Saudi Arabia

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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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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Oil price crash sends shockwaves through financial markets

Stocks and US government bond yields tumbled after oil prices crashed by almost a third, as the prospect of a crude price war hit global markets already reeling from the…

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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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U.S. lawmakers want information on Saudi Khashoggi’s death

Senior Republican and Democratic lawmakers renewed efforts this week to push President Donald Trump's administration to make public information about the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, which U.S. intelligence officials…

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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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Iran and Saudi Arabia no closer to bridge differences

Iran and Saudi Arabia appeared no closer to bridging their differences on Saturday with both sides sticking to their positions and regional facilitator Oman seeing no breakthrough before U.S. elections…

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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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Saudi Arabia to withdraw 21 cadets after Florida shooting investigations

Saudi Arabia will withdraw 21 cadets receiving military training in the United States following a U.S. investigation into a Saudi officer's fatal shooting of three Americans at a Florida naval…

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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 Arabia’s government condemns Turkish interference in Libya

Saudi Arabia’s government condemned the latest Turkish interference in Libya, state news agency SPA reported on Saturday. The Saudi Kingdom denounced Turkey’s parliament approval of the military deployment in Libya,…

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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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Khashoggi’s fiancee says execution will conceal truth of her partner’s murder

The fiancee of the late journalist Jamal Khashoggi has condemned the trial investigating his murder in 2018 in Istanbul and called for the five people sentenced to death not to…

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Saudi Arabia accused of mockery of justice by shielding alleged masterminds of Khashoggi’s murder

Saudi Arabia has been accused of engaging in a mockery of justice by shielding the alleged masterminds of the killing of the dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi, after a court effectively…

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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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Qatar FM says early talks with Saudi Arabia have broken stalemate

Qatar’s foreign minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani said recent talks have broken a protracted stalemate with Saudi Arabia and that Doha was open to studying demands by its rivals…

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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 king condemns ‘barbaric’ attack at U.S. military base

Saudi Arabia's King Salman condemned a gun attack at a US naval base by a Saudi student as "barbaric", President Donald Trump said. He tweeted that the monarch had…

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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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Former Twitter employees charged in US with spying on accounts for Saudi Arabia

Two former Twitter employees and a third man were charged in San Francisco Federal Court Wednesday with spying on Twitter users critical of the Saudi royal family, the US Justice…

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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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U.S. Carried Out Secret Cyber Strike on Iran After Saudi Oil Attack

The United States carried out a secret cyber operation against Iran in the wake of the September 14 attacks on Saudi Arabia's oil facilities, which Washington and Riyadh blame on…

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Iran’s President said there’s video evidence of damaged tanker incident

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani said an Iranian tanker damaged in the Red Sea on Friday had been hit by at least two rockets, and there is video footage of the…

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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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Iran ready to hold talks with Saudi Arabia, with or without help of mediation

Iran is prepared to hold talks with regional rival Saudi Arabia with or without the help of a mediator, the Iranian Foreign Ministry said on Saturday, ahead of a visit…

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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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UPDATED: Explosion sets Iranian oil tanker ablaze in Red Sea, crew safe

An explosion set an Iranian oil tanker on fire near the Saudi port city of Jeddah, Iran's Students News Agency (ISNA) reported on Friday, adding experts believed it was a…

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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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Turkey will continue its efforts to shed light on the Khashoggi murder – Erdogan

The killing of Saudi columnist Jamal Khashoggi has posed "a serious threat to the international order", according to Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. A year after Khashoggi was killed inside…

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Saudi Arabia’s King’s bodyguard killed in personal dispute

The personal bodyguard of Saudi Arabia's King Salman was shot dead in "a personal dispute," state television reported Sunday. Major General Abdulaziz al-Fagham was killed in the Red Sea city…

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Yemen’s Houthi movement claims it carried attack near Saudi border and captured thousands of troops

Yemen's Houthi movement has said it carried out an attack near the border with the southwestern Saudi region of Najran and captured "thousands" of enemy troops including several Saudi army officers but…

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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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Britain, Germany and France back US and blame Iran for attack on Saudi oil facilities

Britain, Germany and France announced that they are backing the United States and blamed Iran on Monday for the attack on Saudi oil facilities. In their statements, the three countries…

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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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The ever-increasing role of drones in modern warfare – Tonio Galea

The recent developments in the Persian Gulf have once more caused widespread repercussions in the world. Among the various aspects that these brought to the world’s attention is the ever-increasing…

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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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Iran says it is ready to destroy any aggressor

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