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Tag Archives: Saudi Arabia
For Iran, Saudi Détente Could Ease Strains Regionally and at Home
Long seen as a regional troublemaker and on the defensive from advances made by Israel, Iran sees the restoration of ties with its rival as a win for all sides, analysts say.
How the Saudi-Iran Pact Could Transform the Middle East
Both countries as well as the broader region have much to gain from the reset in relations — if the agreement truly holds.
China’s Role in Iran-Saudi Deal Shows Xi’s Challenge to U.S.-led Order
Brokering a rapprochement between the Middle Eastern rivals underscores the Chinese leader’s ambition of offering an alternative to a U.S.-led world order.
Iran-Saudi Pact Is Brokered by China, Leaving U.S. on Sidelines
The agreement negotiated in Beijing to restore relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran signaled at least a temporary reordering of the usual alliances and rivalries, with Washington left on the sidelines.
Saudi Deal With Iran Surprises Israel and Jolts Netanyahu
Israel had long hoped to isolate Iran and seal ties with Saudi Arabia. A thaw between Riyadh and Tehran has complicated that goal — and was perceived as politically damaging to the prime minister.
What to Know About the Iranian-Saudi Deal
The regional rivals have agreed to re-establish diplomatic ties in an agreement brokered by China that could reverberate across the Middle East and beyond.
Saudi Arabia and Iran Agree to Re-establish Ties in Major Regional Shift
The two regional rivals agreed to reactivate a lapsed security cooperation agreement as well as older trade, investment and cultural pacts.
Saudi Arabia Offers Its Price to Normalize Relations With Israel
The Saudi crown prince is seeking a civilian nuclear program and security assurances from President Biden, a steep price for an agreement long sought by Israel.
‘Equality of Injustice for All’: Saudi Arabia Expands Crackdown on Dissent
The kingdom’s courts are meting out harsher punishments than ever to citizens who criticize the government, with prosecutions built on Twitter posts ending in prison sentences of 15 to 45 years.
Wikipedia admin jailed for 32 years after alleged Saudi spy infiltration
Enlarge (credit: NurPhoto / Contributor | NurPhoto)
Whistleblowers have alleged that the Saudi Arabian government infiltrated the highest ranks of Wikipedia in order to control information about the country, activists reported yesterday. The alleged infiltration resulted in the 2020 arrests in Saudi Arabia of two Wikipedia administrators—Ziyad al-Sofiani (jailed for up to eight years) and Osama Khalid (jailed for up to 32 years)—for “swaying public opinion” and “violating public morals” by posting content “deemed to be critical about the persecution of political activists in the country.” Today, Wikimedia Foundation released a statement to Ars disputing the report, alleging that there was no “infiltration” and that Wikipedia admins have “no ranks.”
These conflicting statements follow an investigation concluded by the Wikimedia Foundation last month that resulted in the banning of 16 users for “conflict of interest editing on Wikipedia projects” in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. At the time, Wikimedia said, “We were able to confirm that a number of users with close connections with external parties were editing the platform in a coordinated fashion to advance the aim of those parties.”
According to a joint statement from US-based rights group Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN) and Beirut-based SMEX, sources close to Wikipedia and interviews with the jailed administrators confirmed that those “external parties” were “government agents acting as independent editors.” These government agents acted as spies for Saudi authorities, the activists alleged, identifying noncompliant administrators like those jailed for editing Wikipedia entries to include information that Saudi officials did not approve of.
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Ronaldo Is Said to Sign With a Saudi Team
The soccer superstar will be paid handsomely to play in the Middle East in the twilight of his career.
A Saudi Arabian Dairy Giant in Siphoning Off Arizona’s Groundwater
Arizona lawmakers must reform the state’s groundwater laws before it’s too late.
Confidential Records Show a Saudi Golf Tour Built on Far-Fetched Assumptions
McKinsey documents suggest the Saudi league is far off-track for success. Experts say the analysis shows it was never just about profits.
China to Cooperate With Gulf Nations on Nuclear Energy and Space, Xi Says
The Chinese president, Xi Jinping, says that he is eager to work with the Middle Eastern countries, longstanding U.S. allies, in a series of sensitive fields, including nuclear security and space exploration.
