Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia to raise VAT threefold amid “painful” austerity measures

Saudi Arabia is suspending the cost of living allowance and raising the value added tax threefold, as part of measures aimed at shoring up state finances, battered by low oil…

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Saudi Arabia to cut salaries by 40%

A Saudi ministerial decision issued this week allows companies in the private sector to reduce salaries by 40 per cent and allows termination of contracts owing to the economic hardships resulting from…

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Saudi Arabia set to take ‘painful’ measures

Saudi Arabia will need to take “painful” measures and look for deep spending cuts as the kingdom faces a double crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic and the meltdown in…

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Saudi Arabia ends death penalty for crimes committed by minors

Saudi Arabia has ended the death penalty for crimes committed by minors after effectively abolishing floggings, as the kingdom seeks to blunt criticism over its human rights record. The…

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Saudi Arabia to end flogging as form of punishment

Saudi Arabia is ending flogging as a form of punishment, according to a document from the kingdom’s top court seen by Reuters. The decision by the General Commission for the…

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Saudi Arabia urges Muslims worldwide to pray at home during Ramadan

Saudi Arabia’s highest religious body, the Council of Senior Scholars, urged Muslims worldwide to pray at home during Ramadan if their countries require social distancing to combat coronavirus, the state…

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Coronavirus tally soars in several Arab nations

Six Arab nations recorded additional coronavirus cases and deaths in the past 24 hours. Saudi Arabia’s confirmed 364 new cases, bringing its total to 3,651, including 685 who have recovered.…

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Virus fears prompt halt to Saudi military operations in Yemen

Concerns about a potential outbreak in Yemen, where no cases have been reported so far, are partly behind a decision to call a halt to the military action there that…

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Gulf states step up coronavirus fight, first death in Kuwait

Dubai imposed a two-week lockdown Saturday night and Saudi Arabia sealed off parts of the Red Sea city of Jeddah as Gulf states tightened measures in big cities to contain…

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Saudi Arabia suspends international flights for two weeks

Saudi Arabia has suspended all international flights for two weeks, starting Sunday, to prevent the spread of coronavirus, state news agency SPA said on Saturday, citing an official source at…

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Saudi Arabia suspends travel, flights to EU over coronavirus

Saudi Arabia has temporarily suspended travel of citizens and residents and halted flights with several states due to coronavirus fears, state news agency SPA said on Thursday citing an official…

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Saudi to fine people who do not declare accurate health details on entry

Saudi Arabia announced on Monday that it would impose a fine of up to 500,000 riyals ($133,000) on those who do not declare correct health-related information at entry points. Saudi…

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Saudi Arabia detains King’s brother and Nephew in crackdown

Saudi Arabia has detained two senior members of the Saudi royal family - Prince Ahmed bin Abdulaziz, the younger brother of King Salman, and Mohammed bin Nayef, the king's nephew,…

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Saudi Arabia halts travel to Islam’s holiest site over virus

Saudi Arabia on Thursday halted travel to the holiest sites in Islam over fears about a new viral epidemic just months ahead of the annual hajj pilgrimage, a move coming…

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EPA’s Eye in the Sky: The Saudi Arabia desert

A view of a camel enclosure between Haradh and Shubaytah, in Saudi Arabia. Camels, also called ships of the desert, are part of a long cultural tradition in the Arab…

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Saudis warned to prepare for freezing temperatures

Weather warnings have been issued for most regions in Saudi Arabia, with temperatures expected to reach zero degrees and below. The General Authority of Meteorology and Environment said the freezing…

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Allegations Saudi Arabia hacked phone of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos

The United Nations is set to support a claim that Amazon founder Jeff Bezos had his mobile phone hacked by Saudi Arabia. According to a report in The Guardian, the…

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US to expel a dozen Saudi trainees after base attack investigation

The United States will expel at least a dozen Saudi military students accused of extremist links and child pornography, after an investigation into a shooting rampage by a Saudi officer…

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Photo Story: Dakar Rally 2020 stage 4

Russian driver Dmitry Sotnikov, co-driver Ruslan Akhmadeev and Mechanic Ilgiz Akhmetzianov (Kamaz-Master) in action during stage four of the Rally Dakar 2020 between Neom and Al Ula in Saudi Arabia,…

