The 101 foreigners executed so far included nationals from Pakistan, Yemen, Syria, Nigeria, Egypt, and other countries.

Figure nearly triple the counts for 2022 and 2023; latest sentence carried out for Yemeni national convicted of drug smuggling; kingdom executed 274 people in total over past year

Saudi Arabia has long faced criticism for its use of the death penalty, which human rights organisations have condemned as disproportionate and out of step with the country’s efforts to soften its strict image and attract international tourists and investors.

This year's executions include 21 from Pakistan, 20 from Yemen, and 14 from Syria, while three each from Sudan, India and Afghanistan, and one each from Sri Lanka, Eritrea and the Philippines