ع
The Saudi Interior Ministry reported that the five men were put to death in the Eastern Province after a court convicted them of multiple terrorism-related offences. According to the ministry statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency and reported by The National, the individuals joined a foreign terrorist organisation, opened fire on security personnel and vehicles with intent to kill, and possessed illegal weapons along with live ammunition. The ministry further detailed that the men provided financial and material support for attacks inside the kingdom, actions that a judicial panel determined warranted capital punishment under Islamic law provisions.
The executed citizens were identified by the Interior Ministry as Mohammed Al Zaher, Ali Al Sheikh, Hassan Al Faraj, Reda Al Abu Abdullah and Ali Al Rabih. A court found the five guilty and imposed death sentences under the discretionary tazir principle, which allows judges to set penalties for crimes without fixed Islamic punishments. The ministry said security authorities had completed investigations before referring the cases, with the convictions withstanding review at higher judicial levels.
The Interior Ministry stated that the Supreme Court upheld the sentences following appeals, after which a royal order authorised their implementation. In its announcement, the ministry cited the need to deter threats to public safety through strict application of the law. The executions took place on Saturday in a single location within the Eastern Province, where the ministry indicated the crimes had been centred.
An AFP tally incorporated by several outlets including the Times of India placed the total number of executions in Saudi Arabia at 188 so far in 2026. The Interior Ministry figures show that 15 of those involved terrorism convictions, the majority carried out in the Eastern Province. Data from prior years reflected in reports from Punch newspaper indicated a lower annual figure for terror-related executions in 2025.
Amnesty International assessments referenced across multiple publications ranked Saudi Arabia as the third-most prolific user of the death penalty worldwide between 2022 and 2025, behind only China and Iran. The kingdom maintains that capital punishment is reserved for the most serious crimes and is applied only after exhaustive legal reviews and appeals. Official statements consistently frame such measures as essential to preserving national security and upholding Islamic legal standards.
Earlier in the week, Saudi authorities carried out separate executions of two Bangladeshi nationals convicted of unrelated offences inside a Mecca mosque, according to reports compiled by Moneycontrol. The latest terrorism cases come amid ongoing regional tensions, including Houthi attacks on Saudi targets that Gulf News linked to broader security concerns. The Interior Ministry has issued similar announcements throughout the year detailing convictions and subsequent punishments.
