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Saudi Arabia

April 30, 2026

Riyadh 7:06 am

21°C

GIUSEPPE CACACE/AFP via Getty Images

Analysis

UAE’s OPEC exit rattles cartel as Gulf alliances shift

OPEC's fourth-largest producer will leave the cartel on May 1, marking the most significant departure in the group’s history as the war changes Abu Dhabi's relationship priorities.

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

MUMEN KHATIB/AFP via Getty Images

Why UAE's decision to leave OPEC is major shift for cartel

The UAE accounts for 12% of OPEC's output, but tensions had been simmering over intragroup rivalries and the country wanting to export more oil.

United Arab Emirates

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan hosted the third meeting of the foreign ministers of Turkey, Egypt, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia on the margins of the 5th Antalya Diplomacy Forum, on April 17, 2026.

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.

Barin Kayaoglu

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan (L) disembarks from an airplane upon his arrival at the Rafic Hariri International Airport in Beirut on Jan. 23, 2025.

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.

Latest News

Why did the Met Opera lose its Saudi funding deal?

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

Analysis

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

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.

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

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

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.

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

The UAE's 'alternative GCC'

With no solution to the Qatar-GCC crisis in sight, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia have formed their own alliance to support their regional foreign policy.

A Houthi militant stands guard during a rally to celebrate the killing of Yemen's former president Ali Abdullah Saleh in Sanaa, Yemen - RC1479B53230

Yemen’s new, dangerous post-Saleh power vacuum

The death of former President Ali Abdullah Saleh further complicates the conflict that has left Yemen in the throes of a humanitarian crisis.

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani together with his counterparts, Russia's Vladimir Putin and Turkey's Tayyip Erdogan, attend a joint news conference following their meeting in Sochi, Russia November 22, 2017. Sputnik/Mikhail Klimentyev/Kremlin via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. - RC1D16F4FF70

Russia’s multilayered Syrian diplomacy worries Iran

Mistrust and differing objectives continue to mar Iran-Russia relations, even as the two countries move forward on Syria.

Houthi followers rally to celebrate the killing of Yemen's former president Ali Abdullah Saleh in Sanaa, Yemen December 5, 2017. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY - RC1C20D49F70

Saudis fail at their own conspiracy

The fiasco surrounding the death of former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh shows how Washington needs to help Saudi Arabia end the war on its neighbor.

Iranian media: Yemen ex-president's death result of his 'betrayal'

Iranian media opine that Ali Abdullah Saleh’s reported talks with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates and consequently the breaking of his alliance with the Houthis led to his death.

Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) and Saudi Arabia's King Salman attend a welcoming ceremony ahead of their talks in the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia October 5, 2017. Sputnik/Alexei Nikolsky/Kremlin via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. - RC1280FB8D90

Can Saudis tempt Moscow into pushing Iran from Syria?

Saudi Arabia has given up on ousting President Bashar al-Assad and is now hoping to convince Russia to deny Iran a presence in Syria.

White House senior adviser Jared Kushner delivers remarks on the Trump administration's approach to the Middle East region at the Saban Forum in Washington, U.S., December 3, 2017. REUTERS/James Lawler Duggan TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY - RC1512772FC0

Russia investigation casts shadow over Kushner's Mideast peace push

In a rare public appearance, the president's senior adviser Jared Kushner discussed the Trump administration's "ultimate deal" for Palestinian and Israeli peace.

Is Trump's Mideast initiative one-sided?

Palestinians worry that US President Donald Trump is pressuring the pragmatic Sunni leadership to accept an American plan that would be closer to the Israeli position than to the Palestinian one.

Saudi reforms put spotlight on Iran's women's movement

Absent political will to engage in genuine reform, Iranian women face a long road ahead in achieving their rights.

Egypt flexes its mediation muscle in Lebanon crisis

During an emergency meeting in Cairo, the Arab League condemned Iran’s meddling in Arab affairs.

Why did Hariri go to Cairo before returning home to Lebanon?

To spare the Middle East another battleground, Cairo played a role in containing the crisis of the resignation of Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri.

Is Saudi crown prince winning or losing in the Middle East?

With Saad Hariri staying on as prime minister in Lebanon, the Saudi crown prince has suffered another setback in his efforts to counter Iran.