Capital punishment in Saudi Arabia, where 8 individuals were executed recently, totaling 230 in just one year. In the Gulf countries, the death penalty is imposed for drug-related offenses. In this context, in Saudi Arabia, the death penalty has been carried out on the same day for eight individuals involved in drug trafficking. According to a report released by the country’s news agency, four Somalis and three Ethiopians were executed in Najran, located in the southern part of the country, for the crime of trafficking marijuana. Additionally, it has been reported that a Saudi citizen was executed for the crime of murdering his mother. Since the beginning of 2025, a total of 230 death sentences have been carried out in Saudi Arabia. Among these, 154 individuals were executed for drug-related offenses. In 2022, 19 people were executed, followed by 2 in 2023, and 117 in 2024 for drug-related crimes. In the previous year, 338 death sentences were executed. Notably, Saudi Arabia reinstated the death penalty for drug offenses at the end of 2022, after having suspended such sentences for three years prior.
