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

Saudi Arabia cover image

Saudi Arabia

July 12, 2026

Riyadh 8:39 pm

35°C

A man crosses a street while returning home from work, in Dubai on June 23, 2026. (Photo by FADEL SENNA / AFP via Getty Images)

Analysis

Saudi-UAE payment blocks could imperil billions in trade: What to know

Delayed bank transfers from Saudi Arabia to accounts in the United Arab Emirates could suggest the rivalry between the region's largest economies is entering a new financial phase.

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

Canada's Mark Carney (L) and Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (R) met on the heels of the NATO summit in Riyadh on July 9, 2026.

Analysis

Carney bets on Saudi Arabia to help reduce dependence on US: What to know

Canada is seeking to diversify away from the United States, with Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states offering key energy and industrial benefits.

Adam Lucente

By Adam Lucente

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

Igor IVANKO / AFP via Getty Images

How Iran war could impact oil markets in 2027

The International Energy Agency forecasts global oil supply will exceed demand by 4.62 million barrels per day in 2027.

Oil tankers and cargo vessels are anchored off the coast of Oman after being stranded for days as congestion at Port Sultan Qaboos has prevented them from docking on June 23, 2026 in Muscat, Oman. The Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping route for the region's oil and gas, was effectively blockaded since the outbreak of war between the United States and Iran in late February. This week's provisional peace deal between the countries was meant to reopen the waterway to shipping traffic, but the pace of that reo

Oil prices ease as OPEC+ increases production, Hormuz traffic rebounds

Brent crude, the international benchmark, fell 0.15% to $71.87 a barrel as of 8:07 a.m. EDT after dropping as low as $71.09 earlier in the session, its lowest level since before the US-Israel-Iran war began on Feb. 28.

Latest News

Analysis

How Iran war shaped divergent paths to security among GCC states

A man walks past the flags of the countries attending the Gulf Cooperation Council summit at Bayan palace in Kuwait City on Dec. 5, 2017.

Sabena Siddiqui

By Sabena Siddiqui

In Karachi, reporting on South Asia, Middle East, Iran

Syria launches gas project with Saudi firm in latest Gulf energy partnership

Oil drilling near Dakhiliyah in the desert region of Hasakah, Syria, Jan. 25, 2026.

Oil falls below $71 as US-Iran talks continue, Gulf exports rebound

Crude oil tankers, bulk carriers and vessels sit anchored around Qaboos Port on June 22, 2026, in Muscat, Oman.

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

What Saudi Arabia can offer Israel

The unofficial visit by a retired Saudi general to Israel was a quiet overture that indicated Riyadh is willing to explore normalization with Israel in return for advancing the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative.

NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 02: Founder and trustee of the King Faisal Foundation as well as the Chairman of the King Faisal Centre for Research and Islamic Studies HRH Prince Turki Al-Faisal speaks on stage during the 2015 Concordia Summit at Grand Hyatt New York on October 2, 2015 in New York City. (Photo by Leigh Vogel/Getty Images for Concordia Summit)

Is Saudi Arabia really seeking regime change in Iran?

While Iran has strongly reacted to former Saudi spy chief Turki bin Faisal Al Saud’s appearance at the MEK’s annual conference, Iranian observers merely see the Saudi move as bringing a longstanding hidden agenda out in the open.

Customers use computers at an internet cafe in Tehran May 9, 2011. Websites like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and countless others were banned shortly after the re-election of Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and the huge street protests that followed. Seen by the government as part of a "soft war" waged by the enemies of the Islamic Republic, social networking and picture sharing sites were a vital communication tool for the anti-Ahmadinejad opposition -- more than a year before they played a similar rol

Is Iran its own worst enemy in Twitter war with Saudi Arabia?

In response to anti-Iranian hashtags generated by Saudi Arabian Twitter users, Iranians are calling for authorities to remove the block on the social media site.

Iranian Revolutionary Guards commander Brigadier General Mohammad Ali Jafari holds a press conference in Tehran on September 16, 2012. Jafari said members of his elite special operations unit, the Quds Force, are present in Syria and Lebanon but only to provide "counsel." AFP PHOTO/ATTA KENARE (Photo credit should read ATTA KENARE/AFP/GettyImages)

IRGC head calls House of Saud 'clear enemy' of Iran

As tensions continue to simmer, the head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has said in a speech that Saudi Arabia is now one of Iran's "clear enemies" and accused the Saudis of trying to spread instability in the country.

