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Saudi Arabia

April 24, 2026

Riyadh 9:41 pm

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

Why did the Met Opera lose its Saudi funding deal?

The deal, announced as a nonbinding memorandum of understanding last September, would have seen the PIF inject up to $200 million into the opera institution over the next eight years.

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.

Analysis

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

ADNOC, Aramco and QatarEnergy have aggressively expanded their international portfolios in recent years, a strategy facing new constraints as the US-Israel-Iran war impacts Gulf production and exposes structural risks.

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

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.

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

The visit comes in light of the deepening economic relations between Syria and Saudi Arabia post-Assad.

Latest News

MBS hosts Sudan's Burhan in Jeddah as $1.5B Saudi-backed arms deal stalls

Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman meets with Sudanese army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan in Jeddah, on April 20, 2026.

Analysis

Pakistan’s quiet fighter jet deployment to Saudi Arabia signals Gulf anxiety

Pakistan Air Force J-10 fighter jets over Islamabad, March 23, 2025.

Sabena Siddiqui

By Sabena Siddiqui

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

What LIV Golf’s woes suggest about Saudi Arabia’s economic headwinds

Bryson DeChambeau of Crushers GC plays his shot from the 17th tee prior to LIV Golf Mexico City at Club de Golf Chapultepec on April 15, 2026, in Mexico City.

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

Saudi Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman meets Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during his visit to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, March 10.

Analysis

Ukraine ceasefire showcases Saudi Arabia's diplomatic role under Trump

Ahead of Ukraine's high-stakes negotiations over the Russia-Ukraine war with the US on Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Monday.

Jennifer Gnana

By Rosaleen Carroll , Jennifer Gnana

Digital generated image of abstract AI chat icons over digital surface.

AL-Monitor FutureVerse: AI superpowers clash

An exclusive sneak peek of an interview with a top Saudi tech diplomat who is helping shape the future of AI collaboration among emerging economies.

Saudi digital economy expert Deemah Al-Yahya speaks onstage during the 2024 Concordia Annual Summit at Sheraton New York Times Square, New York, Sept. 24, 2024.

Interview

As AI superpowers clash, Saudi tech diplomat pushes collaboration over competition

Deemah AlYahya

Secretary General, Digital Cooperation Organization

Saudi Aramco President & CEO Amin Nasser speaks during the CERAWeek oil summit in Houston, Texas, on March 18, 2024.

Saudi Aramco CEO warns of 'painful awakening' as energy costs rise

Amin Nasser said that green energy would not replace oil as demand for crude continues to grow, especially from the Global South.

Ahmed Mater: Antenna (2021). (Courtesy of the artist and UCCA)

Culture

AL-Monitor Riyadh: Saudi artist Ahmed Mater brings exhibit to Shanghai

The retrospective of Ahmed Mater at Shanghai’s UCCA Center for Contemporary Art, staged in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture’s Visual Arts Commission.

Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman walks to welcome France's President (not pictured) ahead of their meeting in Riyadh on December 2, 2024. French President Emmanuel Macron touched down in Riyadh, the capital of the oil-rich Gulf kingdom, where he was due to hold talks with de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman later on December 2, an AFP journalist said. (Photo by Ludovic MARIN / POOL / AFP) (Photo by LUDOVIC MARIN/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Saudi Arabia's MBS throws support behind Arab plan, rejects displacement of Palestinians

Saudi affirmation of the Arab League plan would also see it stepping into a broader role in the development of Gaza vis-a-vis the commitment of funds, as Gulf states are seen as the primary financiers of reconstruction.

EU-GCC summit

Saudi PIF, Italy sign $3B export deal as ties grow under Meloni: What to know

The agreement will help the kingdom's many giga projects as well as Italian exporters.

Tadawul

Aramco to invest up to $58B in 2025 gas, renewables ventures, CEO says

Saudi Aramco is investing in an offshore gas field and new business areas such as lithium and blue ammonia, its CEO told stockholders.

Voladymyr Zelenskyy meets with President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi, on Feb. 17, 2025.

Analysis

Amid US rift and Saudi rivalry, UAE offers Zelenskyy economic lifeline

Gulf countries find themselves in a difficult position as they navigate placating Trump, maintaining good relations with Russia, and engaging with Ukraine while also providing mediation and humanitarian aid.

Jennifer Gnana

By Jennifer Gnana

In Dubai, reporting on Gulf energy policy and politics

Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun (L) is welcomed by Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (R) upon his arrival in at al-Yamamah Palace in Riyadh, on March 3, 2025.

Lebanon’s Aoun in Saudi Arabia seeking army support, $3 billion grant

Saudi Arabia is pleased with recent political developments in Lebanon, said one expert, and the president wants the kingdom to bolster aid to the Lebanese army amid the implementation of the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah.

The PricewaterhouseCoopers offices are pictured on Oct. 2, 2018, in London, England.

Saudi Arabia's PIF bans PwC advisory, consulting services: What to know

Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund will stop granting consulting projects to PwC until February 2026, Bloomberg reported.

Courtesy of the Royal Commission for AlUla

Culture

AL-Monitor Riyadh: Lebanese artist Tarek Atoui’s art and sound in AlUla

This week we guide you through the bustling souqs of Riyadh and a new cultural hub in the Diplomatic Quarter.