"Saudi Arabia wants the world to see a country that's growing and transforming, but behind that image, another trend appears to have accelerated. So far in 2026, Saudi Arabia has executed more than 100 people, and many more remain on death row. Amnesty International reveals that of the 108 documented executions that took place in Saudi this year, 65% were for drug-related offences, and according to Harm Reduction International, the kingdom has recorded a record spike in drug-related executions over the last few years. And among the executed people this year, dozens were also foreign nationals, from places like Ethiopia, Pakistan, Sudan, Jordan and Syria. Now that matters because international human rights law says that the death penalty should be reserved for only the most serious of crimes. A threshold the United Nations experts say does not include drug offences. Dana Ahmed, a Middle East researcher at Amnesty International explains why this matters. Last year, the authorities executed at least 356 people, and this was the highest number Amnesty International has recorded in over three decades. This year, the pace remains extremely worrying, at a time when governments and international institutions are moving away and increasingly acknowledging the need to promote evidence-based and rights-respecting responses to drug-related issues. The Saudi authorities are doubling down and continuing to execute people for drug-related offences, which are driving the increase in executions in the country. In many cases, defendants haven't even ever seen their charges or court documents until the day of their execution. 2025 actually saw the highest number of global executions since 1981, with 2,707 people across the world executed. Saudi Arabia is considered among the world's leading executioners, alongside countries like China and Iran. The rise in executions also raises difficult questions about Saudi Arabia's global image. As the kingdom invests in billions to present itself as a modern nation, hosting sporting events, attracting international investments, and promoting ambitious economic projects, human rights groups argue that its expanding use of the death penalty tells a very different story. So it goes to show that the death penalty is not succeeding in deterring people from distributing or using drugs in the way that the authorities want to use this for."