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Saudi Arabia

February 20, 2026

Riyadh 10:39 am

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Outbound passengers arrive with their luggage at the Emirates check-in counter at the Iranian capital Tehran's Imam Khomeini International Airport, on July 17, 2020.

Airlines cancel flights amid fears of US military action in Iran: What to know

Arrivals at Tehran's airport this week mainly indicated Iranian and Middle Eastern airlines were flying to the Persian country amid heightened tensions with Washington.

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, US President Donald Trump's nominee to be ambassador to Israel, testifies during his Senate Foreign Relations Committee confirmation hearing at the Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington, March 25, 2025.

Interview

Huckabee confirms US-Israel alignment on Iran, says Hamas will disarm 'sooner or later'

US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee told Al-Monitor in an interview that the 2025 strike on Iranian nuclear sites was only a preview of what the US military is capable of.

FADEL SENNA/AFP via Getty Images

Unfazed by Saudi pressure, UAE unveils solar investment in Somaliland

The UAE also has other significant investments in Somaliland, including around $442 million in funding from logistics company DP World to modernize the port of Berbera.

United Arab Emirates

Latest News

UAE’s MBZ appears with Lindsey Graham, dismissing health rumors

UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan today received Lindsey Graham, member of the US Senate. During the meeting at Qasr Al Shati in Abu Dhabi,

United Arab Emirates

Saudi-UAE rift complicates Israel's counter-Iran efforts, normalization

This photograph taken on Jan. 20, 2026, organized by the Saudi-backed Yemeni government, shows Saudi-backed Yemeni forces in the city of Mukalla in Yemen's coastal southern Hadhramaut province.

Analysis

Turkey courts Saudi Arabia on Kaan, but stealth fighter deal faces hurdles

Photo of a waving Turkish flag in the sky with a jet flyover behind, and a crowd below holding flags, captured on Izmir's liberation anniversary.

Barin Kayaoglu

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

Analysis

What’s behind Saudi outreach to Ethiopia amid UAE rift?

Ethiopian Prime Ministry

By Rosaleen Carroll

In Washington, DC, US, reporting on the Middle East

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

Brandon Bell/Getty Images

OPEC+ moves up meeting as oil prices continue to drop: What to know

Saudi Arabia has signaled it is willing to live with lower oil prices as US President Donald Trump calls for more production.

FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP via Getty Images

China JV wins $1.13 billion contract to relocate Saudi university facilities

The KSU deal marks the latest in a series of large contracts awarded by the Diriyah Company, which is overseeing the city project.

FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP via Getty Images

Saudi Arabia, Israel, Turkey rank in top 20 global military spenders: What to know

Regional military spending saw a significant increase in 2024, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, amid conflicts in Israel, Gaza and Lebanon, though it found that Europe drove the overall hike in global expenditures.

This picture shows a poster depicting King Abdulaziz bin Saud (L), the founder of the modern kingdom of Saudi Arabia, King Salman bin Abdulaziz (C), and Crown Prince Mohammed in Riyadh on April 16, 2023.

China’s Sinopec, Saudi Aramco to establish $4B energy venture: What to know

The joint venture will engage in port operations, crude oil transportation and other activities at the refinery and petrochemical complex in the Gulei Port Economic Development Zone in Zhangzhou, in China's Fujian province.

An aerial view shows the Halwaniya neighborhood in Aleppo, Syria on Apr. 12, 2025.

Qatar, Saudi Arabia to pay off Syria’s $15M World Bank debt: What to know

Both Gulf states have played a key role in the diplomatic outreach of Syria's new government.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (R) meets Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Al Salam Royal Palace, Jeddah, April 22, 2025.

Analysis

Can Modi leverage Saudi-China ties to reshape India’s global standing?

The Saudi "pivot to the east" requires a careful balancing act to avoid antagonizing the United States and damaging ties with China.

Sabena Siddiqui

By Sabena Siddiqui

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

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (L) and French President Emmanuel Macron take part in a joint press conference at the Elysee Presidential Palace in Paris on July 20, 2022. (Photo by Ludovic MARIN / POOL / AFP) (Photo by LUDOVIC MARIN/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Analysis

Macron’s Palestine gamble: Can recognition plan jump-start peace talks?

French President Emmanuel Macron said he may recognize a Palestinian state in June when he will cohost a peace summit with Saudi Arabia, but has not committed to such a move.

Rina Bassist

By Rina Bassist

In Paris, reporting on Israeli politics and European affairs

LEESBURG, VIRGINIA - APRIL 24: U.S. President Donald Trump arrives at Leesburg Executive Airport on April 24, 2025 in Leesburg, Virginia. Trump is attending the MAGA Inc. fundraiser dinner at Trump National Golf Club. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Trump willing to meet Iran's Khamenei but 'will be leading' war pack if no deal

In an interview with Time Magazine, President Donald Trump says he believes a deal with Iran can be reached via negotiations while expressing readiness for war in the event that it doesn't.

Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar face uneven 2025 growth as trade tensions rise: IMF

While Gulf economies face only the Trump administration’s baseline 10% tariffs, the levies have already impacted oil prices and revenue, especially for rentier states like Saudi Arabia.