Saudi Arabia carried out 356 executions in 2025 amid drug crackdown

Saudi Arabia carried out 356 executions in 2025, the highest number ever recorded in the kingdom within a single year. The sharp rise has been widely linked to the government’s intensified crackdown on narcotics, according to analysts. Much of the increase reflects cases that had been moving through the courts for years, with death sentences now being carried out following final convictions. According to official figures cited by news agency Agence France-Presse, 243 executions last year were tied specifically to drug-related offences.

The latest figures surpass the previous record set in 2024, when 338 people were executed, marking a second consecutive year of unprecedented use of capital punishment. Executions for drug crimes were reinstated in late 2022 after a roughly three-year pause, signalling a tougher stance as authorities escalated what they describe as a “war on drugs.” Saudi Arabia is a major destination for fenethylline, commonly known as Captagon, a synthetic stimulant that once represented Syria’s largest export during the rule of former president Bashar al-Assad, according to the UN.

As part of its anti-drug campaign, Saudi authorities have expanded security operations, setting up additional checkpoints on major roads and at border crossings. These efforts have led to the seizure of millions of pills and the arrest of dozens of suspected traffickers. Foreign nationals make up a significant share of those executed for drug-related crimes, rights groups have noted.

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The kingdom continues to face international criticism over its use of the death penalty, with human rights organisations arguing that the practice clashes with Saudi Arabia’s attempts to project a more progressive image globally. Critics say the persistence of capital punishment undermines the Vision 2030 reform agenda championed by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, which seeks to portray the country as more open and socially tolerant.

Saudi Arabia has invested heavily in tourism, entertainment, and global sporting events, including hosting the 2034 football World Cup, as part of its plan to reduce dependence on oil revenues. Saudi officials maintain that executions are essential for safeguarding public safety and stress that death sentences are carried out only after the legal process, including appeals, has been fully completed. Amnesty International has tracked executions in the kingdom since 1990, though reliable data from earlier decades remains limited.