Gulf

Saudi Arabia says it plans tougher IAEA checks on its nuclear activities

Saudi Arabia said on Monday it has decided to end light-touch oversight of its nuclear activities by the U.N. atomic watchdog and switch to full-blown safeguards, a change the agency…

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A year after Mahsa Amini’s death, Iran’s women continue their long fight for ‘women, life, freedom’

The killing of Mahsa (Jina) Amini in Iran a year ago ignited massive protests by Iranians against the Islamic regime. But civil unrest has been a feature of Iranian life…

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Saudi crown prince says getting ‘closer’ to Israel normalization -Fox interview

By Matt Spetalnick and Eric Beech WASHINGTON, (Reuters) - Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said in a U.S. television interview that his country was moving steadily closer to…

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Iran’s security forces crack down on protests a year after Mahsa Amini’s death

(Reuters) - Iranian security forces cracked down on protests in Kurdish areas of the country and briefly detained the father of Mahsa Amini, a year after the young woman's death…

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Iran says Iraq has agreed to disarm and relocate Kurdistan militants

Iran and Iraq have reached an agreement that "armed terrorist groups" in Iraq's Kurdistan region will be disarmed and relocated next month, Iran's foreign ministry said on Monday. “An agreement…

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Saudi Arabia eyes world stage after BRICS invitation

China-led expansion calls for counterweight to West Saudi-U.S. ties strained over energy policy Washington concerned about non-dollar oil sales Iran, Egypt, UAE, Argentina, Ethiopia join BRICS By Yousef Saba and…

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Saudi Arabia considers Chinese bid for nuclear plant -WSJ

Saudi Arabia is considering a Chinese bid to build it a nuclear power plant, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday, a decision that could derail U.S. plans in the…

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Iranian delegation arrives in Moscow to discuss ground forces cooperation -TASS

An Iranian military delegation has arrived in Moscow to discuss cooperation between Iranian and Russian ground forces, state news agency TASS reported on Monday, citing Russia's Defence Ministry. Russia and…

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Iran shuts down for two days because of ‘unprecedented heat’

(Reuters) - Iran has announced Wednesday and Thursday this week will be public holidays because of "unprecedented heat" and told the elderly and people with health conditions to stay indoors,…

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Kuwait records $20.8 bln surplus, first in almost a decade

By Ahmed Hagagy and Tala Ramadan KUWAIT, July 26 (Reuters) - Kuwait recorded its first budget surplus in nine years in the last fiscal year, the finance ministry said on…

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Iran summons Danish envoy to protest Koran burning in Copenhagen

(Reuters) - Iran's foreign ministry summoned the Danish ambassador to protest against "the desecration of the Koran in Copenhagen," the ministry tweeted on Saturday. On Friday, a man set fire…

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Kuwait to set up new sovereign fund to develop mega projects and local economy

By Ahmed Hagagy KUWAIT CITY (Reuters) - Kuwait plans to establish a new sovereign fund to develop its local economy, spearhead mega projects, and attract funds from foreign investors and…

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Iraq assures foreign diplomatic missions of their security

(Reuters) - The Iraqi government sought to reassure diplomatic missions in the country of their security on Saturday, saying it would not allow a recurrence of the storming of the…

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Saudi Arabia buys Turkish drones during Erdogan’s visit

Saudi Arabia agreed on Tuesday to buy Turkish drones, one of several lucrative contracts President Tayyip Erdogan secured for Turkey's struggling economy as Ankara reaps the benefits of his recent…

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Saudi Arabia and Russia deepen oil cuts, sending prices higher

By Maha El Dahan and Jana Choukeir DUBAI, July 3 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia and Russia, the world's biggest oil exporters, deepened oil cuts on Monday, sending prices higher despite…

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Two dead after exchange of fire near US consulate in Jeddah

A man with a firearm was stopped near the American Consulate building in Jeddah before an exchange of fire broke out with the security authorities, which led to his death, Saudi Press Agency…

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Defying high prices, Muslim pilgrims head to Mecca for haj

By Arafat Barbakh MECCA, Saudi Arabia, June 26 (Reuters) - Palestinian pilgrim Abu Anas Abu Rahal was hoping to find cheaper lodgings for a week-long stay in Islam's holiest sites…

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Lebanon says UAE lifts visa ban

BEIRUT, June 16 (Reuters) - The United Arab Emirates has lifted a visa ban on Lebanese nationals, Lebanon's foreign minister Abdallah Bou Habib told Reuters on Friday, following a temporary…

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COP28 president says fossil fuels phasedown is inevitable

