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

Saudi Arabia cover image

Saudi Arabia

June 29, 2026

Riyadh 4:05 pm

42°C

A student attends a training seminar at the Tourism Ministry Training center in the city of Riyadh on August 30, 2022.

Interview

Saudi labor localization will take ‘generation or two': Armada CEO

Around 70% of Saudi Arabia's population is 35 years old or younger, according to the kingdom’s General Authority for Statistics, providing ample opportunity for an educated and technology-savvy national workforce in the coming decades.

Olivier Badard

CEO of Armada Holding

FADEL SENNA/AFP via Getty Images

Explainer

Gulf states push incentives for investors, expats after war dents image

Several Gulf states are working to recover their images as global havens of stability in the wake of the Iran war.

United Arab Emirates

French Trade & Invest Commissioner for United Arab Emirates and Middle East and Business France's regional director for the Middle East Axel Baroux. — Business France

Interview

Franco-Gulf investment holds firm despite Iran war, French official says

French investors are reallocating capital toward strategic sectors such as artificial intelligence and technology rather than pulling out of the region altogether.

Axel Baroux

France’s trade and investment commissioner for the UAE and Middle East

Latest News

Saudi Aramco's VC arm sees boom in emerging technologies, retail

FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP via Getty Images

Who is Fahd Al-Dosari, Saudi Arabia’s new ambassador to Lebanon?

Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji meets with Fahd bin Abdulrahman bin Hathloul Al-Dosari, the new Saudi ambassador to Lebanon, in Beirut on June 17, 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 Arabia's Vice Minister of Defense Prince Khalid bin Salman.

Analysis

Lawmakers question Khashoggi Ban as Saudi prince visits US

Reps. Tom Malinowski (D-N.J.) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Penn.) want to know whether Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman is subject to the visa denial policy known as the "Khashoggi Ban."

Elizabeth Hagedorn

By Elizabeth Hagedorn

In Washington, DC, reporting on diplomacy, regional politics, human rights

Former President Bill Clinton, right, and Greg Norman of Australia line up a putt.

Culture

Golf legend Greg Norman describes 'cultural change' in Saudi Arabia

The Australian golfer, who now heads a Saudi-funded golf league, said he does not answer to the Saudi government and condemned the murder of Jamal Khashoggi in a recent interview.

GIUSEPPE CACACE/AFP via Getty Images

Explainer: Oman may follow as most Gulf central banks raise rates

Inflation in the Gulf has not been as severe as in other parts of the region.

Lee Westwood

Culture

Saudi-funded golf league gains momentum as stars join project

The Super Golf League offers significant financial incentives to players, and is aiming to compete against the dominant PGA Tour, but has been the subject of controversy due to Saudi Arabia’s human rights record.

MICHAEL TEWELDE/AFP via Getty Images

Saudi authorities bust 45 tons of smuggled khat

Use of the plant is widespread in Saudi Arabia, where a major drug war is taking place.

A Saudi man browses through Twitter on his desktop, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Jan. 30, 2013.

Analysis

US praises Saudi progress on intellectual property, notes issues in Egypt, Turkey

The Office of the US Trade Representative said that pharmaceutical product inspection in Turkey and illegal streaming in Egypt are key issues.

Adam Lucente

By Adam Lucente

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

Elon Musk gestures as he speaks during a press conference at SpaceX's Starbase facility near Boca Chica Village in South Texas on Feb. 10, 2022.

Saudi Arabia, Turkey react to Elon Musk's Twitter takeover

Musk’s purchase of the social media giant is being heavily discussed in Saudi Arabia and Turkey, where the billionaire has a complicated history with both governments.

Hasbulla Magomedov

Culture

Russian social media star Hasbulla performs umrah pilgrimage in Mecca

Hasbulla Magomedov has been spending considerable time in the Gulf recently, taking time from his rivalry with UAE-based singer Abdu Rozik to visit Mecca.

An electronic sign on a building shows the price of Brent crude oil in Hong Kong, March 9, 2022.

Brent crude falls nearly 10%, OPEC basket drops slightly

Saudi Arabia has acted to keep prices high recently against the wishes of the US.

Officers of the Directorate of Narcotics Control of Saudi Arabia's Interior Ministry sort through tablets of captagon.

Another Captagon bust in Saudi Arabia as drug war continues

The discovery of more than 3 million pills of the drug in Dammam on the Persian Gulf is at least the fourth bust in Saudi Arabia this year.

H.M. King Abdullah II of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.

Saudi Arabia sends $50 million to Jordan for budget as economy falters

The Jordanian government is working to close tax loopholes and increase its revenue collection amid its economic struggle.

FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP via Getty Images

Robots to help Muslim pilgrims at holy sites in Saudi Arabia

The robots will explain prayer rituals in Mecca and Medina in multiple languages, according to Saudi religious authorities.