LGBT Safety in Saudi Arabia

Overview

An education NGO from Australia became an International SOS client and received support during the initial assessment phase of a planned project in Saudi Arabia. After successfully winning the bid, they needed to send a group of travellers – mostly women – to the project site for completion. One of the travellers was an openly gay female who had specific concerns about her safety while travelling to that country. 

Service: Pre-Travel Security Awareness Training 
Location: Saudi Arabia 

Problem

Because of the destination’s cultural and risk differences, the NGO wanted to ensure all their employees felt comfortable and were able to mitigate foreseeable risk. They brought in security specialists from International SOS to educate the travellers before leaving. A special focus was placed on the women and LGBT travellers so they were aware of the day-to-day choices which could potentially have a significant impact on their safety. 

Solution

The training was delivered virtually by a female security specialist who recently had travelled to Saudi Arabia and was able to give local, practical tips. The course itself was designed by our diverse security team and included insight from their varying nationalities, gender, skills and experiences. It focused on principles of personal security, managing risks in daily activities, and what to do if things went wrong. For this travel briefing, there was an added emphasis on women’s security and managing online profiles to minimise unnecessary attention (such as social media, dating apps and search history). It also had a dedicated section specifically for Saudi Arabia that focused around risk zones and ratings, travel security threats, cultural norms, and business etiquette. 

Impact

By educating the travelling staff before departing, the NGO was able to give their employees peace of mind and the knowledge needed to stay safe. All travellers successfully completed their assignment without any security incidents.