Saudi Arabia executed 356 people in 2025, a new annual record driven by its intensified “war on drugs,” with 243 deaths for narcotics offences.
DUBAI: Saudi Arabia executed 356 people in 2025, setting a new annual record for the kingdom according to an AFP tally.
This marks the second consecutive year Saudi Arabia has set a new execution record, following 338 executions in 2024.
Analysts largely attribute the surge to Riyadh’s ongoing “war on drugs,” with many arrested earlier now being executed after legal proceedings.
Official data shows 243 people were executed for drug-related offences in 2025 alone.
Saudi Arabia resumed executions for drug offences at the end of 2022 after a roughly three-year suspension.
The kingdom is a major market for captagon, an illicit stimulant that was Syria’s largest export under ousted leader Bashar al-Assad.
Since launching its campaign, Saudi Arabia has increased police checkpoints, confiscating millions of pills and arresting dozens of traffickers.
Foreigners have largely borne the brunt of the anti-drug campaign to date.
The Gulf kingdom faces sustained criticism over its use of the death penalty from rights groups.
Activists say the policy undermines the modern image central to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s Vision 2030 reform agenda.
Saudi Arabia is spending heavily on tourism and sports like the 2034 World Cup to diversify its oil-reliant economy.
Authorities argue the death penalty is necessary for public order and is only used after all appeals are exhausted.
Amnesty International began documenting executions in Saudi Arabia in 1990.
Figures from before that period remain largely unclear.
