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

Saudi Arabia cover image

Saudi Arabia

September 27, 2026

Riyadh 5:47 am

28°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

Middle East upheaval casts shadow over 'Arab NATO'

A regional military exercise hosted by Egypt excludes Qatar in a blow to anti-Iran unity.

PA, Turkey closer than ever

The death of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi seems to have strengthened Turkey's position in the regional competition with Saudi Arabia.

Turkish prosecutor shares grisly details of Khashoggi killing

Turkey is pressing on with its campaign to force the kingdom to admit its culpability in the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

Iranians hail Houthi 'resistance' for bringing potential end to Yemen war

A US call for a cease-fire in Yemen has been widely interpreted in Iran as a victory for the Houthi movement.

A security staff member stands at the entrance of Saudi Arabia's consulate in Istanbul, Turkey October 31, 2018. REUTERS/Osman Orsal - RC13A0631C00

Annual US-Gulf gathering treats Khashoggi death as mere speed bump in relations

The mood at this year’s National Council on US-Arab Relations conference was defensive but upbeat.

An activist holds an image of missing Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi during a demonstration calling for sanctions against Saudi Arabia and to protest Khashoggi's disappearance, outside the White House in Washington, U.S., October 19, 2018. REUTERS/Leah Millis - RC1F626030D0

Intel: How Khashoggi’s killing risks derailing US-Saudi nuclear talks

Saudi public prosecutor Saud Al Mojeb arrives at Saudi Arabia's consulate in Istanbul, Turkey October 30, 2018. REUTERS/Osman Orsal - RC1ECBB267E0

Intel: Why Turkey refuses to share Khashoggi evidence with Saudis

Turkey holds evidence back from Saudi investigators as it tries to get Riyadh to extradite suspects and reveal the location of Khashoggi's body.

Palestinian journalists demand justice for slain colleague Khashoggi

Although the Palestinian Authority (PA) backs Saudi Arabia in the Jamal Khashoggi affair, reflecting the PA's concern with political relations and a desire for material support, journalists and intellectuals are calling for those responsible to be held accountable.

What's behind Russia’s 'wait and see' approach on Khashoggi killing?

Russia has been keeping a rather low profile on the killing of Jamal Khashoggi, but this stance is driven by profound considerations of Moscow's own role in the Middle East

Bahrain's Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad al-Khalifa, Senegal's President Macky Sall and Lebanese Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri attend the Future Investment Initiative Forum in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia October 24, 2018. Bandar Algaloud/Courtesy of Saudi Royal Court/Handout via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS PICTURE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. - RC12E74599F0

Hariri turns witness for MBS defense

Crowd laughs at Saudi crown prince’s joke about Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri’s captivity; Can Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan hold the moral high ground in Jamal Khashoggi case?

Erdogan scores points in his foreign policy gamble

Turkish President Erdogan scores major diplomatic points from the Khashoggi case to the quadrilateral summit in Istanbul.

Abdullah al-Khawlani stands with his son, Hafidh, who survived a Saudi-led air strike stand on the wreckage of a bus destroyed by the strike in Saada, Yemen September 4, 2018. Another son of al-Khawlani was killed by the strike. Picture taken September 4, 2018. REUTERS/Naif Rahma - RC1F0E3F8DD0

Amid famine, anger at Khashoggi murder, will Saudis be pressed to end Yemen war?

UN warnings of unprecedented famine in Yemen, combined with US disgust at Saudi Arabia’s killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, could spur Congress to pressure the Donald Trump administration to force an end to the Saudi-led war.