Executions in Saudi Arabia hit highest number ever in 2025 | Saudi Arabia
Saudi authorities have executed 356 people in 2025, setting a new record for the number of prisoners executed in the kingdom in a single year.
Analysts largely attributed the increase in executions to Riyadh’s “war on drugs”; Some of those arrested in previous years are only now executed after legal proceedings and convictions.
Official data released by the Saudi government said 243 people were executed in drug-related cases in 2025 alone, according to a tally kept by Agence France-Presse.
The figures mark the second year in a row that Saudi Arabia has carried out the most executions, after authorities executed 338 people in 2024.
Saudi Arabia resumed executions for drug crimes at the end of 2022 after suspending the use of the death penalty in narcotics cases for nearly three years.
The Gulf kingdom is one of the biggest markets for phenethylene, an illegal stimulant widely known by the brand name Captagon that was Syria’s biggest export under former leader Bashar al-Assad, according to the UN.
Since Saudi Arabia launched its “war on drugs”, authorities have increased the number of police checkpoints on highways and border crossings, where millions of pills have been seized and dozens of dealers have been arrested.
To date, the vast majority of those executed in drug-related cases are foreigners.
The kingdom has faced constant criticism for its use of the death penalty, which human rights groups say is excessive and stands in marked contrast to Saudi Arabia’s efforts to present a modern image to the world.
Activists say Riyadh’s continued embrace of the death penalty undermines the image of a more open and tolerant society that is central to the Vision 2030 agenda of the country’s de facto leader, crown prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Saudi Arabia has invested heavily in tourism infrastructure and major sporting events such as the 2034 Football World Cup as it seeks to diversify its oil-dependent economy.
Authorities in the kingdom argue that the death penalty is necessary to maintain public order and will only be imposed after all appeals have been exhausted.
Amnesty International began documenting executions in Saudi Arabia in 1990. Figures before that date are largely uncertain.
