Saudi Arabia is facing growing international criticism for a sharp rise in executions, as rights groups warn the country’s ongoing “war on drugs” has turned into a campaign of capital punishment disproportionately targeting foreign nationals.
According to Amnesty International, the Kingdom has executed at least 217 people so far this year, putting it on pace to surpass its 2024 record of 345 executions, the highest number since official records began in the early 1990s.
The spike in capital punishment is closely linked to Saudi Arabia’s renewed crackdown on drug trafficking. After pausing executions for narcotics offences between 2020 and 2022, the Kingdom resumed them in late 2022 — and has since escalated the campaign. In 2022, only 19 people were executed for drug crimes; by 2024, that number had risen to 117. This year alone, 144 people have been put to death for such offences.
“It’s clear that Saudi Arabia opted to double down on arrests… and harsh penalties for those perceived to be affiliated with drug trades inside Saudi Arabia,” said Caroline Rose, a senior analyst at the Washington-based New Lines Institute.
The majority of those executed are foreign nationals, often tried under opaque judicial processes. Amnesty noted that 37 people were executed for drug-related crimes in June alone, including 34 foreigners from countries such as Egypt, Ethiopia, Jordan, Nigeria, Pakistan, Somalia and Syria.
“Foreign nationals are particularly vulnerable to due process and fair trial violations in the context of the death penalty,” said Jeed Basyouni from the London-based rights group Reprieve.
Amnesty International’s Kristine Beckerle, deputy director for the Middle East and North Africa, called the trend “truly horrifying,” adding: “We are witnessing a truly horrifying trend, with foreign nationals being put to death at a startling rate for crimes that should never carry the death penalty.”
But the crackdown hasn’t spared locals either. Of the 217 executions recorded this year, 96 were Saudi citizens.
Is the death penalty working?
Saudi officials claim the drug war is yielding results, though rights observers say the data doesn’t back that up. Interior Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Nayef had pledged that “drug dealers and smugglers will not survive it,” while Public Security Director Mohammed al-Bassami recently claimed the campaign had dealt “strong blows” to traffickers.
“There is no evidence to substantiate the use of the death penalty as a deterrent, particularly for drug crimes,” Basyouni countered.
An image problem for Saudi reforms
The surge in executions threatens to undermine Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s Vision 2030 agenda, which seeks to diversify Saudi Arabia’s oil-dependent economy through tourism, sports, and cultural reforms. Hosting events like the 2034 FIFA World Cup is part of Riyadh’s push to project a more open and progressive image, yet the continued use of capital punishment risks alienating Western partners and tourists.
While Saudi officials insist the death penalty is only applied after due process, its use continues to draw widespread criticism, particularly in light of the 2018 killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.
Despite international outrage at the time, US President Donald Trump maintained close ties with Riyadh, prioritising business over rights concerns. “I like you too much!” Trump told the Crown Prince during a 2024 Gulf visit.
As the Kingdom tightens its drug laws and steps up its punishments, human rights organisations warn that Saudi Arabia risks turning a domestic crackdown into an international humanitarian crisis.
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