CDE News - World News

Saudi Arabia’s GDP contracts 3.3% in Q1 on oil output, non-oil economy recovers

Saudi Arabia's economy shrank 3.3% in the first quarter from a year earlier, hit by oil output cuts, but the non-oil economy expanded 3.3%, recovering from the pandemic, according to…

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Saudi to make COVID-19 vaccinations mandatory for all workers

All public and private sector workers wishing to attend a workplace in Saudi Arabia will be required to have taken a COVID-19 vaccination, the human resources ministry said on Friday,…

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Saudi crown prince says he will further centralise policy-making

DUBAI, April 28 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, said he will further centralise policymaking to ensure the success of his drive to diversify the economy. In an interview aired on Saudi state TV late on Tuesday, he said the kingdom…

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Saudi Arabia bans Lebanese produce over drug smuggling

Saudi Arabia announced a ban on imports of fruits and vegetables from Lebanon, blaming an increase in drug smuggling, in a measure that will add to Lebanon's economic woes. Lebanon…

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Saudi and Iranian officials in talks to patch up relations

Senior Saudi and Iranian officials have held direct talks in a bid to repair relations between the two regional rivals, four years after they cut off diplomatic ties, the Financial…

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Saudi non-oil private sector keeps up steady growth in March – PMI

Saudi Arabia's non-oil private sector grew for the seventh straight month in March, albeit at a slower pace, with output and new orders expanding more moderately than a month earlier,…

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Iraq, Saudi Arabia sign five agreements during Kadhimi’s visit to Riyadh – Al Arabiya

Iraq and Saudi Arabia signed five agreements on Wednesday during a visit by Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi to Riyadh, the Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya TV channel reported. Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince…

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Saudi Crown Prince discusses Green Initiative with Arab leaders

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman called the leaders of Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Iraq, and Sudan to discuss a massive regional tree-planting project, state news agency (SPA) reported early on…

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Yemen’s Houthis warn of stronger attacks after drone strikes on Saudi Arabia

Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis said on Friday they had attacked Saudi energy and military sites with 18 armed drones, and the kingdom's energy ministry reported that a projectile had struck a…

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Saudi Arabia to use deterrents to protect oil exports, ballistic missile intercepted over Najran

Saudi Arabia's defence ministry said it plans to take deterrent actions to protect oil export facilities following a series of attacks by Yemen's Houthi group, the Saudi Press Agency reported.…

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Saudi Arabia, UAE expand COVID-19 vaccination drive

Saudi Arabia and neighbouring United Arab Emirates said on Sunday health authorities have expanded COVID-19 vaccinations to all citizens and residents aged 16 and above as Gulf states race to…

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Saudi Aramco reports 44.4% drop in profit for 2020

Saudi Arabian state oil giant Aramco is betting on an Asian-led rebound in energy demand this year after it reported a steep slide in net profit for 2020 on Sunday…

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Drone strike on Riyadh oil refinery claimed by Houthis causes fire

DUBAI, March 19 (Reuters) - An air attack on an oil refinery in the Saudi capital Riyadh on Friday caused a fire that was brought under control, the energy ministry…

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Yemen’s Houthis say attacked southern Saudi airports with drones

Yemen's Houthi movement said on Monday it had fired armed drones at an airport and air base in southern Saudi Arabia, and the Saudi-led coalition fighting the Iran-aligned group said…

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Yemen’s Houthis attack Saudi oil heartland with drones, missiles

Yemen's Houthi forces fired drones and missiles at the heart of Saudi Arabia's oil industry on Sunday, including a Saudi Aramco facility at Ras Tanura vital to petroleum exports, in…

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U.S. failure to sanction prince for Khashoggi killing ‘dangerous’: U.N. expert

A U.N. human rights investigator said on Monday that it was "extremely dangerous" for the United States to have named Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler as having approved an operation…

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Khashoggi’s fiancée says Saudi crown prince should be punished “without delay”

The fiancée of slain Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi called on Monday for Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to be punished after a U.S. intelligence report found he had approved the…

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Biden says Saudi announcement to come Monday; White House plays down new steps

WASHINGTON, Feb 27 (Reuters) - President Joe Biden on Saturday said his administration would make an announcement on Saudi Arabia on Monday, following a U.S. intelligence report that found Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had approved the…

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Saudi-led coalition says it thwarted Houthi missile attack on Riyadh

DUBAI (Reuters) - The Saudi-led coalition fighting Yemen's Houthi group said on Saturday it had thwarted a ballistic missile attack by the Houthis on the Saudi capital Riyadh, and destroyed…

