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Saudi Arabia

November 12, 2026

Riyadh 7:52 am

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ankers are seen at the Khor Fakkan Container Terminal, the only natural deep-sea port in the region and one of the major container ports in the Sharjah Emirate, along the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway through which one-fifth of global oil output passes, on June 23, 2025.

Explainer

UAE selling Saudi oil highlights new Gulf energy realities

News surfaced on Nov. 10 that the UAE has reportedly marketed 1.87 million barrels of Saudi crude salvaged from a damaged supertanker for sale, marking an exceptional example of energy cooperation between Gulf rivals.

United Arab Emirates

ANDY BUCHANAN / AFP via Getty Images

GCC to build military command center in Kuwait as region simmers: What to know

GCC countries have stepped up their joint defense efforts with the announcement of a new forward command center to be headquartered in Kuwait, as tensions between Iran and the US continue to escalate.

Latest News

Analysis

Syria denies sending troops to fight Houthis in return for Saudi loans

Saudi Arabia's Deputy Foreign Minister Waleed el-Khereiji (R) speaks with Syria's interim foreign minister Asaad al-Shaibani

Amberin Zaman

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

Iraq, Saudi Arabia face attacks as Trump pursues Iran deal

Samuel Corum/Getty Images

Analysis

Gulf’s $3 trillion US investment drive faces post-midterm Trump reckoning

WASHINGTON, DC - NOVEMBER 18: Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia and U.S. President Donald Trump shake hands during a dinner in the East Room at the White House on November 18, 2025 in Washington, DC. Trump is hosting the Crown Prince for meetings aimed at strengthening economic and defense ties, including the U.S. sale of F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

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 Arabia's King Salman walks past Russian honour guards during a welcoming ceremony upon his arrival at Vnukovo airport outside Moscow, Russia October 4, 2017. REUTERS/Sergei Karpukhin - UP1EDA41BJO47

King Salman goes to Russia

King Salman's visit to Russia is the first by a Saudi monarch, but the trip may be long on style and short on substance.

Saudi driving decree first step in needed changes

The royal decree allowing women to drive in Saudi Arabia comes at a time when the country is facing increasing international pressure, especially over its war in Yemen.

Abdullah al-Rabeeah Head of the Saudi Arabia delegation attends the High-level Pledging Event for the Humanitarian Crisis in Yemen, at the United Nations, in Geneva, Switzerland April 25, 2017. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse - RC1B701C8BC0

Saudis tout humanitarian record in Yemen amid Washington backlash

Saudi Arabia’s top aid official is in the United States to convince lawmakers and the US aid agency that it has Yemenis’ best interests at heart.

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev (R) and his Lebanese counterpart Saad al-Hariri attend a signing ceremony outside Moscow, Russia September 12, 2017. Sputnik/Dmitry Astakhov/Pool via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. - UP1ED9C1AWH0N

Lebanon explores potential roles with Russia

As Russia works to put the finishing touches on Syrian civil war negotiations, representatives from many Mideast countries are showing up at Putin's door, including Lebanon, which has much to give and gain in the situation.

RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA - APRIL 19: Saudi Arabia's Deputy Crown Prince and Defense Minister Mohammed bin Salman (2nd L) takes his seat to meet with U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis and his delegation on April 19, 2017 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Jonathan Ernst - Pool/Getty Images)

Saudi Arabia stuck with self-inflicted wounds in battle with Iran

Policies driven by a narrow-minded focus on Iran have left Saudi Arabia with self-inflicted wounds, but it is not too late for a course correction.

Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa (R) speaks to British Prime Minister Theresa May (L) during the first Gulf Cooporative Council's (GCC) " GCC British Summit", in Sakhir Palace Bahrain, December 7, 2016. REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed - RC1FD09BAAF0

Bahrain goes public with shifting stance on Israel

The statement by Bahraini King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa condemning the Arab boycott on Israel publicly exposes the state’s change of attitude toward Israel and the ongoing contact between the two countries.

Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) and Prince Salman bin Abdul Aziz, Governor of Riyadh, hold swords on a visit to King Abdul Aziz Historical Centre in Riyadh February 12, 2007. REUTERS/Itar-Tass/PRESIDENTIAL PRESS SERVICE (SAUDI ARABIA) - GM1DUPEGXLAA

Russia sees Saudi Arabia as 'gatekeeper' to Mideast

Russian officials say Saudi Arabian King Salman bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud is coming to Moscow for a visit, but the kingdom has been playing coy, perhaps as a bargaining tactic.

How Russia views OPEC

The fate of Moscow’s participation in an agreement by OPEC and non-OPEC members to limit production is still unclear and, in spite of existing predictions, Russia may pull out of the deal after March 2018.

Trump, Netanyahu risk being party of two in opposition to Iran nuclear deal

US and Israeli leaders may find themselves, rather than Iran, isolated in questioning a solid international consensus on Iran, as attention turns to Syria.

Senior Iranian diplomat: US is serious about killing nuclear deal

The head of Iran’s Strategic Council on Foreign Relations warns that the US administration is serious in its efforts to kill the nuclear deal.

Saudi-Iranian rapprochement remains mirage

Despite talk of an impending rapprochement between Saudi Arabia and Iran, facts on the ground suggest that reconciliation is not yet on the horizon.

Egyptians make their way to Mecca by many means

Many Egyptians resort to illegal methods to perform hajj in Mecca, and the government funds thousands of others, putting a strain on the country's already strapped economy.