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Saudi Arabia carried out executions of eight individuals in one day, as reported by state media, amidst an increase in the application of capital punishment in the Gulf monarchy, particularly for drug-related offences.
The Saudi Press Agency (SPA) announced that four Somali nationals and three from Ethiopia were executed on Saturday in Najran, located in the southern region, “for smuggling hashish into the kingdom.”
Additionally, one Saudi national was executed for the homicide of his mother, according to SPA.
As of the start of 2025, Saudi Arabia has executed a total of 230 individuals, based on an AFP tally of official reports. The majority of these executions—154—were related to drug offences. At this rate, the kingdom is expected to exceed last year’s record of 338 executions.
Experts attribute the increase to the kingdom’s “war on drugs,” which was initiated in 2023, with many of those initially detained now facing executions following their trials and convictions.
Saudi Arabia reinstated executions for drug offences at the end of 2022 after a hiatus of approximately three years during which the death penalty was not applied in drug cases.
In 2022, there were 19 executions, while in 2023, only two were carried out, and in 2024, the number rose to 117 for narcotics-related crimes, according to the AFP tally.
Activists argue that the ongoing commitment to capital punishment jeopardises the portrayal of a more open and tolerant society that is critical to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s Vision 2030 reform agenda.
Saudi authorities assert that the death penalty is essential for upholding public order and is implemented only after all legal avenues for appeal have been thoroughly pursued.
