Tag: saudi

US and Saudi Arabia clash in public over oil cut, Russia

by Aurélia End  Agence France-Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The United States and Saudi Arabia traded bitter barbs Thursday over last week’s OPEC+ oil output cut, with Washington accusing Riyadh of knowingly boosting Russian interests. The Saudi-led OPEC+ cartel — which includes Russia — angered Washington by cutting production by two million barrels a day from November, adding further pressure on soaring crude prices. Saudi Arabia issued a rare press release on Thursday expressing […]

Continue Reading →

Saudi Arabia’s crown prince named prime minister

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia | AFP | by Robbie Corey-Boulet Saudi Arabia’s Mohammed bin Salman, who was named prime minister late on Tuesday, has shaken up the ultraconservative oil titan with economic, social and religious reforms since his meteoric rise to power. The 37-year-old de facto ruler has overseen the most fundamental transformation in the modern history of the Gulf nation and sidelined all rivals after he became crown prince in June 2017. But he has […]

Continue Reading →

As Ukraine war grinds on, Saudi influence grows

by Robbie COREY-BOULET and Haitham EL-TABEI Agence France-Presse RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AFP) — Saudi Arabia’s unexpected role in brokering the release of foreign fighters detained in Ukraine was just the latest example of how the kingdom is seeking to bolster its international standing, diplomats and analysts say. It also enables Riyadh to argue that preserving ties with Moscow -– a source of tension with Washington, especially since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine -– can be a […]

Continue Reading →

10 POWs from US, other countries transferred from Russia to Saudi: statement

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AFP) — Ten prisoners of war from countries including the United States and Britain have been transferred to Saudi Arabia as part of an exchange between Russia and Ukraine, the Saudi foreign ministry said Wednesday. The prisoners, who also hail from Sweden, Morocco and Croatia, arrived in Saudi Arabia from Russia, and Saudi authorities “are facilitating procedures for their safe return to their respective countries”, the statement said. The move came following […]

Continue Reading →

Sweltering Saudis escape to mountainous ‘City of Fog’

  by Haitham EL-TABEI Agence France-Presse AL-NAMAS, Saudi Arabia (AFP) — As Saudi Arabia swelters in sizzling desert temperatures, some are escaping to the “City of Fog” — a mountainous oasis of cool where warm clothing is needed even in summer. Sitting with friends on a picnic blanket, under light rain and a thick, swirling mist in Al-Namas, Abdullah Al-Enizi wears a body-warmer over his traditional white robes to guard against the chill. The retreat, […]

Continue Reading →

US OKs $5 bn sale of missile defense systems to Saudi, UAE

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The United States announced Tuesday the sale of major missile defense systems to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates worth more than $5 billion. The approval was announced two weeks after US President Joe Biden met leaders of the two countries in Saudi Arabia on a trip seen as crucial to strengthen frayed relations with them, and as both nations perceive a heightened threat from Iran. The State Department […]

Continue Reading →

Saudi Arabia welcomes announcement on Zawahiri killing

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AFP) — Saudi Arabia welcomed the US announcement that Al-Qaeda head Ayman al-Zawahiri had been killed, the foreign ministry said Tuesday. “The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia welcomed the announcement by US President Joe Biden of the targeting and killing of the terrorist leader of Al-Qaeda Ayman Al-Zawahiri,” it said. The statement came shortly after Biden announced that the United States had killed Zawahiri, one of the world’s most-wanted terrorists and a mastermind […]

Continue Reading →

Saudi prince to sign deal for ‘cheaper energy’ in Greece

by Helene COLLIOPOULOU with Robbie COREY-BOULET in Riyadh Agence France-Presse ATHENS, Greece (AFP) — Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman announced upcoming bilateral projects on a visit to Greece Tuesday, including for a power cable between both countries to provide Europe with “cheaper renewable energy”. Prince Mohammed landed in Greece on Tuesday on his first Europe trip since the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, and is set to head to France later in the […]

Continue Reading →

The Red Sea islands caught between Egypt, Saudi and Israel

CAIRO, Egypt (AFP) — As US President Joe Biden visits the Middle East this week, one issue on the table will be the status of two small Red Sea islands that are uninhabited but of key strategic value. Resolving the tricky status that stems from their location and turbulent history would help build trust between Israel and Saudi Arabia, two US allies now taking gradual steps that Washington hopes could one day lead to diplomatic […]

Continue Reading →

JUST IN: Saudi opens airspace to ‘all carriers’ in gesture to Israel

  by Robbie COREY-BOULET Agence France Presse Saudi Arabia announced Friday it was lifting restrictions on “all carriers” using its airspace, an apparent gesture of openness towards Israel ahead of US President Joe Biden’s arrival. It was the latest conciliatory move by Riyadh concerning the Jewish state, which it has refused to recognise despite intensive efforts by the Israelis to establish ties with Arab countries. The Saudi civil aviation authority “announces the decision to open […]

Continue Reading →

Biden to meet with Israeli leaders in Jerusalem on second day of Mideast tour

JERUSALEM, Undefined (AFP) — US President Joe Biden will hold bilateral talks on Thursday with Israeli officials in Jerusalem, where the two allies are expected to declare a “united stand” on common foe Iran. Biden touched down in Tel Aviv on Wednesday for the first Middle East tour of his presidency, which will see him meet Israeli and Palestinian leaders before flying onwards to Saudi Arabia. Tehran will top the agenda of talks slated for […]

Continue Reading →

Biden heads to Middle East for first tour as president

by Aurélia End and Ben Simon Agence France-Presse JERUSALEM, Undefined (AFP) — US President Joe Biden lands in the Middle East on Wednesday for a trip that will see Israeli leaders urge tougher action against Iran, before a delicate stop in Saudi Arabia. The 79-year-old president’s visit to Jeddah on Friday will be the focus of the tour, after Biden branded Saudi Arabia a “pariah” over the 2018 murder of dissident Saudi journalist and US […]

Continue Reading →
1 2 3 4 5 6 … 19