Saudi Arabia to Introduce Freedom of Information Law

Saudi Arabia is preparing to introduce a Freedom of Information Law aimed at expanding access to information while preserving sovereignty and confidentiality, Minister of Communications and Information Technology Abdullah Alswaha said at a government press conference in Riyadh.

Details of the legislation, including its scope and implementation timeline, have not yet been released. Alswaha said the law is intended to support creativity and innovation while maintaining protections around sensitive information.

The announcement came as the minister outlined the growth of Saudi Arabia’s digital economy, which he said has increased by more than 75% since the launch of Vision 2030 to reach SAR 522 billion. Employment in the digital sector has risen to 410,000 jobs.

Digital infrastructure has expanded alongside that growth. Alswaha said the overall communications gap has fallen from 50% to 1% over the past decade, while fibre coverage has reached 5.8 million homes. Fibre penetration stands at 32%, although subscription levels remain below expectations.