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Saudi Arabia

April 29, 2026

Riyadh 2:43 am

26°C

GIUSEPPE CACACE/AFP via Getty Images

Analysis

UAE’s OPEC exit rattles cartel as Gulf alliances shift

OPEC's fourth-largest producer will leave the cartel on May 1, marking the most significant departure in the group’s history as the war changes Abu Dhabi's relationship priorities.

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

MUMEN KHATIB/AFP via Getty Images

Why UAE's decision to leave OPEC is major shift for cartel

The UAE accounts for 12% of OPEC's output, but tensions had been simmering over intragroup rivalries and the country wanting to export more oil.

United Arab Emirates

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan hosted the third meeting of the foreign ministers of Turkey, Egypt, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia on the margins of the 5th Antalya Diplomacy Forum, on April 17, 2026.

Analysis

Why Saudi Arabia, Egypt are wary of Turkey’s proposed 4-way defense pact with Pakistan

The proposed framework faces major hurdles and fault lines, ranging from NATO constraints to Israeli opposition and weak military integration.

Barin Kayaoglu

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan (L) disembarks from an airplane upon his arrival at the Rafic Hariri International Airport in Beirut on Jan. 23, 2025.

In Lebanon, Saudi Arabia pursues quiet diplomacy as Trump pushes Israel normalization

Saudi Arabia has been engaged in intense diplomacy in Lebanon in recent days, leading up to the extension of a ceasefire with Israel.

Latest News

Why did the Met Opera lose its Saudi funding deal?

A person walks past the closed Metropolitan Opera at Lincoln Center on Jan. 7, 2021, in New York City.

Analysis

Gulf energy deals face Iran war stress test as global expansion meets oil shock

A picture shows the Ras Laffan Industrial City, Qatar's principal site for production of liquefied natural gas and gas-to-liquid, administrated by Qatar Petroleum, some 80 kilometers (50 miles) north of the capital Doha, on Feb. 6, 2017.

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

Syria’s Sharaa makes fourth visit to Saudi Arabia, first since Iran war: What to know

Syria's President Ahmed al-Sharaa arrives ahead of a meeting with Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer at 10 Downing Street in central London on March 31, 2026.

Samuel Wendel

Senior Market Research Analyst

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

Lewis Hamilton

British F1 driver Hamilton not 'comfortable' in Saudi Arabia

Lewis Hamilton cited the kingdom's human rights record and 'pretty terrifying' LGBTQ laws before it hosts its first Grand Prix race.

FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP via Getty Images

Saudi Arabia confirms first case of Omicron variant

The detection of Omicron in Saudi Arabia comes days after the kingdom suspended flights to 14 African countries.

Mobile billboards urging Justin Bieber to cancel his upcoming concert in Saudi Arabia near the Microsoft Theater on Nov. 21, 2021 in Los Angeles, California.

Khashoggi's fiancee urges Justin Beiber to cancel Saudi performance

Hatice Cengiz called on the Canadian pop star to choose "justice and freedom over money."

A Saudi woman consults a plastic surgeon during a bridal expo in the Red Sea city of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, April 11, 2017.

Saudi Arabia grants citizenship to prominent doctors, scholars

The official Saudi Press Agency said the kingdom will grant citizenship to “experts and exceptional global talents."

Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) listens during a news conference on the treatment of Haitian immigrants at the U.S. border in Texas on Sept. 22, 2021 in Washington, DC.

US Rep. Ilhan Omar moves to block $650 million Saudi arms sale

If passed by the Senate, the joint resolution would block the sale of 280 air-to-air missiles to Riyadh.

Leon Neal/Getty Images

Ex-Saudi official says MBS suggested killing former king with 'poison ring'

The Saudi government responded by describing Saad al-Jabri as "a discredited former government official with a long history of fabricating.”

Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud walks toward the Treaty Room at the State Department, October 14, 2020, in Washington, DC.

Biden aide, Saudi crown prince discussed Israel normalization: report

Axios reports that White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan discussed Saudi Arabia's potential diplomatic ties with Israel during his meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

ANWAR AMRO/AFP via Getty Images

Iran's FM says Saudi Arabia talks have progressed 'good distance'

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian's comments came after Saudi Arabia confirmed the two rivals held their first round of talks with Tehran's new hard-liner government.

The One World Trade Center "Freedom Tower" and "The Oculus" are reflected in a window in New York, on Sept. 8, 2021.

Saudi Arabia says it welcomes Biden's order to release 9/11 files

The Saudi Embassy in Washington said it hoped the documents' declassification would put an end to the "baseless allegations against the kingdom."

Areej al-Sadhan and her brother Abdulrahman al-Sadhan.

Intel: US family seeks Biden's help freeing detained Saudi aid worker

The United States said it’s urging Saudi Arabia to resolve the case of Abdulrahman al-Sadhan, an aid worker sentenced to prison for allegedly running a Twitter account critical of the kingdom’s rulers.

Saudi proof of vaccination required

Saudi Arabia to require vaccination proof for foreign tourists

Saudi Arabia has imposed some particularly strict travel measures recently amid regional concerns about coronavirus variants.

A cemetery worker digs grave holes for victims of the COVID-19 coronavirus at Setu Gede cemetery in Bogor, West Java, Indonesia, on July 22, 2021.

Saudi Arabia to impose travel ban for visits to 'red list' countries

Citizens who travel to countries including the UAE, Indonesia and Turkey are at risk of penalties including a three-year ban on travel.