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Saudi crown prince approved operation to capture or kill Khashoggi – US Intelligence

WASHINGTON, Feb 26 (Reuters) - Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman approved of an operation to capture or kill dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi who was murdered in 2018, according to…

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Joe Biden talks to Saudi king ahead of Khashoggi report release

U.S. President Joe Biden on Thursday told Saudi King Salman he would work for bilateral ties “as strong and transparent as possible,” the White House said, ahead of the expected…

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Saudi oil export value falls nearly 30% in December – official data

The value of Saudi Arabia's oil exports in December dropped nearly 30%, or 19.5 billion riyals ($5.2 billion), compared with the year before, official data showed on Wednesday. The value…

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Saudi Arabia will not work with foreign firms without local presence from 2024

CAIRO, Feb 15 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia will no longer sign contracts with foreign companies which do not have a regional headquarters in the kingdom after 2023, state news agency…

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Saudi-led coalition says intercepted four Houthi armed drones

DUBAI (Reuters) - The Saudi-led military coalition engaged in Yemen said on Sunday it had intercepted and destroyed four armed drones launched by the Iran-aligned Houthi movement towards southern Saudi…

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Biden says war in Yemen ‘has to end,’ U.S. will continue to support Saudi Arabia

President Joe Biden said on Thursday that the United States was ending its support for offensive operations in the Saudi-led war in Yemen, saying the war "has to end," but pledged to continue…

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Blast heard in Saudi capital Riyadh – UPDATED

RIYADH, Jan 26 (Reuters) - An explosion was heard in Saudi Arabia's capital Riyadh on Tuesday and the cause was not immediately known. Several witnesses also reported hearing two loud bangs and…

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Saudi-led forces thwart air attack on Riyadh – Saudi TV

DUBAI (Reuters) - The Saudi-led coalition battling Yemen's Houthi movement said it had thwarted an attack towards the Saudi Arabian capital Riyadh on Saturday, Saudi state television reported, but the…

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Saudi minister optimistic U.S. ties will be ‘excellent’ under Biden

Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister has voiced optimism that relations between Riyadh and Washington will be “excellent” under new U.S. President Joe Biden, Al-Arabiya TV channel cited him as saying. Appointments…

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Saudi Arabia pips Russia to be China’s biggest oil supplier in 2020

Saudi Arabia, the world's biggest oil exporter, beat Russia to keep its ranking as China's top crude supplier in 2020, Chinese government data showed on Wednesday. Oil demand in China,…

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Qatar and Saudi Arabia to resume direct flights

Qatar Airways and Saudi Airlines will resume flights between Doha and Riyadh from Monday in a reopening of airspace as part of a political rapprochement in a three-year-old dispute. Qatar…

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With eye on US ties, Saudi Arabia leads pack on Gulf detente

Saudi Arabia will move faster than its allies to reconcile with Qatar, sources familiar with the matter said, aiming to impress the incoming Biden administration by ending what the West…

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From embargo to embrace, Saudi Arabia pushes Gulf detente

Embracing Qatar’s ruler, Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince pushed a deal to end a row with Doha at a Gulf summit on Tuesday to try to strengthen an Arab alliance against…

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OPEC+ deadlocked over raising oil output, to resume talks today

OPEC+ will resume talks today after reaching a deadlock over February oil output levels as Saudi Arabia argued against pumping more due to new lockdowns while Russia led calls for…

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Qatar, Saudi Arabia ‘agree to open airspace, land and sea border’ – Al Jazeera

Al Jazeera - Saudi Arabia, Qatar agree to open airspace, land and sea border, Kuwait’s foreign ministry announced on Monday. The state-run Kuwait News Agency reported the announcement, saying that Saudi…

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Saudi Arabia ends entry ban but keeps some coronavirus restrictions

Saudi Arabia said that entry to the kingdom by sea land and air will be resumed starting Sunday after a ban that lasted two weeks amid fears of a new…

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Saudi Arabia announces four oil and gas discoveries

Saudi Arabia's Energy Ministry on Sunday announced the discovery of four new oil and gas fields, state news agency SPA reported. State oil producer Aramco discovered oil in the Al-Ajramiyah…

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UPDATE – Oil tanker attack in Saudi Arabia considered as a ‘terrorism’ act

Saudi Arabia said on Monday that a fuel transport ship anchored at a Jeddah terminal was hit by an explosive-laden boat in what it called a terrorist attack, after shipping…

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Resolution of bitter dispute between Qatar and Saudi Arabia within reach

