Saudi comedy festival draws A-list performers, backlash: What to know The star-studded festival highlights Riyadh’s push to brand itself as a cultural hub even as critics accuse Saudi Arabia of whitewashing its repressive reputation. Saudi Arabia
UAE president meets Saudi crown prince ahead of UN Palestine conference The UAE and Saudi Arabia have strengthened cooperation since the Gaza war began in 2023, though their rivalry over regional influence and economic leadership remains. United Arab Emirates
Analysis Why France is quietly becoming Saudi Arabia’s go-to internal security partner Riyadh seeks French expertise for crowd control, counternarcotics and digital security ahead of a decade of mega-events. By Francesco Schiavi In Bologna, reporting on security, defense, economy, governance
Amid Gulf pressure, Abbas tells Macron 'Hamas will no longer rule Gaza' Abbas has increased his anti-Hamas rhetoric in recent weeks as war rages in Gaza and a deal with Israel remains elusive, but the group has refused the call to disarm. Palestine
Analysis Can Modi leverage Saudi-China ties to reshape India’s global standing? By Sabena Siddiqui In Karachi, reporting on South Asia, Middle East, Iran
Analysis Italy revamps ties with Saudi Arabia, eyeing investments and defense trade By Jennifer Gnana In Dubai, reporting on Gulf energy policy and politics
Saudi crown prince capitalizes on photo ops in Asia Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's walk on the Great Wall of China, visits to Pakistan and India and the appointment of a Saudi princess as ambassador to Washington distract attention from the Khashoggi killing and the war in Yemen. Saudi Arabia
Saudi crown prince looks to Asia trip to boost image Facing fallout in the West over the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman hopes his upcoming trip to Asia will project an image of business as usual. Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia seeks to entice visitors with pre-Islamic sites Following last year's $20 billion French-Saudi deal to accelerate al-Ula’s development, there are more international archaeologists on the ground than ever before. Saudi Arabia
Congress puts heat on Saudis as Trump shields crown prince With President Donald Trump set to blow off a deadline to assess Prince Mohammed’s role in Jamal Khashoggi’s murder, Congress is gearing up to pass several anti-Riyadh measures. Saudi Arabia
GCC states boxed in by US sanctions on Syria The United States creates dilemmas for GCC in Syria; Qatar steps up with $500 million Lebanon investment; Netanyahu seeks Arab photo-op in Poland. Legacy: Gulf
Erdogan seeks lifeline from Putin in Syria The Turkish president will discuss Syria with his Russian counterpart in Moscow this coming week, as Qatar's Sheikh Tamim takes spotlight in Beirut. Saudi Arabia
Four years into Salman's reign, Saudi Arabia more unpredictable than ever Saudi Arabia seems to have taken a number of wrong turns since Salman took the throne four years ago; can he make the decisions to get the country back on track? Saudi Arabia
Kuwait breaks from GCC on warming up to Israel While Kuwait is joining its fellow GCC nations in terms of supporting Syria's return to the Arab League, Kuwaiti officials want nothing to do with Israel. Legacy: Gulf
Saudi Arabia gets US missile defense boost despite Khashoggi uproar The State Department has approved a $195 million sale to upgrade Saudi Arabia’s missile defenses. Saudi Arabia
Mohammed bin Salman's awful year King Salman will pay a price for standing by his son as 2018 has become the year it all went bad for the crown prince and Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia
Saudi ambassador again departs US amid Khashoggi controversy Ambassador Khalid bin Salman, who has faced scrutiny over his public handling of the Jamal Khashoggi affair, has left Washington for the second time since the journalist’s killing. Saudi Arabia
What will 2019 have in store for dysfunctional GCC? The Gulf Cooperation has essentially been split in, with Qatar, Kuwait and Oman resisting the actions of Saudi Arabia's Mohammed bin Salman and the UAE's Mohammed bin Zayed. Legacy: Gulf
