In the recently concluded year of 2025, Saudi Arabia executed 356 individuals, marking an unprecedented annual high for the kingdom. According to statistics compiled by the AFP news agency, this represents a continuation of a steady upward trend in capital punishment.
Analysts have linked the surge in executions to the country’s intensified “war on drugs” in recent years. Numerous individuals were arrested in connection with drug-related offences, and following legal proceedings, they were sentenced to death.
Official figures indicate that of the total executions in 2025, 243 were related to drug offences, underscoring the central role of anti-drug measures in the kingdom’s penal policies. Saudi Arabia has now set consecutive records for annual executions, having carried out 338 death sentences in 2024.
| Year | Total Executions | Executions for Drug Offences | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 184 | 102 | Resumption of drug-related executions late in the year |
| 2023 | 298 | 210 | Increase linked to anti-drug campaigns |
| 2024 | 338 | 220 | Consecutive yearly record |
| 2025 | 356 | 243 | New annual high |
The revival of capital punishment for drug-related crimes in late 2022 followed a nearly three-year suspension of executions for terrorism-related offences. Since the launch of the anti-drug campaign, Saudi authorities have bolstered police presence along highways and border areas, seizing millions of drug tablets and arresting dozens of traffickers.
The kingdom has long faced international criticism over its use of the death penalty. Human rights organisations have described the rise in executions as excessive, warning that such measures undermine efforts to present Saudi Arabia as a modernising nation.
Human rights advocates have also highlighted concerns that the continuation of executions conflicts with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s Vision 2030 reform agenda. They argue that these policies damage the kingdom’s efforts to project a tolerant, inclusive society while pursuing ambitious social and economic reforms.
As Saudi Arabia moves forward with its reform initiatives, the tension between stringent law enforcement and international expectations for human rights is likely to remain a central challenge for the kingdom.