Saudi Arabia - AL-MONITOR: The Middle Eastʼs leading independent news source since 2012

Saudi Arabia cover image

Saudi Arabia

September 26, 2026

Riyadh 12:58 am

29°C

France s President Emmanuel Macron welcomes Saudi Arabia s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as he arrives for a State diner in his honor at the Elysee Palace in Paris on Aug. 24, 2026.

What France’s military deployment means for Saudi Arabia’s fight against Houthis

New pledges of limited British and French military deployments fall short of what Riyadh would likely need to defend its skies should the Houthis escalate further.

A shipping vessel transits the Strait of Hormuz

Explainer

Saudi Arabia’s return to Hormuz puts oil transfer network to the test

For months, Saudi Arabia had been eschewing the Strait of Hormuz, but the kingdom has now resorted to ship-to-ship transfers through the vital waterway.

ANGELA WEISS / AFP via Getty Images

Analysis

Can Netanyahu turn Israel's UN isolation into strength at home?

The absence of a Trump meeting would have been awkward for Netanyahu, who has long portrayed himself to Israeli voters as uniquely close to the US president.

In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense

Latest News

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

Saudi Arabia announces steep fines for hajj trespassers

Fines of 10,000 riyals will be issued to anyone entering the holy sites without a permit.

A billboard displaying an advert for Aramco is pictured in the Saudi capital Riyadh on November 10, 2019. - From robots to sniffer drones, Saudi Aramco has ramped up spending on technological innovation while its rivals cut back amid soft oil prices, but the energy giant risks losing its edge after its much-anticipated IPO. Saudi Arabia is offering a sliver of the company, touted as the kingdom's crown jewel, in its upcoming initial public offering that is the bedrock of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's a

R&D potential could be key to spark Saudi economy

The impact of COVID-19 and low oil prices has led to even further expected declines in Saudi Arabia's gross domestic product, but research and development could hold the key to an economic reset.

Will formation of new government in Yemen lay groundwork for peace?

Despite agreeing to a cease-fire in south Yemen, it seems the chances of ending the conflict between the Saudi-backed government forces and the UAE-backed southern separatists and forming a new government are dim.

Workers take down a Belt and Road Forum panel outside the venue of the forum in Beijing on April 27, 2019. - Chinese President Xi Jinping urged dozens of world leaders on April 27 to reject protectionism and invited more countries to participate in his global infrastructure project after seeking to ease concerns surrounding the programme. (Photo by GREG BAKER / AFP) (Photo credit should read GREG BAKER/AFP via Getty Images)

China’s 'Belt and Road' push brings risks, rewards to Mideast

China's digital and satellite advances offer new regional opportunities and challenges for the United States in countering Beijing's economic influence in the region.

Smoke billows following an airstrike by Saudi-led coalition in the Yemeni capital Sanaa, on June 16, 2020. - Yemen is wracked by a war which has killed tens of thousands of people and led to the world's worst humanitarian crisis, according to the United Nations.
The war between Huthi rebels and pro-government forces escalated in 2015 when a Saudi-led military coalition intervened against the rebels who control large parts of Yemen including the capital Sanaa. (Photo by MOHAMMED HUWAIS / AFP) (Photo by MOHAM

Congress revives bid to pull US out of Yemen war

The Democratic-held House is taking another stab at ending US support for the Saudi coalition’s war against Yemen’s Houthis.

<<enter caption here>> on March 17, 2017 in Beijing, China.

Has China gained an edge on the US in the Gulf?

China has upped the ante, but the United States holds the winning hand; Oman weighs risks and benefits of Gulf bailout; will migrant workers return to GCC?

TOPSHOT - A trader walks by beneath a stock display board at the Dubai Stock Exchange in the United Arab Emirates, on March 8, 2020. - Saudi's stock exchange fell 6.5 percent and other Gulf markets tumbled to multi-year lows at the start of trading after OPEC and its allies failed to clinch a deal over oil production cuts. (Photo by GIUSEPPE CACACE / AFP) (Photo by GIUSEPPE CACACE/AFP via Getty Images)

IMF official: Gulf economies to contract by 7.6% in 2020

The International Monetary Fund official's predictions are worse than earlier ones as the Gulf deals with oil price drops and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Smoke billows following an airstrike by Saudi-led coalition in the Yemeni capital Sanaa, on June 16, 2020. - Yemen is wracked by a war which has killed tens of thousands of people and led to the world's worst humanitarian crisis, according to the United Nations.
The war between Huthi rebels and pro-government forces escalated in 2015 when a Saudi-led military coalition intervened against the rebels who control large parts of Yemen including the capital Sanaa. (Photo by MOHAMMED HUWAIS / AFP) (Photo by MOHAM

Houthis state readiness to talk peace with Saudis as missiles continue to rain

By escalating military operations against Riyadh, the Houthis are seeking to build themselves a position of strength for public negotiations with Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Colonel Turki bin Saleh al-Malki (Center-L) shows US Assistant Secretary of Near Eastern Affairs David Schenker (C) reportedly Iranian weapons seized by Saudi forces from Yemen's Huthi rebels, during a visit to a military base in Al-kharj in central Saudi Arabia, on September 05, 2019. (Photo by Fayez Nureldine / AFP) (Photo credit should read FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP via Getty Images)

Intel: Saudi-led coalition says it intercepted Iranian weapons bound for Yemen

The Saudi-led coalition intercepted a boat carrying light weapons of Iranian origin bound for war-wracked Yemen, Saudi and US officials said today.

Oman weighs costs of bailout from Gulf neighbors

Gulf countries might step up to keep Oman’s public finances afloat, but experts warn strings may be attached.

Houthi rebels in Yemen fire missiles into Saudi capital

Houthi officials said the missiles hit military targets, but Saudi Arabia said it intercepted the missiles.

GCC faces possible setback with exodus of skilled professionals

The coronavirus pandemic coupled with the oil crisis is pushing foreign workers to exit the Gulf states, perhaps shaping future labor policies.