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Saudi forces kill two ‘terrorists’ in shoot-out

Security forces in eastern Saudi Arabia have killed two wanted "terrorists", the kingdom's Al Ekhbariya state television reported on Wednesday. It said the shooting took place during a security operation…

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Saudi Arabia sentences five people to death for Khashoggi murder

Saudi Arabia has sentenced five people to death and three others to jail terms over the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Khashoggi, a prominent critic of the Saudi government, was…

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Twitter takes down thousands of accounts linked to Saudi Arabia

Twitter has removed thousands of accounts linked to Saudi Arabia on the grounds they were violating the social media's platform manipulation policies, it said today. "Accounts were amplifying messages favorable to…

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Desert crops in Saudi Arabia thrive as the aquifer shrinks

A handout photo made available by NASA Earth Observatory of a satellite image showing the spread of agriculture around the town of Wadi ad-Dawasir, Saudi Arabia, 26 April 2017 (issued…

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Saudi Aramco shares up sharply on market debut

Saudi Arabia listed state oil company Aramco on the stock exchange on Wednesday in what became the world's biggest-ever initial public offering. Shares opened at 35.2 riyals (€8.47, $9.39), 10% higher…

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Saudi Arabia lifts ban on segregation of women in restaurants

Women will no longer have to be segregated from men in restaurants in Saudi Arabia, according to the country's government. The announcement from the Saudi ministry of municipalities and rural…

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Saudi Aramco sets IPO share price at around $8.00

Saudi Aramco’s multibillion-dollar initial public offering (IPO), probably the biggest in history, shifted to full gear as its share price was announced and subscription to the world’s biggest oil company…

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EPA’s Eye in the Sky: Mecca, Saudi Arabia

An aerial view shows the top of the landmark Clock Tower hotel in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Makkah Royal Clock Tower complex, also known as the Abraj Al-Bait Towers, located near…

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World’s most profitable company, Aramco, to go public

Saudi Arabia’s market regulator approved on Sunday Saudi Aramco’s application to list on the domestic stock market as the kingdom seeks to diversify and create the world’s most valuable listed…

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Saudi Arabia opens tourist visas to U.S., European visa holders

Tourist visas for Saudi Arabia are now available online and on arrival to holidaymakers who already hold a visa from the United States, Britain or the EU’s Schengen zone, expanding…

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Photo Story: Highlights from the Saudi Falcons and Hunting Exhibition in Riyadh

A series of photos during the Saudi Falcons and Hunting Exhibition, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The exhibition highlights the conservation of falconry and related hobbies by providing an integrated platform…

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‘Business as usual’ for oil after Saudi attacks, oversupply looms: IEA

Global oil markets have quickly recovered from attacks on Saudi oil facilities last month and even face oversupply next year as global demand slows, the International Energy Agency said. Saudi…

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US to deploy thousands of extra troops in Saudi Arabia

The Pentagon has announced the deployment of thousands of additional troops to "enhance the defence of Saudi Arabia". US Secretary of Defence Mark Esper says he has authorised the deployment…

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Saudi Arabia rules women are permitted to join the army

Saudi Arabia announced it will allow women in the ultra-conservative kingdom to serve in the armed forces as it embarks on a broad programme of economic and social reforms. The…

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Legal petition urges ICC to investigate Khashoggi murder

The Saudi human rights activist Yahya Assiri unveils a new street sign for the Saudi Arabian embassy, in The Hague, the Netherlands. Amnesty International is renaming the street ‘Jamal Khashoggi…

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Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman denies ordering Jamal Khashoggi murder

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has said he takes "full responsibility" for the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi - but denies allegations that he ordered the killing.…

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Fire engulfs main train station in Jeddah

Smoke billows out from the Haramain high-speed rail station in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. According to reports, five people were taken to hospital after a fire broke out at the Haramain…

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US deploys air defence systems to Saudi Arabia

The United States is sending one Patriot missile defence battery and four ground-based Sentinel radars to Saudi Arabia to bolster the kingdom's defences following the attack on Saudi oil facilities…

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Saudi Arabia to open up to foreign tourists

Saudi Arabia will open its doors to international tourists for the first time as part of a broader push to cut its economic dependence on oil. On Friday, the kingdom…

