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Saudi Arabia

September 6, 2026

Riyadh 11:13 am

38°C

The entrance to the city of Qiddiya, south of the capital Riyadh, April 25, 2019.

Analysis

Iran war tests Gulf's theme park ambitions

Saudi Arabia is pressing ahead with multibillion-dollar projects as the conflict disrupts regional tourism and exposes weaknesses in the Gulf states' entertainment strategies.

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

A man walks past a mural depicting oil pumps and the Venezuelan flag, with portraits of Venezuelan independence leader Simon Bolivar (L) and former late President Hugo Chavez (R), in Caracas, Venezuela, on Sept. 3, 2026.

Analysis

Could Trump’s oil push in Venezuela upend OPEC’s energy order?

Washington’s growing role in controlling the Latin American country's crude riches could help reshape an energy order centered on OPEC as the Hormuz crisis pressures Gulf exports.

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

Guests stand at the booth of Saudi artificial intelligence company Humain during the Future Investment Initiative (FII) conference in Riyadh, on Oct. 29, 2025.

Saudi Arabia taps China’s MiniMax for Arabic AI model

The development signals that the kingdom continues deepening AI ties with China while simultaneously pursuing major US technology partnerships, keeping the Gulf state at the center of an intensifying technology race between the superpowers.

Latest News

Saudi oil exports hit nine-year low as tanker attacks threaten recovery

A commercial vessel passes through an international shipping lane off Yemen's Hanish Island in the Red Sea on July 27, 2026.

Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Pakistan set Mecca Alliance into motion

Mecca Alliance

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

Iraqi army troops patrol the Iraq-Saudi Arabia border

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

French President Emmanuel Macron gestures alongside the Israeli President as they address a press conference in Jerusalem on January 22, 2020, - Israel will lobby key leaders at this week's 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz on what it considers one of the gravest modern threats to the Jewish people: Iran. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin, Emmanuel Macron of France and top US officials before an event at the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial centre in J

Macron advocates Saudi, Israeli inclusion in Iran nuclear talks

The United States says it will present a "unified front" with Europe on Iran strategy once consultations with allies conclude.

Saudi Arabia suspends travel from 20 countries, including US

Diplomats, health care workers and their families are exempt from the travel ban.

Nigerians stuck in Saudi Arabia are flown home

Foreigners working in Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries have gotten stranded throughout the course of the COVID-19 pandemic.

A picture taken on January 8, 2021 shows a portrait of Raif Badawi during an action of the human rights NGO Amnesty International in front of the embassy of Saudi Arabia in Brussels, calling for the release of the jailed Saudi blogger. - Badawi was sentenced to 10 years in prison and 1,000 lashes for insulting Islam. (Photo by Kenzo TRIBOUILLARD / AFP) (Photo by KENZO TRIBOUILLARD/AFP via Getty Images)

Canada votes to offer citizenship to jailed Saudi blogger

Raif Badawi, whose wife and children live in Canada, is serving a 10-year jail sentence in Saudi Arabia for "insulting Islam."

Egyptian men living in Saudi Arabia queue to casts their ballots in the early voting for the presidential elections on May 26-27, at the Egyptian embassy in Riyadh, on May 15, 2014. Egyptians abroad started voting in their country's first presidential elections since the military deposed Islamist president Mohamed Morsi nearly a year ago. Around 680,000 Egyptians, in 124 countries have registered to vote and have until May 18, to cast their ballots at diplomatic missions in their countries of residence, sta

Egyptians living in Saudi Arabia face attacks

The repeated attacks against Egyptian nationals in Saudi Arabia may have become a phenomenon that has even escalated into killings lately in the absence of any deterrence.

Biden administration pauses arms sales to Gulf pending review

The freeze includes the F-35 deal for the United Arab Emirates and bombs for Saudi Arabia.

Explosions over Riyadh as CENTCOM commander visits region

No group has yet claimed credit for the blasts, which came three days after the Saudi military said it shot down an enemy projectile over Riyadh.

Intel: Biden’s pick for top intelligence official vows to report to Congress on Jamal Khashoggi murder

Avril Haines says the Biden administration will release to lawmakers an unclassified intelligence assessment on who was behind the murder of the Saudi dissident journalist.

Egyptian who ruled in favor of ceding key islands to Saudi Arabia voted parliament speaker

Egypt’s parliament elected Hanafy Ali el-Gebaly as its new speaker, raising controversy as Gebaly chaired the Supreme Constitutional Court that validated an agreement under which Egypt agreed to transfer the strategic Tiran and Sanafir islands to Saudi Arabia.

DOHA, QATAR - DECEMBER 18: In this handout image provided by Qatar 2022/Supreme Committee, Qatar inaugurates fourth FIFA World Cup 2022 venue, Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium on December 18th, 2020 in Doha, Qatar. Qatar inaugurates fourth FIFA World Cup 2022™ venue, Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium, in front of 50% capacity crowd. The 40,000-capacity venue will host seven matches during Qatar 2022 up to the round-of-16 stage. Fans in attendance were required to show negative COVID-19 test results before entering the venue. (P

Can World Cup soccer help heal Gulf wounds?

Communities torn apart by a yearslong rift between Gulf rulers may need time to heal the wounds of a crisis that damaged social ties that have historically transcended borders.

Pentagon’s top policy official meets Saudi Arabia’s deputy defense minister in Riyadh

Anthony Tata sat down with Prince Khalid bin Salman on Thursday, but details of the discussion remain unclear.

<<enter caption here>> on October 24, 2011 in Doha, Qatar.

UAE reopens land, sea, air ports to Qatar following Gulf deal

The announcement comes after Gulf leaders this week agreed to end their years-long embargo of Qatar.