Saudi Arabia has set a grim new record for state executions, putting 356 people to death in 2025 according to official data. This marks the second year in a row the kingdom has reached its highest-ever annual execution toll.
Drugs Crackdown Fuels Surge in Death Sentences
Analysts point to Riyadh's intensified "war on drugs" as the primary driver behind the alarming increase. Of the 356 executions carried out in 2025, a staggering 243 were for drug-related offences, a tally confirmed by Agence France-Presse. Many of those executed had been arrested in prior years, with legal proceedings concluding only recently.
The kingdom, a major market for the illicit stimulant Captagon, reinstated the death penalty for drug crimes at the end of 2022 after a roughly three-year suspension. Since launching its crackdown, authorities have ramped up police checkpoints on highways and at borders, leading to millions of pills being seized and dozens of traffickers arrested.
International Criticism Clashes with Modernisation Agenda
The record-breaking figures have sparked sustained international condemnation from human rights organisations, which label the use of capital punishment as excessive. This stance presents a stark contrast to Saudi Arabia's concerted efforts to project a modern, open image to the world under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's Vision 2030 agenda.
Activists argue that the relentless pace of executions severely undermines the narrative of a more tolerant society central to that vision. This contradiction is thrown into sharp relief as the kingdom invests billions in tourist infrastructure and prepares to host global sporting events like the 2034 FIFA World Cup.
Notably, the majority of individuals executed in drug-related cases have been foreign nationals, a detail that further complicates the kingdom's international relations. Saudi authorities maintain that the death penalty is a necessary tool for preserving public order and is applied only after exhaustive legal appeals.
A Consistent Upward Trend
The 2025 total of 356 executions surpasses the previous record of 338 set just the year before in 2024, confirming a clear and worrying upward trajectory. Amnesty International has been documenting executions in the country since 1990, though figures from earlier periods remain largely unclear.
As Saudi Arabia continues its ambitious economic and social transformation, the world watches to see if its approach to justice and human rights will evolve in tandem, or remain anchored in practices that draw global outrage.
