Saudi Arabia Executes 1,816 Including Foreign Nationals for Drug Offenses Since 2014

Amnesty International has reported a significant increase in executions in Saudi Arabia from 2014 to mid-2025, with 1,816 people executed, nearly one-third for drug-related offenses. Approximately 75% of those executed for drug crimes were foreign nationals, including many from Pakistan, Syria, Yemen, Nigeria, Egypt, and other countries. In 2024, Saudi Arabia recorded 345 executions—the highest in over three decades—with a notable surge following a temporary moratorium on drug-related capital punishment that ended in late 2022. Many foreign nationals on death row come from disadvantaged backgrounds, facing limited legal representation and alleged torture to extract confessions, raising concerns about unfair trials and violations of international human rights law. The report highlights the kingdom’s harsh enforcement despite its efforts to project a progressive image globally, calling for an immediate moratorium on executions and abolition of the death penalty for drug offenses. Amnesty International underscores the crisis as a chilling disregard for human life, emphasizing the exploitation of vulnerable migrants lured into drug trafficking with minimal rewards, yet facing death sentences.