IOC and Saudi Arabia agree on 12-year deal for video gaming Esports Olympics
Saudi Arabia and the IOC are teaming up for their first commercial deal together with the oil-rich kingdom set to host the first Esports Olympics next year.
Ukrainian President Zelenskyy lands in Saudi Arabia to push for peace and a POW exchange with Russia
Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelenskyy has arrived to Saudi Arabia and met the kingdom’s powerful crown prince to push for a peace plan and the return of prisoners of war from Russia.
Messi's Inter Miami routed 6-0 by Al-Nassr in a friendly as Ronaldo watches from stands
What was billed as a potential final meeting between longtime rivals Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo didn’t materialize, but there was no doubt which of the superstars enjoyed Al-Nassr’s 6-0 rout of Inter Miami more.
Saudi registrants for COP28 included undeclared oil company employees, nonprofit says
At least 15 people who registered for Saudi Arabia’s delegation to the COP28 climate conference in Dubai appear to be undeclared employees of the Saudi state oil company, according to research by an environmental nonprofit.
Saudi Arabia says it will maintain production cuts that have helped drive oil prices up
Saudi Arabia says it will maintain a production cut of 1 million barrels of oil a day through the end of the year.
Saudi man receives death penalty for posts online, latest case in wide-ranging crackdown on dissent
A Saudi court has sentenced a man to death over his posts on X, formerly known as Twitter, and his activity on YouTube.
Iran's foreign minister visits Saudi Arabia's powerful crown prince as tensions between rivals ease
Iran’s foreign minister has met with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as part of his visit to the kingdom, a sign of how the two countries are trying to ease tensions after years of turmoil.
Ethiopia's declaring a state of emergency in its Amhara region as local fighters clash with military
Ethiopia’s Council of Ministers is declaring a state of emergency in the country’s Amhara region after authorities pleaded for help as clashes intensify between regional forces and the military.
Super League organizers set out 80-team competition idea
Organizers of the Super League project have presented a long-promised new proposal for a multi-division competition involving up to 80 European soccer teams and operating outside of UEFA's authority.
China's Xi visits Saudi Arabia to cement Gulf Arab ties
Chinese leader Xi Jinping has arrived in Saudi Arabia to attend meetings with oil-rich Gulf Arab nations crucial to his country’s energy supplies as Beijing tries to revive an economy battered by strict coronavirus measures.
DC trolls Saudi embassy by naming street Jamal Khashoggi Way
One month ahead of President Joe Biden’s trip to Saudi Arabia, the District of Columbia is renaming the street in front of the Saudi embassy Jamal Khashoggi Way, trolling Riyadh for its role in the killing of the dissident Saudi activist and journalist in 2018.
Lebanon seeks dialogue with Saudi Arabia despite new tension
Lebanon is seeking a dialogue with Saudi Arabia to resolve an unprecedented diplomatic rift over a Lebanese Cabinet minister’s comments, even as new reasons for tension emerged.
Saudi crown prince's investment forum draws back Westerners
Saudi Arabia’s annual investment forum has drawn over a thousand participants, with big-name U.S. financiers and business leaders back on the stage three years after many stayed away following international outcry over the killing of a government critic in a Saudi consulate.
Saudi Aramco facing $50M cyber extortion over leaked data
Saudi Arabia’s state oil giant says that leaked data from the company, files that are now apparently being used in a cyber-extortion attempt involving a $50 million ransom demand, likely came from one of its contractors.
Saudi Arabia offers cease-fire plan to Yemen rebels
On Monday, March 22, 2021, Saudi Arabia announced a plan to to offer Yemens Houthi rebels a cease-fire in the countrys yearslong war and allow a major airport to reopen in its capital. Saudi Arabia has drawn internationally criticism for airstrikes killing civilians and embargoes exacerbating hunger in a nation on the brink of famine. A unilaterally declared Saudi cease-fire collapsed last year. Saudi Arabia said the plan would be presented both to the Houthis and Yemen’s internationally recognized government later Monday. —-Associated Press writers Ahmed al-Haj in Sanaa, Yemen, Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations and Matthew Lee in Washington contributed.
Saudi oil giant Aramco reports 30% drop in payments to state
FILE - In this Dec. 11, 2019, file photo, Saudi Arabia's state-owned oil company Aramco and stock market officials celebrate the debut of Aramco's initial public offering on the Riyadh Stock Market, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Aramco paid the Saudi government 30% less in taxes in 2020, the company reported Monday, March 22, 2021, as the regions largest economy grapples with the pressures of the coronavirus pandemic and low oil prices. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil, File)DUBAI – Saudi Arabia’s state-backed oil giant Aramco paid the Saudi government 30% less in taxes in 2020, the company said in a financial report Monday, as the region’s largest economy reels from the fallout of the coronavirus pandemic and low oil prices. Even as Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s aggressively pushes to diversify the economy away from oil, Saudi Arabia relies on the energy sector for 80% of its exports and two-thirds of its financial revenues. The budget deficit has widened each year since oil prices dropped in 2014, prompting the government to borrow heavily and accelerate its shift away from oil largess.
