Saudi Arabia

Human rights groups criticise Newcastle sale to Saudi-led consortium

Saudi Arabian human rights group ALQST accused the Premier League of being driven only by money and employing 'profoundly inadequate' criteria for assessing human rights considerations in the wake of…

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Premier League clubs demand emergency meeting over Newcastle takeover

Premier League clubs have reached out to the league with complaints about Newcastle United's takeover by a Saudi Arabia-led consortium and are pushing for an emergency meeting next week, the…

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Ten injured in 2 drone attacks at Saudi’s King Abdullah airport

Ten people were injured in two explosives-laden drone attacks at King Abdullah airport in the southern Saudi city of Jizan late on Friday and early on Saturday, the Saudi-led coalition…

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Saudi retains top spot in oil supplies to China with volumes up 53% y/y

Saudi Arabia, the world's biggest oil exporter, kept its ranking as China's top crude supplier for a ninth straight month in August as major producers relaxed production cuts. Saudi oil…

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Oil extends losses after deep Saudi price cuts signal demand concerns

Oil prices extended losses on Monday, falling more than 1%, after the world's top exporter Saudi Arabia slashed crude prices for Asia over the weekend, signalling demand concerns and that…

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Saudi non-oil sector expansion loses momentum in August – PMI

Saudi Arabia's non-oil private sector continued to grow in August but lost momentum due to a sharp drop in output expansion, a business survey showed, signalling a challenging recovery from…

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UPDATED: Missile intercepted over Saudi oil region injures two, damages buildings

Two children were injured and buildings were damaged when a ballistic missile was intercepted over Saudi Arabia's oil-rich eastern region on Saturday, the ministry of defence said. The missile was…

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Saudi state media companies to start moving from Dubai to Riyadh

DUBAI, Sept 3 (Reuters) - Dubai-based Saudi state-owned media companies will start moving staff this month to the capital Riyadh, sources said, as Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman presses ahead…

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Saudi Arabia pledges to provide support for Tunisia, Tunisian presidency says

Saudi Arabia pledged to provide assistance to Tunisia, which is suffering a political, economic and health crisis, the Tunisian presidency said on Sunday, the latest sign of support for President…

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Saudi oil giant Aramco sees profits soar by almost 300%

Saudi Arabian state oil producer Aramco reported a near four-fold rise in second-quarter net profit on Sunday, beating expectations and boosted by higher oil prices and a recovery in oil…

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Saudi Arabia to reopen borders for vaccinated umrah pilgrims

Saudi Arabia will gradually begin receiving Umrah pilgrimage requests from abroad for vaccinated pilgrims starting Aug. 9 after about a year and a half of not receiving overseas worshippers due…

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Saudi Arabia to open for tourist visa holders starting August 1

Saudi Arabia’s Tourism Ministry will re-allow entry for tourist visa holders starting Aug. 1, it said in a statement. “Vaccinated tourists will be allowed to enter without having to be…

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Saudi Arabia threatens 3-year travel ban for citizens who visit “red list” states

Saudi Arabia will impose a three-year travel ban on citizens travelling to countries on the kingdom's 'red list' under efforts to curb the spread of coronavirus and its new variants,…

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Saudi citizens must have two COVID-19 vaccine doses for travel abroad

Saudi citizens will need two COVID-19 vaccine doses before they can travel outside the kingdom from Aug. 9, state news agency SPA reported on Monday, citing the ministry of interior.…

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OPEC+ agrees oil supply boost after UAE wins argument with Saudi

MOSCOW/DUBAI/LONDON, July 18 (Reuters) - OPEC+ ministers agreed on Sunday to boost oil supply from August to cool prices which have climbed to 2-1/2 year highs as the global economy…

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Saudi inflation rises again in June, hits highest rate this year

Saudi Arabia’s annual inflation rate rose to 6.2% in June, the highest this year, from 5.7% in May, official data showed on Thursday. June marked a third consecutive monthly rise…

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Seeking summer breeze and natural getaway, Saudis flock to Ukraine

Nabeel Kensara and Nasal Alzamzmi, a couple from Saudi Arabia, used to go for holidays to Switzerland twice a year, but coronavirus travel restrictions across Europe have forced them to…

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Saudi non-oil sector employment rises amid steady growth – PMI

audi Arabia's non-oil private sector continued to expand in June at a fast rate and job creation rose to a 19-month high, a survey showed, as the largest Arab economy…

