Gulf News

Pilgrims Pray on Mount Arafat as Hajj Reaches Peak

Gulf The flow of pilgrims to Mina proceeded smoothly and easily, supported by all services (Photo: Ali Khamaj)

Pilgrims Pray on Mount Arafat as Hajj Reaches Peak

Huge numbers of Muslims prayed on Mount Arafat on Tuesday at the climax of the hajj pilgrimage. From daybreak, thousands of white-robed worshippers recited…

Asharq Al Awsat (Makkah)
Gulf Director of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the Armed Forces Major General Pilot Hamid Al-Omari and other officials are seen during his inspection tour. (SPA)

Saudi Joint Chiefs of Staff Director Inspects Armed Forces Preparations for Hajj

Director of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the Armed Forces Major General Pilot Hamid Al-Omari, on behalf of Chief of the General Staff Lieutenant-General Fayyad…

Gulf People inspect the wreckage of vehicles the day after a deadly train blast, in Quetta, Pakistan, 25 May 2026. (EPA)

Saudi Arabia Condemns Terrorist Attack on Train in Pakistan’s Balochistan

Saudi Arabia condemned on Monday the “heinous terrorist” attack targeting a train in Pakistan’s Balochistan province. In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign…

Gulf Saudi Minister of Health Fahad Al-Jalajel visits the Ministry of Interior Field Hospital in Arafat on Monday. (SPA)

Saudi Health Minister Visits Ministry of Interior Field Hospital in Arafat

Saudi Minister of Health Fahad Al-Jalajel visited on Monday the Ministry of Interior Field Hospital in Arafat, where he reviewed the hospital’s readiness and…

Gulf  Muslim pilgrims offer evening prayers around the Kaaba, in the holy city of Makkah during the annual Hajj pilgrimage, Saudi Arabia, Sunday, May 24, 2026. (AP)

Saudi Interior Ministry Announces Fine of up to SAR20,000 for Anyone Performing Hajj without Permit

The Saudi Ministry of Interior announced on Monday that a fine of up to SAR20,000 will be imposed on anyone found performing or attempting to perform Hajj…


Gulf Green spaces tripled by planting of 40,000 trees to reduce heat stress (Kidana)

Development Projects at Holy Sites Seek to Improve Services for Pilgrims

Saudi Arabia’s holy sites are undergoing a wide range of development projects for this year’s Hajj, including infrastructure upgrades as well as service and…

Asharq Al Awsat (Makkah)
Gulf A trilateral meeting brought together Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, Jordan’s King Abdullah II and Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. (SPA)

Saudi Arabia Hosts 15 Visits by World Leaders, Officials in One Month

Saudi Arabia recorded a striking rise in official visits by world leaders over the past month, amid current security and political developments in the region…

Ghazi al-Harthi (Riyadh)
Gulf Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. SPA

Saudi Crown Prince Receives Written Message from Uzbekistan’s President on Bilateral Ties

Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, received on Sunday a written message from Uzbekistan’s President,…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Gulf Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jasem Albudaiwi. SPA

Albudaiwi Holds Talks with European Parliament Delegation in Riyadh

Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jasem Albudaiwi met on Sunday in Riyadh a delegation from the European Parliament, headed by Reinhold…

Asharq Al Awsat
Gulf GCC Stands in Solidarity with Bahrain in All Sovereign Measures Taken to Protect Its Security

GCC Stands in Solidarity with Bahrain in All Sovereign Measures Taken to Protect Its Security

Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jasem Albudaiwi expressed the council’s full solidarity with the Kingdom of Bahrain in all sovereign…

Asharq Al Awsat
Gulf Saudi Arabia emphasized that Bahrain's security is integral to its own security and that of all other Gulf states (Reuters).

Saudi Arabia Affirms Support for Bahrain’s Decisions to Safeguard Its Security and Stability

Saudi Arabia affirmed its support for the sovereign measures taken by Bahrain’s leadership to protect its security and preserve its sovereignty. In a…

Asharq Al Awsat
Gulf Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, chairs a cabinet meeting in Jeddah on Tuesday. (SPA)

Saudi Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Egyptian Prime Minister on Death of His Father

Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, sent on Friday a cable of condolences to Egyptian Prime Minister…

Gulf Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah in Moscow on July 4, 2025. (Reuters)

Saudi FM, EU High Representative Discuss Regional Developments

Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah received on Friday a telephone call from European Union High Representative for Foreign…

Gulf The directorate reaffirmed its readiness to manage pilgrim influxes at all ports -SPA

