Five Ethiopians executed in Saudi Arabia over drug smuggling

Saudi Arabia has executed five Ethiopian nationals for smuggling hashish into the kingdom, bringing the number of people put to death in the country this year to 205.

The five were executed in the southern province of Asir on Thursday after being convicted of participating in the smuggling of hashish, the Interior Ministry said in a statement published by the official Saudi Press Agency.

The executions mark the third announcement involving five Ethiopian nationals put to death in a single day in recent months.

Five Ethiopians were executed in June, while another five were put to death in July over similar drug-related offences.

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A total of 32 Ethiopians have been executed in Saudi Arabia this year, making them the largest foreign national group among those executed.

Human Rights Watch warned in July that at least 79 Ethiopians faced an imminent risk of execution over similar charges.

Thousands of Ethiopians work in low-skilled jobs in Saudi Arabia, with many travelling through the perilous “Eastern Route” from the Horn of Africa, through Yemen, to the oil-rich kingdom.

Saudi Arabia executed a record 356 people in 2025, according to figures cited in the report.

AFP