The "evil eye" concept is one of the traditional ill health attributions, particularly in the Islamic countries. This study aimed at gathering information about public knowledge and understanding of the evil eye. A self-administered questionnaire was distributed to a random sample of 500 Saudi individuals from the five areas of Riyadh City. 285 individuals (aged 16-63 yrs) responded (57%), consisting of 160 females and 125 males. Responders seemed to have acquired their knowledge about the evil eye from multiple sources, including social encounters, prior personal experiences, books and tapes. Judgment of patients and faith healers, absence of clear physical causes and poor responses to medical treatment were the main reasons to attribute a certain illness to the evil eye. Most symptoms attributed to the evil eye were those of depression and anxiety. Significantly more males attributed injuries and sexual dysfunctions to the evil eye, whereas more females attributed dermatological and menstrual disturbances. The study emphasizes the importance of public education about the causes, manifestations and treatment of psychiatric disorders. Further studies in this field are necessary.