Saudi Arabia’s laws, religious police, Islamic ideology, and the presence of holy sites creates an environment that prohibits public non-Muslim places of worship.
Legal Restrictions
Saudi Arabia’s legal system is based on strict Shariah law principles. Saudi laws prohibit public worship by other religions and impose severe restrictions on religious diversity and conversion from Islam:
- Public non-Muslim worship services are banned.
- It is illegal to build churches, temples, or other non-Muslim places of worship.
- Religious conversion from Islam to another religion is illegal.
- Proselytizing by non-Muslims is illegal.
These legal restrictions make it impossible for any public non-Muslim place of worship to exist.
Religious Police
Saudi Arabia has official religious police known as the mutaween (from the Arabic for “those who compel obedience”). The role of the mutaween is to enforce Shariah law, Islamic practices, and public morality.
The religious police monitor the population to make sure Islamic laws and customs are obeyed. They have authority to arrest anyone engaging in unauthorized public religious expression. This includes songs, symbols, or worship activities of non-Muslim faiths.
The presence of the mutaween makes it very risky to engage in any public non-Muslim worship in Saudi Arabia.
Hardline Islamic Ideology
Saudi Arabia follows an ultraconservative Wahhabi ideology that rejects non-Muslim religions and limits public religious tolerance:
- Wahhabism believes Islam is the one true religion and non-Muslim practices cannot be tolerated.
- The Saudi state embraces Wahhabi ideology as its official interpretation of Islam.
- Religious diversity and public worship by other faiths are seen as wrong.
This hardline religious ideology makes it very difficult for Saudi Arabia to allow public non-Muslim places of worship.
Protection of Holy Cities
As the home of Islam’s two holiest cities, Mecca and Medina, Saudi Arabia is especially concerned with protecting Islamic purity:
- Mecca and Medina are the spiritual centers of Islam and Saudi Arabia regulates them strictly.
- Saudi Arabia limits public worship and displays by other religions to maintain the Islamic nature of these holy cities.
- Allowing non-Muslim temples would contravene the sacred status of these holy sites.
Given Mecca and Medina’s importance to Islam, Saudi authorities prohibit non-Muslim public worship to preserve the sanctity of these holy areas.
Private Non-Muslim Worship Only
In summary, while Saudi Arabia permits some private non-Muslim worship services at embassies, companies, and military facilities, there are no public non-Muslim places of worship allowed.
The combination of legal restrictions, religious police, Saudi Arabia’s Islamic ideology, and protection of holy sites means it is not possible for any public non-Muslim temples, churches, or religious facilities to exist.
Private non-Muslim worship does take place discreetly among foreign populations, but public non-Muslim practice remains completely prohibited in Saudi Arabia.
| Faith | Private Worship Allowed? | Public Worship Allowed? |
|---|---|---|
| Christianity | Yes (in embassies, companies, military bases) | No |
| Hinduism | Yes (in company facilities) | No |
| Buddhism | Yes (in embassies, companies, military bases) | No |
| Judaism | Yes (in some embassy compounds) | No |
| Islam | Yes | Yes |
Conclusion
In conclusion, while some private exceptions exist, there are currently no public temples, churches, synagogues, or other non-Muslim places of worship in Saudi Arabia. The combination of legal restrictions, religious policing, Saudi Arabia’s Islamic ideology, and the sanctity of holy sites means public non-Muslim worship remains prohibited.
Private non-Muslim worship does take place discreetly among foreign embassy, company, and military populations. But Saudi Arabia continues to ban any public non-Muslim religious services, temples, or buildings of any kind.