Jeddah Port Welcomes First Group of Sudanese Pilgrims

The General Directorate of Passports at Jeddah Islamic Port welcomed the first group of Sudanese pilgrims arriving for the 1447 AH Hajj season, completing…

Asharq Al Awsat
Gulf Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa. (BNA file)

King of Bahrain: Iran Must Cease Meddling in Our Internal Affairs

Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa called on Thursday Iran to cease interfering in the internal affairs of his country and Arab Gulf nations, stressing…

Gulf The flag of the UAE. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

UAE Announces Travel Ban on Nationals to Iran, Lebanon and Iraq

The United Arab Emirates foreign ministry on Thursday announced a travel ban on Emirati nationals going to Iran, Lebanon and Iraq, citing regional developments…

Gulf Photo by SPA

Saudi Foreign Minister Meets with French Counterpart in Riyadh

Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah met Thursday in Riyadh French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noël Barrot,…

Asharq Al Awsat
Gulf The flags of Gulf countries are raised in Jeddah ahead of the summit (SPA)

How Did the Jeddah Summit Support Joint Gulf Action?

Gulf leaders meeting in Jeddah this week urged faster progress on joint projects and deeper military integration, seeking to reinforce collective security and…

Ghazi al-Harthi (Riyadh)
Gulf Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. SPA

Saudi Crown Prince Receives Written Messages from Rwanda’s President, Japanese PM

Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, received a written message from Rwanda’s President, Paul Kagame,…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Gulf Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. SPA

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Receives Written Message from Zimbabwe’s President

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud received a written message from Zimbabwe’s President, Emmerson Mnangagwa, concerning…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Gulf Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. SPA

Saudi Crown Prince, Canada’s PM Discuss Ties and Regional Developments

Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, received a phone call on Wednesday from Canadian PM Mark Carney. …

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Gulf Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Swiss President Guy Parmelin during a bilateral meeting in Jeddah on April 23. SPA

Swiss President: We Stand with Saudi Arabia, US-Iran Negotiations Key to Stability

Swiss President Guy Parmelin reaffirmed his country’s support for Saudi Arabia in what he described as difficult circumstances, and stressed the need to press…

Fatehelrahman Yousif (Riyadh)
Gulf Iraqi Ambassador in Riyadh Safia Taleb Al-Suhail (photograph: Turki Al-Oqaili)

Iraqi Ambassador in Riyadh: Land Transport of Pilgrims Dictated by Regional Conditions

Iraq’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia Safia Taleb Al-Suhail said the number of Iraqi pilgrims this year has reached around 41,000, with their convoys beginning to…

Abdulhadi Habtor (Riyadh)
Gulf Saudi Arabia's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Dr. Abdulaziz Al-Wasil. File Photo/Saudi Foreign Ministry

Saudi Arabia Affirms Peace Requires Ceasefire, Establishing Palestinian State on 1967 Borders

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia stressed the seriousness of the situation in the region, renewing its condemnation of Israeli attacks on Palestine and Lebanon. …

Asharq Al Awsat
Gulf The Saudi flag. Asharq Al-Awsat

Saudi Arabia Reaffirms Commitment to NPT at Eleventh Review Conference

Saudi Arabia has reaffirmed the importance of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) as a fundamental pillar of the global non…

Asharq Al Awsat (New York)
Gulf Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman receives Bahrain's King Sheikh Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa ahead of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) meeting in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, April 28, 2026. Bandar Algaloud/Courtesy of Saudi Royal Court/Handout via REUTERS

Jeddah Summit Stresses Importance of Restoring Navigation Security in Hormuz

The Gulf summit, which was chaired on Tuesday by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, discussed the regional situation. It affirmed the necessity of…

Asharq Al Awsat (Jeddah)
Gulf Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah

Faisal bin Farhan, Guterres Discuss Regional Developments

Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah received a telephone call on Tuesday from UN Secretary-General António Guterres. …

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Gulf Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, holds talks with Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani in Jeddah on Tuesday. (SPA)

Jeddah Summit Highlights Saudi Push for Gulf Coordination

Observers said Saudi Arabia’s hosting of a consultative meeting of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) in Jeddah on Tuesday underscores a push by Prince…

Ghazi al-Harthi (Riyadh)
Gulf A satellite image shows small boats north of the Strait of Hormuz. (Reuters)

Gulf Maritime Integration Needed to Protect Hormuz, Counter Strategic Blackmail

The Strait of Hormuz has shifted, amid the current crisis, from a vital shipping lane into a strategic bargaining chip, anchored in Iran’s ability to keep…

Abdulhadi Habtor (Riyadh)