The Gulf Centre for Human Rights (GCHR) is following with concern the aggressive response of the Saudi authorities, in particular, the Presidency of State Security, to the online demands for economic rights. We have previously reported on waves of arrests after Saudi citizens demanded better jobs and opportunities. A widely-shared video of a retired Saudi military soldier observed by GCHR exposes a similar case.

In the video, the retired soldier reported threats and abuse by authorities for posting an online request for financial help.  He was then summoned for interrogation, fingerprinted, and threatened due solely to the fact that his request was addressed to the Crown Prince, Mohammed Bin Salman.

He also explained in the very same video that he was forced to post it due to his financial hardship and the lack of social services support. Retired individuals, especially those who were retired a long time ago, face serious financial hardship with rising inflation. Vision 2030 has also resulted in reduced subsidies for basic services, and 15% value added taxes.

The UN Special rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, Philip Alston, visited Saudi Arabia in 2017. He reported key findings on limited transparency on data and metrics, an ineffective social protection system, and how the Vision 2030 subsidies reform could impact vulnerable groups. Additionally, the UN independent Expert on the enjoyment of all human rights by older persons, Dr. Claudia Maher, visited Saudi Arabia in 2025. She reported similar concern that a significant portion of elderly people lack a stable income or comprehensive pensions.

The Saudi authorities’ response to such calls for the much-needed reforms of the financial and social protection of the elderly was non-existent, as the authorities tend to use mass online surveillance to silence any legitimate complaints.

The Presidency of State Security in Saudi Arabia was established on 20 July 2017, by royal decree of King Salman bin Abdulaziz. While it reports directly to the Prime Minister (the King), it is now under the complete control of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. It was established as a sovereign security and intelligence agency separate from the Ministry of Interior. Since its inception, it has dedicated all its resources to suppressing the human rights movement and stifling freedom of expression online and offline in Saudi Arabia.

GCHR condemns in the strongest terms the systematic policies of repression adopted by the Presidency of State Security, which is aimed at monitoring online activism and imprisoning online activists for expressing their peaceful views about public affairs in their country.

Recommendations

GCHR calls on the Saudi authorities to:

1. Guarantee the right of people, including the elderly, to freedom of expression and in particular allow them to express their grievances and needs online, which should be protected and not criminalised;
2. Ensure that social protection reforms are conducted to address the needs of the most vulnerable groups in society; and
3. Immediately halt filing cases against people, young and old, for demanding better financial support and rights.