Explained Why Saudi Arabia and ‘Little Sparta’ Still Can’t Defeat Iran in Yemen
The kingdom and the UAE are both modern military powerhouses, spending billions on arms every year, yet are being thwarted by a group of guerrilla fighters
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.
Iran's Khamenei Criticizes Saudi Management of Haj Pilgrimage
Criticism comes ahead of this year's haj and amid tension between Tehran and Riyadh over proxy wars in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Yemen in which the two support opposing sides
Amnesty Calls for 'War Crimes' Probe on UAE-run Prisons in Yemen
Scores of men had been subjected to enforced disappearance after being arbitrarily detained by UAE and Yemeni forces 'operating outside the command of their own government'
Saudi Arabia's Bid to Protect pre-Islamic Sites Risks Backlash
Efforts to revive historical sites receive backlash from religious fundamentalists concerned over the idea of national heritage
Explained Saudi-led Coalition Faces Extended Quagmire in Yemen's Main Port City
The Arab states pledged a swift operation to take over Hodeidah's air and sea ports, but they have made little progress in the campaign
UAE Extends Compulsory Military Service to 16 Months
The UAE, a federation of seven emirates with a mostly expatriate population, is a key member of a Saudi-led military coalition that intervened in Yemen in 2015 against the Iran-aligned Houthis
Qatar to Buy New York's Famed Plaza Hotel - Once Owned by Trump and Later a Saudi Prince
The Plaza Hotel deal is the largest investment in the Western property market by Qatar since the start of the Saudi-led blockade in June last year
Oil Hits $75 After Trump Promised Saudi Arabia Will Pump Much More Oil, but Can It Lower Prices?
In a tweet on Saturday, Trump said Saudi Arabia had agreed to increase output by up to this amount, although a subsequent statement from the White House rolled back that assertion
WATCH Saudi Women’s Unlikely Anthem: Written by Paul McCartney and John Lennon
Syrian singer's version of the Beatles’ 'Drive My Car' is certain to send shivers down your spine
The Tiny Gulf State Beating Its Neighbors in Race for Warmer Ties With Israel
Relations are warming between Bahrain and Israel, but don’t expect full diplomatic ties anytime soon, say officials