Human Rights Watch accused Saudi border guards on Monday of firing directly at Ethiopian migrants trying to cross from Yemen to the wealthy Gulf kingdom, killing hundreds since last year.
These claims, which Riyadh did not immediately respond to, indicate a significant escalation in violations against the dangerous "eastern route" from the countries of the Horn of Africa to Saudi Arabia, where hundreds of thousands of Ethiopians live and work.
"Saudi commanders are killing hundreds of migrants and asylum seekers in this remote border region, out of sight of the rest of the world," said Nadia Hardman, refugee and migrant rights researcher at Human Rights Watch, in a statement released in English.
"Spending billions on buying professional golf equipment, football clubs and huge entertainment events to improve the image of Saudi Arabia should not distract attention from these heinous crimes," she added.
The New York-based organization has documented the abuse of Ethiopian migrants in Saudi Arabia and Yemen for a decade, but said the latest killings appeared "widespread and systematic" and could amount to crimes against humanity, according to the international human rights body.