Saudi Arabia's foreign minister said on Friday a resolution to a bitter dispute with Qatar seemed "within reach" after Kuwait announced progress towards ending a row that Washington says hampers…

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Saudi non-oil private sector keeps growing as COVID-19 impact eases – PMI

Saudi Arabia's non-oil private sector activity expanded for the third straight month in November as the economy recovers steadily from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, a survey showed on…

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Missile fired at Saudi Aramco site in Jeddah

Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi group on Monday said it fired a missile at a distribution station operated by the Saudi Aramco oil company in Saudi Arabia's Red Sea city of Jeddah…

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Turkey’s Erdogan, Saudi king agree to solve issues through dialogue – Turkish presidency

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz agreed in a phone call improve bilateral ties and solve outstanding disputes through dialogue, the Turkish presidency said early…

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Saudi Arabia warns it will strike those who threaten its security

Saudi Arabia will strike those who threaten the kingdom’s security and stability with an “iron fist”, the crown prince said, after an attack on a Remembrance Day ceremony injured two…

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Four injured in explosion during Remembrance Day ceremony in Saudi

Four people were injured by a blast in the Saudi city of Jeddah on Wednesday, a Greek government official said, in what France described as a "cowardly attack" involving an…

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Saudi Arabia hold its breath following Biden’s election

Saudi Arabia, which may have more to lose from Joe Biden's U.S. election victory than other Arab states, has taken its time to comment after the defeat of Donald Trump…

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Saudi Arabia to relax foreign workers’ sponsorship terms in March ’21

Saudi Arabia on Wednesday announced new plans to ease foreign workers' contractual restrictions, improving a controversial seven-decade-old sponsorship system known as kafala. The plans, to take effect in March 2021,…

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UPDATED: Man arrested in Jeddah after attacking guard at French consulate “with sharp tool”

A Saudi man was arrested in the Red Sea city of Jeddah after attacking and wounding a security guard with a "sharp tool" at the French consulate on Thursday, local police said.…

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World should look at all options to reduce emissions, Saudi energy min says

Saudi Arabia's energy minister said on Monday the world should be looking at all options to mitigate emissions of greenhouse gases in its fight against climate change, but that getting…

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Saudis launch national artificial intelligence strategy, signs MoUs with IBM, Alibaba and Huawei

Saudi Arabia on Wednesday launched a national artificial intelligence strategy aimed at making it a global leader in the field as it seeks to diversify its oil-based economy. The National…

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ISIS calls on its fighters to target westerners in Saudi Arabia

An ISIS spokesman called on the militant group’s supporters to target westerners, oil pipelines and economic infrastructure in Saudi Arabia. “Targets are plenty ... Start by hitting and destroying oil…

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Saudi Arabia allows citizens, residents to perform prayers in Al-Haram Mosque

Saudi Arabia allowed its citizens and residents inside the kingdom to perform prayers in one of the most holy religious sites in Islam, Al-Haram mosque in Mecca, for the first…

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Expats working in Saudi declined by 19,000 after lockdown measures

Saudi Arabia’s General Authority for Statistics (GaStat) said the number of expats in the labour market declined by 19,000 on a net basis in Q2 as lockdowns forced many out of work, local…

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Saudi business leader calls for boycott of goods from ‘hostile’ Turkey

The head of Saudi Arabia's Chambers of Commerce has called for a boycott of Turkish products amid reports from merchants that animosity between Ankara and Riyadh is hindering the flow…

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Umrah pilgrims return to a Mecca stilled by COVID-19 slump

Mecca slowly stirred from a seven-month hibernation on Sunday as pilgrims trickled in after Saudi Arabian authorities partially lifted a coronavirus ban on performing umrah - a pilgrimage to Islam’s…

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Documentary film on assassination of Jamal Khashoggi released

A documentary film featuring the assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi was released Friday at the Zurich Film Festival. “The Dissident,” directed by award-winning American director Bryan Fogel, received a lot…

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Saudi economy shrank by 7% as coronavirus hit

Saudi Arabia's economy shrank by 7% in the second quarter, a sign of how deeply the new coronavirus hit both the oil and non-oil sectors, official data showed on Wednesday.…

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Saudi Arabia to hold virtual G20 summit on Nov 21-22

The G20 leaders summit will be held virtually on Nov. 21-22, Saudi Arabia said on Monday, as the COVID-19 pandemic thwarted Riyadh's hopes of hosting the gathering in the kingdom…

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Saudi Arabia to resume tourist visas by early 2021

Saudi Arabia plans to resume tourist visas by early 2021 after months of suspension amid strict government measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus, the kingdom's tourism minister told Reuters.…

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