Saudi Arabian authorities on Tuesday executed a Syrian national convicted of drug smuggling, bringing to 66 the total of people put to death this year in the conservative kingdom, dpa reported.
Hassan Muhammad al-Bash had been arrested while smuggling "a large quantity of narcotic pills," the Interior Ministry said.
He was executed in the north-eastern al-Jauf region, the ministry said.
Saudi Arabia also imposes the death penalty for a number of other offences, including murder, rape, armed robbery and banditry.
The country carried out 76 executions in 2012, according to official figures. Convicts are usually beheaded by a swordsman in a major public square.