Saudi Arabia
Death penalty and prisoners' rights · Archive since 1999
Data card
- Legal status
- Retentionist
- Executions recorded in 2026
- 9
- Executions recorded in 2025
- 41
- First news item in the archive
- JANUARY 1, 1999 · Executions are carried out in public with a sword
- News items in the archive
- 1,841
Source: Hands Off Cain database, updated to 2026.
Saudi Arabia is classified as Retentionist in the Hands Off Cain database, updated to 2026. In 2026 the association recorded 9 executions in the country, against 41 the year before. The archive holds 1,841 news items on Saudi Arabia, from 1999 to today.
Latest news
- FEBRUARY 21, 2009Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
TWO SAUDI POLICE OFFICERS BEHEADED
two Saudi Arabian police officers were beheaded by the sword after being convicted of raping an expatriate woman.
FEBRUARY 18, 2009Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTYSAUDI ARABIA: MAN BEHEADED FOR MURDER
A Saudi man convicted of murdering a compatriot was beheaded by the sword in the western
- FEBRUARY 17, 2009Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
BANGLADESHIS ON DEATH ROW STILL AWAIT APPEALS VERDICT
eight Bangladeshi workers sentenced to death by a lower Saudi Arabian court for allegedly killing an Egyptian worker face an uncertain future while they wait for a verdict by a higher court in Riyadh.
- FEBRUARY 10, 2009CanadaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI TOP COURT REJECTS DEATH SENTENCE OF CANADIAN
the Saudi Arabian Supreme Court rejected the death sentence of a Canadian man and asked the lower court to revise its ruling, CBC News learned.
FEBRUARY 2, 2009Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTYSAUDI ARABIA: ABU KAB GIVEN 20 YEARS, LASHES
at a court in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, the death sentence of Faisal Al-Otaibi, alias Abu Kab, was overturned.
- FEBRUARY 1, 2009Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA DECAPITATES MAN FOR MURDER
Saudi Arabian authorities beheaded a Saudi man convicted of fatally shooting a fellow citizen over a dispute.
- JANUARY 30, 2009Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI BEHEADED FOR MURDER OF EX-WIFE
a Saudi Arabian man convicted of murdering his ex-wife was beheaded by the sword in the capital Riyadh.
- JANUARY 18, 2009Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA: TURKISH BARBER ON DEATH ROW TO BE RELEASED SOON
a Turkish barber in Saudi Arabia who was sentenced to death by a Jeddah court on blasphemy
- JANUARY 16, 2009Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
a Saudi man convicted of murder was beheaded in Hafr Al-Baten in the Eastern Province...
a Saudi man convicted of murder was beheaded in Hafr Al-Baten in the Eastern Province...
- JANUARY 15, 2009Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI MINOR BEHEADED FOR KILLING COMPATRIOT
a Saudi Arabian minor convicted of murder was beheaded by the sword in the south-western border town of Abha.
- JANUARY 14, 2009Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
Abdullah bin Khidhr bin Abdullah al-Ghamdi was executed in Saudi Arabia for murder.
Abdullah bin Khidhr bin Abdullah al-Ghamdi was executed in Saudi Arabia for murder.
- JANUARY 11, 2009Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI MAN BEHEADED FOR KILLING COMPATRIOT
Authorities in Saudi Arabia beheaded a Saudi man convicted of killing a fellow national after a dispute
JANUARY 9, 2009Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTYSAUDI ARABIA: POLICEMAN EXECUTED FOR RAPING EXPATRIATE
A traffic police officer in Riyadh was executed after he was convicted of kidnapping an expatriate man,
- JANUARY 5, 2009Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA: BISHA’S ONE-MAN FIRING SQUAD
Zamil, a 55 year old Saudi Arabian, turned his hobby of hunting birds into a profession of executing criminals by gunfire.
- JANUARY 3, 2009Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA: NAFEEK CASE POSTPONED AGAIN
the Dawadmi High Court in Saudi Arabia indefinitely postponed the case of Rizana Nafeek, the Sri Lankan maid sentenced to death in 2007 for death of an infant in her care.
- JANUARY 2, 2009Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
TWO SRI LANKANS BEHEADED IN SAUDI ARABIA
two Sri Lankans were beheaded by the sword in Saudi Arabia after being convicted of armed robbery and
- JANUARY 1, 2009Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
Saudi Arabia follows a strict interpretation of Islamic law that prescribes the death sentence for murder...
Saudi Arabia follows a strict interpretation of Islamic law that prescribes the death sentence for murder, apostasy, rape, drug trafficking, highway robbery, sabotage and armed robbery.
- JANUARY 1, 2009Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI JUDICIAL REFORMS TO START ON 1 JAN 09 - DAILY
Saudi Arabian judicial reforms commenced, with the process to bring about structural and procedural
- DECEMBER 31, 2008Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
the General Court of Makkah in Saudi Arabia sentenced a 24 year old Saudi man to execution for killing his father and brother
the General Court of Makkah in Saudi Arabia sentenced a 24 year old Saudi man to execution for killing his father and brother
- DECEMBER 31, 2008Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
in Taif, a Saudi Arabian man who was sentenced to death for murder was pardoned at the last minute by his victim’s mother
in Taif, a Saudi Arabian man who was sentenced to death for murder was pardoned at the last minute by his victim’s mother
- DECEMBER 29, 2008Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA BEHEADS MAN FOR KILLING MOM, BROTHER
A Saudi man was beheaded by the sword in the western city of Taif after being convicted of killing his
- DECEMBER 27, 2008Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI BEHEADED FOR KILLING COMPATRIOT
a Saudi Arabian man was beheaded by the sword in the northern border city of Arar after he was convicted
DECEMBER 26, 2008Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTYSAUDI ARABIA: BEHEADED FOR RAPING MAN
Two Saudis were beheaded by the sword in Saudi Arabia after being convicted of raping a man, the interior
- DECEMBER 21, 2008Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA. SAUDI EXECUTED FOR MURDER
Authorities in Saudi Arabia beheaded a Saudi citizen convicted of killing a fellow national after a dispute.
- DECEMBER 20, 2008Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
A Saudi man was beheaded by the sword in the southwestern region of Assyr after being convicted of
A Saudi man was beheaded by the sword in the southwestern region of Assyr after being convicted of
- DECEMBER 17, 2008Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA: SWORD USED TO BEHEAD KILLERS
Two men were beheaded by the sword in Saudi Arabia after being convicted of murder.
- DECEMBER 13, 2008Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI BEHEADED FOR MURDER OF COMPATRIOT
a Saudi Arabian man was beheaded by the sword after being convicted of murdering a compatriot
- DECEMBER 10, 2008Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI: THREE DEATH ROW PRISONERS ESCAPE FROM SAUDI PRISON
three prisoners sentenced to death escaped Malas prison in the Saudi Arabian capital Riyadh after attacking a prison guard, an official Saudi source said.
- DECEMBER 3, 2008Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI URGED NOT TO EXECUTE MAN OVER 1981 MURDER
Saudi and international rights groups asked Saudi Arabia's authorities to prevent the execution of a man tried twice for the same crime committed 27 years ago
- NOVEMBER 28, 2008Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI, STATELESS ARAB BEHEADED FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
a Saudi Arabian man and a stateless Arab convicted of drug trafficking were