Gulf News

Saudi Interior Ministry Announces Fines on Unauthorized Hajj Pilgrims, Facilitators 

Gulf A view of the Kaaba in the holy city of Makkah. (SPA)

Saudi Interior Ministry Announces Fines on Unauthorized Hajj Pilgrims, Facilitators 

The Saudi Ministry of Interior announced Monday fines on individuals who violate regulations requiring a permit to perform the Hajj, as well as for those who…

Gulf Saudi Foreign Minister meets with Omani counterpart. (SPA)

Saudi Foreign Minister Meets with Omani Counterpart

Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs, Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah, met on Monday with Foreign Minister of the Sultanate of Oman, Badr bin Hamad…

Asharq Al Awsat
Gulf Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah is welcomed in Muscat FM Sayyid Badr bin Hamad bin Hamood Albusaidi. (SPA)

Saudi, Iranian FMs Discuss Oman-Sponsored Iran-US Talks

Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah received on Monday a telephone call from his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi. They…

Gulf Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister. (SPA)

Saudi Crown Prince Donates SAR1 Bln to Support Housing Ownership within 12 Months

Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, has made a substantial personal donation of SAR1 billion to the…

Gulf Pilgrims are seen at the Hajj last year. (EPA)

Saudi Council of Senior Scholars: Performing Hajj without a Permit Is a Sin

Saudi Arabia’s Council of Senior Scholars stressed on Sunday the need to obtain a permit for anyone wishing to perform the Hajj pilgrimage. In a statement,…

Asma al Ghabri (Jeddah)

Gulf The ministry emphasized the importance of adhering to the Kingdom’s official Hajj and Umrah guidelines and instructions. (SPA)

Saudi Interior Ministry Warns Expatriates of SAR50,000 Fine for Visa Overstays

The Saudi Ministry of Interior announced on Tuesday that expatriates who fail to leave the Kingdom after their entry visas expire may face a fine of up to…

Gulf The grand mass led by Pope Francis at the Bahrain National Stadium was attended by 28,000 people from 111 nationalities (BNA)

Gulf Remembers Pope as a Symbol of Tolerance, Dialogue

Gulf nations remember Pope Francis, the head of the Catholic Church, who passed away at the age of 88, as a global symbol of tolerance and dialogue between…

Asharq Al Awsat (Manama)
Gulf Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, meets with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi in September 2023. (SPA)

Indian PM: ‘Economic Corridor’ Is the New Silk Route of the 21st Century

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday that the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEEC), launched in 2023, will define the future of…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Gulf Saudi Minister of Energy Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman bin Abdulaziz and Egypt’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Immigration, and Egyptian Expatriates Affairs Dr. Badr Abdelatty meet in Riyadh. (SPA)

Saudi Minister of Energy, Egyptian FM Discuss Means to Expand Cooperation 

Saudi Minister of Energy Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman bin Abdulaziz held talks in Riyadh on Monday with Egypt’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Immigration, and…

Gulf Saudi Minister of Interior Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif bin Abdulaziz and his Iraqi counterpart Lieutenant General Abdulamir Al-Shammari in Jeddah. (SPA)

Saudi Interior Minister Receives Iraqi Counterpart in Jeddah 

Saudi Minister of Interior Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif bin Abdulaziz received in Jeddah on Monday his Iraqi counterpart Lieutenant General Abdulamir Al…

Gulf Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister. (SPA)

Saudi Leadership, MWL Offer Condolences over Death of Pope Francis

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister…

Asharq Al Awsat (Jeddah)
Gulf Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah receives his Egyptian counterpart Dr. Badr Abdelatty in Riyadh on Monday. (SPA)

Saudi, Egyptian FMs Co-Chair Political Consultation Committee

Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah received his Egyptian counterpart Dr. Badr Abdelatty in Riyadh on Monday. They…

Gulf Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Secretary-General Jasem Albudaiwi

GCC Secretary-General Meets with Director of China Atomic Energy Authority

Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jasem Albudaiwi met with Director of the China Atomic Energy Authority Shan Zhongde on the sidelines of…

Asharq Al Awsat
Gulf A view of Riyadh on Nov 15, 2024. (Reuters)

Saudi Arabia’s Health Sector Transformation Increases Life Expectancy to 78.8 Years

The Health Sector Transformation Program has contributed to an increase in the average lifespan in Saudi Arabia, which rose to 78.8 years in 2024, up from 74…

Gulf The al-Atal family's tent is seen after it was struck overnight in an Israeli airstrike that killed several family members, in the Jabalia refugee camp, Gaza City, Thursday, April 17, 2025. (AP)

Qatar’s Chief Negotiator Says ‘Frustrated’ by Pace of Gaza Talks

Qatar's chief negotiator voiced frustration over talks for a truce in Gaza in an interview with AFP, a month after Israel resumed its strikes on the…

