Saudi Arabia has adopted national legislation based on or influenced by the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) Model Law on Electronic Commerce.

Saudi Arabia has adopted national legislation based on or influenced by the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) Model Law on Electronic Signatures.

Saudi Arabia restricts the import of certain products by requiring permission from the Communication and Information Technology Commission (CITC). These include wireless products, satellite internet services, equipment transmitting pictures wirelessly, and pre-paid telephone recharging cards.

Saudi Arabia restricted the import of certain products by requiring permission from the General Commission for Audiovisual Media (GCAM). These include any audio/video content on transportable media, tapes, disks, storage equipment, and audio/video broadcasting and receiving equipment through any communication utility (cable, land or other communication networks).

According to the GSO Technical Regulation for Low Voltage Electrical Equipment and Appliances – BD-142004-01, which includes an amendment and an update of the first edition, number (BD07070503) was implemented in 2007. Electrical appliances designed to be used in a certain rated voltage range must be sold bearing the G mark after being certified by the GCC Notified Body.
Products that fall under List 1 under the Regulation are low-risk; thus, a self-declaration form prepared by the manufacturer can be made by affixing the “G” before placing the product on the market. Products that fall under List 2 are higher-risk electrical products, which will undergo mandatory Type testing and review of the product's Technical File to verify conformity before authorisation is granted to affix the “G” mark before placing the product onto the market.
However, for List 2 products, manufacturers must choose a single Notified Body (NB) entity to examine the technical design of a product and verify that the technical design of the product meets the requirements of the applicable Gulf Technical Regulations and for the issuance of an evaluation report with a Gulf Type Examination certificate and shall be issued a certificate from the NB.
It is reported that not all agencies offering Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization (SASO) Certificate of Conformity (CoC) services are recognised in Saudi Arabia, which can complicate companies wishing to export their goods to Saudi Arabian markets. These certificates should be obtained only from authorised agencies recognised in Saudi Arabia.

Imported ICT products to Saudi Arabia cannot clear customs without the Communications and Information Technology Commission (CITC) Certificate of Conformity (CoC). The ICT equipment must comply with the technical specifications issued by the CITC. The CITC does not accept similar conformity certificates from other countries.

The Communications and Information Technology Commission (CITC) is responsible for the designation of approved domestic and foreign equipment testing facilities. Art. 9 of the Regulations for Importation and Licensing of Telecommunications and Information Technology Equipment states that only equipment checked and approved by such facilities is deemed to be acceptable for use in Saudi Arabia.

The National Cybersecurity Authority (NCA) has launched the National Cryptographic Standards (NCS) to meet the national need by specifying the minimum requirements necessary to provide the degree of protection required for national data, systems and networks using cryptographic mechanisms for civilian and commercial purposes, based on global best practices and global standards.
However, Art. 11.9 of the Regulations for Importation and Licensing of Telecommunications and Information Technology Equipment provides a general requirement to disclose details of encryption systems contained in ICT equipment being imported.

It is reported that the de minimis threshold, that is the minimum value of goods below which customs do not charge duties, is SAR 1000 (approx. USD 250), above the 200 USD threshold recommended by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC).

According to Section 2 of the Saudi Domain Name Registration Regulation, to register for domains ".sa" or ".com.sa", the domain owner must meet at least one of the following requirements: have a company/association incorporated in Saudi Arabia that match the domain name to register; have a trademark in Saudi Arabia, that match the domain name to register. In addition, in both cases, a local administrative contact is required. Saudi Network Information Center (SaudiNIC) manages domain name registration services that fall within the Saudi country-code Top-Level Domains (ccTLD), including the Saudi ASCII ccTLD (.sa) and the Saudi IDN ccTLD. "

The E-Commerce Law establishes a comprehensive framework for consumer protection applicable to online transactions. This legislation governs e-commerce activities between consumers in Saudi Arabia and service providers globally, including transactions between individuals. The law encompasses provisions on various issues, such as the protection of consumer data, transparency in contracting and electronic advertisements, as well as consumer rights, including the right to returns and cancellations under specific circumstances. According to regulatory authorities, the implementation of this framework has enhanced trust in online transactions and has made it easier for consumers to file e-commerce-related complaints with the authorities, owing to the strengthened consumer protection measures.

It is reported that Saudi authorities frequently block news and other websites due to geopolitical considerations. Between 2017 and 2023, some Qatari, Iranian, and Turkish news sites were blocked amid ongoing political tensions between these countries and Saudi Arabia. News sites with views opposing the Saudi government, such as the website of Beirut-based broadcaster al-Manar, are also blocked. Popular social media and communication apps are not consistently blocked, although several platforms’ VoIP services have faced intermittent restrictions.
In January 2016, the websites of the London-based Al-Araby al-Jadeed and its English-language counterpart, The New Arab, were blocked and remain inaccessible. In addition, earlier reports indicate that over 500,000 websites were blocked in Saudi Arabia between 2007 and 2020.

The indicator "6.2.4 - Government Internet shut down in practice" of the V-Dem Dataset, which measures whether the government has the technical capacity to actively make internet service cease, thus interrupting domestic access to the internet or whether the government has decided to do so, has a score of 2 in Saudi Arabia for the year 2023. This corresponds to "The government shut down domestic access to the Internet several times this year."
It is reported that in 2023, Saudi Arabia was identified as a "repeat offender" for implementing internet shutdowns, a practice the country has consistently maintained since 2016. Saudi authorities were also among those in the MENA region who enforced internet shutdowns during the year.

The telecom regulator in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (The Communication and Information Technology Commission (CITC), issued a revised version 3 of its Cloud Computing Regulatory Framework (CCRF v3), which came into effect on 18/04/1442 H (corresponding to 3 December 2020). The CCRF v3 replaces version 2 of the Cloud Computing Regulatory Framework (CCRF v2). According to Art. 3.2.1 of the CCRF v3, no service provider has the right to exercise direct or effective control over the data centre or the critical infrastructure of a cloud computing system hosted and used in Saudi Arabia for the purpose of providing cloud computing services unless it is validly registered with the CITC. Whilst this registration obligation is not new, the CCRF v3 imposes a new obligation on a CSP that exercises control of such data centres to use telecommunications infrastructure (including international infrastructure) through operators licensed by the CITC.

Online publishers (including publishers of blogs, forums and short messaging) cannot operate without explicit approval from the highest levels of government. The Executive Regulation for Electronic Publishing Activity stipulates licensing by the Media Ministry as a requirement for those seeking to publish online (Article 7). The regulation requires applicants to be Saudi nationals, at least 25 years old, a university graduate, of “good conduct,” and not be employed by the government. Article 15 of the Law prohibits publishing anything that contravenes Islamic law, violates public order, or serves “foreign interests,” as well as material inciting a “spirit of discord” within society.