Saudi Arabia’s Execution Surge

Saudi Arabia has witnessed a significant rise in executions, with 180 carried out in just six months. This increase comes despite Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s previous assurances to limit the death penalty to intentional killings. A notable portion of these executions involves non-lethal drug offenses, highlighting a troubling trend. Recently, eight men were executed in a single day, including four Somalis and three Ethiopians, for smuggling hashish into the kingdom. This pattern underscores the disproportionate impact on foreign nationals.

Tazir and Judicial Discretion

The legal framework in Saudi Arabia allows judges considerable discretion under the Islamic principle of tazir, which lacks fixed punishments. This has led to a surge in death sentences, even for non-lethal crimes. Despite public statements to the contrary, the use of tazir continues to result in executions, contradicting the Crown Prince’s 2022 promise to restrict capital punishment to offenses explicitly mentioned in the Quran.

A Decade of Escalation

According to Amnesty International and official data, Saudi Arabia executed 1,816 people between January 2014 and June 2025. Approximately one-third of these were for drug-related offenses, which international human rights laws do not consider punishable by death. The year 2024 saw 345 executions, the highest in over three decades, with 122 related to drugs.

Impact on Foreign Nationals

Foreign workers from low-income backgrounds are particularly vulnerable due to inadequate legal representation and language barriers. Amnesty International reports that foreign nationals constitute a significant portion of those executed for drug offenses. In June, UN experts urged Saudi Arabia to halt the execution of 26 Egyptian nationals on death row for drug offenses.

War on Drugs and Captagon Crisis

Saudi Arabia’s “war on drugs” is cited as justification for these executions. However, significant drug trafficking persists, with large-scale seizures reported. The Arabian Peninsula remains a primary market for captagon, complicating efforts to curb drug-related crimes.

Recent Arrests Highlight Ongoing Crackdown

In June and July 2025, Saudi authorities intensified their anti-drug operations, resulting in numerous arrests and seizures across multiple regions. These actions reflect the kingdom’s continued commitment to its anti-drug campaign.

Rhetoric vs. Reality

Despite Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s public statements about limiting the death penalty, the ongoing surge in tazir-based executions for drug crimes contradicts this stance. Saudi Arabia remains one of the few countries still executing individuals for drug-related offenses.