Chasing the U.S., China’s Leader Emerges From Diplomatic Isolation
Xi Jinping’s visit to Saudi Arabia highlights Beijing’s renewed bid to compete with Washington after years of preoccupation with the pandemic.
China and Saudi Arabia Sign Partnership Deal as Xi Visits MBS
The Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s trip to Saudi Arabia has been scant on details and heavy on ceremony. But it showcases the growing ties between Beijing and a longtime American ally.
US Court Dismisses Suit Against Saudi Crown Prince in Khashoggi Killing
The court followed the Biden administration’s guidance that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has immunity as a head of government in a case over the death of Jamal Khashoggi.
Xi Jinping of China to Visit Saudi Arabia for Regional Summits
Xi Jinping is expected to sign a flurry of contracts with the Saudis and other Gulf States, highlighting Beijing’s growing clout in the region when Washington has pulled away.
OPEC and Russia to Meet as Global Forces Weigh on Oil Market
As the West moves to intercede in oil trading, OPEC Plus, led by Saudi Arabia, is expected to protect its own interests.
Qatar’s World Cup Narrows Rift With Saudi Arabia
The Gulf neighbors were split for years in a bitter regional dispute. Now, the glare of attention provided by the soccer tournament is highlighting their complicated reunion.
A Saudi Win at the World Cup Rings Out Across the Arab World
Even the country’s de facto leader had downplayed expectations. After a win over Lionel Messi’s Argentina, one of the most shocking results in World Cup history, Wednesday will be a national holiday.
Saudi Arabia Stuns Lionel Messi and Argentina in World Cup’s First Shock
Argentina entered the tournament as one of the favorites in its star’s final chance at the trophy.
Inside the Saudi Strategy to Keep the World Hooked on Oil
The kingdom is working to keep fossil fuels at the center of the world economy for decades to come by lobbying, funding research and using its diplomatic muscle to obstruct climate action.
World Cup in Qatar Caps Big Gulf Push Into International Sports
In hosting major international sporting events, buying up soccer teams and even creating a golf league, the resource-rich Gulf States are seeking attention, prestige, economic diversification and political credibility.
US Backs Immunity for Saudi Leader in Lawsuit Over Khashoggi Murder
The State Department said Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the kingdom’s de facto ruler, should have legal immunity as the head of the Saudi government.
Documents Detail Foreign Government Spending at Trump Hotel
Six nations spent lavishly at the hotel during periods when they were seeking to influence the Trump administration, according to a breakdown released by the House Oversight Committee.
Saudi Aramco Reports $42 Billion in Profit as Cash Rolls In for Oil Giants
Bumper earnings from Aramco, the world’s largest oil company, and BP were, nonetheless, a slight decline on the previous quarter.
Saudi Aramco Reports $42 Billion in Profit as Cash Rolls In
The bumper earnings from the world’s largest oil company were, nonetheless, a slight decline on the previous quarter.
Russia Is Urged to Rejoin Grain Deal as Hunger Warnings Mount
Moscow dismissed accusations that it was using food as a weapon and said Ukraine was to blame for its decision to suspend an agreement that allowed for grain shipments.
LIV Golf Threw a Sport Into Chaos. It Also Changed It.
The Saudi-backed golf series, which will expand next year, has forced the PGA Tour to redesign its economic model. The drama between the two golf entities seems far from over.
Saudi Halloween: Once-Banned Holiday Now Haunted by Masked Monsters
Only a few years ago, a Halloween party meant arrest. Now, a government-sponsored “horror weekend” means sold-out costume shops and scary clowns. “Saudi is changing,” said a young man going as a wizard.
How Saudi Arabia’s Blowup With Biden Threatens Democrats in 2022
Democrats and administration officials are furious at the Saudis’ move to cut oil production, seeing it as an attempt to meddle in a U.S. election.
A Secret, Failed Oil Deal: How the U.S.-Saudi Relationship Ruptured
Ahead of President Biden’s trip to Saudi Arabia this summer, his administration thought it had secured pledges of increases in oil production throughout the year. The opposite happened.
