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Saudi Arabia

September 1, 2026

Riyadh 8:19 am

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Mecca Alliance

Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Pakistan set Mecca Alliance into motion

The three countries are moving to formalize military coordination under the newly named Mecca Alliance amid renewed hostilities between Iran and the US.

Iraqi army troops patrol the Iraq-Saudi Arabia border

Iraq reinforces Saudi border security amid militia tensions: What to know

Iraq is sending the reinforcements in response to Iran-backed militia attacks and as it looks to build security ties with Riyadh.

Latest News

France, Saudi Arabia announce more than $10B in deals on MBS visit

France's President Emmanuel Macron and Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman shake hands

Houthis claim strike on Saudi oil tanker off Yanbu: What to know

Supporters of Yemen's Houthi rebel movement carry a mock rocket as they demonstrate in the capital, Sanaa, to denounce a reported air strike by the Saudi-led coalition on a prison in the country's rebel-held north, on Jan. 21, 2022.

Saudi crown prince heads to France as ties deepen: What to expect

LUDOVIC MARIN/AFP via Getty Images

Samuel Wendel

Senior Analyst, Middle East Business & Tech

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

Adam Lucente

News and Business Correspondent

In New York City, reporting on regional news, militancy, climate change

Jack Dutton

Chief Business Correspondent

In Bristol, reporting on regional business, climate change, AI, tech

Francesco Schiavi

In Bologna, reporting on security, defense, economy, governance

Sabena Siddiqui

In Karachi, reporting on South Asia, Middle East, Iran

Vanessa Ghanem

In Dubai, reporting on business, energy and politics

Protesters hold a giant rainbow flag as they march along Oxford St ahead of the pontifical requiem Mass for Cardinal George Pell on February 02, 2023 in Sydney, Australia. Cardinal George Pell, a former senior Catholic Church official who was accused of sexual violence in Australia and then cleared, died on 10 January 2023 aged 81 years old. His body was returned to Sydney after his funeral at the Vatican and will lie in state at St. Mary's Cathedral on Feb. 1 and 2. (Photo by Roni Bintang/Getty Images)

Culture

In a shift, Saudi Arabia to 'welcome' LGBTQ tourists

The Saudi Tourism Authority said that authorities do not ask for personal details in this regard. The position follows social changes the kingdom is undergoing, though it is difficult to determine the exact status of LGBTQ people in the country.

Saudi Arabia announced a major Captagon bust this week, with more than 12.7 million pills seized.

Saudi Arabia seizes 12.7 million Captagon pills in pomegranate bust

Four people were arrested in a major drug bust, according to the state-owned Saudi Press Agency, including two Egyptians, one Syrian and one Yemeni national.

FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP via Getty Images

Culture

Cristiano Ronaldo disappoints as Saudi Al Nassr loses King Cup

Ronaldo is the biggest player to ever play in Saudi Arabia, but his tenure in the kingdom has been disappointing to some fans.

Saudi fighter jets are displayed during Saudi Arabias first World Defense Show, north of the capital Riyadh, on March 6, 2022. (Photo by Fayez Nureldine / AFP) (Photo by FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP via Getty Images)

Saudi Arabia rises to world's 5th largest military spender: SIPRI

The kingdom has risen from eighth to fifth place since 2021, surpassing the United Kingdom, Germany and France.

Saudi and foreign journalists are pictured at the Future Investment Initiative (FII) badge collection centre.

Saudi Arabia opens four special economic zones with eye on foreign investment

The special economic zones offer incentives such as competitive corporate tax rates, 100% ownership of companies and flexibility in employing foreign labor.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (R) attends a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping (not pictured) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on February 22, 2019. (Photo by HOW HWEE YOUNG / POOL / AFP) (Photo credit should read HOW HWEE YOUNG/AFP via Getty Images)

Saudi crown prince calls China’s Xi following Iran, energy deals

The call marked the first time the two leaders spoke since the Saudi-Iran rapprochement deal brokered by China.

An undated image of Saad Ibrahim Almadi.

Saudi Arabia releases US citizen Almadi jailed over tweets

Saad Ibrahim Almadi was released after 16 months in prison but remains in Riyadh under a travel ban, according to his son.

murabba

Saudi Arabia's New Murabba project to lure global investors, but at what cost?

Ambitious project announcements are becoming an increasingly common feature of Saudi Arabia’s developmental aspirations.

Robert Mogielnicki

Robert Mogielnicki

Passengers are seen at Moscow's Domodedovo airport, the day S7 Airlines canceled all its international flights due to sanctions imposed on Russia over the country's invasion of Ukraine, March 5, 2022.

Russia to add Gulf countries to visa-free travel list

Russia stated that it was preparing visa-free travel agreements with a total of 17 countries, which include Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman and Syria.

HRH Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Saudi Arabia invests $51 billion in first wave of Shareek diversification

The Shareek investment and diversification strategy is set to create more than 64,000 jobs by 2040.

People watch the lauching of NASA and SpaceX Dragon Crew-6 mission to International Space Station, at the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) in Dubai on March 2, 2023. - A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket blasted off to the International Space Station carrying two NASA astronauts, a Russian cosmonaut and the second Emirati to voyage to space. (Photo by KARIM SAHIB/AFP via Getty Images)

UAE sends second astronaut to space on longest Arab mission

Sultan Saif AlNeyadi will collaborate with NASA and other international space agencies to conduct 19 scientific studies in a wide array of fields.

Officers of the Directorate of Narcotics Control of the Interior Ministry sort through tablets of Captagon seized during a special operation and presented before AFP afterward, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, March 1, 2022.

UAE busts 4.5 million Captagon pills in food cans after smuggler arrest

Amphetamine fenethylline, known by its brand name Captagon, has increasingly become the drug of choice among youth in Gulf Arab states.

United Arab Emirates