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
- 1,877
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 1,877 news items on Saudi Arabia, from 1999 to today.
In Saudi Arabia the death penalty applies to murder, drug offences, terrorism and certain offences under sharia law. The usual method is beheading, in some cases carried out in public. Executions are often announced in groups by the official press agency and a significant share of them involve foreign nationals.
The system of diya, the compensation a victim's family may accept in place of an execution, leaves some sentences reversible until the last moment. The archive gathers official announcements, individual cases and the campaigns to stop them.
Latest news
APRIL 27, 2020Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTYSAUDI ARABIA ENDS EXECUTIONS FOR CRIMES COMMITTED BY MINORS
Saudi Arabia's King Salman has ordered an end to the death penalty for crimes committed by minors, according to a statement on 26 April 2020 by a top official.
- APRIL 26, 2020Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA ABOLISHES FLOGGING AS PUNISHMENT
Saudi Arabia has abolished flogging as a form of punishment, the country's supreme court announced on 25 April 2020.
APRIL 16, 2020Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTYSAUDI ARABIA: YEMENI MAN EXECUTED FOR TERRORIST ATTACK DURING RIYADH SEASON
A Yemeni man, who was on a death row for carrying out a terrorist attack on artists performing on stage during Riyadh Season Festival, has been executed, Saudi Press Agency reported on 16 April 2020 citing a statement from the Ministry of Interior.
- APRIL 15, 2020Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA: 800 EXECUTIONS CARRIED OUT UNDER KING SALMAN
Saudi Arabia has carried out the 800th execution of King Salman bin Abdulaziz's five years of rule, human rights organisation Reprieve said on 14 April 2020.
MARCH 2, 2020Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTYSAUDI ARABIA: SUPREME COURT HANDS DOWN LIFE TERM TO IMPRISONED SHIA DISSIDENT
The Supreme Court of Saudi Arabia has sentenced an imprisoned political dissident from the oil-rich Eastern Province to life in prison, AhlulBayt News Agency reported on 1st March 2020.
FEBRUARY 26, 2020Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTYSAUDI ARABIA: ONE SENTENCED TO DEATH, SEVEN TO JAIL IN IRAN SPYING CASE
A Saudi citizen was sentenced to death on 24 February 2020, with seven others facing years in jail on charges of treason and espionage on behalf of Iran, state television reported on 25 February.
- FEBRUARY 25, 2020IranDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA - Saudi Arabia sentences 1 to death, 7 to jail in Iran spying case.
SAUDI ARABIA - Saudi Arabia sentences 1 to death, 7 to jail in Iran spying case.
FEBRUARY 19, 2020Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTYSAUDI ARABIA: SAUDI MAN EXECUTED FOR MURDER
The Ministry of Interior on 4 February 2020 issued a statement regarding the execution of a Saudi man, Hamoud bin Muhammad bin Mughram Al Nahid Asiri, in Abha, in the Asir region.
FEBRUARY 18, 2020Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTYSAUDI ARABIA: YEMENI WOMAN EXECUTED FOR HER HUSBAND’S MURDER
The Ministry of Interior on 30 January 2020 issued a statement regarding the execution of a woman named Aisha Ahmed Omar Bahasin - Yemeni nationality.
JANUARY 23, 2020Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTYSAUDI ARABIA: EXECUTION OF DRUG SMUGGLER OF AMPHETAMINE PILL IN TABUK
The Ministry of Interior on 14 January 2020 issued a statement regarding the execution of Muammar Al-Qadhafi Muhammad Omar Al-Qenawy, an Egyptian, in the Tabuk region for smuggling banned amphetamine pills.
- JANUARY 22, 2020Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA: EXECUTION OF A DRUG TRAFFICKER IN AL-JOUF
The Ministry of Interior on 14 January 2020 issued a statement regarding the execution of Abdul-Razzaq Hammoud Mahmoud, a Syrian national, in the Al-Jawf region, for smuggling a quantity of banned amphetamine pills.
JANUARY 21, 2020Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTYSAUDI ARABIA: EXECUTION OF A SAUDI FOR MURDER IN THE JAZAN REGION
The Ministry of Interior on 14 January 2020 issued a statement regarding the execution of Suwaid bin Ali bin Ali Bakir Aati - a Saudi national – who killed his wife / Zahraa bint Hamad bin Ali Aati.
JANUARY 19, 2020Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTYSAUDI ARABIA: EXECUTION FOR MURDER IN RIYADH
The Ministry of Interior on 9 January 2020 issued a statement regarding the execution of Fahd bin Faleh bin Khalaf Al-Dossari - a Saudi national - in the city of Riyadh for murder.
JANUARY 17, 2020Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTYSAUDI ARABIA: SUPREME COURT ORDERS RETRIAL OF EGYPTIAN ENGINEER SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
Saudi Arabia's Supreme Court has ordered the retrial of Egyptian engineer Ali Abul-Qasim, who has been sentenced to death for smuggling and trafficking drugs in the kingdom, Ahram Online reported on 15 January 2020.
