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Saudi Arabia

November 7, 2026

Riyadh 11:18 pm

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WASHINGTON, DC - NOVEMBER 18: Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia and U.S. President Donald Trump shake hands during a dinner in the East Room at the White House on November 18, 2025 in Washington, DC. Trump is hosting the Crown Prince for meetings aimed at strengthening economic and defense ties, including the U.S. sale of F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Analysis

Gulf’s $3 trillion US investment drive faces post-midterm Trump reckoning

A sweeping midterm election victory by Democrats on Nov. 3 is cause for concern among Gulf states that eagerly embraced Trump's White House and pledged huge investment commitments.

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addresses Turkish members of parliament during the opening of the parliamentary session at the Grand National Assembly of Turkey in Ankara, on Oct. 1, 2026.

Turkey’s parliament ratifies Mecca pact in boost to Saudi Arabia

Turkey will now decide the scope of military support for Saudi Arabia amid ongoing Iran-backed Houthi attacks on the kingdom.

Cristiano Ronaldo

Culture

What’s next for Cristiano Ronaldo after retirement from Portugal team?

The Portuguese superstar is signed to the Saudi side Al Nassr until 2027, but the Yemen war is impacting the sport in the kingdom.

Latest News

Aramco begins expansion of oil export route bypassing Hormuz

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

Why are Syria's IDPs returning home?

UNHCR Filippo Grandi visits Douma, Syria; Jabhat al-Nusra dead-enders and foreign fighters face last stand in Idlib.

Saudi, Syrian foreign ministers visit Moscow for talks

After separate sets of discussions with the Syrian and Saudi foreign ministers, Russia continues to dwell on its displeasure with US moves in Syria.

A man sits in front of a house destroyed by air strikes in Sanaa, Yemen June 6, 2018. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah - RC1182083EA0

UN war crimes report threatens US support for Yemen war

A UN report alleging that the anti-Houthi coalition may have carried out war crimes could further erode support for US bomb sales and military support.

Saudi troops march as they take part in Pakistan Day military parade in Islamabad, Pakistan, March 23, 2017. REUTERS/Faisal Mahmood - RC1CF21EB9E0

Saudi Arabia, Iran battle for influence in Pakistan

As Iran and Saudi Arabia compete for influence in the Islamic world, Pakistan represents a crucial sphere of influence, but the country's new prime minister has been a critic of the Saudi-led war on Yemen.

What Israel wants from Qatar

By signing an arrangement with Hamas, and meeting Qataris, Israel opens the door for Qatari and Iranian influence in the Gaza Strip, and even in the West Bank.

US decision to cut aid could be opening for flagging Saudi approach to Syria

Syria stabilization will instead likely depend on Putin’s shuttle diplomacy with Ankara and Damascus.

Humanitarian aid is prepared to be delivered to Syria, in the town of Ramtha, Jordan, July 2, 2018. REUTERS/Muhammad Hamed TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY - RC12927A2020

US outsources Syria aid to Gulf

In an apparent win for the Donald Trump administration, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have agreed to pick up the tab to stabilize Syria.

People walk past a house destroyed by an air strike in the old quarter of Sanaa, Yemen August 8, 2018. Picture taken August 8, 2018. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah - RC1116261260

Trump, Democrats face off over Yemen war

President Donald Trump is spurning Congress’ bipartisan bid to exert more control over the war in Yemen despite signing key oversight provisions into law.

Saudi Arabia’s diplomacy has costs

Saudi Arabia's diplomatic decisions since King Salman took over the rule of the kingdom in 2015 have caused much controversy, with the bombing of a school bus in Yemen and the row with Canada over a tweet as recent examples.

Cairo breathes sigh of relief as Saudi oil exports resume through Bab el-Mandeb

Saudi Energy Minister Khalid Falih announced that his country resumed oil exports via the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, amid Egyptian fears that a decrease in traffic in the popular shipping corridor could impact Suez Canal revenues.

U.S. President Donald Trump signs the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018 at the White House in Washington D.C., U.S. December 12, 2017. REUTERS/Carlos Barria - RC1DBA301210

US defense bill could impact arms exports to Middle East

This year’s US defense authorization bill calls for reforming America’s high-tech exports even as weapons sales to the region boom.

Will Riyadh-Tehran rivalry kill Iraqi Kurdistan's investment drive?

A visit to Erbil by a Saudi trade delegation in late July has the potential to bear fruit in advancing economic cooperation and investment in the region, helping ease its current financial crisis, but the Saudis' move has raised eyebrows in Tehran.