US implicates Saudi crown prince in Khashoggi's killing
FILE - In this Sunday, Nov. 22, 2020, file photo, Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman attends a virtual G-20 summit held over video conferencing, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia's royal court says Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman underwent a successful surgery for appendicitis on Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2021, and left the hospital soon after the operation. The 35-year-old Prince Mohammed had laparoscopic surgery at the King Faisal Specialist Hospital in the Saudi capital of Riyadh in the morning. But the public rebuke of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is still a touchstone in U.S-Saudi relations. Saudi officials have said Khashoggi’s killing was the work of rogue Saudi security and intelligence officials.
UN asks Emirates for 'proof of life' for missing princess
FILE - In this file photo dated Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2019, Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates Sheikh Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum attends the 40th Gulf Cooperation Council Summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil, FILE)BERLIN – The U.N. human rights office said Friday that it has asked the United Arab Emirates for evidence that an Emirati princess held against her will for almost three years is still alive. “We requested more information and clarification about Sheikha Latifa’s current situation.”Ad“We did ask for proof of life,” she added. The 35-year-old princess is the daughter of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the hereditary ruler of Dubai who also serves as prime minister and vice president of the United Arab Emirates. Throssell stressed that it was standard practice for the U.N. human rights office to inquire about individual cases within its mandate.
Lawyer for missing Dubai princess urges UAE to release her
Sheikha Latifa was detained by commandos off the coast of India in 2018 after she tried to flee Dubai in a yacht. Sheikha Latifa, 35, hasn’t been heard from since she stopped responding to text messages six months ago, friends told the BBC. Dixon helped secure the release of a British researcher who was jailed in the UAE on spying charges in 2018. Sheikh Mohammed is the founder of the successful Godolphin horse-racing stable and is on friendly terms with Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II. Sheikh Mohammed and the Dubai royal court have said Latifa is safe in the loving care of her family.
G-20 summit opens as leaders urge united response to virus
While G-20 countries have contributed billions of dollars toward developing a vaccine for the virus, they have also mostly focused on securing their own vaccine supplies. Guterres called on more G-20 nations to join COVAX, an international initiative to distribute COVID-19 vaccines to countries worldwide. Three G-20 leaders participating in the summit have been infected by the coronavirus this year: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro and Trump. The International Labor Organization says an equivalent of 225 million full-time jobs were lost in G-20 countries alone in the third quarter of 2020. As part of the summit, seven leaders released video messages on “Pandemic Preparedness and Response”.
US judge: Saudi royals must answer questions in 9/11 lawsuit
FILE- In this June 4, 2008 file photo, Saudi Prince Bandar bin Sultan is seen at his palace in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. On Thursday, Sept. 10, 2020, a judge in New York ruled that Prince Bandar bin Sultan is among two members of Saudi Arabia's royal family who will have to answer questions about the Sept. 11 terror attacks, in what lawyers for victims call a turning point in a long-running lawsuit. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar, File)NEW YORK – Two members of Saudi Arabia's royal family will have to answer questions about the Sept. 11 attacks in what lawyers for victims call a turning point in a long-running lawsuit, a federal judge ruled. U.S. Magistrate Judge Sarah Netburn in a written ruling unsealed late Thursday ordered Saudi Arabia to make the royals — and other Saudi witnesses, including current and former government official — available for depositions. Michael Kellogg, an attorney for Saudi Arabia, declined to comment on Friday.
Saudi Arabia's King Salman admitted to hospital for tests
DUBAI Saudi Arabias King Salman has been admitted to a hospital in the capital, Riyadh, for medical tests due to inflammation of the gallbladder, the kingdoms Royal Court said Monday in a statement carried by the official Saudi Press Agency. King Salman has been in power since January 2015. He is considered the last Saudi monarch of his generation of brothers who have held power since the death of their father and founder of Saudi Arabia, King Abdulaziz. King Salman has empowered his 34-year-old son, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, as his successor. King Salman, who oversees Islam's holiest sites in Mecca and Medina, was crown prince under King Abdullah and served as defense minister.
Pilot reports malfunction when mechanic allegedly sabotaged flight
Any attack on Iran by the U.S. or Saudi Arabia will spark an "all-out war," Tehran's top diplomat warned Thursday, raising the stakes as Washington and Riyadh weigh a response to a drone-and-missile... Copyright 2019 by WPLG Local10.com - All rights reserved.
Iran envoy: All-out war' to result if hit for Saudi attack
Any attack on Iran by the U.S. or Saudi Arabia will spark an "all-out war," Tehran's top diplomat warned Thursday, raising the stakes as Washington and Riyadh weigh a response to a drone-and-missile... Copyright 2019 by WPLG Local10.com - All rights reserved.
Yemen's civil war within a civil war
Instead, factions within the coalition took arms against each other, killing dozens and threatening the alliance between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Is this a proxy war between the UAE and Saudi Arabia? Riyadh is the de facto center of Yemen's government, and Hadi and his ministers spend most of their time in Saudi Arabia. The UAE is at odds with Saudi Arabia over the Hadi government's inclusion of members of the Islah political party. This could be a wake up call to Saudi Arabia, the UAE and other parties that any sustainable solution requires addressing everyone's grievances.