The troubled Middle East is about to have a new diplomatic player on the ground with the Kremlin announcing Russia President Vladimir Putin will on Wednesday travel to the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman made his debut at a BRICS event on Tuesday to address the ongoing Israeli self-defense operation against the jihadist terror group Hamas, expressing his “categorical rejection” of it and demanding a “Palestinian state … with East Jerusalem as its capital.”
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi visited Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, this weekend for a meeting of 57 Muslim world leaders to condemn Israel in response to its ongoing self-defense operation against the genocidal Hamas terrorist organization.
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) confirmed on Tuesday that the kingdom of Saudi Arabia would host the 2034 World Cup, outraging human rights activists who decried “sportswashing” by the country to improve its reputation despite abuse of its citizens.
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol told the Qatar News Agency that Seoul is seeking to expand defense cooperation with Qatar.
The governments of Saudi Arabia and South Korea published an extensive joint statement on Tuesday in which they addressed the ongoing aftermath of a barbaric massacre of civilians in Israel by the genocidal jihadist group Hamas, urging full protection for civilians in Israel and Hamas-controlled territories and “durable peace.”
A top South Korean official told reporters on Sunday that his government is in the “final stage” of an agreement to foster “large-scale defense industry cooperation” between Seoul and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman expressed his “commitment to supporting the Palestinian people’s legitimate rights” in separate conversations with Arab leaders on Tuesday, including Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas.
Saudi Arabia announced this weekend that its gross domestic product had crossed the threshold of $1 trillion for the first time in its history, a milestone reached with the aid of high global oil prices and heavy government investment in tourism and entertainment.
Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) told Fox News’ Bret Baier on Wednesday that he wants to see a “good life” for Palestinians, but did not mention a “Palestinian state” as a condition for peace with Israel.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia signed two contracts with Turkey’s Baykar corporation on Tuesday to acquire combat drones, the latest in a series of big sales for Baykar as the low cost and outstanding performance of its weapons in Ukraine pique the interest of governments around the world.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman boasted in an interview with the Discovery Channel this week that his flagship infrastructure project, the future city of Neom, will “compete with Miami” and help “create a new civilization for tomorrow.”
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman expressed support to Russian leader Vladimir Putin in a phone call on Tuesday following the bizarre events of this weekend, when the head of the Wagner mercenary group threatened to march into Moscow and take over the Defense Ministry.
The Chinese state newspaper Global Times proclaimed on Monday that China’s relationship with Saudi Arabia is in a “‘honeymoon’ period” following the deterioration of U.S.-Saudi relations under leftist President Joe Biden, citing the successful culmination of a Saudi-Chinese trade event this weekend reportedly resulting in $10 billion in deals.
Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman said he “ignore[s]” concerns about the growing friendship between his country and China.
The Washington Post on Thursday said it was in possession of a purportedly classified document, among the many such items exposed by “Discord Leaker” Jack Teixeira, that captured Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) expressing his extreme frustration with the Biden administration and vowing “major economic consequences for Washington.”
The shock announcement on Tuesday that golf’s elite PGA Tour would merge with its Saudi rival LIV Golf prompted a wave of outrage and concern that Saudi Arabia, one of the world’s most prolific human rights abusers, was succeeding in a quest to use sports to polish its public image.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Wednesday local time for the first of his major engagements in Saudi Arabia, reportedly discussing, among other issues, “progress on human rights” and “clean energy.”
Socialist Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro became the latest anti-American leader to forge ties with Saudi Arabia, receiving a warm welcome on Monday from Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Jeddah the day before American Secretary of State Antony Blinken is set to arrive there.
Saudi Arabia announced a million-barrel-per-day (bpd) oil production cut on Sunday that would begin in July, a policy change following a meeting of the OPEC+ oil cartel in which several members failed to meet their production quotas and one, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), announced a production increase.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky landed in Saudi Arabia on Friday for meetings with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and an address to the League of Arab States, holding its summit this weekend.
A panel of United Nations human rights experts published a letter this week condemning Saudi Arabia for sentencing multiple indigenous tribesmen to death on vague “terrorism” charges after opposing the displacement of their tribes from the country’s northwest, where Riyadh is planning the construction of an allegedly revolutionary “megacity.”
President Joe Biden issued a statement this weekend thanking Saudi Arabia for “critical” aid in evacuating the American embassy in Khartoum, Sudan – a rare expression of praise for a country Biden promised as a presidential candidate to turn into a “pariah” nation.
Genocidal Chinese dictator Xi Jinping reiterated his commitment to cooperation with Saudi Arabia in a phone call to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Tuesday, following multiple announcements from Saudi state oil company Aramco of major investments in China this weekend.
The Islamic dictatorship of Iran announced on Sunday that it had received a formal invite for President Ebrahim Raisi to visit Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from that nation’s King Salman.
As the world takes to the skies in the wake of three years of coronavirus upset, Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is looking to capitalise on the return to growth of the international travel industry.
South African officials confirmed last week that the BRICS coalition – South Africa, China, India, Russia, and Brazil – are actively considering expanding membership, a proposal that would potentially force arch-rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran into an alliance.
Former CIA Director John Brennan said Tuesday on MSNBC’s “Deadline” that former President Donald Trump’s relationship with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman raised “legitimate questions” about foreign interference in U.S. elections.
A study published this week by two human rights organizations found that executions in Saudi Arabia rose a prodigious 82 percent between 2015, the year King Salman came to power, and 2022.
Reports circulating this week that Visit Saudi, the official tourism board of Saudi Arabia, would sponsor the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup prompted an eruption of outrage in the soccer world and a loud protest on Wednesday by host nations Australia and New Zealand that they were not involved in the approval process.
Saudi Arabian Finance Minister Mohammed al-Jadaan said on Tuesday that his government is willing to consider alternatives to the U.S. dollar for international trade.
Saudi Arabia’s state oil company Aramco announced on Sunday that it has signed a deal with Chinese analog China Petroleum and Chemical Corporation (Sinopec) to build an oil refinery in southeast Fujian province, helping secure a stable and affordable supply of gasoline and other fuels in China.
The governments of Saudi Arabia and China published a lengthy joint statement on Friday detailing the topics of discussion between King Salman and visiting Chinese dictator Xi Jinping that revealed an agreement “welcoming” Saudi involvement in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, commonly referred to by his initials, MBS, welcomed Chinese dictator Xi Jinping to Riyadh with a gregarious handshake and lavish ceremony featuring a 21-gun salute, a royal band performance, and jets painting the sky in the colors of the Chinese flag.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) and UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed issued a statement taking credit on Thursday for allegedly negotiating the prisoner swap that released basketball player Brittney Griner and notorious Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, known as the “merchant of death.”
Chinese dictator Xi Jinping arrived in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Wednesday for a visit expected to result in nearly $30 billion in trade agreements with the Arab kingdom.
United Arab Emirates (UAE) President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan visited Qatar on Monday, meeting with the nation’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani and congratulating the country on hosting the FIFA World Cup, the world’s most prestigious soccer tournament.
The government of Saudi Arabia confirmed on Tuesday that Chinese dictator Xi Jinping will travel to the country to attend two summits from December 7 to 9, Xi’s third trip abroad since the pandemic and his furthest away from home.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) paid a brief, but extremely lucrative, visit to South Korea on November 16, signing about $75 billion worth of investment agreements in less than 24 hours.
Energy Security senior advisor Amos Hochstein said Tuesday on CNBC’s “Squawk Box” that President Joe Biden’s move to grant Saudi Arabia Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman legal immunity for his role in Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi’s murder was not a “quid pro quo” for lower oil prices.
