Saudi Arabia has executed 17 people in just three days, marking one of the fastest execution sprees in recent years, as the kingdom intensifies its crackdown under what officials describe as a war on drugs and terrorism.

On Monday, two Saudi nationals were put to death for what the official Saudi Press Agency termed “terrorist crimes.” Their executions followed those of 15 others over the weekend—most of whom were foreigners—who had been convicted of various drug-related offences.

According to state media, thirteen of those executed on Saturday and Sunday had been found guilty of smuggling hashish, while another was convicted for smuggling cocaine.

This wave of executions brings the total number carried out in the country this year to 239, according to a tally based on official reports.

The kingdom now appears set to surpass the 338 executions recorded last year, the highest number documented since public records on executions began in the early 1990s.

Rights groups and observers have expressed alarm over the surge, particularly in relation to drug-related cases involving foreign nationals.

Jeed Basyouni of the Reprieve rights group said last week there has been a “significant rise in executions for hashish-related drug offences, with foreign nationals making up most of these executions.”

“This is particularly concerning given the global trend toward decriminalising the possession and use of hashish,” she told AFP.

Out of this year’s total executions so far, 161 were linked to drug offences, and 136 were foreign nationals. This spike comes after Saudi Arabia resumed capital punishment for drug-related crimes at the end of 2022, having suspended such executions for about three years.

Analysts point to the kingdom’s anti-drug campaign launched in 2023 as a key reason for the rise, suggesting that many of those currently being executed were arrested during the initial stages of that crackdown.

Saudi authorities insist that executions are carried out only after all legal procedures, including appeals, have been exhausted. They argue that capital punishment serves as a deterrent and is necessary to protect public security.

However, critics say the growing number of executions undermines Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s push to present the kingdom as a modernising and more open society under the Vision 2030 reform plan.