Riyadh: Those found guilty of drug trafficking face the death penalty in Saudi Arabia. Of a total of 217 executions since the start of 2025, 144 have been put to death for drug-related offenses. If the pace of executions continues, this year's total will surpass that of 2024, when 338 people were executed in the kingdom—the most since 1990.
According to France24.com, at the heart of this crackdown is the illegal amphetamine-like drug captagon, which is in high demand in the Middle East. Saudi Arabia, the Arab world's largest economy, is reportedly one of its main consumers, as noted by the United Nations. Kristine Beckerle, Amnesty's deputy regional director for the Middle East and North Africa, expressed concern over the alarming rate of executions, particularly of foreign nationals for crimes that should not carry the death penalty.
Human rights activists argue that capital punishment damages the image of tolerance and modernity that Saudi Arabia seeks to project. Following the global outcry over the 2018 murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi, Riyadh instituted a 33-month moratorium on executions for drug offenses. However, the kingdom resumed these executions in November 2022, partly to address the backlog from the suspension, according to Karim Sader, a political scientist specializing in the Gulf states.
Domestic political concerns are a primary reason behind the intensified campaign against captagon, Sader explains. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman aims to prevent the corruption of Saudi society by drugs, even if it means employing harsh methods that shock international organizations. This stance is also politically advantageous as it aligns with the conservative segments of Saudi society that support the death penalty for drug-related crimes.
In June, the director of public security, Mohammed al-Bassami, reported "tangible positive results" in the fight against drug traffickers and smugglers, as stated by the influential Saudi daily Okaz. However, Sader cautions that a successful anti-drug campaign requires more than just repression.
Riyadh finds an ally in Ahmed al-Sharaa, Syria's interim president, in its fight against captagon. Al-Sharaa declared the drug's end in Syria following his forces' takeover of Damascus. During Syria's civil war, captagon became the country's main export, with Syria producing 80 percent of the world's supply by 2023. Assad's regime, particularly his brother Maher, profited significantly from the drug trade, turning Syria into a narco-state.
Six months after Assad's fall, transitional Syrian authorities announced in June that all captagon production facilities had been seized. In Lebanon, Hezbollah, which also benefited from captagon trafficking, has been weakened by its conflict with Israel. While these developments may reduce captagon trafficking, Sader warns that completely eradicating it will remain a challenge.