Article 8 of the Saudi Publications Law

This article establishes a general principle: freedom of expression is guaranteed, and it covers the various means of publication.

But the article ties this freedom to an express limit, namely that it be within the bounds of Sharia and statutory provisions. The freedom is guaranteed within these limits, not outside them.

Article 9 follows, which spells out part of these limits. It requires every person responsible for a printed material to adhere to objective, constructive criticism that aims at the public interest and is based on correct facts and evidence, and it prohibits publishing certain matters by any means, including:

• What violates the provisions of Islamic Sharia or the laws in force.
• What calls for disrupting the security or public order of the country, or serves foreign interests that conflict with the national interest.
• Harming the reputation or dignity of, or personally insulting, the persons mentioned.
• Stirring up discord, encouraging crime, what harms the public interest, and publishing the facts of investigations or trials without permission from the authority legally empowered to give it.

The rule, then, is that you may express your opinion and publish it by the means you choose, provided this does not go beyond Sharia and statutory provisions. Anyone with content that may exceed these limits can consult a lawyer who specializes in media and publishing law.