{"id":8649,"date":"2026-10-12T18:29:15","date_gmt":"2026-10-12T15:29:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/crime-classification-saudi-arabia\/"},"modified":"2026-10-12T18:46:15","modified_gmt":"2026-10-12T15:46:15","slug":"crime-classification-saudi-arabia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/en\/crime-classification-saudi-arabia\/","title":{"rendered":"Felony, Misdemeanour and Violation: How Crimes Are Classified in Saudi Arabia"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>.usus-tbl{border-collapse:collapse;width:100%;max-width:760px;margin:12px 0 20px;font-size:15px}.usus-tbl th{background:#f4eff9;color:#2A124A;font-weight:700;text-align:right;padding:9px 12px;border-bottom:2px solid #C9A227}.usus-tbl td{padding:9px 12px;border-bottom:1px solid #e5ddec;vertical-align:top}<\/style>\n<div dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<p>&#8220;Felony&#8221;, &#8220;misdemeanour&#8221; and &#8220;violation&#8221; are words people use often, taken from other legal systems that classify crimes by the severity of the penalty. But the <strong>Saudi system<\/strong> classifies crimes differently, based on Islamic Sharia and statutory law. Understanding this explains why one accused is detained while another is released, and why penalties differ.<\/p>\n<h2>The common classification in other Arab laws<\/h2>\n<table class=\"usus-tbl\">\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Term<\/th>\n<th>What it means in those laws<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Felony (jinaya)<\/td>\n<td>The most serious crimes with the heaviest penalties<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Misdemeanour (junha)<\/td>\n<td>Crimes of medium seriousness<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Violation (mukhalafa)<\/td>\n<td>The lightest acts, punished by small fines<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<figure class=\"usus-ig usus-ig-8649-1\"><img class=\"wp-image-8857\" src=\"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/usus-8649-1.webp\" width=\"1200\" height=\"776\" alt=\"The common classification in other Arab laws \u2014 Felony, Misdemeanour and Violation (Usus Law Firm infographic)\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/usus-8649-1.webp 1200w, https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/usus-8649-1-768x497.webp 768w, https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/usus-8649-1-640x414.webp 640w, https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/usus-8649-1-400x259.webp 400w, https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/usus-8649-1-367x237.webp 367w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/figure>\n<p>This is not the classification used in the Kingdom, even though the word &#8220;jinaya&#8221; is sometimes used simply to mean a crime.<\/p>\n<h2>How are crimes classified in Saudi Arabia?<\/h2>\n<table class=\"usus-tbl\">\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Category<\/th>\n<th>Meaning<\/th>\n<th>Examples<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Hudud crimes<\/td>\n<td>Penalties fixed by Sharia as a right of God, with strict conditions of proof<\/td>\n<td>Hadd theft, slander (qadhf)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Qisas and diya crimes<\/td>\n<td>Offences against life or body, with a private right for the victim or heirs<\/td>\n<td>Killing, injuries<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Ta&#8217;zir crimes<\/td>\n<td>Penalties not fixed by Sharia, set by statute or by the judge<\/td>\n<td>Most crimes: drugs, fraud, forgery, cybercrime<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>Read <a href=\"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/en\/theft-penalty-saudi-arabia\/\">the penalty for theft<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/en\/diya-blood-money-saudi-arabia\/\">blood money in Saudi Arabia<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>Major crimes requiring detention<\/h2>\n<p>Alongside the Sharia classification there is an important procedural one: <strong>major crimes requiring detention<\/strong>, a list issued by decision of the Attorney General that sets the crimes in which the accused is detained and released only by order of the competent authority. In other crimes, release on bail is generally possible. Read <a href=\"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/en\/release-on-bail-saudi-arabia\/\">release on bail<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><em>The list is updated by decisions of the Attorney General; check the current official list.<\/em><\/p>\n<h2>And violations?<\/h2>\n<p>There are violations of administrative regulations, such as traffic, municipal and labor rules, for which the competent authority imposes administrative fines that are challenged before committees or designated bodies; in most cases they are not crimes in the criminal sense. Read <a href=\"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/en\/saudi-traffic-violations\/\">traffic violations and how to object<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n<h3>Is my case a felony or a misdemeanour?<\/h3>\n<p>These terms are not used officially in the Kingdom; the right question is whether it is hadd, qisas or ta&#8217;zir, and whether it is one of the crimes requiring detention.<\/p>\n<h3>Does the penalty differ by category?<\/h3>\n<p>Yes: hudud are fixed by Sharia, ta&#8217;zir is set by statute or the judge, and qisas involves the victim&#8217;s right.<\/p>\n<h3>Does an administrative violation create a criminal record?<\/h3>\n<p>Administrative violations differ from criminal convictions. Read <a href=\"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/en\/criminal-record-clearing-saudi-arabia\/\">criminal records<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>Need your case assessed?