Saudi Arabia taps China’s MiniMax for Arabic AI model The development signals that the kingdom continues deepening AI ties with China while simultaneously pursuing major US technology partnerships, keeping the Gulf state at the center of an intensifying technology race between the superpowers. Saudi Arabia
Newsletter: Business & Tech Oil rises amid renewed US-Iran fighting Iran launched a wave of attacks on US sites across the Middle East on Wednesday after an extensive American bombardment. By Jack Dutton In Bristol, reporting on regional business, climate change, AI, tech
Saudi oil exports hit nine-year low as tanker attacks threaten recovery The country’s oil exports were around 3 million barrels per day in August. Saudi Arabia
Newsletter: FutureVerse LEAP’s comeback The fifth edition of the gathering offers a temperature check for the Gulf’s AI ambitions amid fallout from the US-Israel-Iran war. By Samuel Wendel In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech
Newsletter: Daily Briefing Iran sets conditions for reopening Strait of Hormuz By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Newsletter: City Pulse Riyadh AlUla brings Saudi creativity to Paris By Rebecca Anne Proctor In Dubai, reporting on culture
How Russia views OPEC The fate of Moscow’s participation in an agreement by OPEC and non-OPEC members to limit production is still unclear and, in spite of existing predictions, Russia may pull out of the deal after March 2018. Saudi Arabia
Trump, Netanyahu risk being party of two in opposition to Iran nuclear deal US and Israeli leaders may find themselves, rather than Iran, isolated in questioning a solid international consensus on Iran, as attention turns to Syria. Saudi Arabia
Senior Iranian diplomat: US is serious about killing nuclear deal The head of Iran’s Strategic Council on Foreign Relations warns that the US administration is serious in its efforts to kill the nuclear deal. Saudi Arabia
Saudi-Iranian rapprochement remains mirage Despite talk of an impending rapprochement between Saudi Arabia and Iran, facts on the ground suggest that reconciliation is not yet on the horizon. Saudi Arabia
Egyptians make their way to Mecca by many means Many Egyptians resort to illegal methods to perform hajj in Mecca, and the government funds thousands of others, putting a strain on the country's already strapped economy. Saudi Arabia
Is Saudi Arabia 'ready to turn page' on Iran? A shifting regional landscape may force a reset in Riyadh and Tehran; armed groups backed by the United States and Turkey battle outside Aleppo. Saudi Arabia
Are Yemeni rebels imploding? Saudi Arabia's hope to exit the Yemen scene could depend largely on Ali Abdullah Saleh and the Yemeni rebel factions' falling apart. Saudi Arabia
Why Russia seeks to stay neutral in Saudi-Qatar rift Russia's offer to mediate in the Qatar crisis is a strategic move designed to place Moscow in the catbird seat without endangering relations with either side. Saudi Arabia
Iran’s role in Qatar’s new foreign policy Rather than forcing Qatar to sever ties with Tehran, the Saudi-led boycott on Qatar has instead pushed the emirate closer to Iran. Saudi Arabia
Rouhani: Trump lacks means to pressure Iran Iranian President Hassan Rouhani says the United States is no longer able to isolate and pressure Iran. Saudi Arabia
What Iran-Qatar reset means for Syria Iran adds another “Sunni” power to its regional network; Turkey ponders next moves in Idlib; Israel presents the “big picture” on Iran in Washington and Sochi, Russia; Akiva Eldar on Israel’s silence over Charlottesville. Saudi Arabia
Netanyahu raising alarm on Iran, again Israel has told US and Russian officials that Iran’s long-term strategies and its missile capabilities endanger the region. Saudi Arabia