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Saudi Arabia

April 29, 2026

Riyadh 5:26 am

25°C

GIUSEPPE CACACE/AFP via Getty Images

Analysis

UAE’s OPEC exit rattles cartel as Gulf alliances shift

OPEC's fourth-largest producer will leave the cartel on May 1, marking the most significant departure in the group’s history as the war changes Abu Dhabi's relationship priorities.

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

MUMEN KHATIB/AFP via Getty Images

Why UAE's decision to leave OPEC is major shift for cartel

The UAE accounts for 12% of OPEC's output, but tensions had been simmering over intragroup rivalries and the country wanting to export more oil.

United Arab Emirates

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan hosted the third meeting of the foreign ministers of Turkey, Egypt, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia on the margins of the 5th Antalya Diplomacy Forum, on April 17, 2026.

Analysis

Why Saudi Arabia, Egypt are wary of Turkey’s proposed 4-way defense pact with Pakistan

The proposed framework faces major hurdles and fault lines, ranging from NATO constraints to Israeli opposition and weak military integration.

Barin Kayaoglu

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan (L) disembarks from an airplane upon his arrival at the Rafic Hariri International Airport in Beirut on Jan. 23, 2025.

In Lebanon, Saudi Arabia pursues quiet diplomacy as Trump pushes Israel normalization

Saudi Arabia has been engaged in intense diplomacy in Lebanon in recent days, leading up to the extension of a ceasefire with Israel.

Latest News

Why did the Met Opera lose its Saudi funding deal?

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

Analysis

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

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.

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

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

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.

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

Saudi FM

Saudi FM: No Israel normalization without ‘irreversible path’ to Palestinian state

Saudi Prince Faisal bin Farhan said the kingdom would not finance the rebuilding of the enclave unless there is a viable path to a two-state solution.

Foreign labourers work on the construction of new luxury houses in the Saudi capital Riyadh on April 13, 2019. - Housing is a potential lightning rod for public discontent in a country where affordable dwellings are beyond the reach of many, posing a key challenge for Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as he seeks to overhaul the oil-reliant economy. (Photo by FAYEZ NURELDINE / AFP) (Photo credit should read FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP via Getty Images)

Saudi Arabia bolsters expat incentives as war complicates efforts to lure foreign talent

Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyhu attends the funeral for First Sergeant Major Gal Meir Eisenkot in Herzliya, Dec. 8, 2023.

Analysis

'Hallucination' or realpolitik? Netanyahu's long shot at Israel-Saudi normalization

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu still hopes to normalize ties with Saudi Arabia after rejecting US proposals for Palestinian control of Gaza and the West Bank.

In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense

Spain's Rafael Nadal hits a return against Austria's Dominic Thiem during their men's singles match at the Brisbane International tennis tournament in Brisbane on January 2, 2024. (Photo by William WEST / AFP) / -- IMAGE RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - STRICTLY NO COMMERCIAL USE -- (Photo by WILLIAM WEST/AFP via Getty Images)

Saudi Arabia nabs Rafa Nadal as its star tennis ambassador amid criticism

Spanish tennis legend Rafael Nadal has become an ambassador for the Saudi Tennis Federation, leading to criticism from some fans and furthering the kingdom’s tennis ambitions.

FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP via Getty Images

Davos 2024: Reaching net zero without space tech 'wishful thinking,' says Saudi minister

On the sidelines of the World Economic Forum, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Communications and Information Technology Abdullah bin Amer Alswaha told Al-Monitor that technology will help countries deliver on climate promises.

A man stands outside the Canadian Embassy in the Saudi capital Riyadh, on August 7, 2018.

Saudi Arabia, Canada reestablish business council as ties warm

Saudi Arabia and Canada resumed diplomatic relations last year following a row over Ottawa’s criticism of the treatment of women in the kingdom.

Jordan Henderson of Al Ettifaq and Roberto Firmino of Al Ahli battling for the ball during the Saudi Pro League match.

Key players want out of Saudi soccer league: reports

The Saudi Pro League landed several top stars last year with lucrative deals, but now some players may be looking to leave the kingdom.

A Saudi mine worker pours a stream of molten gold from the furnace into moulds to produce gold ingots during a press tour at the Al-Amar Gold Mine, 195kms southwest of the Saudi capital Riyadh, on May 28, 2008.

Will Saudi Arabia see mining gold rush in 2024?

The kingdom plans to take advantage of the growing demand for critical minerals to power the green transition.

Ons Kayanee

Tunisia's Ons Jabeur reps Saudi fitness brand Kayanee at Australian Open

Jabeur has expressed support for Saudi investment in tennis in the past as the kingdom seeks to boost its sports holdings.

A Eurofighter jet of the TacticalAir Force Wing 71 "Richthofen" of the German Armed Forces Bundeswehr approaches during the Hannover Shield exercise at the airport in Hannover, northern Germany, Nov. 27, 2023.

Germany reverses, to greenlight Eurofighter jets to Saudi Arabia

Germany stopped selling arms to Saudi Arabia following the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi inside the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul in 2018, but has since come under increasing pressure to allow the sale of the jets to the Gulf country.

An Iran Air Boeing 747 passenger plane sits on the tarmac of the domestic Mehrabad airport in the Iranian capital, Tehran, on Jan. 15, 2013.

Why has Iran Air abandoned plans to relaunch Saudi Arabia flights despite detente?

The Iran Air flights to Saudi Arabia were intended to transport pilgrims to Jeddah and were scheduled to take off from Tehran, Mashhad and Isfahan on Wednesday.

People attend the International E-Sport Gamers forum Next World in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, on Sept. 7, 2022.

Saudi PIF invested $31.6B in 2023, record in global sovereign wealth funds

The PIF is estimated to have nearly $800 billion in assets and wants to become the world’s largest sovereign wealth fund by 2030.