Saudi Arabia: The Drug Hub of the Middle East

Interesting Article published by Geopolitical Futures::

The country’s large drug trade contradicts its reputation as a religious center.

By: Hilal Khashan

Almost no country is free from the scourge of illicit drugs, but Saudi Arabia – the custodian of Islam’s holiest shrines – is emerging as one of the world’s biggest destinations for illegal substances. The problem has only grown over the past decade. Between 2015 and 2019, Saudi Arabia accounted for more than 45 percent of global seizures of an amphetamine drug known as Captagon. The Saudi government refuses to admit the gravity of the situation and blames it on foreign actors that are threatened by its success. While Saudi authorities appear to be clamping down on the problem, members of the royal family and security forces have been implicated in its operations.

(click to enlarge)

Pervasive Drug Abuse

The oil boom of the mid-1970s, which saw a surge in wealth and the arrival of hundreds of thousands of workers from neighboring countries, led to substantial shifts in Saudi society. These changes helped spark the rapid increase in drug addiction. The Saudi government has concealed the seriousness of the problem. According to official estimates from the Saudi Ministry of Interior, the number of people addicted to drugs in the country has reached 200,000, but some civil society associations indicate the actual number is much higher. Saudi Arabia is the third-largest consumer of drugs in the world and the largest in the Middle East. Drug use and smuggling are punishable by death for ordinary citizens and expatriates but not for members of the royal family, who are exempt from prosecution.

Drug abuse is increasing especially among young men and women in urban areas between the ages of 18 and 29. More than 60 percent of drug addicts belong to this age group, and about half of all Saudis consuming drugs are unemployed. Drug abuse has also spread into the military and professional occupations such as medicine and engineering. Some 90 percent of addicts are Saudis, while the remaining 10 percent are expatriates, who represent 40 percent of the country’s population of 35 million. Captagon pills, sometimes used to promote weight loss or alertness, are the most prevalent drug in Saudi Arabia, used by more than 40 percent of addicts. The amount of Captagon pills seized by authorities equals less than 10 percent of the amount that’s consumed.

Instigators of the Drug Trade

Despite Saudi claims about foreign involvement, the leading figures in the drug trade – the financiers, local operators and distribution networks – are Saudis themselves. Still, large quantities of drugs flow into Saudi Arabia from the countries of the Golden Crescent (Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran), Syria, Lebanon and Yemen. Saudi Arabia has laid most of the blame, however, with Lebanon, accusing Hezbollah of being the main smuggler of drugs into the kingdom. But the amount of drugs coming from Lebanon is small compared to other countries, such as Afghanistan, Iran, Syria and Iraq. The Syrian regime’s role in the Captagon trade, for example, far exceeds Hezbollah’s. About 80 percent of the Captagon smuggled into Saudi Arabia comes from Syria, generating revenues three times higher than the Assad regime’s budget. But while Riyadh banned imports of Lebanese produce in response to Hezbollah’s involvement in trafficking, it ended its nine-year boycott of imports from Syria in 2020.

The profits from Captagon are enormous. One shipment costs $10 million to deliver – including expenses for raw materials, smuggling and bribery – and can return a profit of $180 million. Even if authorities confiscate several shipments, getting just one load through can make a substantial profit.

The kingdom doesn’t want to confront the tribes that receive substantial bribes from drug smugglers and instead has resorted to conspiracy theories to explain the problem. The local media alleges that Saudi Arabia is the target of international criminal gangs linked to hostile entities working to flood the country with drugs to destroy its social fabric and undermine its Islamic values. The kingdom is one of the most powerful countries in the region, so the thinking goes, and these entities seek to derail the success of its economic and social development projects in the coming years.

Princes and officers are also heavily involved in local smuggling networks. The Control and Anti-Corruption Authority has even accused its own officers of taking bribes from smugglers to turn a blind eye to their illicit activities. In 1999, a prominent Saudi prince smuggled two tons of cocaine from Venezuela to France, where he was sentenced in absentia to 10 years in prison in 2007 and given a $100 million fine. The U.S. also accused him of conspiring to distribute drugs in the United States. In 2015, Lebanese authorities arrested another Saudi prince trying to smuggle 1,900 kilograms (4,200 pounds) of Captagon pills on a private jet. He received a six-year prison sentence and a $6,600 fine, and became known as the Prince of Captagon. Lebanese President Michel Aoun issued a special pardon and released him from prison four years later at Saudi Arabia’s request. Six months ago, a Saudi security officer was arrested in Beirut international airport trying to smuggle 16 kilograms of Captagon pills to Saudi Arabia via Kuwait.

Members of the royal family use their immunity from prosecution to smuggle drugs to the kingdom and other countries. They are also allegedly avid consumers of cocaine and hashish. Controversial Saudi preacher Ali al-Maliki accused members of the royal family of being responsible for the country’s drug problem, saying, “We have celebrities who organize super lively parties on farms, who also sell drugs and bring them into the country.” But despite strict anti-drug laws, all those who are punished for being involved in the trade are petty traffickers, while none of the major dealers responsible for bringing drugs into the country are held accountable.

Social Malaise

Rising addiction rates have been exacerbated by a number of social and religious issues, including strict social norms, loneliness, boredom and the absence of an explicit religious prohibition on drugs. Accelerating social changes in recent years, such as allowing concerts and giving women the right to drive, have triggered a culture war, creating ambiguity over what people consider good or bad behavior.

The lack of available jobs with decent salaries is another reason for the increased drug use among young people. The Saudi way of life is expensive, and young men find it challenging to meet expectations, especially regarding marriage and housing. In addition, critics of Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman have accused him of playing a role in flooding the country with drugs to keep young people out of politics and distract them from demanding more rights. The arrest of liberal religious scholars and the disappearance of reformers and youth guidance centers have contributed to the problem.