Saudi Arabia Executes Record Number of Foreigners

In 2024, Saudi Arabia has executed 101 foreigners, a figure that nearly triples the execution rates from 2022 and 2023, which saw 34 executions each year. The latest execution involved a Yemeni national for drug smuggling, with a record number of executions attributed to a renewed focus on drug-related offenses. Taha al-Hajji from the European-Saudi Organisation for Human Rights (ESOHR) emphasized that this marks the largest number of executions of foreigners in a single year for the kingdom. The total number of executions in Saudi Arabia for 2024 has reached 274, with significant representation from various nationalities including Pakistan, Yemen, and Syria. Human rights groups have condemned these actions as excessive and contradictory to Saudi Arabia's attempts to improve its global image. Critics, including Amnesty International, highlight that under Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, the kingdom has become one of the world’s leading executioners, with over 1,115 executions reported since mid-2017.