Saudi Arabia carried out a record number of executions during 2025, with 356 people put to death, according to an AFP tally. This marks the second consecutive year the kingdom has set a grim new annual record for capital punishment.
Drug Crackdown Drives Execution Surge
Analysts link the sharp rise primarily to Riyadh's intensified 'war on drugs', launched several years ago. Many of those executed in 2025 were first arrested when the campaign began and have only now completed legal proceedings. Official data indicates that a significant majority, 243 executions, were for drug-related offences in 2025 alone.
Saudi authorities had suspended the death penalty for narcotics cases for roughly three years but resumed the practice at the end of 2022. The kingdom is a major market for the illicit stimulant captagon, which was a leading Syrian export under the recently ousted leader Bashar al-Assad.
International Condemnation and Domestic Image
The Gulf state faces sustained international criticism for its use of capital punishment. Human rights groups condemn the practice as excessive and argue it starkly contradicts the modern, open image Saudi Arabia seeks to project to the world.
Activists assert that this embrace of executions undermines the vision of a more tolerant society, a cornerstone of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's Vision 2030 reform agenda. This ambitious plan aims to diversify the oil-dependent economy through massive tourism investments and hosting major events like the 2034 FIFA World Cup.
Government Defence and Lasting Impact
Saudi authorities defend the death penalty as a necessary tool to maintain public order, stating it is only applied after all appeal avenues are exhausted. The drug war has seen a ramping up of security measures, including increased highway checkpoints and border controls, leading to millions of pills being seized and dozens of traffickers arrested.
Notably, foreign nationals have borne the brunt of this campaign to date. According to Amnesty International, Saudi Arabia was the world's third most prolific executioner in 2023, behind only China and Iran. The organisation has been documenting executions in the kingdom since 1990.
With 338 executions in 2024 and now 356 in 2025, the trend shows a significant and accelerating escalation in the use of capital punishment, casting a long shadow over the nation's public relations efforts and its broader reform project.