<\/h2>\n<p>The <strong>Usus Law Firm<\/strong> team handles <a href=\"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/en\/service\/criminal-cases\/\">criminal cases<\/a> of every kind, in <a href=\"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/en\/lawyer-in-riyadh\/\">Riyadh<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/en\/lawyer-in-tabuk\/\">Tabuk<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-size:12.5px;color:#6a6178;border-top:1px solid #e6ddd0;padding-top:10px;margin-top:16px\"><em>This article is general legal information and is not a substitute for advice on your specific case. Court proceedings in Saudi Arabia are in Arabic; the official Arabic text of each law prevails.<\/em><\/p>\n<div class=\"usus-qbox\">\n<h2>Request a quick consultation<\/h2>\n<p>Leave your name and mobile number, and a lawyer from our Riyadh or Tabuk office will call you during working hours. We advise in English.<\/p>\n\n<div class=\"wpcf7 no-js\" id=\"wpcf7-f6963-o1\" lang=\"en-US\" dir=\"ltr\" data-wpcf7-id=\"6963\">\n<div class=\"screen-reader-response\"><p role=\"status\" aria-live=\"polite\" aria-atomic=\"true\"><\/p> <ul><\/ul><\/div>\n<form action=\"\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8649#wpcf7-f6963-o1\" method=\"post\" class=\"wpcf7-form init\" aria-label=\"Contact form\" novalidate=\"novalidate\" data-status=\"init\">\n<fieldset class=\"hidden-fields-container\"><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"_wpcf7\" value=\"6963\" \/><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"_wpcf7_version\" value=\"6.2.2\" \/><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"_wpcf7_locale\" value=\"en_US\" \/><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"_wpcf7_unit_tag\" value=\"wpcf7-f6963-o1\" \/><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"_wpcf7_container_post\" value=\"0\" \/><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"_wpcf7_posted_data_hash\" value=\"\" \/>\n<\/fieldset>\n<span id=\"wpcf7-6ae24d3b85907-wrapper\" class=\"wpcf7-form-control-wrap cf7apps-honeypot-wrap honeypot-qf-wrap\" style=\"position:absolute;width:1px;height:1px;padding:0;margin:-1px;overflow:hidden;clip:rect(0,0,0,0);white-space:nowrap;border:0;\"><label for=\"wpcf7-6ae24d3b85907-field\" class=\"hp-message\">Please leave this field empty.<\/label><input id=\"wpcf7-6ae24d3b85907-field\"  class=\"wpcf7-form-control wpcf7-text\" type=\"text\" name=\"honeypot-qf\" value=\"\" autocomplete=\"new-password\" tabindex=\"1000\" data-cf7apps-tabindex=\"1000\" \/><\/span>\n<div class=\"usus-qf\">\n<div class=\"f\"><label for=\"q-name\">Name<\/label><span class=\"wpcf7-form-control-wrap\" data-name=\"q-name\"><input size=\"40\" maxlength=\"400\" class=\"wpcf7-form-control wpcf7-text wpcf7-validates-as-required\" id=\"q-name\" autocomplete=\"name\" aria-required=\"true\" aria-invalid=\"false\" placeholder=\"Your name\" value=\"\" type=\"text\" name=\"q-name\" \/><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"f\"><label for=\"q-phone\">Mobile<\/label><span class=\"wpcf7-form-control-wrap\" data-name=\"q-phone\"><input size=\"40\" maxlength=\"400\" class=\"wpcf7-form-control wpcf7-tel wpcf7-validates-as-required wpcf7-text wpcf7-validates-as-tel\" id=\"q-phone\" autocomplete=\"tel\" aria-required=\"true\" aria-invalid=\"false\" placeholder=\"05xxxxxxxx\" value=\"\" type=\"tel\" name=\"q-phone\" \/><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"f\"><label for=\"q-city\">City<\/label><span class=\"wpcf7-form-control-wrap\" data-name=\"q-city\"><select class=\"wpcf7-form-control wpcf7-select wpcf7-validates-as-required\" id=\"q-city\" aria-required=\"true\" aria-invalid=\"false\" name=\"q-city\"><option value=\"Riyadh\">Riyadh<\/option><option value=\"Tabuk\">Tabuk<\/option><option value=\"Other city\">Other city<\/option><\/select><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"f w\"><label for=\"q-msg\">Your case in brief (optional)<\/label><span class=\"wpcf7-form-control-wrap\" data-name=\"q-msg\"><textarea cols=\"40\" rows=\"2\" maxlength=\"600\" class=\"wpcf7-form-control wpcf7-textarea\" id=\"q-msg\" aria-invalid=\"false\" placeholder=\"One or two lines are enough\" name=\"q-msg\"><\/textarea><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"s\"><input class=\"wpcf7-form-control wpcf7-submit has-spinner\" type=\"submit\" value=\"Request a call from a lawyer\" \/><\/div>\n<\/div><div class=\"wpcf7-response-output\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/div>\n<\/form>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;Felony&#8221;, &#8220;misdemeanour&#8221; and &#8220;violation&#8221; are words people use often, taken from other legal systems that classify crimes by the severity of the penalty. But the Saudi system classifies crimes differently, based on Islamic Sharia and statutory law. Understanding this explains why one accused is detained while another is released, and why penalties differ. The common [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8695,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[84],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8649","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-criminal-law"],"acf":[],"featured_image_src":{"landsacpe":["https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/usus-cover-8649-1140x445.jpg?wsr",1140,445,true],"list":["https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/usus-cover-8649-463x348.jpg?wsr",463,348,true],"medium":["https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/usus-cover-8649-300x169.jpg?wsr",300,169,true],"full":["https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/usus-cover-8649.jpg?wsr",1200,675,false]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8649","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8649"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8649\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8859,"href":"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8649\/revisions\/8859"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8695"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8649"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8649"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8649"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}