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Saudi Arabia

July 13, 2026

Riyadh 12:42 am

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A man crosses a street while returning home from work, in Dubai on June 23, 2026. (Photo by FADEL SENNA / AFP via Getty Images)

Analysis

Saudi-UAE payment blocks could imperil billions in trade: What to know

Delayed bank transfers from Saudi Arabia to accounts in the United Arab Emirates could suggest the rivalry between the region's largest economies is entering a new financial phase.

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

Canada's Mark Carney (L) and Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (R) met on the heels of the NATO summit in Riyadh on July 9, 2026.

Analysis

Carney bets on Saudi Arabia to help reduce dependence on US: What to know

Canada is seeking to diversify away from the United States, with Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states offering key energy and industrial benefits.

Adam Lucente

By Adam Lucente

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

Igor IVANKO / AFP via Getty Images

How Iran war could impact oil markets in 2027

The International Energy Agency forecasts global oil supply will exceed demand by 4.62 million barrels per day in 2027.

Oil tankers and cargo vessels are anchored off the coast of Oman after being stranded for days as congestion at Port Sultan Qaboos has prevented them from docking on June 23, 2026 in Muscat, Oman. The Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping route for the region's oil and gas, was effectively blockaded since the outbreak of war between the United States and Iran in late February. This week's provisional peace deal between the countries was meant to reopen the waterway to shipping traffic, but the pace of that reo

Oil prices ease as OPEC+ increases production, Hormuz traffic rebounds

Brent crude, the international benchmark, fell 0.15% to $71.87 a barrel as of 8:07 a.m. EDT after dropping as low as $71.09 earlier in the session, its lowest level since before the US-Israel-Iran war began on Feb. 28.

Latest News

Analysis

How Iran war shaped divergent paths to security among GCC states

A man walks past the flags of the countries attending the Gulf Cooperation Council summit at Bayan palace in Kuwait City on Dec. 5, 2017.

Sabena Siddiqui

By Sabena Siddiqui

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

Syria launches gas project with Saudi firm in latest Gulf energy partnership

Oil drilling near Dakhiliyah in the desert region of Hasakah, Syria, Jan. 25, 2026.

Oil falls below $71 as US-Iran talks continue, Gulf exports rebound

Crude oil tankers, bulk carriers and vessels sit anchored around Qaboos Port on June 22, 2026, in Muscat, Oman.

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

Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, Kuwait's Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah al Khalid al Sabah, Qatar's Foreign Minister Khaled al-Attiyah, Oman's Foreign Minister Yusuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah, Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir, Bahrain's Foreign Minister Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa and UAE'S Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan (L-R) pose for a group photo during an extraordinary meeting in Riyadh January 9, 2016. REUTERS/Faisal Al N

Gulf countries take back seat on Syria route

It seems Saudi Arabia is more interested in Yemen than in Syria these days, which explains dwindling Gulf support for Syrian rebels.

Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir delivers his speech during the 53rd Munich Security Conference in Munich, Germany, February 19, 2017. REUTERS/Michaela Rehle - RTSZCG2

Saudis make surprise trip to Iraq: Why now?

Saudi Arabia is making overtures to Iraq as Iran's influence expands in the region.

Why Iran wants Palestine back on regional agenda

Iran hosts a conference in support of the Palestinian intifada as it seeks to put the Palestinian cause back at the top of its regional agenda.

Hamas leader Yehia Sinwar attends a rally in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip January 7, 2016. The rally, organized by Hamas movement, was held to honor the families of dead Hamas militants, who Hamas's armed wing said participated in imprisoning Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, organizers said. Shalt was abducted by militants in a cross-border raid in 2006, and was released in exchange for more than 1,000 Palestinians held in Israeli jails. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem - RTX21FPI

Has Hamas completely forgotten Saudi Arabia?

The appointment of Yahya Sinwar as Hamas’ head in the Gaza Strip undermines the rapprochement between the movement and Saudi Arabia, while drawing Iran closer to the Palestinian resistance.

President-elect Donald Trump, left, and President Barack Obama arrive for Trump's inauguration ceremony at the Capitol in Washington, D.C., U.S. January 20, 2017. REUTERS/J. Scott Applewhite/Pool - RTSWJEB

Was Obama lost opportunity for Iran-US relations?

Iran’s foreign minister believes that recent criticism by Iran’s neighbors stems from their regional failures.

Egyptian activists shout anti-President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and government slogans during a demonstration protesting against the government's decision to transfer two Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia, in front of the Press Syndicate in Cairo, Egypt, April 13, 2016. The sign reads, "The two Islands Tiran and Sanafir are the Egyptians". REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh - RTX29RVO

Why are sections disappearing from Egypt's textbooks?

Lawyers used textbooks in a case against the Egyptian government; now the books have changed.

A man walks past graffiti depicting relations between Egypt and Saudi Arabia in Cairo, Egypt, October 12, 2016. Picture taken October 12, 2016. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh - RTSS268

Mutual interests break ice between Egypt, Saudi Arabia

Although tension has been high between Egypt and Saudi Arabia in the past few months, signs of cooperation are emerging over the development of Sinai and other common interests.

CORRECTION - Saudis attend a concert in Jeddah on January 30, 2017.
Saudi Arabia's "Paul McCartney" took to the stage as the kingdom seeks to boost entertainment despite religious warnings of "depravity." The performance was the first major concert in seven years in the kingdom's second city, according to Arab News.
/ AFP / Amer HILABI / The erroneous mention[s] appearing in the metadata of this photo by AMER HILABI has been modified in AFP systems in the following manner: [AMER HILABI] instead of [AMEER A

Saudi clerics keep mum about concerts in the kingdom

The new open-minded tendencies of the Saudi Royal Court are causing controversy with the conservative religious establishment in the kingdom, especially concerning concerts.

Will Saudi Arabia allow Pakistani general to command military alliance?

It remains unclear whether Pakistan's Gen. Raheel Sharif will be offered, or take up, the position of supreme commander of the Saudi-led "Islamic military alliance."

A Palestinian man watches a joint press conference by U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a coffee shop in the West Bank city of Hebron February 15, 2017. REUTERS/Mussa Qawasma - RTSYU7C

Why Arab leaders cannot replace legitimate Palestinian ones

The Trump-Netanyahu love fest that was broadcast around the world doesn’t bode well for Palestinians or for any possible peaceful breakthrough.

Egyptian riot policemen surround a march after the High Administrative Court upheld on January 16, 2017 a ruling voiding a government agreement to hand over two Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia in a deal that had sparked protests in Egypt. / AFP / MOHAMED EL-SHAHED (Photo credit should read MOHAMED EL-SHAHED/AFP/Getty Images)

Will Saudi Arabia expel Egyptian workforce?

The fate of 2 million Egyptian workers in Saudi Arabia is on the line in light of Saudi measures to charge expat fees amid several political crises between Egypt and Saudi Arabia, including the dispute over Sanafir and Tiran islands.

Lebanon's Hizbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah (L) shakes hands with Maronite Christian leader Samir Geagea (R) during a meeting of Lebanese rival politicians at the parliament in downtown Beirut, May 16, 2006. REUTERS/Hassan Ibrahim /Pool - RTR1DF3M

How Iran-Saudi rapprochement is impacting Lebanon

Iran has been hinting at potential rapprochement with Saudi Arabia for quite some time now, and in Lebanon, historical rival parties are showing signs of consensus as well.