Riyadh: Saudi Arabia carried out 356 executions in 2025, marking the highest annual total recorded in the kingdom. Official figures showed a sharp rise linked mainly to drug related convictions under the government’s ongoing campaign against narcotics.
Data released by Saudi authorities indicated that 243 executions during the year related directly to drug offences. This followed 338 executions in 2024, which had already set a previous record. The trend reflects the resumption of capital punishment for drug crimes at the end of 2022 after a pause of nearly three years.
Analysts linked the rise to cases initiated years earlier, with executions taking place after lengthy legal processes and convictions. Saudi Arabia remains a major destination for fenethylline, commonly known as Captagon, an illicit stimulant once produced in large quantities in Syria. The drug trade has played a central role in shaping enforcement priorities.
As part of its campaign, authorities expanded police checkpoints on highways and at border crossings. Security agencies reported the seizure of millions of pills and the arrest of dozens of alleged traffickers. Many of those executed in drug related cases were foreign nationals.
Human rights groups continued to criticise the scale of executions. Activists argued that the practice conflicts with Saudi Arabia’s public messaging around reform and openness under Vision 2030. They said capital punishment weakened efforts to project an image of tolerance while the state invested heavily in tourism and international sporting events, including preparations for the 2034 football World Cup.
Saudi officials defended the policy, stating that the death penalty served public order and followed the exhaustion of appeal processes. Amnesty International has tracked executions in the kingdom since 1990, while earlier figures remain unclear.
