Saudi Arabia has executed five Ethiopian nationals convicted of smuggling hashish into the kingdom, bringing the country’s total executions this year to 205.
The Saudi Interior Ministry announced the executions on Thursday, November 5, 2026, in a statement published by the official Saudi Press Agency.
The five men were executed in Asir Province after being convicted of participating in the smuggling of hashish into the country.
The latest executions bring the number of Ethiopians put to death in Saudi Arabia this year to 32, making them the largest group of foreign nationals executed in the kingdom.
Five Ethiopians were executed in June and another five in July over similar offences.
Human Rights Watch warned in July that at least 79 other Ethiopians faced an imminent risk of execution over drug-related charges, raising concerns about the treatment and trial rights of migrant workers.
Saudi Arabia recorded 356 executions in 2025, its highest annual figure on record.
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