Abstract
Female genital mutilation (FGM) or circumcision refers to the unnecessary procedure that damages or
removes the external genitalia of females. It is mostly practiced in African countries and some Asian
regions, particularly the Middle East, and is performed because of cultural, religious, and social reasons.
FGM can negatively affect the lives of women and lead to devastating consequences, ranging from
immediate to long-term complications. These complications can be in the physical, psychological,
reproductive, or sexual health domains. In this systematic review, we aim to highlight the prevalence and
practice of FGM in Saudi Arabia. We conducted a literature search at PubMed to identify studies related to
the practice of FGM reported from Saudi Arabia. The results indicate that FGM can still be found in Saudi
Arabia both in Saudi women and non-Saudi residents. Most of the non-Saudi women with FGM were
Sudanese, Somali, Eritrean, and Egyptian. FGM is prevalent in regions such as Jeddah and Hali, Al
Qunfudhah Governorate, Saudi Arabia. FGM is considered illegal in most countries around the world.
However, in Saudi Arabia, there is no clear and specific law against the practice of FGM. More research on
the practice of FGM in Saudi Arabia needs to be conducted to get a better grasp of the true nature of the
problem in the country, which could potentially lead to specific and clear legislation that would prevent the
social evil of FGM in Saudi Arabia.