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Saudi Arabia amends import rules from Gulf in challenge to UAE

Saudi Arabia has amended its rules on imports from other Gulf Cooperation Council countries to exclude goods made in free zones or using Israeli input from preferential tariff concessions, in…

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New Saudi airline plan takes aim at Emirates, Qatar Airways

Saudi Arabia plans to target international transit passenger traffic with its new national airline, going head-to-head with Gulf giants Emirates and Qatar Airways and opening up a new front in…

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Saudi Arabia bans entry from UAE, Vietnam, Ethiopia and Afghanistan

Saudi Arabia will restrict travel to and entry from Ethiopia, UAE, Vietnam and Afghanistan over coronavirus concerns, the state news agency (WAS) reported on Saturday. The ban goes into effect…

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Saudi Arabia plans new national airline as it diversifies from oil

Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman announced plans on Tuesday to launch a second national airline as part of a broader strategy to turn the kingdom into a global…

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Saudi Arabia considers developing industrial zone in Oman

Saudi Arabia is considering developing an industrial zone in Oman and the two Gulf states have discussed the possibility in investment talks, the Saudi state news agency SPA reported. Saudi…

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Saudi air defences intercept 10 Houthi armed drones

Saudi Arabian air defences on Saturday destroyed 10 armed drones launched by Yemen's Houthi movement towards the south of the kingdom, state TV cited the Saudi-led coalition as saying. The…

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Saudi Arabia lifts ban from travelers arriving from 11 countries

Saudi Arabia is lifting a ban on travelers arriving from 11 countries that it imposed to curb the spread of coronavirus, the Saudi state news agency said, but will still…

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Philippines lifts ban on workers deploying to Saudi Arabia

The Philippines announced that the country's workers could again go to work in Saudi Arabia, reversing a brief deployment ban after the kingdom said they would not be charged for…

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Saudi oil exports in March rise to $14 billion

The value of Saudi Arabia's oil exports in March rose by 75% year on year to 52.3 billion riyals ($13.95 billion), official data showed on Wednesday. Non-oil exports increased by…

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Saudi-led coalition in Yemen foils Houthi attack south of Red Sea

The Saudi-led military coalition engaged in Yemen thwarted an "imminent" Houthi attack using an explosives-laden boat south of the Red Sea, Saudi Arabian state media said on Monday. A coalition…

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Saudi Arabia holds spot as China’s top crude supplier in April, UAE imports plunge

China's imports from Saudi Arabia slowed in April but the kingdom retained its position as China's top supplier of crude oil for an eighth consecutive month, customs data showed on…

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UPDATED: Saudi Arabia to reopen to foreign tourists soon

Saudi Arabia plans to soon reopen to foreign tourists, a senior tourism official said on Monday after the kingdom announced the lifting of quarantine restrictions for certain foreign arrivals. The…

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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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Iran confirms talks with Saudi Arabia, promises best efforts

Iran confirmed publicly for the first time on Monday that it is in talks with its regional arch rival Saudi Arabia, saying it would do what it could to resolve…

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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 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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Gulf economies seen rebounding this year but some forecasts scaled back

The economies of the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council are expected to return to growth this year, a quarterly Reuters survey showed on Thursday, but half are seen expanding less than…

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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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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 announces new ceasefire initiative in Yemen

Saudi Arabia announces a new peace initiative in Yemen, to include a ceasefire supervised by the United Nations and the re-opening of Sana’a airport, Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan…

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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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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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Biden team considering a halt to ‘offensive’ arms sales for Saudis

President Joe Biden’s administration is considering the cancellation of arms deals with Saudi Arabia that pose human rights concerns while limiting future military sales to “defensive” weapons, as it reassesses…

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Biden says he told Saudi king he will hold them accountable for rights abuses

U.S. President Joe Biden said he told Saudi King Salman he would "hold them accountable for human rights abuses" and the United States would be announcing significant changes in the…

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U.S. to impose sanctions, visa bans on Saudis for journalist Khashoggi’s killing, officials say

WASHINGTON, Feb 26 (Reuters) - The Biden administration will announce sanctions and visa bans on Friday targeting Saudi Arabian citizens over the 2018 killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, but it…

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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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Italy blocks sale of missiles to Saudi Arabia and UAE

ROME (Reuters) - Italy has halted the sale of thousands of missiles to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio said on Friday, citing Rome's commitment to…

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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 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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