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

Saudi Arabia cover image

Saudi Arabia

November 11, 2026

Riyadh 4:17 pm

17°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.

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

Analysis

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

The Saudi Fund for Development and Syria’s Finance Ministry recently inked more than $403 million in concessional loan agreements, fueling speculation that Damascus agreed to provide military support to Saudi Arabia in exchange for financial aid.

Amberin Zaman

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

Latest News

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

Turkey’s parliament ratifies Mecca pact in boost to Saudi Arabia

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addresses Turkish members of parliament during the opening of the parliamentary session at the Grand National Assembly of Turkey in Ankara, on Oct. 1, 2026.

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

A woman looks at an instructional sticker on a bank door, showing how to distinguish genuine yuan banknotes from counterfeits, in Beijing on Aug. 16, 2019.

What $6.9B China-Saudi currency swap means for Beijing’s efforts to globalize yuan

China’s increasing economic influence and the high price of the US dollar, which has increased amid increasing interest rates to tame inflation, have led some economies to switch to cheaper yuan-denominated transactions.

Saudi Finance Minister

Saudi Arabia to sign more than $500M in deals with African countries

Saudi Investment Minister Khalid Al-Falih said the kingdom’s sovereign wealth fund, the Public Investment Fund, will make some “game changing” investments in Africa.

Tourists and locals visit the Dubai Mall aquarium in downtown Dubai, January 2, 2019.

What the Gulf states new unified visa means for Saudi, UAE, other citizens

The new Schengen-like visa — allowing seamless travel between members Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates — will be introduced during 2024-25.

TikTok

Saudi campaign to boycott TikTok spreads to private sector

Many Saudis are calling for a boycott of the popular social media platform over it allegedly removing pro-Saudi content.

AFP via Getty Images

Saudi Arabia’s PIF in talks to inject $250M into Chinese car maker

The kingdom is looking to develop its electric vehicle market as its economy diversifies away from oil.

Saudi energy minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman

Oil prices rise after Saudi Arabia, Russia extend output cuts

The Kingdom has maintained its oil output cut of 1 million barrels per day since July in an attempt to stabilize the market and prop up prices amid weakened demand.

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin welcomes Saudi Defense Minister Khalid bin Salman to the Pentagon in Washington, DC, on November 1, 2023. (Photo by Mandel NGAN / AFP) (Photo by MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)

Saudi defense chief concludes US trip, seeks security assurances as Gaza rages

Prince Khalid bin Salman’s preplanned trip included meetings with top US officials. Saudi Arabia is concerned that the war between Israel and Hamas could hurt its interests.

QatarEnergy

Saudi Aramco, QatarEnergy, UAE’s Emirates among Fortune Arabia top 10

The list of 500 companies from 22 Arab countries posted around $1.6 trillion in revenues in 2022, yielding a net profit of $343 billion.

Riyadh

Saudi Arabia's oil cuts weigh heavy on economy, GDP tanks by 4.5%

The kingdom's economy shrunk by the most since the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 due to energy measures.

TABA, EGYPT: Beach resorts close to the Egyptian Taba Hilton (background-R) remain empty 11 October 2004, four days after three attacks targeted this well-known hotel in the Sinai peninsula next to the Israeli border and another two minor resorts, killing at least 32 people and causing the exodus of thousands of Israeli tourists from the area called the Egyptian Riviera. Israel's resort of Eilat, close to the border with Egypt, is set for a boom as thousands of Israelis who regularly holiday in Sinai look e

Tourism tipping point: Middle East travel boom delivering economic boost as Israel-Hamas war threatens recovery

The outbreak of fighting between Israel and Hamas in October 2023 has undercut a fledgling tourism rebound in the Holy Land after years of struggle.

Fans of Saudi Arabia pose with national flags on the stands ahead of the Qatar 2022 World Cup Group C football match between Saudi Arabia and Mexico at the Lusail Stadium in Lusail, north of Doha on Nov. 30, 2022.

Saudi Arabia set to host 2034 World Cup after Australia withdraws

The kingdom is heavily investing in soccer, golf, MMA and other sports across the world.

Saudi women

Saudi Arabia explores women’s buying power with 30% entering work force

To expand its own economy, Saudi Arabia is joining a global structural shift toward multiple-wage households as women move into more and more careers that used to be off-limits.