By Riham Alkousaa BERLIN (Reuters) - The phasedown of fossil fuels is inevitable, the United Arab Emirates' incoming COP28 president said, in stronger remarks than previous comments where he called…

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Saudi Arabia economy grew 3.8% boosted by non-oil activities

DUBAI, June 8 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia's economy grew by 3.8% year on year in the first quarter of 2023, the General Authority for Statistics said on Thursday, broadly in…

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Iran presents its first hypersonic ballistic missile, state media reports

Iran presented what officials described as its first domestically-made hypersonic ballistic missile on Tuesday, the official IRNA news agency reported, an announcement likely to heighten Western concerns about Tehran's missile…

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Magnitude 5.9 earthquake strikes Gulf of Aden region – USGS

June 3 (Reuters) - A 5.9-magnitude earthquake struck in the Gulf of Aden region on Saturday, the U.S. Geological Survey said. The earthquake struck at a depth of 10 km…

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UAE begins corporate tax roll-out, with free zones exempted

By Lisa Barrington DUBAI, June 1 (Reuters) - The UAE began rolling out a 9% business tax on Thursday, with exemptions for the many free zones which power its economy,…

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Saudi population at 32.2 mln, 63% of Saudis under 30 years old -census

RIYADH, May 31 (Reuters) - The population of Saudi Arabia has reached 32.2 million, 42% of whom are foreign nationals with 63% of Saudis under age 30, the country's general…

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Saudi embrace of Assad sends strong signal to US

By Samia Nakhoul and Aziz El Yaakoubi Once labelled a pariah, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman took centre stage as master of ceremonies last week when Arab states readmitted…

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Iran executes three men over recent protests, judiciary says

May 19 (Reuters) - Iran executed three men on Friday over recent protests, the country's judiciary said on Twitter. Majid Kazemi, Saleh Mirhashemi and Saeed Yaghoubi were executed in the…

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UPDATED: Syria’s Assad to attend Arab summit, bringing regional isolation to an end

By Aziz El Yaakoubi JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia, May 19 (Reuters) - Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is in Saudi Arabia on Friday to attend an Arab summit where he will rub…

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Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to headline Arab summit

By Aziz El Yaakoubi Summit will mark Assad's return to fold West unhappy with development Sudan conflict among other issues to be raised Saudi asserts leadership, as Qatar steps back…

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ANALYSIS: Qatar takes diplomatic back seat as Saudi flexes political muscle

Qatar loses diplomatic clout as Saudi influence grows Doha-based Syria diplomatic mission only revolutionary embassy Arab leaders set to welcome Assad gov't back in Friday summit By Andrew Mills DOHA,…

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Russia and Iran sign rail deal for corridor intended to rival Suez Canal

By Olesya Astakhova and Parisa Hafezi MOSCOW, May 17 (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Iranian counterpart Ebrahim Raisi on Wednesday oversaw, via video-link, the signing of a…

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World not ready yet to ‘switch off’ fossil fuels, COP28 host UAE says

By Valerie Volcovici and Leah Douglas WASHINGTON, May 9 (Reuters) - The United Arab Emirates said that countries should agree to phase out fuel emissions - not the production of…

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Iran hangs Swedish-Iranian linked to attack that killed 25 people

DUBAI, May 6 (Reuters) - Iran executed a Swedish-Iranian dissident on Saturday convicted of leading an Arab separatist group accused of attacks including one on a military parade in 2018…

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Dubai crypto regulator awards first broker-dealer MVP operational license

DUBAI, May 1 (Reuters) - BitOasis, a Middle East-focused crypto exchange based in the United Arab Emirates, has received the first broker-dealer minimum viable product operational license from Dubai's crypto…

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US Navy says Iran seized Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker in Gulf of Oman

April 27 (Reuters) - Iran has seized a Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman while it was in transit in international waters, the United States Navy said…

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Member of Iran’s powerful clerical body assassinated

Adds details DUBAI, April 26 (Reuters) - A member of Iran's influential clerical body was assassinated in the country's northern province of Mazandaran on Wednesday, the semi-official Fars news agency…

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Oman liberalises foreign marriage law in rare social reform

By Lisa Barrington Omanis no longer need state permission to marry a foreign national according to a royal decree issued this week, a rare example of social reform in the…

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Eid al-Fitr to start for Sunni Muslims

Saudi Arabia, the country with Islam's holiest city of Mecca, has announced that this year's Eid al-Fitr will start on Friday, marking the end of Ramadan. "Tomorrow, Friday, is the…

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Photo Story: Iranian Army unveils 200 new drones

A handout photo made available by the Iranian Army shows drones on display during a ceremony at an unknown location in Iran, 20 April 2023. According to the Iranian Army,…

