Saudi Arabia carried out a record number of executions in 2025, with authorities putting 356 people to death over the course of the year, marking the highest annual total in the kingdom’s history, according to figures tallied by Agence France-Presse.
The sharp increase continues a grim trend in the Gulf state’s use of the death penalty and reflects an intensified crackdown on drug-related crime under the government’s so-called “war on drugs,” analysts say. Official data released in recent weeks show that 243 of the executions last year were linked to narcotics offences alone, underscoring the central role that anti-drug enforcement has played in driving the surge.
The 2025 figures outstrip the previous record of 338 executions in 2024, making this the second consecutive year that Riyadh has set a new annual high. The kingdom resumed executions for drug offences at the end of 2022 after a suspension of about three years, and the number of death sentences carried out for such cases has risen sharply since then.
Saudi officials have defended the use of capital punishment as a necessary tool for maintaining public safety and deterring serious crime, saying it is imposed only after all legal avenues and appeals are exhausted. However, the escalation has drawn sharp international criticism from human rights organisations, who argue that the broad application of the death penalty, particularly for non-violent drug offences, violates international human rights standards.
Human rights researchers have also highlighted the growing disproportionate impact on foreign nationals. Some rights groups report that 2025 is the first year in which more foreigners were executed than Saudi citizens, with migrant workers and non-nationals making up a significant share of those put to death, often for drug-related charges.
Critics contend that the kingdom’s push to portray itself as a modernising force on the world stage — including ambitious economic diversification efforts under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s Vision 2030 and investments in tourism and major sporting events — is at odds with its escalating use of the death penalty. They say the executions undermine claims of progress on human rights and expose deep flaws in the judicial system.
Observers note that Saudi Arabia is one of the world’s most prolific users of capital punishment, imposing death sentences for a wide range of crimes including drug trafficking, murder, terrorism, and, in some cases, political dissent. Amnesty International and other rights groups have documented increased use of the death penalty for drug offences in recent years, with a significant portion of those executed convicted of non-violent crimes.
The record total for 2025 has raised concerns among international legal and human rights advocates, who argue that the kingdom’s justice practices conflict with global efforts to restrict the death penalty to only the “most serious crimes” and to uphold fair trial standards. While some states continue to abolish or limit capital punishment, Saudi Arabia’s rising execution count stands out as a stark countertrend on the world stage.
The latest figures come as Saudi Arabia faces broader scrutiny over civil liberties, judicial transparency, and the treatment of foreign residents, issues that are likely to shape diplomatic and human rights discussions in the months ahead.