Why OPEC Is Cutting Oil Production (and Why There’s Not Much the U.S. Can Do About It)
Washington sees OPEC Plus’s decision to cut oil production as support for Russia, but Saudi Arabia had legitimate economic reasons for pushing it.
U.S. Executives Are Flocking to Saudi Davos in the Desert
Some top American business leaders are headed to the Saudi business conference. But Biden administration officials, angry over the kingdom’s stance on oil production and ties with Russia, are staying away.
Why America Can’t Do Much About the OPEC Oil Cuts
Washington sees OPEC Plus’s decision to cut oil production as support for Russia, but Saudi Arabia had legitimate economic reasons for pushing it.
US citizen got 16 years in Saudi Arabian prison for tweets, his son says
A US citizen who traveled to Saudi Arabia to visit family reportedly received a 16-year prison sentence for posting tweets critical of the Saudi government. The sentence was imposed on 72-year-old Saad Ibrahim Almadi, according to his son, Ibrahim Almadi.
Ibrahim Almadi spoke to several news organizations about the sentence imposed on his father, who reportedly holds both US and Saudi citizenship and has lived in the US since the 1970s. He alleges that his father was tortured in Saudi prison and that the US State Department mishandled the case. The punishment is due to tweets that expressed “mild opinions about the government,” his son said.
President Biden “sold my father for oil,” Ibrahim Almadi told the New York Post. “Biden just cares about votes. He doesn’t care about my father, he doesn’t care about American citizens.” (Almadi also said he is a Democrat who voted for Biden.)
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Biden’s Ire Won’t Keep U.S. Executives From Big Saudi Summit
The president warned Saudi Arabia that it would face “consequences” over oil cuts. Many Americans still plan to attend its investor conference this month.
Saudi Arabia and U.S. Trade Accusations Over Oil Cuts
The kingdom said it had rejected the Biden administration’s urging for a one-month delay to the reduction in output. That could have prevented a price spike before the American midterm elections.
Biden to ‘Re-Evaluate’ Relationship With Saudi Arabia After Oil Production Cut
Angered by the kingdom’s decision to team up with Russia to slash petroleum output, the president signaled openness to retaliatory measures proposed in Congress, including a halt to arms sales and a new antitrust measure.
From Moscow to Tehran, a Crisis of Illiberalism
The liberal West is in trouble, but its rivals still aren’t ready to supplant it.
Biden’s Choice After OPEC Cuts: Woo Saudi Arabia, or Retaliate?
The announcement by the Saudi-led OPEC Plus energy cartel that it would slash oil production was widely seen in Washington as a stab in the back of President Biden.
OPEC Move Shows the Limits of Biden’s Fist-Bump Diplomacy With the Saudis
OPEC’s decision to curb oil production was a signal that President Biden’s influence over his Gulf allies was far less than he had hoped.
OPEC and Russia to Meet, With a Big Cut in Oil Output on the Table
Saudi Arabia appears determined to bolster prices and continue coordinating with Russia during the Ukraine war.
Saudi Arabia and Russia May Find Their Oil Pricing Power Limited
Reduced global demand may offset any supply cut by OPEC and its allies.
OPEC Plus Considering Major Production Cut to Prop Up Oil Prices
The oil producers group, which meets on Wednesday, is worried about declining demand in a slowing global economy. Prices have dropped by 25 percent since June.
Sundance Liked Her Documentary, ‘Jihad Rehab,’ Until Muslim Critics Didn’t
The film festival gave Meg Smaker’s “Jihad Rehab” a coveted spot in its 2022 lineup, but apologized after an outcry over her race and her approach.
Ostracized by the West, Russia Finds a Partner in Saudi Arabia
The two oil-producing countries have extended their partnership even as the United States and Europe have sought to punish and isolate Russia for invading Ukraine.
Lawmakers Press Biden to Track U.S. Aid Tied to Civilian Harm in Yemen
Democrats and Republicans want the administration to do more to ensure that American military aid to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates does not contribute to civilian casualties.