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At least 78 killed in stampede for donations in Yemen

April 20 (Reuters) - At least 78 people were killed in a stampede in the Yemeni capital Sanaa as hundreds gathered in a school to receive aid, witnesses and Houthi…

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Iran invites Saudi king to visit Tehran

DUBAI, April 17 (Reuters) - Iran has officially invited Saudi Arabia's king to visit the country, an Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Monday, after the two regional rivals agreed…

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Saudi to unilaterally release detainees to Yemen following prisoner swap

DUBAI, April 17 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia on Monday will release a number of detainees to Yemen, the International Committee of the Red Cross said, in a unilateral move that…

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Son of toppled Iranian Shah to visit Israel

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - The exiled son of the Iranian Shah toppled in the 1979 Islamic revolution will visit Israel this week, Israel's government said, calling him the "most senior Iranian…

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Saudi Arabia, Syria welcome thaw in ties, agree to fight drug trafficking

RIYADH, (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia and Syria's foreign ministers welcomed a thaw in bilateral ties, including steps to resume consular services and flights, and agreed to cooperate to fight drug…

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Iran exploits quake relief mission to fly weapons to Syria -sources

Sources: Military equipment disguised as relief supplies Syria is a conflict zone for Israel and Iran Israel mounts swift campaign against Iranians By Suleiman Al-Khalidi, James Mackenzie and Parisa Hafezi…

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Iran installs cameras in public places to identify, penalise unveiled women

April 8 (Reuters) - In a further attempt to rein in increasing numbers of women defying the compulsory dress code, Iranian authorities are installing cameras in public places and thoroughfares…

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Saudi delegation to hold ceasefire talks with Yemen’s Houthis in Sanaa

RIYADH/ADEN, April 7 (Reuters) - Saudi and Omani envoys are planning to visit Yemen's capital Sanaa next week to negotiate a permanent ceasefire deal with Iran-aligned Houthi officials and end…

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Saudi-Iranian ties: A history of ups and downs

DUBAI, April 6 (Reuters) - The foreign ministers of Iran and Saudi Arabia met in China for the first formal meeting of their most senior diplomats in more than seven…

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Iran says it warned off US Navy aircraft close to Gulf of Oman

DUBAI (Reuters) - The Iranian navy said it identified and warned off a U.S. reconnaissance plane near the Gulf of Oman on Sunday, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported. "After…

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Egypt’s Sisi visits Saudi Arabia amid financial pressure, regional realignment

RIYADH (Reuters) - Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi visited Saudi Arabia on Sunday, Saudi state news agency SPA said, as Cairo seeks financial inflows to ease pressure on its currency…

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Saudi Arabia to invite Syria’s Assad to Arab leaders summit

RIYADH/BEIRUT, April 2 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia is planning to invite Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to an Arab League summit that Riyadh is hosting in May, three sources familiar with…

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Women in Iran to be prosecuted ‘without mercy’ for not wearing veils

April 1 (Reuters) - President Ebrahim Raisi said on Saturday that the hijab was the law in Iran after a viral video showed a man throwing yoghurt at two unveiled…

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UPDATED: Russia’s MTS Bank guarantees UAE clients’ funds after licence withdrawn

MOSCOW, March 31 (Reuters) - Russia's MTS Bank on Friday guaranteed the safety of existing customers' funds in the United Arab Emirates for six months and said it would continue…

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UAE president names son Abu Dhabi crown prince, brothers to top roles

Abu Dhabi succession moves to next generation in Gulf-wide trend Analysts see further consolidation of power in Abu Dhabi UAE has emerged as a key regional player By Yousef Saba…

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Saudi, Iranian foreign ministers to meet during Muslim holy month

March 27 (Reuters) - Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud and his Iranian counterpart, Hossein Amirabdollahian, have agreed to meet during the ongoing Muslim holy month of…

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After Iran, Saudi Arabia to re-establish ties with Syria

Saudi Arabia, Syria cut ties more than a decade ago Agreement on reopening embassies follows Saudi-Iran deal BEIRUT/RIYADH, (Reuters) - Syria and Saudi Arabia have agreed to reopen their embassies…

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EU imposes further sanctions on Iran for human rights violations

The European Union on Monday imposed a new package of sanctions against Iran, its sixth, in response to human rights violations, adding eight individuals and one entity to its list.…

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20th anniversary of the Iraq War: quotes from the conflict and its aftermath

At dawn on 20 March 2003, Operation Iraqi Freedom began with 295,000 US and allied troops invading Iraq across its border with Kuwait. 70,000 members of the Kurdish Peshmerga militia…

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