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Saudi crown prince takes ‘all the responsibility’ for Khashoggi murder

Saudi Arabia's crown prince said he bears responsibility for the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi last year by Saudi operatives "because it happened under my watch," according to a PBS…

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Saudi Arabia does not exclude military response to Iranian actions

Saudi Arabia's minister of state for foreign affairs has said all options, including a military response, are open after attacks on two oil facilities, which it has blamed on Iran.…

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Saudi Arabia to restore full oil output by next week

Saudi Arabia has restored around 75 per cent of crude output lost after attacks on its facilities and return to full volumes by early next week, a source briefed on…

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Saudi blogger Raif Badawi ends hunger strike

Saudi blogger Raif Badawi has ended an almost week-long hunger strike in prison after receiving a visit from a representative of the kingdom's human rights commission, his wife said on…

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Tunisia ex-president Ben Ali buried in Saudi Arabia

Tunisia's former president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali was buried in the Muslim holy city of Medina on Saturday, after he died in exile in Saudi Arabia earlier this week.…

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Houthi rebels offer to end all attacks on Saudi Arabia

The UN has welcomed a proposal from Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels to end all attacks on Saudi Arabia as part of a peace initiative. A statement said the proposal could…

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US military to present several options to Trump on Iran response

The Pentagon is presenting a broad range of military options to Donald Trump as he considers how to respond to what administration officials say was an unprecedented Iranian attack on…

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Saudi blogger Raif Badawi goes on hunger strike

Saudi dissident Raif Badawi has started a hunger strike as the conditions of his imprisonment have reportedly worsened. Saudi authorities arrested Badawi on the charge of "insulting Islam" in 2012. Badawi…

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Saudi-led coalition launches operation near Yemeni port city Hodeida

Saudi state media said that the Saudi-led military coalition launched the operation against "remote controlled" boats early Friday near Hodeida. The coalition said the operation destroyed four sites used to assemble the…

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Saudi Arabia joins US maritime operation in Persian Gulf

Saudi Arabia on Wednesday announced its decision to join a US-led maritime security operation in the Persian Gulf days after two of its oil production facilities were targeted in an…

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Oil price recedes on Saudi supply reassurance

Oil prices cooled on Wednesday as Saudi Arabia said the kingdom had fully restored its oil supply following attacks on its crude facilities although caution ahead of an expected U.S.…

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Oil prices soar after attacks on Saudi facilities

Oil prices hit their highest in four months after two attacks on Saudi Arabian facilities in the weekend knocked out more than 5% of global supply. At the start of…

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UPDATED: Major Saudi Aramco facility attacked

Drone attacks targeted a major Saudi Aramco processing facility in Buqyaq and oilfield in Khurais in eastern Saudi Arabia Saturday, the Interior Ministry said, sparking a huge fire at one of…

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US-Saudi nuclear power talks likely Monday

U.S. Energy Secretary Rick Perry said he will meet the new Saudi energy minister on Monday and likely discuss plans the kingdom has to build nuclear reactors. Perry did not…

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Marks & Spencer loses Saudi Arabian franchise partnership

Saudi Arabian retailer Fawaz Abdulaziz Alhokair Co. has pulled out of its franchise partnership with British store group Marks & Spencer and has ended similar agreements with a number of…

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Steps taken to end Saudi ‘guardianship’ system for women, ‘encouraging’ start

Allowing Saudi women to apply for passports and travel without their guardians’ permission is “an encouraging move” towards the “complete abolition of the ‘guardianship’ system,” independent United Nations rights experts…

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1.8 million pilgrims arrive for Hajj Pilgrimage

More than 1.8 million Hajj pilgrims have arrived in Saudi Arabia amid final preparations for the most sacred week in the Islamic calendar. Saudi Passport officials said that this year…

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Saudi Arabia to stage world’s richest horse race in 2020 with $20 million prize

Prince Bandar bin Khalid Al-Faisal, chairman of the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia, at a launch event in Saratoga, New York, announced that Saudi Arabia will host the world’s richest…

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First day of Hajj confirmed as Aug. 9

The Saudi Supreme Court confirmed Thursday that the crescent moon of Dhu Al-Hijjah had been sighted. Hajj will therefore begin on Friday August 9, pilgrims will spend the day on…

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