Saudi Arabia's General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) has tightened the rules for travelling with power banks, capping passengers at two devices each, banning their use mid-flight, and prohibiting them entirely from checked baggage (per Arab News).
What the new rules say
Under the GACA circular issued in May 2026, passengers on flights operating into, out of, or within Saudi airports may carry a maximum of two power banks, which must remain inside cabin baggage at all times (per Saudi Gazette). Recharging power banks onboard is no longer permitted, and GACA has gone further by discouraging passengers from using power banks to charge other personal electronics during the flight (per Gulf News).
Why now
The authority cites the well-documented fire risk from lithium-ion batteries overheating in pressurised cabins. The move aligns Saudi rules with amendments to the International Civil Aviation Organization's Technical Instructions for the Safe Transport of Dangerous Goods by Air, which several Gulf carriers have already begun adopting (per Gulf Business).
What passengers need to do
Travellers should declare power banks at security, keep them accessible inside hand luggage rather than buried in a bag, and avoid plugging them into devices once seated. Devices above standard watt-hour ratings will require airline approval; GACA's circular references the ICAO threshold structure rather than introducing a Saudi-specific limit (per Wego Travel Blog).
Regional ripple effects
Although the GACA notice applies to Saudi airports, several airlines that operate dense networks between the UAE and the Kingdom � including Saudia, flyadeal, flynas and the major UAE carriers � are expected to apply the stricter rule across their network to avoid passenger confusion (per Rustourism News). Travellers connecting via Riyadh or Jeddah should assume the in-flight charging ban applies on the entire itinerary.
What it does not change
The new circular does not, on its own, ban power banks outright, nor does it change the wattage thresholds passengers have grown used to in the GCC. It is, however, the clearest signal yet from a Gulf regulator that mid-air recharging from lithium batteries is being treated as a meaningful safety risk rather than a passenger convenience (per Arab News).
Passengers flying to Saudi Arabia in the coming weeks should expect heightened scrutiny at check-in and at the gate.
