Saudi authorities executed 356 people in 2025, setting a new record for the number of inmates put to death in the kingdom in a single year. The figures mark the second consecutive year in which Saudi Arabia has carried out its highest number of executions, after authorities executed 338 people in 2024. Saudi Arabia resumed executions for drug offences at the end of 2022, after suspending the use of the death penalty in narcotics cases for about three years. Saudi Arabia has made large investments in tourist infrastructure and top sports events such as the 2034 football World Cup as it tries to diversify its oil-reliant economy. Amnesty International began documenting executions in Saudi Arabia in 1990.

Source: The Guardian January 01, 2026 17:27 UTC