Saudi Arabia
As of February 2026, Saudi Arabia is in a state of stark contrast. While the kingdom aggressively promotes itself as a modernizing global hub for tourism and sport under Vision 2030, human rights organizations report that the internal crackdown on dissent has reached its most severe level in decades.
1. The Execution Crisis
2025 was the bloodiest year in Saudi Arabia’s modern history, and the trend has continued into early 2026.
Record Numbers: Saudi Arabia executed at least 356 people in 2025, shattering the previous record set only a year prior.
Drug Offenses: Despite earlier promises to limit the death penalty, nearly 70% of executions in 2025 were for non-violent drug offenses, such as hashish smuggling.
Juvenile Executions: In a significant regression, the state resumed the execution of child defendants in late 2025. This included individuals like Jalal al-Labbad and Abdullah al-Derazi, who were convicted of protest-related crimes committed when they were minors.
2. Freedom of Expression and "Digital Repression"
The Saudi judiciary has effectively criminalized all forms of online criticism, using vague counter-terrorism and cybercrime laws.
Draconian Sentences: Citizens continue to receive decades-long prison sentences for simple tweets. Notable cases include Salma al-Shehab (27 years) and Nourah al-Qahtani (45 years). In 2025, an 18-year-old girl, Manal al-Gafiri, was sentenced to 18 years for her social media activity.+2
Targeting Journalists: In June 2025, journalist Turki al-Jasser was executed following a secret trial. He was accused of running a satirical Twitter account that critiqued the royal family.
Transnational Repression: The government increasingly targets dissidents living abroad, using surveillance (such as Pegasus spyware) and threats against family members remaining in the kingdom.
3. Women’s Rights: The "Guardianship" Paradox
Saudi Arabia made headlines by chairing the UN Women’s Rights Commission in 2025, yet activists argue the move "whitewashes" a deeply discriminatory legal system.
Personal Status Law: The 2022 law, which is still the primary legal framework in 2026, codifies many aspects of the male guardianship system, requiring a male relative's permission for a woman to marry or for certain healthcare decisions.
Persecution of Activists: Women who advocate for rights on social media face "forced disappearance" and arrest. Fitness instructor Manahel al-Otaibi was forcibly disappeared in late 2024 and remains in custody in 2026 for posting photos without an abaya and supporting women's rights online.
4. Labor Rights and the "Kafala" Reform
With the 2034 World Cup and the "NEOM" megacity project driving massive construction, labor rights are under intense global scrutiny.
Abolition of Kafala (June 2025): The government officially announced the end of the 50-year-old Kafala (sponsorship) system. In theory, this allows 13 million migrant workers to change jobs without employer consent.
Implementation Gap: Despite the 2025 law and a new January 2026 MoU on workers' rights, reports from project sites like the Riyadh Metro suggest that forced labor, wage theft, and confiscation of passports remain "business as usual" in practice.
Modern Slavery: Walk Free’s 2025 Global Slavery Index estimated that over 740,000 people live in modern slavery in Saudi Arabia, the highest prevalence in the Arab world.
5. LGBTQ+ Rights and Social Censorship
Capital Punishment: Under Sharia law, consensual same-sex acts remain technically punishable by death or flogging. While the death penalty is rarely applied for "private" acts, it remains a powerful tool for state intimidation.
The "Tourist" Exception: Since 2023, the Saudi Tourism Authority has stated that LGBTQ+ travelers are "welcome," but this does not apply to residents. Locals face arrest for "obscene behavior" or "cross-dressing," and gender-affirming care is strictly banned.