RIYADH: Saudi Arabia on Monday executed a man convicted of trying to shoot dead security forces and weapons charges, with alleged links to figures accused of terrorist activities, state media reported. He was executed in Dammam in the Eastern Province, which has seen bouts of unrest since 2011 when mostly Muslim Shiite protesters emboldened by the Arab Spring uprisings took to the streets.

The demonstrators demanded an end to what they called discrimination by the Sunni-dominated government, a charge Riyadh denies. The Saudi man who was executed "took part in two shooting operations against security forces with an intent to kill" and "in dealing and possessing weapons," the interior ministry said.