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
- 1,878
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 1,878 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 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.
APRIL 27, 2019Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTYSAUDI ARABIA: 37 EXECUTED IN ONE DAY FOR TERRORISM
Saudi Arabia executed 37 people on 23 April 2019 after they had been sentenced to death for terrorism-related crimes.
- APRIL 17, 2019Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
Saudi citizen beheaded in Western Province
17 April 2018: Mohammad al-Khalidi executed for murder
APRIL 17, 2019Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTYSAUDI ARABIA: TWO INDIAN NATIONALS BEHEADED FOR MURDER
Two Indian nationals on 28 February 2019 were beheaded by authorities in Saudi Arabia for murdering a fellow Indian, India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has confirmed.
- APRIL 5, 2019Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
Crown Prince bin Salman announces intention to decrease number of executions
5 April 2018: Time Magazine interview
APRIL 2, 2019Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTYSAUDI ARABIA: FOUR PEOPLE EXECUTED FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
Saudi Arabia's interior ministry said four people were executed on 1 April 2019 for drug trafficking, including one woman.
- APRIL 2, 2019Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
A Pakistani executed for drug
21 March 2019: Nur al-Rahman Qul Faqir (or Nawur al-Rahman Fakir), a Pakistani national, was executed for smuggling heroin.
- APRIL 2, 2019Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
A Saudi executed for drug
13 March 2019: Khaled bin Halal bin Abdul Qader Sulaimani, a Saudi national, was executed for traffiking cannabis
- APRIL 2, 2019Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
A Saudi executed for murder
12 March 2019: Omer bin Salem bin Manae al-Qahtani, a Saudi national, was executed for murdering anoter Saudi,
- APRIL 2, 2019Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
A Pakistani executed for drug
18 March 2019: Tur Khan Khawshal Khan (or Taur Khan Khushal Khan), a Pakistani national, was executed for smuggling heroin into his womb.
- APRIL 2, 2019Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
A Saudi executed for murder
14 March 2019: Nayef bin Asaf bin Asaf al-Dariri (or Nayef bin Assaf bin Assaf al-Dossari), a Saudi national, was executed for murder
- APRIL 2, 2019Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
A Pakistani executed for drug
18 March 2019: Qul Rahman Saifur Rahman (or Rakhman Sifur Rehman), a Pakistani national, was executed for smuggling a quantity of heroin.
- APRIL 2, 2019Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
A Chadi executed for drug
25 March 2019: Abdulrahman Saleh Hassan (or Abdul Rahman Saleh Hassan, a Chadi, was executed for smuggling a quantity of drug cocaine.
- APRIL 2, 2019Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
One Syrian executed for drug
13 March 2019: Ahmad Abdulrahman Abdul Razak, a Syrian national, was executed for smuggling a quantity of amphetamine pills
- APRIL 2, 2019Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
A Pakistani executed for drug
27 March 2019: Khalid Khan Muhbet Khan, a Pakistani national, was executed for smuggling heroin.
MARCH 25, 2019Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTYSAUDI TO EXTRADITE EGYPTIAN DEATH ROW CONVICT
An Egyptian convicted of murder in Egypt is to be flown back to his home country, according to Sabq.
- MARCH 13, 2019Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
A Saudi beheaded for drugs
11 February 2019: the Ministry of the Interior announced the execution of a Saudi, Yahya bin Medawi bin Yahya al-Qahtani, for hashish trafficking.
- MARCH 13, 2019Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
Egyptian executed for drugs
19 February 2019: the Ministry of the Interior announced the execution of an Egyptian citizen, Anwar Abdulmohsin al-Banna for a smuggling drugs prohibited in the Tabuk region.
- MARCH 13, 2019Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
Woman beheaded for murder
11 February 2019: the Ministry of the Interior announced the execution of a Saudi woman, Aida Bint Shaman bin Banha Rashidi for the murder of her husband's daughter.
- MARCH 13, 2019Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
An execution for drug
31 January 2019: the Ministry of the Interior announced the execution of Fadhel Mannan Zaman for heroin trafficking. The beheading took place in Riyadh.
- MARCH 13, 2019Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
A Saudi beheaded for murder
2 January 2019: The Interior Ministry announced the execution of Ahmed bin Lafi bin Samer Al-Mutairi, a Saudi, for the murder of another Saudi, Khalid bin Mohammed bin Fahd Al-Mutairi.
- MARCH 13, 2019Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
Two Indians beheaded for murder
28 February 2019: the Ministry of the Interior announced the executions of Harjith Singh Buda Ram and Satwinour Kumar Barakash, of Indian nationality, for the murder of a compatriot.
- MARCH 13, 2019Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
One beheaded for drug
23 January 2019: the Ministry of the Interior announced the execution in Tabuk of a Saudi, Wael bin Saleh bin Assaakr Balawi, for methamphetamine trafficking.
- MARCH 13, 2019Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
Two beheaded for drugs
1 January 2019: the Ministry of the Interior announced the execution of two men, identified as Otaiwi Faraj Attia Soliman (or Ataiwi Faraj Attia Suleiman) and Subhi Awada Jamie for trafficking amphetamine, hashish and opium pills in the Tabuk region .
- MARCH 13, 2019Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
Three beheaded for drugs
21 January 2019: the Ministry of the Interior announced the execution of three men: Liaquat Ali Baraka - Pakistani nationality - for heroin trafficking and Mohammed Adam Mbaud Imbudo - nationality of Chad - for cocaine trafficking both executed in the pro
- MARCH 13, 2019Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
A Saudi beheaded for murder
16 January 2019: the Ministry of the Interior announced that Saad bin Mohammed bin Shabab Al-Ghamdi of Saudi nationality was executed for the murder of another Saudi.
- MARCH 13, 2019Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
A Jordanian executed for drugs
13 February 2019: the Ministry of the Interior announced the execution of Talal Abdullah Al Nawafla, Jordanian, for a smuggling drugs prohibited in the Tabuk region.
- MARCH 13, 2019Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
A Saudi beheaded for murder
13 February 2019: the Ministry of the Interior announced the execution of the Saudi Ahmed Bin Fawaz bin Nawaf Al-Rashidi for the murder of another Saudi.
- MARCH 13, 2019Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
A Saudi beheaded for murder
10 January 2019: the Ministry of the Interior announced the execution of the Saudi Fahd bin Ahmed bin Salloum Ba'abd for the murder of Mohamed Lafa - Indian citizenship - stabbing him ninety-nine in different parts of his body.
- MARCH 13, 2019Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
A Yemeni beheaded for murder
10 January 2019: the Ministry of the Interior announced the Yemeni execution of Yahya Mohammed Saleh al-Anzi, for the murder of another Yemenite, Jamal Abdu Mohamed Yassin Urban, stabbing him in the chest due to a dispute between of them.