Gulf Sultan Haitham bin Tariq al-Said gives a speech after being sworn in before the royal family council in Muscat, Oman January 11, 2020. REUTERS/Sultan Al Hasani/File Photo

Oman's Sultan to Meet Putin in Moscow on Monday

Oman's Sultan Haitham bin Tariq al-Said is set to visit Moscow on Monday, days after the start of a round of Muscat-mediated nuclear talks between the US and…

Asharq Al Awsat
Gulf  Travellers are welcomed at Damascus's airport. (AFP file)

Syrian Air Says It Is Resuming Its Direct Flights to UAE on Sunday

Syria's flag carrier Syrian Air will resume direct flights to Dubai and Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates starting on Sunday, the airline said in a Facebook…

Gulf Saudi Interior Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif bin Abdulaziz meets with Egyptian Ambassador to the Kingdom Ehab Abou Srei in Riyadh. (Egyptian Foreign Ministry)

Egypt Tightens Measures to Prevent Another Crisis of Illegal Hajj Pilgrims

Egypt is intensifying its measures to prevent another crisis of illegal Hajj pilgrims, which had taken place in 2024 when thousands of people exploited visas…

Asharq Al Awsat (Cairo)
Gulf Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian meet on Friday. (Prince Khalid bin Salman on X)

Iranian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia to Asharq Al-Awsat: Khalid bin Salman’s Visit Is Very Important

Iranian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Alireza Enayati described as “very important” Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman’s visit to Tehran on Friday. …

Abdulhadi Habtor (Riyadh)
Gulf  Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, meets with Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, left, at the Grand Kremlin Palace in Moscow, Russia, Thursday, April 17, 2025. (Alexander Nemenov/Pool Photo via AP)

Mediator Qatar Says Israel ‘Did Not Abide’ by Gaza Truce Deal

Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani said Thursday that Israel had failed to respect January’s ceasefire agreement in Gaza, as he met with Russian…

Gulf This handout picture provided by the office of Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei shows him (R) meeting with Saudi Arabia's Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman in Tehran on April 17, 2025. (Photo by KHAMENEI.IR / AFP)

Khalid bin Salman in Iran, Hands Khamenei Message from King Salman

Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman held talks in Tehran on Thursday with Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and PresidentMasoud Pezeshkian. In…

Gulf Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi - SPA

GCC Sec-Gen Condemns Plots Aimed at Undermining Jordan’s Security

Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jasem Albudaiwi has condemned the recent terrorist plots aimed at undermining the security and…

Asharq Al Awsat
Gulf Saudi Minister of Defense Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz

Saudi Minister of Defense Kicks off an Official Visit to Iran

Saudi Minister of Defense Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz led a delegation on Thursday kicking off an official visit to Iran. The Minister will hold…

Asharq Al Awsat
Gulf The Third Ministerial Meeting of the Gulf Cooperation Council-Central Asia Strategic Dialogue held in Kuwait. Photo: KUNA

GCC-Central Asia Strategic Dialogue Focuses on Strengthening Cooperation

Gulf Cooperation Council foreign ministers and their counterparts from Central Asia discussed in Kuwait on Wednesday consolidating cooperation in several…

Asharq Al Awsat (Kuwait)
Gulf Jordanian Government spokesperson Mohammad Al Momani speaks during a press conference in Amman, Jordan, April 15, 2025, in this screen grab taken from a handout video. (JTV/Handout via Reuters)

Saudi Arabia Praises Jordan for Thwarting Plots to Undermine its Security

The Saudi Foreign Ministry praised on Wednesday the measures Jordan has taken to thwart plots aimed at undermining its security. The Kingdom expressed its…

Gulf US Secretary of Energy Chris Wright and Minister of Energy and Chairman of KAUST’s Board of Trustees Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman bin Abdulaziz during the visit to KAUST. (SPA)

US Secretary of Energy Visits Saudi Arabia’s KAUST 

US Secretary of Energy Chris Wright visited Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), where he was received by Minister of…

Gulf Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi at the Bayan Palace in Kuwait. (KUNA)

Egypt and Kuwait Align on Gaza Reconstruction, Reject Displacement

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi concluded a three-day Gulf tour on Tuesday with a visit to Kuwait, following a stop in Qatar. He held high-level…

Asharq Al Awsat (Cairo)
Gulf A suspect is arrested for promoting fake Hajj campaigns. (Directorate of Public Security)

Saudi Arabia Arrests Citizen for Promoting Fake Hajj Campaign Ads  

Saudi police in the Makkah region have arrested a citizen for posting fraudulent and misleading Hajj campaign ads on social media. The ads promised…

Asharq Al Awsat (Makkah)
Gulf Governor of Madinah Prince Salman bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz inaugurates the Umrah and Ziyarah Forum (UZF). (SPA)

Saudi Arabia Banks on Tech to Boost Pilgrimage Services  

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Hajj and Umrah is banking on technology and digital transformation to enhance services for pilgrims, Umrah performers, and visitors…

Asharq Al Awsat (Madinah)