Saudi Arabia Breaks Execution Record in 2025 | Drug War Behind Historic Surge

Описание: Saudi Arabia has carried out 356 executions in 2025, marking the highest number of death penalties ever recorded in a single year in the Kingdom, according to data compiled by AFP.

Analysts attribute the sharp rise primarily to Saudi Arabia’s intensified war on drugs, as legal proceedings against individuals arrested in previous years reached final verdicts. Official figures confirm that 243 executions were related to narcotics cases alone.

This is the second consecutive year Saudi Arabia has set a new execution record, following 338 executions in 2024. The Kingdom reinstated the death penalty for drug-related offenses in late 2022 after a nearly three-year suspension.

Human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, have sharply criticized the trend, arguing that the expanded use of capital punishment contradicts Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 reform agenda, which promotes openness, tourism, and global integration.

Saudi authorities maintain that executions are carried out only after all legal appeals are exhausted, emphasizing public order and national security as justification.

This report examines the data, causes, international criticism, and geopolitical implications of Saudi Arabia’s execution surge.

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