Is crypto mining legal in Saudi Arabia?

Crypto mining in Saudi Arabia sits in the same grey area as crypto in general. There is no law that names mining, either to ban it or to license it. At the same time, crypto has no formal legal recognition, so a miner in the kingdom has no regulatory framework to rely on. The wider legal position is set out in is crypto legal in Saudi Arabia.

Is bitcoin mining legal in Saudi Arabia?

It is not expressly illegal, but it is not expressly allowed either. A January 2025 post by the US Library of Congress said Saudi Arabia had not enacted specific crypto legislation as of December 2024, and that individual ownership and trading were not explicitly banned. The post did not discuss mining, and the official warnings reviewed for this guide do not mention it either.

That absence cuts both ways. Mining is not listed as an offence, but nothing gives miners legal protection, and Saudi anti-money laundering laws define funds broadly enough that crypto is likely covered, according to the Library of Congress.

Is crypto currency legal in Saudi Arabia?

Crypto is tolerated rather than recognised. In 2018, a standing committee headed by the Capital Market Authority, with the Saudi central bank and several ministries as members, warned that virtual currencies are not regulated inside the kingdom. It said bitcoin and similar coins are not approved as official currency and that no person or party is licensed by Saudi regulators to deal in them.

For a miner, this matters at the point of selling coins. There is no Saudi-licensed exchange to sell through, and the Library of Congress notes that local financial institutions do not trade crypto. How mined coins usually reach the market is explained in how does bitcoin mining work.

Is there large-scale crypto mining in Saudi Arabia?

None was confirmed in the sources reviewed. In August 2021, Saudi Aramco called reports that it would start bitcoin mining completely false and said it had no plans to enter the crypto sector, Gulf News reported. The reports had come from a Brazilian miner speaking in a YouTube interview.

Neighbouring Kuwait shows how quickly the issue can turn into enforcement. In July 2025, Kuwaiti police arrested a man running mining equipment in a rented home, and security sources said the activity is banned under national regulations because of its strain on the power grid, according to Gulf News. Saudi Arabia has not taken that step in the sources reviewed. Other countries' approaches are compared in is crypto mining legal.

Rules differ by country and change often. Check the Capital Market Authority, the Saudi Central Bank or a qualified professional for your own situation.