Analysis Why Saudi Arabia, Egypt are wary of Turkey’s proposed 4-way defense pact with Pakistan The proposed framework faces major hurdles and fault lines, ranging from NATO constraints to Israeli opposition and weak military integration. By Barin Kayaoglu In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security
In Lebanon, Saudi Arabia pursues quiet diplomacy as Trump pushes Israel normalization Saudi Arabia has been engaged in intense diplomacy in Lebanon in recent days, leading up to the extension of a ceasefire with Israel. Lebanon
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. Saudi Arabia
Newsletter: City Pulse Riyadh Ithra brings MENA design to Milan Also this week: Lana Khayat at Art Dubai and Najdi dining in Diriyah By Rebecca Anne Proctor In Dubai, reporting on culture
Analysis Gulf energy deals face Iran war stress test as global expansion meets oil shock By Samuel Wendel In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech
Newsletter: FutureVerse NEOM’s new logistics look By Samuel Wendel In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech
Yemen’s farmers brace for slow pomegranate season Harvest season for pomegranates has kicked off in Saada amid fears of how a Saudi ban on importing the fruit will affect farmers, exporters and markets. Saudi Arabia
Netanyahu prepares for elections, makes diplomatic push Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu believes that supporting US President Donald Trump’s "deal of the century" by granting Palestinians 715 construction permits could help him ahead of the elections and for the composition of a future government. Saudi Arabia
Deadly school bus airstrike haunts Yemenis 1 year later Younis Qatabri was severely injured in the school bus bombing in August 2018 in Yemen, and a year later he remains in pain and cannot walk unaided. Saudi Arabia
Intel: Democrats double down on probe into Trump’s Saudi nuclear dealings House Democrats on Tuesday shed more light on a years-long lobbying campaign in which Saudi Arabia and the US nuclear industry worked with some of President Donald Trump’s key allies to secure a favorable civil nuclear agreement. Saudi Arabia
Congress struggles to sanction Saudis for Khashoggi murder Faced with opposition from the White House and Senate Republican leadership, Congress is struggling to pass Saudi sanctions legislation. Saudi Arabia
UAE faces growing resentment in southern Yemen The United Arab Emirates is cutting back its forces in Yemen for a variety of reasons, though not exiting entirely, leaving Saudi Arabia to fill in at some strategic sites such as Aden and Perim Island to secure the Bab el-Mandeb Strait’s lucrative shipping lanes. Saudi Arabia
Intel: Why 5 Democratic presidential hopefuls just rebelled against Trump’s new defense secretary An overwhelming bipartisan majority of the Senate voted 90-8 Tuesday to confirm former Army Secretary Mark Esper as President Donald Trump’s new defense secretary. Saudi Arabia
US troops return to Saudi Arabia after 16 years US troops are returning to Saudi Arabia for the first time in 16 years as tensions with Iran rise and the kingdom finds itself increasingly isolated in Yemen. Saudi Arabia
Trump’s defense pick calls for US-led pact to deter Iran Army Secretary Mark Esper, auditioning for the Pentagon’s top job Tuesday, called on allies to join the United States in fighting Iranian malfeasance in the Gulf. Saudi Arabia
US ban on anti-Iran militant group could have wide-ranging impact By expanding its terrorist watchlist, Washington is potentially making Iran, Pakistan and China happy. Saudi Arabia
Qatar, Jordan to appoint new ambassadors following diplomatic row Jordan and Qatar are set to appoint their respective ambassadors to Amman and Doha after more than two years of diplomatic row. Saudi Arabia
For faith or money: Why Gazans are eager to perform umrah Many Palestinians in the Gaza Strip leave the coastal enclave on a pilgrimage trip to Saudi Arabia and never come back. Saudi Arabia