Saudi Arabia Executes Seven for Drug Trafficking in Single Day

Saudi Arabia. Saudi authorities have executed seven individuals convicted of drug trafficking in a single day.

The Saudi Press Agency, citing officials, reported that five Saudi nationals and two Jordanian citizens were found guilty of smuggling banned 'amphetamine' pills.

“The criminals were executed in Riyadh on Sunday as a form of deterrent punishment,” the Saudi Press Agency wrote.

According to AFP data based on Saudi government statistics, Riyadh has executed 61 people since the beginning of 2026, with 38 of those cases related to drug offenses.

Of those executed this year, 33 are foreign nationals. In 2025, Saudi Arabia set a record for the second consecutive year for the number of executions. In 2025, authorities executed 356 people, 243 of whom were involved in drug-related cases.

This is the highest number of executions in a single year since Amnesty International began documenting death penalty cases in the Gulf Kingdom in 1990.

Previously, the record high was 338 executions in 2024. Saudi Arabia resumed the use of the death penalty for drug crimes in late 2022 after a three-year suspension.

According to the United Nations, the largest economy in the Arab world is also one of the largest markets for drug trafficking. It is reported that the largest exports originate from Syria under the leadership of ousted leader Bashar al-Assad.

The Gulf state has faced persistent criticism over its use of the death penalty, which rights groups have condemned as excessive and contrary to Saudi Arabia's efforts to present a modern image to the world.

Rights activists state, “Riyadh's continued embrace of the death penalty undermines its image of a more open, tolerant society.” Controlling the drug trade is central to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's social and economic reform agenda.