Saudi Arabia jails expat for six months over illegal abortion drug promotion

A Saudi court has sentenced an expatriate to six months in prison and imposed a fine of SR100,000 for practising a health profession without a licence and promoting an unauthorised abortion drug, the Ministry of Health said.

The man was convicted of violating the Law of Practising Healthcare Professions and its executive regulations after being arrested in coordination with relevant authorities in the Riyadh region.

Authorities said he had been promoting the sale of a medically controlled drug used in abortion procedures without proper authorisation.

The arrest was made during an inspection campaign as part of ongoing efforts to monitor compliance with health regulations and safeguard public safety, the ministry said.

It added that legal measures were taken against the violator following his apprehension.

The ministry said it would continue its monitoring campaigns to detect violations and ensure adherence to approved health standards across the kingdom.

It also urged the public to report suspected violations through its unified call centre number 937, stressing the importance of community cooperation in protecting public health and ensuring the safety of healthcare services.