Saudi Arabia has dramatically increased its use of capital punishment, executing more than 200 people so far this year, largely due to a "war on drugs" launched in 2023. This puts the kingdom on track to surpass its 2024 record of 345 executions.

Of the 217 executions this year, 144 were for drug-related offenses, a majority being foreigners (121). Saudi officials have not commented on the surge, but maintain that the death penalty is necessary for public order and only applied after all appeals are exhausted.

Human rights organizations like Amnesty International and Reprieve have condemned the spike, particularly the disproportionate impact on foreign nationals who often face due process violations. They argue that drug crimes should not carry the death penalty and that the executions contradict Saudi Arabia's "Vision 2030" reform agenda, which aims to project a more open society. The kingdom is a major market for Captagon, an illicit stimulant often trafficked from Syria.