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Saudi Arabia

August 28, 2026

Riyadh 1:48 am

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France's President Emmanuel Macron and Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman shake hands

France, Saudi Arabia announce more than $10B in deals on MBS visit

Among the deals included a 6 billion euro ($7 billion) pledge from the Public Investment Fund in three manga-themed amusement parks on the outskirts of Paris.

Supporters of Yemen's Houthi rebel movement carry a mock rocket as they demonstrate in the capital, Sanaa, to denounce a reported air strike by the Saudi-led coalition on a prison in the country's rebel-held north, on Jan. 21, 2022.

Houthis claim strike on Saudi oil tanker off Yanbu: What to know

The incident is the latest in a string of Houthi attacks targeting Saudi oil and military assets.

Latest News

Saudi crown prince heads to France as ties deepen: What to expect

LUDOVIC MARIN/AFP via Getty Images

Houthis claim new strikes on Saudi Arabia after IRGC warning: What to know

MOHAMMED HUWAIS/AFP via Getty Images)

Exclusive

Saudi Arabia wants Iran-backed militia 'heads to roll' in Iraq amid talks with Tehran

AHMAD AL-RUBAYE/AFP via Getty Images

Amberin Zaman

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

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

US President Donald J. Trump leaves the Saudi Royal Court with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on May 13, 2025, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Analysis

Ahead of MBS visit, Saudis link Israel normalization to 3 asks from Trump

President Donald Trump would clearly like to say he persuaded Israel and Saudi Arabia to normalize ties, but neither Sheikh Mohammed bin Salman nor Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seem ready to make the necessary compromises.

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

WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 25: Saudi Arabia Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman poses for a photo opportunity ahead of a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in the U.S. State Department Building on February 25, 2025 in Washington, DC. Earlier this week Salman also visited the Pentagon. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Saudi defense chief visits White House ahead of MBS trip: What to know

Saudi Arabia is seeking to purchase dozens of F-35 fighter jets, but the Trump administration may hold off to leverage the kingdom to normalize ties with Israel, a top ambition of its Middle East policy.

Bilal Abu-Ghazaleh, founder of 1001 AI.

Meet the Silicon Valley-linked AI startup targeting Gulf’s costly inefficiencies

Bilal Abu-Ghazaleh, formerly a director at Silicon Valley’s Scale AI, shares how he spotted an opportunity to automate complex workflows that could reduce inefficiencies potentially worth over $10 billion across the Gulf's airports, ports, construction and the energy sector.

United Arab Emirates

France's President Emmanuel Macron and Syria's President Ahmed al-Sharaa look on during a bilateral meeting within the framework of the COP30 UN climate conference in Belem, Brazil, Nov. 6, 2025.

Syria attends Brazil’s COP30 as most Middle East leaders skip talks

Two years after the UAE and Egypt hosted back-to-back climate conferences, global headwinds are threatening climate action as talks begin in Belem amid notable absences.

United Arab Emirates

DAMASCUS, SYRIA - JULY 16: Members of Syria's civil defense work amid the aftermath of an Israeli airstrike on Syria's defence ministry headquarters on July 16, 2025 in Damascus, Syria. A spokesperson from the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed Wednesday that Israeli airstrikes have targeted the headquarters of Syria's defence ministry and a site near the presidential palace in Damascus. The strikes come amid an escalation in conflict between Syrian government forces and Druze militia in the southern Sy

Analysis

Sharaa in Washington: Can US charm offensive boost Syria’s reconstruction?

The trip signals strong support for the new Syrian government, as President Sharaa seeks the breakthroughs needed to end economic isolation and speed up reconstruction, while US sanctions continue to paralyze investment.

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

People sit listening as the Chairman and CEO of TotalEnergies Patrick Pouyanne speaks during the Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition & Conference in Abu Dhabi, on Nov. 3, 2025.

Egypt courts investors, signs new gas deals at Abu Dhabi ADIPEC summit

Minister Karim Badawi met with executives from companies including Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund Mubadala, UAE state energy holding company TAQA, US conglomerate Halliburton and British Petroleum.

UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves, right, and Qatari Finance Minister Ali bin Ahmed al-Kuwari arrive at the Future Investment Initiative in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Oct. 28, 2025.

Analysis

UK chases elusive GCC trade deal that could boost exports, economic links

A new charm offensive at Saudi Arabia's flagship investment conference has fueled optimism that a UK-GCC trade pact, under negotiation since 2022, could soon be completed.

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

Ezra Acayan/Getty Images

Oil prices fall for 3rd straight month as Saudi-led OPEC+ weighs more cuts

The falling oil prices are being driven further down by China’s slowdown and are affecting Saudi Arabia’s diversification plans.

FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP via Getty Images

Billion-dollar AI, clean energy deals headline Saudi 'Davos in the Desert'

Humain, an AI firm backed by the Saudi sovereign wealth fund, the PIF, signed a $3 billion deal with AirTrunk, a company backed by US asset manager Blackstone, to build a data center campus in the kingdom.