Are there churches in Saudi Arabia?
This guide documents no church for public worship in Saudi Arabia. Published summaries say that the kingdom allows Christians to enter as foreign workers but does not allow them to practise their faith openly. The one Christian site documented here is an ancient one: the ruins of a church near Jubail on the Gulf coast, discovered in 1986 and attributed to the Church of the East. Its date is disputed, with the fourth and the seventh century both proposed, and its excavation results had not been published as of 2008.
The candidates, and what each date means
| Place | Date | What the date refers to | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jubail church ruins, Eastern Province | Disputed: 4th or 7th century | Ruined church, Church of the East | Stucco like that at other Gulf sites; crosses carved beside the doorway; the 2008 study found the published evidence did not allow precise dating |
| Monastery on Sir Bani Yas, United Arab Emirates (comparison) | Before Islam; occupied for at least another century | Monastery, ruins | Excavated since 2009; belongs to the same Gulf Christian region |
| Cathedral of Our Lady of Arabia, Awali, Bahrain (nearest cathedral) | Consecrated December 2021 | Catholic cathedral in use, 2,300 seats | Vatican News |
The Jubail church
The Jubail church was discovered in 1986 beneath dunes and excavated by the Saudi Department of Antiquities in 1987. It belonged to the Church of the East. Its stucco resembles that at other Christian sites around the Gulf, such as Sir Bani Yas, and two crosses are carved into the wall on either side of the doorway leading from the nave to the sanctuary. Some sources date it to the fourth century and others to the seventh. As of 2008, the excavation results had not been published and, as of 2009, the site was reported fenced and closed to visitors and researchers. Check current access with official sources before any visit.
Christianity on the Gulf coast before and after Islam
The Gorgias Syriac dictionary describes a Christian region called Beth Qatraye that covered the Qatar peninsula, its hinterland and the whole coast of north-east Arabia as far as Musandam, with the islands. Christianity must have reached it no later than the fourth century. A bishop from there attended the first synod of the Church of the East in 410, and from the sixth century there were several bishops on the coast. Christianity may have disappeared from the region after the ninth century. The Jubail church and the monastery on Sir Bani Yas in the UAE are physical traces of that community.
Christians in Saudi Arabia today, and nearby churches
Pew Research Center estimates ≈ 1,400,000 Christian residents in Saudi Arabia in 2020, 4.4% of the population, a figure that includes migrant workers and is not a census count. Christians in the kingdom are largely foreign workers. Churches for public worship exist in the neighbouring Gulf countries, which this guide documents: Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Oman. The cathedral at Awali in Bahrain, consecrated in December 2021, seats 2,300 according to Vatican News. Rules on worship can change, so this page gives no legal or travel advice.
Limits of this answer
The statement about public worship comes from published summaries, not from a Saudi official source, which this guide did not find in a form it could cite; it is not legal advice and rules may change. The Jubail dating is disputed and its excavation results had not been published as of 2008. The absence of a documented church is a statement about what this guide can source, not a claim about everything in the kingdom.
Places mentioned
- Jubail Church ruins · Saudi Arabia · Show on map
- Church and Monastery of Sir Bani Yas · United Arab Emirates · Show on map
- Cathedral of Our Lady of Arabia · Bahrain · Show on map
Related questions
Sources
Main book references
- Lucas Van Rompay. “Beth Qaṭraye”. Gorgias Encyclopedic Dictionary of the Syriac Heritage, ed. Sebastian P. Brock, Aaron M. Butts, George A. Kiraz and Lucas Van Rompay; electronic edition. Gorgias Press (print, 2011); Beth Mardutho (electronic edition), 2011/2018. Entry “Beth Qaṭraye”.
- Marica C. Cassis. “Seleucia-Ctesiphon”. Gorgias Encyclopedic Dictionary of the Syriac Heritage, ed. Sebastian P. Brock, Aaron M. Butts, George A. Kiraz and Lucas Van Rompay; electronic edition. Gorgias Press (print, 2011); Beth Mardutho (electronic edition), 2011/2018. Entry “Seleucia-Ctesiphon”.
Data and supplementary sources
- “Jubail Church”. Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 2026. Article, read 14 October 2026.
- Robert Carter. “Christianity in the Gulf during the first centuries of Islam”. Arabian Archaeology and Epigraphy 19(1). Wiley, 2008. pp. 71–108; bibliographic record checked, article text not read.
- “Christianity in Saudi Arabia”. Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 2026. Article, read 14 October 2026.
- “Global Religious Change, Appendix B”. Pew Research Center. Pew Research Center, 2025. Appendix B, 2010 and 2020 estimates.
- “Pope Francis’ letter for the consecration of Our Lady of Arabia Cathedral”. Vatican News. Dicastery for Communication, Holy See, 2021. Article of December 2021.
Encyclopedia entries were read in full in their electronic editions; each is credited to its author. Page and column references appear only where the source prints them; the Gorgias dictionary is cited by entry title.