Soldiers pass by the new makeshift memorial in tribute to the victims of the deadly Bastille Day attack at the Promenade des Anglais on July 19, 2016 in Nice, after it was moved from the pavement of the road to the seafront so that the street can be re-opened.
The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the truck attack that killed 84 people in Nice on France's national holiday, a news service affiliated with the jihadists said on July 16. Tunisian Mohamed Lahouaiej-Bouhlel, 31, smashed a 19-tonne tr

How Nice attack brought together rival Iranian factions

The terrorist attack in Nice draws condemnation in Iran, but also cross-factional criticism of the French government for hosting the exiled Iranian opposition group MEK.

Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a news conference at the Presidential Palace in Ankara, Turkey in this December 1, 2014 file photo. Putin signed a decree imposing economic sanctions against Turkey on Saturday, four days after Turkey shot down a Russian warplane near the Syrian-Turkish border. REUTERS/Umit Bektas/Files - RTX1W9MO

Will failed coup push Erdogan toward Iran, Russia?

The foiled coup in Turkey could lay the groundwork for closer ties with Russia and Iran, resulting in a Turkish turnabout in Syria.

A poster with an image of a soldier lies on his grave after he was killed by al Qaeda militants in the Wadi Hadramout region in northeastern Yemen, at a military cemetery in Sanaa August 10, 2014. An al Qaeda-affiliated group in Yemen said it killed 14 soldiers in an eastern province as revenge for an army offensive against its members, while a U.S. drone attack killed three suspected militants in central Yemen on Saturday, an official said. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah (YEMEN - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST MILIT

What is the real challenge for Yemen's Hadrami Elite forces?

After Yemeni government forces took over Hadramaut governorate, which was under the AQAP’s control, the Hadrami Elite’s main challenge is to keep the Islamic State away from the governorate.

Members of the Iranian Army march past President Hassan Rouhani (C top) and military commanders during a parade marking the anniversary of the Iran-Iraq war (1980-88), in Tehran September 22, 2015. REUTERS/Raheb Homavandi/TIMA ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS PICTURE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. REUTERS IS UNABLE TO INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THE AUTHENTICITY, CONTENT, LOCATION OR DATE OF THIS IMAGE. FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NOT FOR SALE FOR MARKETING OR ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS. NO THIRD PARTY SALES. NOT FOR USE BY REUTER

Why Iran needs to fight Saudi Arabia to forge peace

Despite all the challenges it poses for Iran, Saudi Arabia’s regional policy and strategic behavior is still not perceived as a threat in Tehran — but could failing to respond be a mistake?

Prince Turki al-Faisal al-Saud of Saudi Arabia attends a plenary session at the 1st World Policy Conference in Evian October 6, 2008. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse (FRANCE) - RTX995U

Saudi Arabia's Faisal: Iran is breeding chaos through Hamas

Hamas tries to explain away Saudi Arabia's harsh words for the organization, as alliances appear to be shifting in the Middle East.

An overview of the parliament during a debate about the government's resignation caused by a crisis over budget cuts in The Hague April 24, 2012. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said his country faced a crisis and asked parliament to push through budget cuts after his government lost the support of its main political ally and tendered its resignation. REUTERS/Paul Vreeker/United Photos (NETHERLANDS - Tags: POLITICS BUSINESS) - RTR315IQ

EU lawmakers warn Congress against Saudi terrorism bill

The Dutch parliament registered its opposition ahead of a July 14 hearing on the issue.

A boy sits next to food supplies he received from a local charity in Sanaa, Yemen, June 23, 2016. REUTERS/Mohamed al-Sayaghi - RTX2HU73

Slow response to Yemen’s crisis points to government incompetence

As Yemen is facing its worst humanitarian and economic crisis in its modern history, the Saudi-led coalition needs to step up and restore security in the liberated areas by eliminating militias.

Saudi Arabia's Prince Turki al-Faisal looks on during the National Council of Resistance of Iran (CNRI) annual meeting on July 9, 2016, in Le Bourget, near Paris.
The National Council of Resistance of Iran (CNRI) drew up a statement on July 9 declaring "failure" one year after the historic Iranian nuclear program agreement, saying the country had been pushed into recession, while isolating itself from its neighbors. / AFP / ALAIN JOCARD (Photo credit should read ALAIN JOCARD/AFP/Getty Images)

Saudi prince's endorsement of MEK angers Iranian officials

Prince Turki bin Faisal Al Saud’s attendance at the annual meeting of the People’s Mujahedeen of Iran has angered Iranian officials and media.