Saudi Arabia - AL-MONITOR: The Middle Eastʼs leading independent news source since 2012

Saudi Arabia cover image

Saudi Arabia

November 7, 2026

Riyadh 10:04 am

28°C

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addresses Turkish members of parliament during the opening of the parliamentary session at the Grand National Assembly of Turkey in Ankara, on Oct. 1, 2026.

Turkey’s parliament ratifies Mecca pact in boost to Saudi Arabia

Turkey will now decide the scope of military support for Saudi Arabia amid ongoing Iran-backed Houthi attacks on the kingdom.

Cristiano Ronaldo

Culture

What’s next for Cristiano Ronaldo after retirement from Portugal team?

The Portuguese superstar is signed to the Saudi side Al Nassr until 2027, but the Yemen war is impacting the sport in the kingdom.

Latest News

Aramco begins expansion of oil export route bypassing Hormuz

AFP via Getty Images

Oil tops $114 as traders brace for Iran escalation after US midterms

Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange at the opening bell, New York City, Sept. 28, 2026.

Samuel Wendel

Senior Analyst, Middle East Business & Tech

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 defense spending soars, but not to America's benefit

Saudi Arabia's military spending is not currently benefiting the United States, as no large arms deals are on the table.

An American made Patriot missile launcher of the Kuwait Air Force, used
to shoot down incoming ballistic missiles, is deployed in an undated
file photograph. A U.S. Patriot missile battery may have engaged a
British Royal Air Force aircraft near

the Kuwaiti border on Sunday, a Pentagon spokesman said. REUTERS/Kuwait
Ministry of Defence - RP3DRINEPZAA

Congress nudges Trump toward Gulf missile defense

Congress is trying to revive US-led talks for a GCC-wide missile shield against Iran that have stalled amid tensions with Qatar.

Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud welcomes Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia October 21, 2017. Bandar Algaloud/Courtesy of Saudi Royal Court/Handout via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS PICTURE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. - RC122DCA3BC0

Saudi Arabia, Iran vie for economic influence in Iraq

Saudi Arabia is seeking to enter the Iraqi market aggressively, along with a political presence, and increase the competition with its opponent Iran in the Iraqi arena.

Tribesmen inspect fragments of a Houthi ballistic missile at a farm after it was intercepted by the Saudi-led coalition's air defence forces in Marib, Yemen February 23, 2018. Picture taken with a fisheye lens. REUTERS/Ali Owidha - RC1974FC90C0

US troops on Yemen border ruffle congressional feathers

Recent revelations that US ground troops are helping Saudi-led coalition forces target Houthi missile stockpiles in Yemen have renewed calls on Capitol Hill for more congressional oversight in the war.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif attends a meeting with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in Moscow, Russia January 10, 2018. REUTERS/Alexander Zemlianichenko/Pool? - UP1EE1A1NCZOZ

Iran’s FM says Qatar 'brought Saudi Arabia to its knees'

Iran’s foreign minister slams the Saudi crown prince over his approach to foreign policy in a speech at a top Tehran university.

Will Russia provide the 'new Kissinger' for Iran-Israel diplomacy?

Moscow works back channels between Tehran and Jerusalem; hard-line Saudi stance toward Iran adheres to Wahhabi line favored by conservative clerics.

Egyptian artist brings Saudi women, men to same stage

The Egyptian theater troupe Masrah Masr enjoys popularity across the region, but can it become a model for Saudi Arabia's performing arts scene?

US President Donald Trump (C-L), Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud (C-R), Jordan's King Abdullah II (3-R), Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi (2-R) and other officials pose for a group photo during the Arab Islamic American Summit at the King Abdulaziz Conference Center in Riyadh on May 21, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / MANDEL NGAN (Photo credit should read MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images)

Saudi belligerence on Iran threatens US

Saudi Arabia’s anti-Iran and anti-Shiite policy is creating a toxic environment in which the US administration must exercise great care.

Why Israel needs new regional alliances

Facing US intention to withdraw from Syria, Israel must establish new regional alliances.

Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (R) talks with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, June 19, 2017. Bandar Algaloud/Courtesy of Saudi Royal Court/Handout via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS PICTURE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. - RC149073CBE0

Saudi Arabia eyes Iraq's Anbar for potential investments

Riyadh is considering significant investments in Iraq's Anbar province, but is facing opposition from certain Iraqi political forces and Shiite factions.

A demonstrator runs during clashes with Israeli troops at a protest where Palestinians demand the right to return to their homeland, at the Israel-Gaza border in the southern Gaza Strip, April 20, 2018. REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY - RC1B7BFE3220

How long can Saudi Arabia ignore Gaza protests?

Saudi king clarifies approach to Jerusalem, but Arab League statement silent on the Gaza Strip; Will Macron and Merkel use North Korea as blueprint for US approach to JCPOA?

Palestinians skeptical about Arab League support for Jerusalem

The Saudi king declared the April 15 Arab League Summit held in the city of Dhahran in eastern Saudi Arabia to be the "Jerusalem Summit," yet many Palestinians doubt this show of support will lead to lasting change.