KNOWN for its brutal executions and suppression of free speech, Saudi Arabia is ruled with an iron fist – but behind ruthless laws lies a secret network of prostitutes readily available for expats, tourists and locals.
The Sun can reveal how one of the most popular used in the city, , is awash with prostitutes offering seedy menus of sex services – some of which are too graphic to publish – in family neighbourhoods and tourist .
Sex was for sale at every turn on Tinder Passport in Riyadh Credit: Supplied
Sex workers assured us it was ‘very safe’ to meet up Credit: Supplied
Buying sex is illegally in strictly Muslim Saudi and punishable by or fines – or the death penalty if escorts and clients are slapped with charges of adultery.
But within minutes of using Tinder Passport – which allowed us to swipe in its bustling capital Riyadh from the UK – sex was for sale at every turn.
Profiles immediately showed accounts with suggestive images of women, most from Africa and Asia and particularly when using the app’s Short-term fun feature.
One profile, picturing a woman in a short sparkly dress and high heels, immediately sent us a number where we were sent a menu of shocking sexual services.
Some were too graphic to publish but included the dangerous service of unprotected oral sex for a fee of 1000 Saudi Riyal (£200) in one hour or 500 Riyal (£100) for half that time.
Other services offered included a full massage and French kissing.
The person talking to us claimed she was a woman from Russia, but the WhatsApp profile picture was an image of three women in underwear, suggesting they may instead have been a person facilitating multiple sex workers.
Another woman, who said she was from Uganda, sent us a WhatsApp number before we had even messaged. In a disappearing message, she offered “simple sex and s*****g” for just 200 Riyal (£40).
Women on the ‘short-term fun’ feature on Tinder offered to meet up in Riyadh within minutes of connecting Credit: Supplied
The list of sex services offered, some of which are too graphic for The Sun to share Credit: Supplied
She shared the location of an apartment in a neighbourhood west of the city described by property brokers as an ideal place to raise a family.
She assured us that there was little chance of getting caught by Saudi’s notoriously hardline authorities, saying: “You don’t have to be worried, I can come to you for an appointment if you fear coming here.”
We then matched with one profile that quickly moved us to a WhatsApp business account advertising as massage parlour open 24 hours a day, listing a location a 20-minute drive from the city’s King Khalid International Airport.
The account shared WhatsApp stories picturing multiple women, some on beds, and a green canvas with the message: “African girls available now inbox me for pictures.”
The person speaking to us offered one option for two women for a threesome in one hour for a fee of 700 Riyal (£140) or 400 Riyal (£70) for one “shot”, clarified as “one round”.
Asked if hotel visits were an option, the person replied: “Only African girls available for outcall.”
Another woman, who said she was from Thailand, offered to visit us at our pretend location of an upmarket hotel, a popular spot with wealthy tourists and financiers.
She offered a massage and sexual services for 800 Riyal (£160) but later expressed concerns she would not be able to pass through the hotel unnoticed.
Women offered £40 hotel hook-ups and £70 threesomes Credit: Supplied
The messages reassured us that meeting up was safe Credit: Supplied
The woman instead suggested we visit her at a location in a commercial area of the city lined with shops, and an art gallery.
Last year, Saudi Arabia arrested more than 50 suspects for crimes including prostitution after Crown Prince vowed to crack down on “immoral acts”.
An assigned unit arrested 11 women for prostitution and marked the first time authorities acknowledged prostitution in more than a decade.
But Tatiana Kotlyarenko, an international expert who has worked with trafficking victims, said there’s a secret underbelly of , alcohol and sex parties that ties into the network of prostitution in the Kingdom.
Profiles immediately showed accounts with suggestive images of women, most from Africa and Asia Credit: Supplied
Women who appeared to be sex workers appeared on Tinder’s ‘short-term fun’ feature Credit: Supplied
She added: “There are reports of extreme sexual exploitation and violence in conservative countries such as Saudi Arabia and the more strict it is outwardly, the more of this big underbelly it has, frankly.
“Within that underbelly also are drugs, alcohol, sex parties, trafficking for sexual exploitation and exploitation in prostitution.
“So you have a whole storm going on behind the scenes, this is just the reality of it.
“It’s also particularly violent because there is no control over this and the men are protected because they are nationals, or foreign men who are wealthy.
“There is no political will to effectively address this, or penalise traffickers or those who purchase sexual acts with trafficked or exploited women and children.”
She says prostitution is rampant in the Kingdom and there’s an “enormous demand” for women.
She said: “I worked for many years across the African continent and I have encountered survivors of sexual and labour exploitation from Saudi Arabia and other countries in the Persian Gulf.
“There is enormous demand not just for African women, but for women of all backgrounds for the purpose of sexual and labour exploitation or a combination of both.”
The short-term feature on Tinder matched us with multiple women Credit: Supplied
Women are risking prison and fines with sex work in Riyadh Credit: Supplied
She added: “There have been numerous cases involving severe degradation and extreme sexual violence directed specifically at African women in UAE, for example.
“With every class type of woman available who has been trafficked to Saudi Arabia, as with , Bahrain and the whole region, there is a huge level of demand.
“There are a lot of blind eyes turned to it because of the demand. I met a trafficking survivor in Uzbekistan who fought back against her trafficker and she ended up going to jail as a result.
“There are ineffective identification and reporting pathways and trafficked women may be penalised, put in jail, deported and there is very little help for them in these situations.”
An example of our conversation with sex workers on Tinder’s ‘short-term fun’ feature Credit: Supplied
We were told ‘different girls’ are available each day for clients Credit: Supplied
Tatiana said women are trafficked with offers of as domestic workers or service workers – through a variety of different visas.
She said: “These women are risking serious punishment if they get caught in Saudi Arabia because prostitution is illegal.
“They are not necessarily going to be identified as trafficking victims, they will be identified as prostitutes, they will be penalised and then deported.
“I haven’t heard about executions of these women, but I can presume that there are severe punishments for committing violent acts to escape or protect themselves from violence and exploitation even in the process of their trafficking.
“I have seen massive jail sentences. With the Uzbek survivor: she and one of her customers fought against the trafficker. But he was let free and she went to jail for many years.”
Saudi Arabia is a dry country, meaning alcohol is illegal, but speculation has gained momentum that it may relax its laws in future.
Bin Salman has made sweeping moves to modernise the country in recent years, investing heavily in sports like and lifting a ban on female drivers in 2018.
It will also host the World Cup in 2034 which suggests it may be forced to modernise further.
But the country continues to face heavy criticism for its human rights record, with human rights group Amnesty warning travellers they face prison for things like social media posts.
In response, Tinder said: “Solicitation of any kind is a violation of our Community Guidelines and could result in the profile being removed.
“If users encounter anyone violating our terms, we strongly encourage them to report it via the self-reporting tool in-app and our team will take appropriate action.”
Amnesty said: “Sex trafficking is not just a criminal enterprise – it is a profound violation of human rights that robs people, overwhelmingly women and girls, of their freedom, safety and dignity.
“Every statistic represents a life manipulated, coerced or forced into exploitation, too often failed by institutions that should have protected them.
“Governments must stop treating sex trafficking as a peripheral issue and confront it as a systemic abuse sustained by inequality, impunity and mistrust of victims.
“That means real prevention, properly funded survivor-centred support, guaranteed access to justice, and relentless accountability for those who profit from exploitation.
“Exploitation thrives in silence and indifference – and it will only end when governments choose justice over complacency.”
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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