Iranian Guard Drones in Drill Mirror Those in Saudi Attacks
Iran has long denied launching the attack on the Saudi sites of Abqaiq and Khurais while Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels initially claimed the assault
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia was founded in 1932 by Ibn Saud. The country is ruled under an "absolute monarchy," which is a form of monarchy in which one ruler has supreme authority that is unrestricted by any laws.
The country is ruled under the ultraconservative Wahhabi religious movement within Sunni Islam. Saudi Arabia hosts the two holiest places in Islam, the Al-Masjid al-Haram in Mecca and the Al-Masjid an-Nabawi in Medina.
It is a sovereign Arab state covering majority of the Arabian Peninsula, with a land mass of approximately 2,150,000 km2. The country has a population of 28.7 million people and the official language spoken is Arabic.
Petroleum was discovered on 3 March, 1938 in Saudi Arabia and has since become the world's largest oil producer and exporter. It is the only Arab country to be part of the G-20 major economies.
After Detente, Qatar Calls for Gulf Rapprochement With Iran
The foreign minister also claimed in a Bloomberg interview that the desire for talks was shared by other Gulf countries
UN Disarmament Talks Begin in Bad Blood as Iran, Turkey Block Rivals' Participation
One British diplomat described the countries' moves to bar Saudi Arabia, UAE and Cyprus as 'the beginning of the end of multilateralism'
Saudi Arabia Hosts Israelis for Dakar Rally After Diplomatic Inroads
The rally website listed the teams as Belgian and American - a possible indicator of official reluctance to publicize an Israeli presence
Saudis Vowed to Stop Executing Minors; Some Death Sentences Remain, Rights Groups Say
In December, Saudi state news agency SPA published a list of prominent 'events' of 2020 featuring several royal decrees, but the death penalty order was not included
Saudi Arabia to Reopen Qatar Embassy in Coming Days, Minister Says
Move comes after Riyadh announced a breakthrough U.S.-backed deal to end the row with Doha and strengthen an Arab alliance against Iran
Trump Admin to Designate Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi Rebels as Terrorist Group
Pompeo is also expected to deliver remarks later this week denouncing Iran for its alleged harboring and support for members of Osama bin Laden’s al-Qaida network
Bahrain Says It Will Open Airspace to Qatar Starting Monday
Saudi Arabia and the UAE have already announced reopening air, land and sea entry points to Qatar
Analysis Once Allies, Cairo Wrestles Abu Dhabi for Influence in the Middle East
The Gulf states’ reconciliation with Qatar and Israel’s cooperation with the UAE are the latest blows damaging Egyptian President Sissi’s prestige, just as a new U.S. president takes over
UAE to Reopen All Entry Points With Qatar Following Gulf Dispute Thaw
As Gulf nations restore ties with Qatar, an Emirati official said the UAE and Doha may resume travel and trade links within a week
Eyeing Closer U.S. Ties, Saudi Arabia Is Leading the Pack on Gulf Detente
Riyadh is attempting to score points with a lukewarm Biden administration, but reconciliation with Qatar will take more than a tight hug
Khashoggi Documentary, Too Explosive for Streaming, Debuts On-demand
Worried about the consequences of angering Saudi Arabia, major distributors failed to pick up the film, raising questions regarding the future of political films
Opinion Despite Detente, Ties Between Qatar and the Gulf Are Still a Ticking Bomb
'The wound is very deep': Gulf leaders put on a good show of newfound brotherly love at the GCC summit, but their formal end of conflict can’t paper over deeper social and political fractures
Analysis Qatar Showed Force Can Actually Bring Peace in the Middle East
Since the embargo in 2017, Qatar has defied expectations to build new alliances and a more resilient economy. In the regional standoff, it is the Saudi-led Gulf Cooperation Council that blinked first
Gulf States Sign Detente Deal With Qatar as Saudi Arabia Hails United Front Against Iran
Saudi crown prince slams Iran's 'subversive and destructive' plans in the region ■ Saudi, Qatari leaders hugged ahead of summit following agreement to end the three year boycott of Qatar
Opinion Iraq Is Rapidly Becoming the Region’s Next Failed State
Economic collapse is imminent and the political class is incapable of doing anything about. It’s Lebanon all over again, but on a much bigger scale
Gulf States Reach Deal to End Three-year-old Qatar Boycott, Kuwait Announces
Breakthrough is the latest in a series of Middle East deals sought by Washington, aimed at building a united front against Iran
Analysis A New Government Was Meant to Bring Hope to Yemen. But Then Aden Airport Was Attacked
The deadly attack exposes a tangled web of interests and agendas, with the roles of the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia – and Israel – are as unclear as ever
Four Dead in Car Bomb Attack Targeting Turkish Company in Somalia
Al-Shabab takes responsibility for the attack outside Mogadishu, which comes amid Ankara's growing involvement in regional power struggles
Twenty-two Killed in Attack on Aden Airport Moments After New Yemen Cabinet Lands
TV footage showed dozens of people leaving the airplane and heavy gunfire from armored vehicles with plumes of white and black smoke rising from the scene
U.S. State Department Approves Potential Sale of 3,000 Smart Bombs to Saudi Arabia
Biden has pledged to halt arms sales to Saudi Arabia in a bid to pressure Riyadh to end a war in Yemen
Opinion China Is the Middle East's Rising Power. Israel Must Tread Carefully
China can’t substitute for American support for Israel. But with Beijing fortifying its position in the Middle East, Israel must engage – or risk its future
Analysis Where Will the Middle East’s Normalization Roulette Land Next?
An air of reconciliation isn't confined to relations between Israel and Arab and Muslim countries, but it is also sprouting between Arab countries themselves
Biden Adviser Slams Saudi Arabia Over Prison Sentence for Leading Women's Rights Activist
Criticism of the ruling against Loujain al-Hathloul potentially signals a new approach from the Biden administration toward Saudi Arabia
Leading Saudi Women's Rights Activist Sentenced to 6 Years in Prison
Al-Hathloul was found guilty on charges including agitating for change, pursuing a foreign agenda and using the internet to harm public order
Gulf Arab Ministers to Discuss Steps to Resolve Diplomatic Dispute
Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain had severed diplomatic ties with Qatar in 2017, accusing it of backing 'terrorist' groups
Analysis Two Dramas Could Rock the Middle East Even Before Biden Enters Office
Joe Biden will take office in the middle of the Israeli election campaign. An escalation with Iran is still on the table – but so is a breakthrough in Israeli-Saudi relations
Dozens of Al-Jazeera Journalists Targeted by Israeli NSO's Spyware, Watchdog Says
NSO’s spyware has repeatedly been found deployed to hack journalists, lawyers, human rights defenders and dissidents
Opinion How I Escaped Saudi Arabia, the Kingdom That Terrorizes Women
Constant abuse forced me out of Saudi Arabia. For other women, it means being thrown into jail. Mohammed bin Salman’s ‘women’s rights’ campaign, and talk of a ‘new’ Saudi Arabia, remains just slick PR
Biden’s Foreign Policy Challenge: Balancing Iran and Middle East Allies
The new president is also expected to continue the fostering of normalization agreements for Israel while encouraging wider communication between Washington and the Palestinian Authority