Saudi Arabia

Netflix has struck a five-year exclusive partnership with Saudi Arabian animation studio Myrkott to produce Saudi-focused shows and films along with a similar period first-look option on the company’s upcoming projects. The link-up will entail production of new and exclusive seasons of the “Masameer” cartoon series and related upcoming movies, …

A Saudi children’s hair stylist has become the first woman to break into the profession, which has long been an exclusively male domain. Wafaa Sakr, who appeared in a viral video inside a barber shop in Taif, said she styles children’s hair, but does not cut men’s hair. She said …

Top aides to U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo went before a Congressional panel on Wednesday to defend President Donald Trump’s decision to fire the former State Department inspector general while he was investigating weapons sales to Saudi Arabia and allegations that Pompeo misused department funds. Trump abruptly fired Steve …

U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday said he would be willing to sell other countries in the Middle East the same weapons systems sold to Israel, noting the region’s wealth and saying it would be good for the United States and U.S. jobs. “They’re very wealthy countries for the most …

Dozens of Western countries voiced concern on Tuesday at Saudi Arabia’s continued detention of women activists and called for those behind the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi to be brought to justice. At least a dozen prominent women’s rights activists were arrested in Saudi Arabia in 2018 as it lifted …

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo pressed on Monday for a solution to the three-year rift between the Gulf state of Qatar and Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt, saying the Trump administration was eager to see it resolved. Speaking at a State Department meeting with Qatari …

In 1973, Arab members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries brought the U.S. economy to its knees. Now, the cartel created 60 years ago is more likely to do Washington’s bidding. Since Saudi Arabia and other Arab OPEC members imposed their famous oil embargo as retribution for U.S. support …

Saudi Arabia will partially lift the suspension of international flights from Sept. 15, the Interior Ministry said on Sunday, six months after travel restrictions were imposed because of the coronavirus pandemic. The Kingdom will end all restrictions on air, land and sea transport “after Jan. 1” next year, the ministry …

Princess Nourah Al-Faisal, Saudi founder of Paris-based fine jewelry label Nuun Jewels, took to social media this week to share an exchange between her team and French newspaper Les Echos, who, according to the designer, refused to run a portrait of her because she was wearing a hijab in the …

Palestinians in Gaza burnt pictures of Israeli, U.S., Bahraini and United Arab Emirates leaders on Saturday in protest over the two Gulf countries’ moves to normalize ties with Israel. Bahrain on Friday joined the UAE in agreeing to normalize relations with Israel, a move forged partly through shared fears of …

Palestinian leaders won renewed Saudi support for Palestinian statehood at a Wednesday meeting, but did not persuade the Arab League to condemn last month’s normalisation deal between Israel and the United Arab Emirates. At a video conference of foreign ministers, the Palestinian leadership softened its own censure of the UAE …

It is necessary to implement a unified Arab policy towards Turkey’s destructive actions in the Arab region, Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said on Wednesday during his Arab League ministerial committee meeting. Shoukry said Turkey’s practices and interference in multiple Arab countries’ internal affairs shape threats against the Arab national security. …

U.S. President Donald Trump will hold a Sept. 15 signing ceremony for a groundbreaking Middle East agreement normalizing relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, a senior White House official said on Tuesday. As part of the deal, announced at the White House on Aug. 13 following what officials …

Saudi Arabia’s crown prince, who also holds the title of defense minister, discussed with Japan’s defense minister cooperation in defense fields and security of marine traffic, Saudi state news agency SPA reported on Tuesday. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Minister Taro Kono discussed, in a phone call, regional security …

The Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen said early on Wednesday it intercepted and destroyed an explosive-laden drone launched by Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis towards Saudi Arabia’s southern area, state news agency (SPA) reported. For their part Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis targeted and hit military and sensitive objects in Saudi Arabia’s Abha international airport …

Saudi Arabia is developing a secure alternative to the short messaging service WhatsApp that will help ensure protection of confidential data. The local messaging service will limit the Kingdom’s reliance on foreign companies and ensure that any confidential or sensitive data is safe on local servers. A dedicated team of …

A military spokesman for Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis said that the group targeted Saudi Arabia’s Abha International Airport with a number of drones. Yahya Sarea wrote on Twitter “the continuous attack of the drones on Abha International Airport led to disabling it for several hours”. In related developments a Yemeni court in …

A Saudi Arabian court on Monday jailed eight people for between seven and 20 years for the 2018 murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, state media reported, four months after his family forgave his killers and enabled death sentences to be set aside. The trial was criticised by a U.N. …

Saudi King Salman told President Vladimir Putin of Russia of his keenness to strengthen bilateral ties between the two countries, with special emphasis on their partnership within the OPEC+ alliance of oil producing countries. In a phone call between the new mega-development of NEOM and Moscow, the two leaders also …

Saudi children’s increasing use of tablets and computers has parents questioning how safe their kids are online, even on something as seemingly innocent as a game app. In a viral video, American parents of a 7-year-old girl described how she was exposed to an “inappropriate” ad for a mobile game …

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas held a rare meeting with rival factions on Thursday as they sought to present a united front over Israel and the United Arab Emirates’ deal to normalise ties. The meeting was held through video-conference between Ramallah in the West Bank and Beirut, where Hamas chief Ismail …

Saudi Arabia’s King Salman sacked two royals and referred them along with four military officers for investigation into corruption at the defence ministry in a royal decree issued early on Tuesday and carried by state media. The decree said Prince Fahd bin Turki bin Abdulaziz Al Saud would be removed …

