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Saudi Arabia

April 25, 2026

Riyadh 4:11 am

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A person walks past the closed Metropolitan Opera at Lincoln Center on Jan. 7, 2021, in New York City.

Why did the Met Opera lose its Saudi funding deal?

The deal, announced as a nonbinding memorandum of understanding last September, would have seen the PIF inject up to $200 million into the opera institution over the next eight years.

A picture shows the Ras Laffan Industrial City, Qatar's principal site for production of liquefied natural gas and gas-to-liquid, administrated by Qatar Petroleum, some 80 kilometers (50 miles) north of the capital Doha, on Feb. 6, 2017.

Analysis

Gulf energy deals face Iran war stress test as global expansion meets oil shock

ADNOC, Aramco and QatarEnergy have aggressively expanded their international portfolios in recent years, a strategy facing new constraints as the US-Israel-Iran war impacts Gulf production and exposes structural risks.

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

Syria's President Ahmed al-Sharaa arrives ahead of a meeting with Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer at 10 Downing Street in central London on March 31, 2026.

Syria’s Sharaa makes fourth visit to Saudi Arabia, first since Iran war: What to know

The visit comes in light of the deepening economic relations between Syria and Saudi Arabia post-Assad.

Latest News

MBS hosts Sudan's Burhan in Jeddah as $1.5B Saudi-backed arms deal stalls

Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman meets with Sudanese army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan in Jeddah, on April 20, 2026.

Analysis

Pakistan’s quiet fighter jet deployment to Saudi Arabia signals Gulf anxiety

Pakistan Air Force J-10 fighter jets over Islamabad, March 23, 2025.

Sabena Siddiqui

By Sabena Siddiqui

In Karachi, reporting on South Asia, Middle East, Iran

What LIV Golf’s woes suggest about Saudi Arabia’s economic headwinds

Bryson DeChambeau of Crushers GC plays his shot from the 17th tee prior to LIV Golf Mexico City at Club de Golf Chapultepec on April 15, 2026, in Mexico City.

Samuel Wendel

Senior Market Research Analyst

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

Adam Lucente

News and Business Correspondent

In New York City, reporting on regional news, militancy, climate change

Jack Dutton

Chief Business Correspondent

In Bristol, reporting on regional business, climate change, AI, tech

Francesco Schiavi

In Bologna, reporting on security, defense, economy, governance

Sabena Siddiqui

In Karachi, reporting on South Asia, Middle East, Iran

Vanessa Ghanem

In Dubai, reporting on business, energy and politics

A view of the Dubai skyline, May 12, 2025.

Analysis

Gulf growth forecast bright but Israel-Iran war threatens to derail outlook

The World Bank had predicted economic growth among Gulf Cooperation Council states to increase in 2025 and 2026, but experts are skeptical due to the regional conflict.

In Bristol, reporting on regional business, climate change, AI, tech

Russia's President Vladimir Putin and UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed bin Sultan al-Nahyan.

UAE's MBZ and Putin hold call as Gulf, Russia push diplomacy on Iran-Israel

Russian President Vladimir Putin appears to be courting Gulf support for a diplomatic role in the ongoing conflict between Iran and Israel.

Muslim worshippers make their way towards the Kaaba, Islam's holiest shrine, at the Grand Mosque complex in in the holy city of Mecca to take part in morning prayers on the first day of Eid Al-Adha, the feast of the sacrifice, early on June 6, 2025.

Culture

In photos: Muslims kick off Eid al-Adha across the Middle East

The holiday’s arrival cast a spotlight on deepening humanitarian crises, leadership transitions and shifting regional dynamics.

GIUSEPPE CACACE/AFP via Getty Images

Mideast airlines to deliver industry’s highest profit margins in 2025

The region's airlines are forecast to hit a profit margin of 8.7% in 2025, slightly lower than last year's figure of 8.9% but the highest in the industry.

Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan al-Saud (R) receives his French counterpart Jean-Noel Barrot, prior to their meeting in Riyadh on April 25, 2025.

Israel blocks Saudi, UAE and other FMs from West Bank visit: What to know

The move to block the visit comes amid heightened international pressure on Israel to end its military offensive in Gaza and make progress toward Palestinian statehood, a key condition for normalization with Riyadh.

The pilgrims' convoy departs from the city of Al-Dana, Syria, to Damascus Airport in order to set off to Saudi Arabia to perform the Hajj rituals on May 21, 2025.

Saudi Arabia releases Iranian cleric who criticized Hajj: What to know

Iran-Saudi Arabia relations have improved in recent years, including in Hajj-related cooperation, though tensions remain over Iran’s regional policies.

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan meets with United States special envoy to Syria Thomas Barrack.

Tom Barrack talks Syria aid during Saudi Arabia, Jordan visits: What to know

The US and EU recently lifted numerous sanctions on Syria, and the country received a massive wheat shipment on Wednesday.

JAM STA ROSA/AFP via Getty Images

China expands visa-free policy to Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait

During a landmark summit in Malaysia, China announced an exemption for nationals from Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain and Kuwait from the need for entry visas.