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

Saudi Arabia cover image

Saudi Arabia

November 12, 2026

Riyadh 11:12 am

16°C

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 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.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (R) and his counterpart from Bahrain Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa enter a hall during a meeting in Moscow, Russia, December 16, 2015. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov - RTX1YW9C

Can Bahrain count on Moscow to fill Washington’s shoes?

As Bahrain seeks closer ties with Russia, other Arab countries have their doubts about the relationship, yet they recognize Moscow’s growing role in the region amid Washington’s receding influence.

Supporters hold posters of Bahrain's leading Shi'ite cleric Isa Qassim during a sit-in outside his home in the village of Diraz west of Manama, Bahrain June 21, 2016. REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY - RTX2HIPR

Khamenei says Iran has not intervened in Bahrain

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said that Iran has not intervened in Bahrain and encouraged the island state's leaders to act wisely in order to not turn a political conflict into a civil war.

A picture taken on April 21, 2016 shows US President Barack Obama (C-L) attending a meeting with Saudi King Salman (C) and Saudi Defence Minister and Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (C-R) during the US-Gulf Cooperation Council Summit in Riyadh, on April 21, 2016.
During a meeting with Gulf leaders in Saudi Arabia Obama said that "No country has an interest in 'conflict' with Iran".

/ AFP / Jim Watson (Photo credit should read JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty Images)

Will IS attacks bring about change in Saudi foreign policy?

The three attacks across Saudi Arabia on July 4 revived dark memories of al-Qaeda's campaign of terror in the mid-2000s.

General view of security personnel in front of a mosque as police stage a second controlled explosion, after a suicide bomber was killed and two other people wounded in a blast near the U.S. consulate in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, in this still frame taken from video July 4, 2016. REUTERS/REUTERS TV TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY - RTX2JKFT

What wave of suicide attacks means for Riyadh's anti-terror efforts

July 4 saw three consecutive attacks against Saudi Arabia, suggesting an infrastructure of terrorism has developed inside the kingdom that authorities must confront.

(L-R) Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, Saudi King Salman, and Saudi Arabia's Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman stand together as Saudi Arabia's cabinet agrees to implement a broad reform plan known as Vision 2030 in Riyadh, April 25, 2016. To match Insight SAUDI-PLAN/PRINCE Saudi Press Agency/Handout/File Photo via REUTERS. ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVE. - RTX2CU2M

Who’s next in line for Saudi throne? Don’t ask

Speculating about Saudi royal succession can result in confusion — and jail time.

Palestinian members of al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of the Hamas movement, pray before a military parade marking the 27th anniversary of Hamas' founding, in Gaza City December 14, 2014. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem (GAZA - Tags: POLITICS MILITARY ANNIVERSARY RELIGION) - RTR4HY0R

Why Hamas resumed ties with Iran

In light of its worsening financial crisis and need for military support, Hamas has resumed relations with Tehran, which have been strained since the start of the Syrian revolution.

Shi'ite Bahraini men sit on a wall with graffiti that reads ''People want self-determination", as they attend a rally held by the Wefaq opposition party, in the village of Boori, south of Manama, October 14, 2011, to mark the 8-month anniversary of the February 14 uprising. REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed (BAHRAIN - Tags: CIVIL UNREST POLITICS) - RTR2SO9O

What Bahrain’s opposition crackdown means for country’s Brotherhood

Manama’s exclusion of popular political groups from Bahrain’s political scene, accompanied by a wide crackdown on opposition figures, could lead to militancy gaining broader power and appeal in the Shiite opposition.

Lawyer and former presidential candidate Khaled Ali (2nd L) leaves a hearing for a lawsuit filed against the government to stop the transfer of two Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia, at the State Court in Cairo, Egypt May 17, 2016. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh - RTSENLX

Why an Egyptian court is challenging Sisi on islands handover

Egypt’s decision to transfer ownership of two Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia sparked public outrage, now a Cairo court has taken a stance on the issue.

Why this Ramadan TV comedy inflames, yet entertains

The second season of the Saudi show "Selfie" is winning popular praise but riling up critics during the particularly sensitive holy month.

Is Mohammed bin Salman gaining upper hand in Saudi Arabia?

Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed's visit to Washington this month has some observers believing he might be the man behind all the major decisions in Saudi Arabia.

Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al Thani attends the opening meeting of the Arab Summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, in the South Sinai governorate, south of Cairo, March 28, 2015. Arab League heads of state are holding a two-day summit to discuss a range of conflicts in the region, including Yemen and Libya, as well as the threat posed by Islamic State militants. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh - RTR4V93X

Can Saudis ease Egypt-Qatar tension after Al Jazeera death sentences?

Saudis want to bridge the divide between Qatar and Egypt so that its Sunni coalition can focus on Iran.