Three people were killed and several others were injured on Monday in two separate explosions in the United Arab Emirates’ capital Abu Dhabi and its tourism hub Dubai, the police and local media said. The Abu Dhabi government media office said two people were killed in the blast in the …

Saudi Arabia has detained another relative of a former senior intelligence official living in exile who recently filed a lawsuit in a U.S. court alleging the kingdom’s crown prince had tried to have him killed, his family said on Wednesday. Saudi authorities had already detained Saad al-Jabri’s two adult children …

The six-member Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) has welcomed a ceasefire announcement in Libya, the UAE news agency WAM reported on Saturday. GCC Secretary General Nayef Falah Mubarak al-Hajraf called on all parties “to adhere to (this) constructive step, to urgently engage in political dialogue, and to work through mediation of …

Saudi Arabia’s price for normalising relations with Israel is the creation of a sovereign Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital, a senior member of the Saudi royal family reaffirmed on Friday. Prince Turki al-Faisal was apparently responding to U.S. President Donald Trump who said on Wednesday he expected Saudi …

The United States is eyeing the sale of stealthy F-35 fighter jets to the United Arab Emirates in a side agreement to the UAE’s overtures to Israel, an industry insider who was part of the dialogue with government officials said on Wednesday. A sale, which could reduce Israel’s military advantage …

Saudi Arabia remains committed to peace with Israel on the basis of the longstanding Arab Peace Initiative, its foreign minister said on Wednesday in the first official comment since the United Arab Emirates agreed to normalise relations with Israel. Israel and the UAE said on Thursday they would normalise diplomatic …

Kallman Worldwide Inc., one of the global leaders in organising U.S. participation at the most influential international trade events, has signed a partnership with Saudi International Airshow 2021 to strengthen the show’s American industry presence through their USA Partnership Pavilion. The inaugural event held in Riyadh in 2019 received great …

The United Arab Emirates’ agreement to normalise ties with Israel was a “sovereign decision” that was not directed at Iran, UAE minister of state for foreign affairs Anwar Gargash said on Monday. The UAE on Sunday said it had summoned Iran’s charge d’affaires in Abu Dhabi and given him a …

Israel talked of “history” and Palestinians of “betrayal” after Thursday’s surprise announcement of a deal to normalise relations between the Jewish state and the United Arab Emirates. In a nationwide televised address, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the deal would lead to “full and formal peace” with the Gulf …

Pakistan’s army chief will visit Saudi Arabia this weekend, officials said, seeking to calm diplomatic strains over Kashmir as financial support for Islamabad hangs in the balance. The two countries are traditionally close and Saudi Arabia in 2018 gave Pakistan a $3 billion loan and $3.2 billion oil credit facility …

The six-member Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) has asked the United Nations to extend an international arms embargo on Iran, a move pushed strongly by the United States. The secretariat of the GCC, made up of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, said in a statement …

A former top-ranking Saudi intelligence official living in exile in Canada alleged in a lawsuit filed in a U.S. court on Thursday that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman sent a team to kill him in 2018 but the effort was foiled by Canadian authorities. Saad al-Jabri was a long-time aide …

Republican and Democratic senators introduced legislation on Thursday that would block international sales of American-made drones to countries that are not close U.S. allies, mentioning Saudi Arabia in particular. Reuters broke the news in June that President Donald Trump’s administration planned to reinterpret the Missile Technology Control Regime, a Cold …

A Saudi teen who picked up ice skating three years ago at a friend’s birthday party is now dreaming of taking part in the Olympic Games. “It all started at my friend’s birthday party three years ago where we ice skated and I fell in love with the sport. I …

by James M. Dorsey | Jul 30, 2020 Saudi support of religious ultra-conservatism in Indonesia contradicts Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s promotion of an undefined form of moderate Islam intended to project his kingdom as tolerant, innovative, and forward-looking. It also suggests that Saudi Arabia is willing to work with the Muslim Brotherhood …

Apple Inc’s (AAPL.O) surged over 10% to a record high on Friday after reporting blockbuster quarterly results, helping the iPhone maker eclipse Saudi Aramco to become the world’s most valuable publicly listed company. Apple’s stock ended the session at $425.04, putting its market capitalization at $1.82 trillion, according to the …

SABIC plans to build a chemical plant in Spain fully powered by renewable energy in what is the first project of its kind anywhere in the world. The polycarbonate facility in Cartegena is expected to be fully operational by 2024, powered by a 100MW PV solar plant. The deal will …

Saudi Arabia has presented a framework to expedite a stalled November deal in Yemen’s south designed to end a standoff between nominal allies under a Saudi-led coalition, Saudi state news agency SPA said on Wednesday. Riyadh is seeking to unite separatist and government forces in Yemen’s south to concentrate their …

U.S. Special Envoy Brian Hook said on Sunday a deep rift among Gulf Arab states had gone on for too long and he urged them to rebuild trust and unity. Gulf states Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and non-Gulf state Egypt cut ties with Qatar in mid-2017 over …

Sixteen people have been caught and fined SR10,000 ($2,666) each in the past week for violating a ban on entry into the holy sites, according to the Saudi Public Security spokesman. Hajj pilgrims are to self-quarantine to ensure their compliance with confinement before heading to the holy sites, the Saudi …

Languages play a crucial role in bridging gaps between different cultures. The internet revolution has helped transform the world into a global village in its true sense. Social media and other modes of communication have removed barriers and physical boundaries helping people connect with one another all over the world. …

Saudi Arabia will look to sell assets in sectors not previously considered for privatisation, the country’s finance minister said on Wednesday, as the country contends with the economic impact of sustained low oil prices. Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest oil exporter, is facing a sharp recession because of the coronavirus …