Saudi Arabia executed a record 356 people in 2025, marking the highest number of state-sanctioned killings in the kingdom’s history for a single year. This total, compiled from official state announcements and tallied by AFP, represents the second consecutive year the kingdom has surpassed its own execution record, following the 338 executions recorded in 2024. The surge is largely attributed to a massive judicial backlog following the country’s renewed “war on drugs,” which has increasingly targeted foreign nationals and those convicted of non-violent offenses.
Why It Matters
The unprecedented volume of capital punishment cases presents a significant challenge to the public image of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. While the kingdom has spent billions on global sports, tourism, and “Vision 2030” initiatives to project a modernized and liberalized image, the rising execution rate highlights a stark contrast between social reforms and the country’s rigid judicial system. International observers note that the high number of foreign nationals being put to death could also complicate diplomatic relations with labor-sending countries in Asia and Africa.
What to Know
The 2025 data indicates a dramatic shift in the demographic and legal nature of those being executed. For the first time in a calendar year, more foreigners were executed than Saudi citizens. Of the 356 total executions, 243 were related to drug-related offenses.
This spike follows a 2022 decision to lift a three-year moratorium on the death penalty for narcotics crimes. Since then, Saudi authorities have significantly ramped up highway checkpoints and border security to seize millions of pills, leading to a wave of arrests. Analysts suggest the current record numbers are the result of legal proceedings finally concluding for those arrested during the initial stages of this anti-narcotics campaign.
What People Are Saying
Human rights organizations have reacted to the figures with alarm. Duaa Dhainy, a researcher at the Berlin-based European Saudi Organisation for Human Rights (ESOHR), stated that the record is “proof that promises regarding human rights reforms in Saudi Arabia have no value.” She characterized the executions as a tool of “intimidation and fear” directed at migrant workers and political opponents.
Amnesty International has also raised concerns regarding the fairness of the trials, noting that some inmates may have been sentenced for non-violent drug crimes that do not meet the “most serious crimes” threshold under international law. Reports have surfaced specifically concerning the treatment of foreign prisoners in facilities such as Tabuk prison, where Egyptian nationals and other migrants often face the death penalty with limited access to legal counsel or consular support.
What Happens Next
As Saudi Arabia continues its aggressive anti-drug campaign, the international community is monitoring whether the kingdom will face repercussions regarding its major global partnerships. Rights groups are calling for a renewed moratorium on the death penalty, particularly for drug-related and non-violent offenses. However, with the current judicial momentum, the kingdom shows little sign of slowing its enforcement of capital punishment as it maintains its stance on domestic security and narcotics control.
