Prince Turki bin Saud bin Turki bin Saud al-Kabir, a prince from the Saudi royal family was executed on Tuesday for murdering a man during a brawl in the capital Riyadh, the Interior Ministry announced.

"The Interior Ministry, in announcing this, affirms to all that the Kingdom's government is determined to establish security, bring about justice and implement Allah's law against all those who attack the innocent," the ministry said.

Local media said the killing for which the prince was executed took place in 2012.

Prince Turki's death sentence had been upheld by the Appeals Court and the High Court, the Interior Ministry said.

Another royal prince welcomed the news, in the first public reaction from a member of the ruling family.

"This is Allah's law, and the way of our blessed kingdom. May Allah have mercy on the killer and his victim," Prince Khaled Al Saud wrote on Twitter.

Monday's execution brings to 128 the number of persons put to death so far in the country this year, German News Agency (DPA) reported.

On January 2, authorities beheaded 47 people, including a prominent Shiite cleric, on terrorism-related charges, leading to furious protests from regional rival Iran.

Saudi Arabia imposes the death penalty for offences including murder, armed robbery, banditry, rape, drug-trafficking and witchcraft.