As Saudi Arabia Cracks Down on Drugs, Executions Near a Record High

Saudi Arabia is on track to record one of the highest numbers of executions in its recent history, driven largely by a sweeping “war on drugs.” Confronted with a surge of amphetamine tablets—often referred to as Captagon—the kingdom has sentenced hundreds of people to death, many of whom are foreign nationals caught up in low‑level smuggling operations.Human‑rights monitors say that at least 320 people have been executed so far this year, with roughly two‑thirds of those deaths linked to drug‑related offenses. Between 2014 and mid‑2025, the Saudi government carried out 1,816 executions; 597 of those were for drug crimes, and foreign citizens accounted for about three‑quarters of the drug‑related tally. The majority of those executed for trafficking are migrants and low‑level couriers rather than high‑ranking cartel figures.Saudi officials argue that drug smuggling is tantamount to a violent assault on the kingdom’s conservative Islamic society and therefore warrants the harshest penalty. Critics, however, contend that the death penalty should be reserved for the “most serious crimes” under international law—a standard the kingdom is widely seen as ignoring. The United Nations, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and the London‑based group Reprieve have all called on Riyadh to halt executions for non‑violent drug offenses and to ensure fair trial guarantees.The crackdown has also been marked by massive seizures of illegal substances and a series of high‑profile arrests across the kingdom, from Jeddah to Riyadh. In recent operations, authorities confiscated tens of kilograms of hashish and amphetamines and detained dozens of suspects, many of whom were later sentenced to death after exhausting all avenues of appeal.The rapid escalation in capital punishment has sparked intense domestic and international controversy. While Saudi leaders maintain that the policy is essential for protecting public health and security, human‑rights advocates warn that the executions violate basic legal standards, including the right to a fair trial and protection against arbitrary deprivation of life. As the kingdom continues its aggressive anti‑drug campaign, the world watches closely to see whether the death‑penalty tide will subside or surge even further.