JANUARY 17, 2020Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTYSAUDI ARABIA: EXECUTION FOR MURDER IN AL-MAKHWAH GOVERNORATE, AL-BAHA
The Ministry of Interior on 8 January 2020 issued a statement regarding the execution of Ali bin Attia bin Hazia Al-Ataf Al-Ghamdi - a Saudi national
JANUARY 16, 2020Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTYSAUDI ARABIA: EXECUTION OF TWO SMUGGLERS OF AMPHETAMINE PILLS IN TABUK
The Ministry of Interior on 2nd January 2020 issued a statement regarding the execution of two prisoners for smuggling a quantity of banned amphetamine pills.
- JANUARY 15, 2020Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA: EXECUTION OF A SAUDI FOR MURDER IN THE JAZAN REGION
The Ministry of Interior on 14 January 2020 issued a statement regarding the execution of Suwaid bin Ali bin Ali Bakir Aati - a Saudi national –
JANUARY 14, 2020Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTYSAUDI ARABIA: 184 PEOPLE EXECUTED IN 2019
Saudi Arabia executed 184 people in 2019, the most in a calendar year in six years, human rights organisation Reprieve has said, calling it a "grim milestone" for the kingdom.
- JANUARY 2, 2020Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA: CHILD RAPIST SENTENCED TO DEATH
A Saudi court sentenced a local married man to death after he was convicted of raping several little boys, the Filipino Times reported on 2nd January 2020.
- JANUARY 1, 2020Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
Saudi Arabia follows a strict interpretation of Islamic law
Saudi Arabia follows a strict interpretation of Islamic law
DECEMBER 30, 2019Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTYSAUDI ARABIA: RIYADH CONCERT STABBER SENTENCED TO DEATH
A Saudi Arabian court on 29 December 2019 sentenced to death a man accused of stabbing three performers at a live show in the capital Riyadh in November, state television said.
DECEMBER 24, 2019Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTYSAUDI ARABIA: FIVE SENTENCED TO DEATH OVER JAMAL KHASHOGGI'S MURDER
Saudi Arabia's public prosecutor said on 23 December 2019 five people had been sentenced to death over the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul in October last year.
DECEMBER 4, 2019Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTYSAUDI ARABIA: SPECIALIZED CRIMINAL COURT HANDS DOWN DEATH SENTENCES TO FIVE SHIA ACTIVISTS FROM QATIF
Saudi Arabia's Specialized Criminal Court has sentenced five anti-regime dissidents from the kingdom’s oil-rich and Shia-populated Eastern Province to death.
NOVEMBER 19, 2019Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTYSAUDI ARABIA: DEATH FOR DAESH TERRORIST FOR KILLING SECURITY OFFICIAL
The Specialized Criminal Court in Riyadh sentenced to death a Daesh (so called IS) terrorist, who was convicted of committing several crimes, including killing of a security official, Saudi Gazzette reported on 17 November 2019. The Saudi convict can appe
- OCTOBER 1, 2019Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
Pakistani national executed - Interior Ministry: "Keen on combating narcotics"
1 October 2018: Zahed Al-Rahman Shafie Al-Rahman executed for heroin smuggle
- SEPTEMBER 17, 2019Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA: MORE THAN 130 PEOPLE HAVE BEEN EXECUTED SO FAR IN 2019
Saudi Arabia has executed 134 people so far this year, including six who were kids when they were arrested, The Death Penalty Project revealed in a report presented at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.
JULY 19, 2019Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTYSAUDI ARABIA: PRINCE SAVES DEFENDANT ON DEATH ROW FROM EXECUTION
A member of the Saudi royal family, who is also the governor of the Saudi region of Asir, has garnered many observers’ praise when he intervened to stop the execution of one convict who was sentenced to death on a charge of murder.
JUNE 18, 2019Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTYSAUDI ARABIA: TEENAGER ARRESTED AT 13 IS SAVED FROM THE DEATH PENALTY, ACCORDING TO A SOURCE
Murtaja Qureiris, an 18-year-old man who had been sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia, was saved from execution and sentenced to 12 years in prison, according to a source familiar with the matter.
MAY 2, 2019Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTYSAUDI ARABIA: AFTER 10 YEARS IN PRISON, INDONESIA MAIDS ON DEATH ROW FOR WITCHCRAFT RELEASED
Two Indonesian domestic workers sentenced to death for practising witchcraft against their employers' families in Saudi Arabia returned home on 24 April 2019 after their sentences were commuted, Indonesia's Foreign Ministry said.
APRIL 29, 2019Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTYSAUDI ARABIA: BODY OF CRUCIFIED 'CRIMINAL' WAS PUT ON PUBLIC DISPLAY FOLLOWING 37 EXECUTIONS
The body of a crucified criminal was put on public display in Saudi Arabia after the execution of 37 nationals in one day, according to local media reports.